[Nfb-krafters-korner] learning to knit

Tue Jan 8 06:50:35 UTC 2013

To all you that are learning to knit in Sat. class.  Keep going with  that 
rectangle or square and no matter what comes out you have a  coaster!!!  It 
does not matter if there are booboos in it.  It still  will absorb the 
moisture.  So you can accomplish what you set out to do and  it will do the job! 

Joyce  Kane
_www.KraftersKorner.org_ (http://www.krafterskorner.org/) 
Blindhands at AOL.com   

In a message dated 1/6/2013 7:19:09 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
slerythema at gmail.com writes:

Deidre,

Good news, you are a beginner and you are doing  typical beginner things!
Now, take a breath and hold it . . . now, let it  out. You can do this.
First, don't try to think that you are making  anything and that it has to 
be
perfect, simply make a square/rectangle that  you can undo (or put in a
drawer) and just practice the motions. If you  drop a stitch, that's okay,
keep going for a few more rows before you  decide to either start over or 
cut
the yarn and put that one aside. Second,  you will either remain a tight
knitter and learn how that effects your work  or learn to loosen it up.

The reason blind knitters like to use a  version of Continental instead of
English is because you keep your hands on  your work and you do not have to
worry about what is happening when you are  picking up and wrapping that
yarn. 

You are supposed to have your  stitches close to the tip of the needle when
you are working them. At some  point, you'll be able to pick any dropped
stitches back up and go right on  knitting. Because it can get frustrating
when you are just learning, try  practicing for ten minutes three times a
day. This will help keep your  stress level down but allow you to get in the
practice that you  need.

Also, I think you are the one that order Zephyr needles from Knit  Picks. 
You
might want to try a pair of metal needles since you are working  tight. Just
buy a cheap pair from Walmart or a hobby store to try them out.  Now, with
metal needles the yarn can slip off easier but it also allows  your tight
stitches to move easier. Your cheap metal needles will not have  as fine a
point as Knit Picks nickel needles, but just give them a try to  see if it
helps.

I have remained a tight knitter so I love my Knit  Picks nickel needles with
their fine tapered point. Even though I am a  tight knitter, I have learned
the proper tension that allows my stitches to  move appropriately. While
Continental gives beginners a tighter tension, it  does help you maintain
tension through out your whole project since you are  not letting go of the
yarn all the time.

Just remember you are a  beginner, however, you are off to a good start 
since
you actually know when  you make a mistake. Most beginners do not realize
their mistakes when they  are just starting. Plus, you have a whole list of
blind crafters just  waiting to offer tips and cheer you on!

Cindy S.

>  -----Original Message-----
> From: Nfb-krafters-korner 
>  [mailto:nfb-krafters-korner-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
> Deidre  Muccio
> Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2013 5:31 PM
> To: 'List for  blind crafters and artists'
> Subject: [Nfb-krafters-korner] learning to  knit
> 
> 
> Hello Annette and others
> I was eager  for the first beginner's knitting class to happen 
> yesterday. I felt  sure that I could learn. Right off I lost 
> my slip knot off the needle  several times. I never 
> successfully casted on. I was also totally  perplexed because 
> the motions described for knitting were not what I  had been 
> shown several times before by a neighbor. It turns out I had  
> been shown English not Continental, which is what we did 
>  yesterday. Btw, probably many of you have taken this with 
> Annette  before, and you know she gives her all. Today my 
> neighbor came back  over to try to help me get the hang of 
> Continental. I still didn't  manage to cast on a first row of 
> stitches, so she did it for me. I  can't wait to hear the 
> recording to see if at some point before the  next class, I 
> can figure it out myself.
>     I now  see the difference between English and 
> Continental, it's the same,  except for where the long strand 
> of yarn gets placed or picked up. I  can do that movement now 
> except that a problem I'm having is that the  stitches get so 
> tight that when I need to pick that stitch off that  left 
> needle the stitches on both needles have to be right up near  
> the tip and I risk their sliding off. I was told the reason 
>  things are getting so tight is that I am putting too much 
> tension on  the strand of yarn that is resting on my pointer 
> finger. I was also  told that it is good for there to be 
> tension as the two needles are  inside the stitch on the left 
> needle, but I suppose that is easy for  a sighted experienced 
> knitter to say! 
>     I can't  believe everyone in class yesterday was able to 
> knit a few rows  without dropping stitches. At least 3 times I 
> dropped stitches off  the left needle and my neighbor had to 
> put them back on. I felt them  and she told me what to do to 
> get them back on the left needle but  I'm not 100% sure I 
> would have done it perfectly. I am not always  even sure when 
> I've  made a mistake, so to speak, though often I  can tell 
> when something happens that didn't feel right.
>  What do you other beginners do if no one is around to 
>  help remedy the kinds of problems I'm talking about? Start 
> from the  very beginning again?
>     This process of learning is quite  remarkable. I'm 
> trusting that I'll get the hang of it, but I will  surely need 
> more help. I'm not willing to give up yet.
>  
>     Deidre
> 
> 
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