A couple questions Emily and I often get asked are: how long have you been knitting and how did you learn to knit. For me, I’ve been knitting for 15 years and I taught myself from a book. Not a ‘learn to knit book’ (that would be too easy), it was a stitchionary from the 70’s, a book full of different stitch patterns and a few pithy instructions on the knit and purl stitches.
So what did I knit? I started with a super ugly swatch. Not necessarily ugly because of my knitting (although that obviously needed improvement), it was ugly because it was in a hideous shade of purple in a squeaky acrylic yarn; but I was so proud! That didn’t stop me though, I knit a garter stitch scarf that evened out my tension and then I turned my eye to my very first design project: a blanket.
Because I was working with a stitchionary it seemed like the best thing to do was to work my way through the different types of stitches, some cables, some lace, and some texture. I started creating 6 foot strips of different stitches (still in horrible yarn, I didn’t learn about natural fibers until a few years later). I learned how the different stitches worked as I went, with a lot of missteps along the way. I made not one but three of these blankets!
The finished project is still around, my mum just brought one by for me to fix a few weeks ago. It has some easily fixed holes (they are only at the seams) and then it will be sent back to continue its life as a couch blanket.
What was your first knit project?
More blankies from Tin Can Knits :::
June 30, 2014 @ 1:05 am
Lovely knitt wool blanket. Very nice pictures!
congratulations
April 23, 2014 @ 8:38 pm
One of my good friends from college was a prolific knitter and taught me how, provided me with some oddments of yarn and some needles to practice with. I knit my boyfriend the ugliest garter stitch scarf with the wrongest needles for the yarn I think they were 17s and the yarn was a bulky much more suited for 11s or 13s in orange, yellow, and red color blocks. Then I got caught up in quilting and sewing and forgot about knitting for a while. After my daughter was born, I was looking for something to keep busy with while she was doing tummy time or whatever. I found the yarn and needles in a corner and set to making a black ribbed scarf for my husband. Then, I jumped into knitting with both feet and did socks and a lace hat and I don’t think I’ve gone a week without something on the needles since.
April 17, 2014 @ 7:55 am
Beautiful blanket! Impressive first project. I approached knitting a little most cautiously with a twisted ribbed hat. Great way to learn a few different techniques, but I was in an class with a patient teacher. Now I want to make a nice blanket too!
April 16, 2014 @ 9:46 pm
There is no such thing as a hideous purple. I’m sure of it! My first project was a hideous gold garter stitch scarf that took me most of my 9th grade school year to knit. It was in hideous acrylic, that old, scratchy kind. I love the choices we have in yarns and patterns now, the 80’s almost did us in.
April 16, 2014 @ 9:52 pm
Oh, how I wish I had a photo of this hideous purple! I think it might be un-photographable if I still had it. Lols
April 16, 2014 @ 9:16 pm
A purple turtleneck sweater with a peplum and the sleeves were puffed at the top and grew narrower toward the wrist. My stitches were so tight I had to struggle to insert the needle. Knitting five stitches was a full body work out. Then I learned the fine art of tension. To this day, my knit stitches let me know whether I am relaxed or tense.
April 16, 2014 @ 1:39 pm
My first knit project was a scarf, just a way to remember how it worked because I had learned a while ago but never really stuck at it. Then it was a small cowl, and I learned to knit in the round. And quite quickly I decided to do a blanket as well, for my daughter. She chose the yarn, not a wonderful one but fair enough, chose the colors and I followed a relatively simple pattern.
I think a blanket is a great way to become an experienced knitter: it is quite a long project, so the repetition of stitches helps you even out your tension, and simply get better at manipalting your needles, the yarn, everything…
April 16, 2014 @ 11:46 am
Very pretty blanket! I’m afraid of cables and lace, I’m determined to learn though. My first knitted project was a scarf made from this thick and thin yarn by Lion Brand. It is wool and very heavy. Not really good for where I live because we don’t get really cold.
April 16, 2014 @ 9:53 pm
There’s nothing like a scarf (or a strip of a blanket) to really get your practice in on a stitch. I will say it’s not the most efficient way to learn but it works every time!