Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Tied in Knots, I Mean Knits

Ladies and gentlemen, my first knit scarf:


It's nice and long and very very soft and cozy. And I knit it myself!

I'm convinced that I'm in the most ambitious beginner sewing class in the tri-state area. After finishing our first scarf (the puffy garter stitch one above), we moved right into working on a rib knit scarf. And then last night, we started a matching hat. In fact, the class is so ambitious, that Berta decided to add a fourth session so we can finish our hats.  


Here is half a scarf and the beginnings of a hat for Phin

Oh, and last night when Berta asked what other things we would like to learn, I planted the seed... and now the whole class thinks they want to knit socks. So, Berta is offering a 2 session sock class next month.. heh heh heh.

Anyway, here are a few beginner observations about knitting:
  • Yarn is expensive. More expensive than fabric is, at least for what I like.
  • Expensive yarn seems to be worth it. I've been snuggling on the couch with my scarf these last few nights, sighing over how soft and lovely merino wool is. Mmmmm... merrrrrr-eeee-nooooo...
  • Knitting is slow work. Holy cow, I thought I was a slow sewista, but it's nothing compared to how slow knitting is! I finished half of the red scarf only after knitting every day for a week!  Granted, there were times I had to rip out rows and backtrack. But still. 
  • I am much less likely to maim fellow commuters knitting with round needles than 14" straight ones. Nuff said.
  • There are no muslins in knitting. This terrifies me. 
  • There are lots of needles for sale on Ebay! I stocked up on a set of 14 pairs of slightly used  knitting needles in all different sizes to get me started. And it only cost $20 plus shipping. Hooray for Ebay!

 So, really, what I'm saying is that my mind is still boggled by those of you who knit sweaters. But socks are definitely in my future! 

7 comments:

Sheila said...

Yeah!!! Congratulations and love the color choice. Yes, yarn can be expensive. Sweaters are not as complicated as one thinks. The great thing about sweaters, 99% of the time they are knit in pieces and then all pieces are joined later.

Reethi said...

Have I said this already? I'm crazy afraid of accumulating yet another stash - and so, knitting is definitely out. But yeah, I want the hand-knit sweaters so badly.

Clio said...

THANKS! For now, I'm going to try to buy yarn one project at a time. Although, I guess you could argue that I've already started a needle stash.

Gauss said...

There are no muslins in knitting, but you can always undo what you've made... Sewing used to terrify me because you couldn't uncut the fabric! Great job on the scarf!

mstrani said...

Awesome! Congrats! And perfect for fall. Now you'll have to get on Ravelry.

Karin said...

Lovely scarf! I agree completely with all your beginner observations.

SEWN said...

Your observations are all spot on. Knitting your own garments is never going to be cheaper, whereas sewing you could possibly save money, but not always. I like knitting, but I far prefer sewing because of the quickness you can make something. Although you can watch tv more easily while knitting rather than sewing. Check out Robin's blog, www.yarncrawl.com for some really stunning knitwork.