NOPE. Not a perfectionist. (For now?)
Thank you so much for your well wishes for Data! He ate again yesterday, and this morning, and seems more playful and energetic! Fingers crossed!
So now that I have tried it myself, I have much more admiration for my friends and family who can knit (and crochet)!
For a long time, I was telling Mica that I wanted to learn how to knit. She often tells me about her knitting projects, which I think are really cool, and, yes, have inspired me to want to learn the craft!
Mica sent me some needles and yarn (what a sweetie!), and some really helpful links to try it out on my own, which I did! I was able to get a cast on and start my first (well, second) row, but I always screwed something up and didn’t know what I was doing wrong. So I thought it would be good if I took a class, which… is what I did last night. And realized I am NOT a natural at knitting!
Ha ha, I don’t suppose anyone is. I suppose most everyone made huge mistakes like I did the first time, and had to learn muscle memory over time, but holy cow, is it frustrating! I can’t tell you how many times I asked the instructor to come fix what I’d messed up.
Now, the good part is I actually realized I messed it up – I could see my stitches were twisted, or that for some reason I had switched from perling to knitting and I wasn’t supposed to. Anyway. What I have learned about this, is that like with most other things, it requires way more concentration and focus than comes naturally to me. For example I would be knitting a row then all of a sudden start using the needle from the wrong side, because I stopped paying attention and started talking to someone else. So I guess this won’t really be a hobby I can do while I am watching a movie, or having a conversation, or… anything else.*
But hopefully! I will stick with it, and get better at it! Because when I do get in to a groove with it, it’s fun. And it’s a little addictive – I was thinking about it most of the morning until I could work on it again.
I was laughing though, because last night, the instructor saw me fixing something, and moving it around on my needle and wanting things to be lined up just right and she goes “Oh, you must be a perfectionist, like me!”
And I am thinking, “I am NOT a perfectionist.” This thing we’re making? This washcloth? I know the first half of it is going to look like total crap and hopefully the last few rows I get right. And that’s okay. You’ll be able to see my progress in the work and I am okay with that. I don’t plan on using it. Maybe I will make twenty of them before I start a real project I care about.
But I suppose if I ever plan on making something to wear or even give to someone else, it probably should be a little closer to perfect than I ever aim for. Ha ha.
I actually recorded this post then transcribed it with minor editing, so if it reads different than my typical post, that’s because it’s mostly my speaking style!
*I already know I am a horrible multitasker, so a hobby like this for me, is a good thing.
Themocracy
I’m so proud of you for trying something new & creative!!! Pretty soon you’ll be teaching me all your tips & tricks since I am the world’s most impatient/suckiest knitter! Lol. Love you snister!
Thank you!!! I hope I stick with it! I want to be crafty like you!!! Ha ha. I could never be that crafty. But it would be nice to have some skillz. I will teach you everything I learn, young padawan 😉 Love you xo x3 😉
Knitting is HARD! I tried it for about 6 months but lost interest because it took me forever. My aunt told me that crocheting is a lot easier and less involved, so maybe give that a shot too?
I was thinking about that! One apparatus versus two sounds like a much better idea for me! 🙂 Are you gonna try it?
I can cross stitch but there’s no way I can knit or crochet. Those talents stayed with my mom.
I think I’d like to try. You could make things for Data, who I’m so glad to hear is recovering nicely.
Tell me if you do! Ha! I was thinking about it! And already offered to make my friend’s cats some items to wear. ha ha
Knitting is so hard at first! I remember getting so confused on which side was the front – I had to put a safety pin on the front side so I could keep track. But I really love it and I hope you will, too.
Thanks for the encouragement! Even since I wrote this, I think I’ve gotten a little better (knock on wood)! Ha ha! I need all those tricks – like a safety pin on the working side, and wine corks for the ends of the needles, ha ha!
Yay!! And then you can teach me! I bet you will find (providing you stick with it, of course) that you CAN do something like this while watching a movie, but only after you practice for a while and get good at it. Crocheting is something I love to do to keep my hands busy while watching TV. But not while you are learning.
Yeah! Once I get better! And it probably will get that way. Eventually I won’t have to talk to myself to remember what I am doing while I do it… LOL!
I have never tried to knit – I crochet, but only about 3 different stitches, nothing fancy. Good luck! =)
I am glad Data seemed more playful!
I have never tried knitting, I did crochet years ago and was okay at it, but never made anything too complicated. I love blankets with pretty little shell designs and different colors…maybe one day 🙂 I am surprised you have time for another hobby, you seem really busy teaching classes and working out 🙂
Thanks! He is really back on the mend – he bit me this morning for not getting up fast enough to feed him! LOL!
My friend crocheted me the most gorgeous scarf with neat little designs! I wonder if you can do that stuff with knitting!
Ha ha! Since I mostly work from home, I luckily work out when I used to commute and sometimes have free time in the evening to do things! 🙂
I learned to knit a few months ago, and I learned the concepts pretty quick, but I don’t really know what I’m doing! By that I mean I’m not always sure how to fix a mistake…if I stare at what I’m knitting long enough, I can usually figure it out, but otherwise I just make sure the stitch count is right for the next row.
I feel like it’s going to take me awhile before I am confident enough to try something on my own, since I also feel like I don’t know what I am doing… like why does the end of the row always look so wonky? But if I do anything to it, it has an extra stitch! Ha ha! I bet we will both get better at it 😉
Looks good! Once you get the hang of it the knitting really does go faster…your hands get the muscle memory and it’s easier to tune out a bit while you’re knitting. Looking forward to seeing the finished product!
Thanks!!! 🙂
I used to knit a lot. The best thing I made were Christmas stockings for everyone in our family who didn’t have one yet – all the grandkids and my sisters’ husbands. I was thinking I’ll need to take it up again to make stockings when I have daughters-in-law and my own grandkids someday!
Why wait??!!?!? Ha ha 😉 I would love to see some of your pieces! 🙂
Well first off homemade knitted washclothes are the best! I love them. I’m so impressed you’re learning to knit! I have attempted it before, when I was a teenager, but I gave up. Maybe I should try again.
Try it! If I can do it, you can! I bet you have a friend who could show you! 🙂
So glad that little Data is feeling better! I’ve never done the knitting thing but one of my best friends is really into it.
Thank you! Me too!
I can see getting obsessed with it. It’s fun, when you finally get in the groove! (I have only been in the groove for a max of 4 rows, lol)
Yay, I’m glad you’re giving it a try and that your class wasn’t an unpleasant experience! One thing I’ve found with knitting is that you can always leave and come back to it — both during a project (I’ll leave a pair of socks half done for a few weeks) AND just the “craft” in general. Even though I learned how to knit and purl and made some scarves as a kid, I didn’t get serious about it until grad school. And then as an adult, it was a lot easier because I was focused on learning it and knew what I wanted to make…and it all came back so quickly. All this to say, you don’t have to churn out project after project (and honestly, I recommend against reading knitting blogs because I always feel overwhelmed by how much I’m not doing by comparison. Also I just realized that, like, every comment I’ve left you tonight talks about how stressed I am about X. Is that sad? Probably.)
I’m sad we’re not in the same place. I think it would be super fun to knit together! I have a weekly knitting night with a friend, and we watch TV while we knit. Except I usually am counting stitches and miss a lot of the show. When we were watching “Orphan Black,” it was pretty bad, but we’ve gone back to “Sleepy Hollow,” which you can totally not really pay attention to!
That is good to know! I told my friend I was starting again and she picked up a project she hadn’t worked on in 4+ years and said it came right back! That is really good for me to know, because I do want it to be something I can work on when I am looking to focus and for a “creative” outlet (it’s still creative if I am following a pattern, right? ;))… but don’t need another thing I feel like I “have” to do. And I don’t think you are sounding super stressed! Of course, I know you are highly motivated and have a lot of fun goals and projects, so I keep that in mind when I read!
I think it would be fun to knit together, too! Maybe someday!
We’ve watched Orphan Black! One of the only shows I know, ha ha (that, DA, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine).
And thank you SO MUCH for getting me started and encouraging me!!! I really appreciate it! You’re a great friend!
I love knitting and I am terrible at it! Like, I am not proud of anything I make but I LOVE all of them.
That is all that matters! 🙂