how i started knitting

I have been knitting now for just over 2 years. After years of being able to crochet I wanted to expand my repertoire of skills and be able to create some of the more stunning creations that only come from the beautiful art that I have now come to love!! I tried to learn to knit years ago and could never get the hang of it and my stitches always came out so loose that I got frustrated and gave up. This time round I was determined, determined to learn this skill and be able to create fabulous creations for my loved ones.

I started my journey on YouTube. Yes YouTube! I use videos to learn everything. Apparently this is how I learn best! I discovered this when doing house repairs on my kitchen sink and needed to replace a tap. Having never done any plumbing before and not having a clue where to start, YouTube became my friend.

When it comes to knitting, there are thousands and thousands of videos which take you through the basics. Of course I could have found a class locally that I could have attended that would have given me the same information and meet some new people at the same time but I still felt a little uncomfortable with not knowing how to do it. I wanted to learn this myself and so I started researching how it all works. It looked simple enough so after hours of trawling through videos I decided that I was ready for my first project.

I took a drive with my husband up to our local yarn store, and treated myself to a knitting kit. It was simple kit with yarn and a circular needle to make a warm hat that I would later gift to my husband. (I don't suit hats in the slightest!!) After casting on several times to get the tension loose enough so I could get the needle through the loop, I was off. I revisited the online videos several times to make sure that I was doing it correctly and low and behold, I was. I was knitting! I was so happy that after just 2 rows I was sharing my accomplishment with my sister as she was the one who had tried to teach me before.

I kept on with the hat and it was just simple knit and purl stitches and alternating to make a simple "Beehive" pattern. It was then that I started approaching the top of the hat and was having to start decreases. Here I was going back to the online videos and trying desperately how to complete the correct decrease stitch. Once mastered, this was so simple. I don't know why I had struggled so much in the past. It looked neat my tension was even. Better yet, it looked like a hat!!

I followed the pattern so carefully and eventually I was getting to the end and getting ready to finish it off. No cast off (thankfully!!) just pull the yarn through the last few stitches, pull together and weave in the end. It was done! A finished garment made by me and it looked just like the one in the picture!! That was it for me, I was forever to be a knitter.

After that I wanted a bigger challenge. I asked my sister, my mum even some other friends what would be a good second project. Most came back to saying "do a scarf but with a more intricate pattern". Nope, not for me. I saw a pair of amazing Christmas stockings that I though would look amazing in our newly decorated living room. To say that this was a challenge was an understatement. They were knit in the round, with fair isle pattern, an afterthought heel and kitchener stitch to close the toe!! Yep, this was going to be my next challenge. Either go big or go home!!!

So I did, I went out, bought the pattern, the yarn and a new set of circular needles and set to work. These were definitely a challenge but I thoroughly enjoyed doing them. It was just weird knitting them when having coffee at my LYS in February!!!

From then on I started to look for things that I liked but would challenge me since then I have done different shapes, from straight knitting to triangles to semi-circles. Different techniques from Brioche stitch to cables.

I love the amount of different techniques there are with knitting and how when used together the amount of different textures and styles can be created. There is so much more to come and I am looking forward to sharing the new projects with you in the coming weeks.

Seb x