Being the blog addict I am, it seemed like a good idea to ask a group of knitting inclined friends what would they would most like to read about on a knitting/design/yarn blog. It shouldn’t have surprised me when the answers varied from ’simple’ (hahaha!) knitting pictures all the way down to wanting the pattern for the sideways cable on the Emerald City Messenger bag. All of these many varied answers resulted in a long list of ideas for me - some I’ve hammered out, some I haven’t. And yet, despite a ton of fantastic suggestions that should keep me busy for months to come, one response stood out the most, and just wouldn’t leave me alone. “Why can’t I f—ing purl?”
I have to admit, I laughed out loud when I read it- loud enough I startled my kids. It wasn’t the desperation or frustration in the question that I found funny, but that here was that this all around brilliant person who regularly tackles whatever she sets her mind to, getting beaten down by the little ol’ purl stitch… and I could sympathize with her 100%. Why? Because for eighteen years, I was purling the ‘wrong’ way too. It didn’t matter how many books I read - none of them made sense. None. Zip. Zilch. Now to my credit, I didn’t give up entirely on purling - just any project that required purling. I hated it that much. I hated the fact that my stitches, normally loose and even, were now so tight and twisty I couldn’t get my needles through them; you could hear the yarn squeak several yards away. Purling made me, and my knitting, miserable. It wasn’t until I understood how the stitches were supposed to sit on the needle, and what that meant for the yarn I was holding, did it begin to make sense why I was purling the ‘wrong’ way. “OOOOH, it is over and under, not up and over.” Eighteen years of miserable purling, solved in less than 10 words.
The rough part for me is, not everyone is going to make the same mistake I did, and so those nine words won’t necessarily solve everyone’s problems. (Wishful thinking, huh?) And while there are plenty of knitting resources out there, sometimes videos, explanations and pictures of how you are supposed to do it just isn’t enough. Sometimes, someone has got to show you how you are doing it, how you should be doing it… and then show you why what you should be doing is different from what you have been doing. Sometimes, knowing the difference between the ideal way, and the squeaky stitch way is all it takes. So that is what I am going to try to do - with a fun twist.
The idea is this: I’m going to start posting illustrated lessons, of sorts, for individual techniques. One technique at a time, some entry level and some more advanced. Then I’m going to string the lessons together in a way that when you complete them all, you’ll have all the skills to complete, really and truly complete, a usable finished object. In addition to the other finished objects you made from completing the previous lessons. I’m also shooting at making each lesson short enough for you get the hang of the technique in an hour or less; get the hang of - not perfected. That’s where the finished objects come in - they are going to be your practice, your homework if you will, to help you master the skill. Some of the items will be from patterns others have written, some will be my own - but in the end, the items and the successes and the knitting glory will all belong to you. And yes, Ms. Why Can’t I F—ing Purl, you WILL learn to purl, once and for all. It’s really not as hard as it seems. /wink
If you would like to participate, or have a skill set you’d like to see (other than horizontal cables within a body of knitting - I’m still working on that one), leave a comment; I’d love to know who my partners in knitting crime are!
Ah well, it’s about time for me to get back to work - the yarn, the needles and the spinning wheel call. And I may just go ahead and spend some quality time with my pillow - I’ve been missing it terribly. /wink
Peace and knitty,
Oriri
