Knitting Lessons of 2012

14 sweaters, 3 hats, 3 cowls, a purse, and a pair of socks.  That’s my tally.

Two thoughts:
1) Am I now a robot?
2) Should I have joined a “Knit 1.2 Sweaters-a-Month” knitting group for robots?

14 sweaters… know what?  That’s exactly the number of sweaters I have yarn ready and waiting for in my queue.  I’m not super proud of that because it leads me to discuss how I failed to adhere to my last resolution of using up the yarn hoard.  I mean, I did use some on, maybe, six projects.  But I’m sorry to say that I amassed the yarn for the upcoming 14 all the while.

All of this crafting was in high gear as I dealt with some things, working problems out in my subconscious as my hands worked them out on my needles.

I thought I’d share some of my lessons learned from knitting through the year:

– how to write a simple beginner’s pattern:

– how to lay it out in a basic, but usable, pdf:

– that it was the perfect opportunity to use some of that stored yarn:

-what the heck selbu is:

-how to modify flat knits for working in the round:

-that Isabell Kraemer can’t knit a fail:

-that it is possible to make an entire garment during one movie:

-my new favorite stitch, honeycomb:

-how to make leather toggle clasps, though I opted not to use them, and the fun of knitting in a group:

– the fun of competition, knitting with Team Sasquatch in the Sock Put for Ravellenics. (That was one very geeky sentence.)
– I also learned how to knit socks two at a time using the magic loop method:

– that I really like knitting delicate lace:

– that I can cut my knits if I want to, doggoneit:

-that finishing isn’t always a drag and that I love Stroll Sport:

-that there is no reason why I, a knitter, should ever have to put up with a hat that falls down over my face, unless I like it that way:

-how to recycle thrift store sweaters (another knit that can be done during a movie) :

-how to make a short row hat:

-the joys of knitting for my guy:

– that I can sew an invisible zipper into a knitted bag for a high quality accessory
– and how to throw yarn with both hands for traditional fair isle knitting:

-that I love hand dyed yarn from indie dyers: