The Change

No, I am not talking about The Change, unless everyone is thinking about the knitting change, in which case you are spot on!

A while back I mentioned something about my knitting.  It started with YO's being really small, and it turned out I was twisting them.  This got me thinking about how I knit, as my 'natural' way of putting the yarn over the needle, and then my 'natural' way of knitting that stitch messed it up, so who was to say I wasn't doing anything else wrong?

So, I watched videos, read forum posts.  I spent a couple of evenings reading and watching.  On the third day, I put what I learned into practice.  You see,my style of knitting didn't fit quite with the continental knitting style - I did my purls differently.  I practised and practised, and slowly but surely I was able to knit a full row of knitting knitting and purling using my fingers only.

Then I noticed it.  It took me a few rows to properly see it, but something was really really wrong.  All my stitches were being twisted.  So I watched and re-watched, and then I watched a slow-motion video and saw that she was wrapping the yarn over the needles in a different direction to me.

You see, as I have discovered, when you see pictures and watch videos of knitting, it is very important to pay attention to that small seemingly insignificant detail.

I happened to come across this post on ravelry purely by accident.  The problem I was having was most videos assume your knitting is mounted with the right-leg of the stitch in front.  It's a fair assumption to make, as most people when they learn to knit will learn this way.  Instead, when I learned to knit, I went with what was comfortable, and this ultimately resulted in my knitting being a little bit weird.

Bottom is the old, top is the new.

The leg at the front on my knitting is the left-leg, which meant every time I knit into it as shown on videos, I was twisting it.  When I was purling, my way of wrapping the yarn over the needle seemed to compensate for this a bit, and gave me stitches that looked like knit stitches until you looked closely.

When it's stretched, it is very obvious!

I have looked at, and felt hundreds of knitted items over the years.  Not once was it glaringly obvious to me that my stitches were twisted!  My knitting always looked a bit different, but I put that down to knitting styles as most people I know knit English style.

I have since learned that I knit Eastern European style.  I have had to make changes to how I interpret patterns, as K2tog and SSK would obviously not work as written (well, they would decrease, but the direction would be off), but compared to learning how to hold yarn years after holding it a certain way that was nothing!  The solution was insanely simple - just knit or purl through the back loop!

The best part is my knitting speed has increased.  I love how my 'new' stitches look.  I love the fact my hands don't hurt any more from gripping the needles while trying to knit into the front stitch which is leaning the wrong way!

Knitting Woes

The first thing I always say to people who get upset at not having any sort of 'real' way of knitting is as long  as you're happy with it, what's the problem?

I get it now.  I just learned that ever since I started knitting, I have been twisting my knit stitches.  You would not believe how annoyed I am.  Now that I've done it 'right' I hate everything I have ever knit in stockinette.

Stupid self-learning.

WIP Wednesday

Been a while since I did a WIP Wednesday.  I get bored posting the same thing week after week, but I have two whole brand new projects this week, and 1 old one!

Another head wrap, this time using some left over Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend.  I'm using this to train my hands to knit in a decent contintental style.  It's hard going, and I keep feeling my fingers doing things to automatically do something the old way.  Due to the yarn being thicker than required, I have cut the width a bit, and will probably not knit as many rows as required, but I will use my first one to compare.

Shapeshifter
I have wanted to knit this for a while now, and finally cast-on on Monday.  It's such a genius pattern, I can't wait for it to be finished.  This is also one of those rare occasions where I am using multi-coloured yarn for an object for me!  I love the colours in this yarn, Araucania Nature Wool Multy.

You see this??  Needles are in the collar!!!!!  I have a few inches of 2x2 ribbing ahead of  me before I am done!  I am really hoping I can get this finished by the end of the month, but the way things are going it's unlikely, and I'm now aiming for the first weekend in November.   It can't be any later than that really.  I hate knitting to a deadline, it makes me want to do anything but knit!  The colour is off in every single photo I take, but this is  the most accurate one I have.

I'll be back on Friday with an FO, but for now head over to Tamis blog to see some more wonderful WIP Wednesdays!