Part #2: There's a First for EVERYTHING!

Hey! Hey! Hey Everyone! So I'm back with part two of 'There's a First for Everything' and I will continue you to tell you the juicy firsts of my knitting experience. This past week labeled the beginning of my journey. I used the eBook How to Knit for Beginners from Knitting Daily to get my supplies and I am also using it to assist me in getting a firm beginning on knitting. 


Slip Knot

Slip Knot

The slip knot is the start to knitting projects, not necessary but recommended! To make the slip knot you wrap the yarn around your index and middle finger, with the end of the yarn in your palm, wrapping with the working yarn (knitting lingo for the end of the yarn still attached to the ball) around until you get to the back of your hand. Pull the working yarn through your fingers, release your fingers, and tighten by pulling the end of the yarn. Slip the needle through the loop you have just made and pull the working yarn end until you have tightened the knot on the needle. Voila!

Casting On

Casting On

Casting on allows you make the first row of stitching for your projects and each project may require a different amount of stitches to start with. After I tried the slip knot several times to get the hang of it, the How to Knit for Beginners eBook suggested trying 20 Long Tail Cast-On. I kept casting on the needle and undoing it because I just wasn't entirely sure I was doing it the right way. I must confess I am a perfectionist! So, stopping at nothing to perfect this very basic component of knitting was a must. Trying to make the cast ons even with just the right tightness (not too tight but not too loose)  on the needle created some problems for me. But practice makes perfect and I'm still working on it!

Knit Stitch

Knit Stitch: 1st and 2nd

The slip knot and the casting on was seemingly easy for me but when it came to the knit stitch, the basis of which knitting is named, I could not get it the first million tries. I was at this for 3-4 hours and not being able to understand the knit stitch increased my frustration. I huffed and puffed, but I didn't blow the house down, instead I kept trying. There were times I had to put everything down and regroup. The moral of the story: whatever you do, DO NOT GIVE UP! Embrace the frustration because it will not be the last experience. As a visual learner, videos are always beneficial and Knitting Help has a great video for Knit Stitching (Continental Method). Completing each step, the slip knot, the cast on, the knit stitch, made me feel like a champion knitter. Small victories for me, and a giant leap in my journey.

Disclaimer: I must warn you that in knitting there are various ways to do almost every technique. It is up to you to find what techniques you feel most comfortable with. The best way to figure it out is to try EVERYTHING!

[It's only the beginning, there's so much more. Stay Encouraged]