Friday 27 April 2012

Improving my skillset

When I started out blogging, I would probably have described myself as a crocheter, and didn't really feel the need to do anything else......I guess you could say, I haven't really stretched myself when it comes to crochet, as I have stuck with straightforward, but never the less, satisfying projects.

I am not scared of crochet, in my own mind, there isn't a problem that with some advice I couldn't rectify.

The same cannot be said for my relationship with knitting. I feel full of nervous energy when I undertake a difficult 'manoeuvre', as I've mentioned before I hold my breath when I check my numbers against the pattern.......it's always an 'edge of the seat' craft for me.

So, I'm not sure why it is that I have begun a bit of a fling with knitting.... I think it is the need for personal challenge.....oh and in my mind it is the safer option in adrenalin sports to Base Jumping.

In the last few months I took on a jumper knitting project ...... after battling a bit with the constant swinging about with moss (seed) stitch I decided to rip it out and learn to knit continental style. It was a little hairy at first, but then as a comfortable crocheter, it soon came.

 I now appear to naturally revert to continental style holding and to be honest, I think it has been a bit of a revolution for me.

 I think this next year's Year Of Projects is going to be an interesting one, as I have far more idea of what I may challenge myself to do

(this YOP year's attempt at crocheted socks)

I have watched many people undertaking sock knitting this year and I would like to give that a whirl, along with some mittens or fingerless gloves.

Since starting the Stripe Study Shawl KAL, I have fallen in love with Veera Valimaki's designs and would dearly love to make some more.




D'you know, this week has been far more than I thought it would be.  I have learnt so much . .....mainly I can't juggle all my jobs and lots of blogging.....no, I have definitely come out of it with lots of ideas of what I want to do in the coming year.

I am grabbing this quick opportunity to blog, as the computer seems to be going a bit haywire and we are on our way to Wonderwool........see you later!!!

This post is part of a Knitting and Crochet Blog Week.



3KCBWDAY6

6 comments:

  1. First off, thank you for your always sweet and encouraging words on my blog--they mean a lot to me. :}
    It has been wildly fun to get to know all of our YOP friends this last year and I look forward to another year with everyone. Watching you become a knitter has been exciting and I am impressed with your sticking with it and branching out to learn new hard things...like continental knitting. Wow! The thought of it scares me.
    Have a super weekend--
    *smiles*

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  2. I love your crocheted socks! I feel like socks and sweaters are the big goals- and altering one's knitting style does help to accomplish those goals. I also just switched to continental knitting, and I love the ease that comes with it :)

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  3. Hellooooo :D It was lovely to meet you today at Wonderwool.

    I've been terribly behind with my blog reading and so missed your week of posts, but I clearly caught the right one! It is a huge achievement to have retrained your knitting fingers and found the best knitting style for you ... well done! I'm hopeless, I knit just as I did at six years old, I throw the yarn! But hey, it works for me.

    Hope your journey home was uneventful, and see you next year, if not before x

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  4. crochet socks are amazing, they are on my to crochet list. I only just started knitting this week and finding the basics quite natural but anything more difficult at the moment is a little scary! I love your jumper. I look forward to seeing all of your projects

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  5. You're a better woman than I am, Gunga Din. Knitting is a hold-your-breath craft for me as well, which causes me to avoid it. I need to take a page out of your book and just go for it!

    The socks are gorgeous (as is the jumper). Thanks for letting us ride along on your yarny adventures. :)

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  6. Oooh, I look forward to seeing what your next year of projects brings. I also found it hard to blog through this week - especially since I'm (obviously) behind on reading everyone else's posts.

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