Feel the Fear

Day 4-A New Skill

Today's Knit and Crochet Blog Week Question:

Is there a skill related to your hobby that you hope to learn one day? maybe you’re a crocheter who’d also like to knit? Maybe you’d like to learn to knit continental, knit backwards, try cables or attempt stranded colorwork.

I'm still afraid of colorwork.  There, I said it.

I greatly admire colorwork, and have made a couple of projects, the Poster Boy Bag and the Fake Isle Hat, but I felt that I worked way too slowly.

When first  I taught myself to knit, I learned continental, but couldn't teach myself to purl continental, so I abandoned knitting for decades.  When I learned to purl, I learned English/throwing style, and I started knitting that way too.

I'm generally pleased with the speed and tension of my knitting and purling, and know it would be faster to change to continental for colorwork, so I can do knit with a color in each hand, but I'm just not there yet, and I'm not certain if I'll ever get there either.

In my crafting life, I try to stay away from saying that one method is better than another.  I tell others to do what works for you and gets the results you want. 

I probably should sit down and practice a one- handed stranded knitting method that I like.  I really like Interweave Knits editor, Eunny Jang's work--especially these mittens and this vest.

Going hand in hand with colorwork, another technique that I'd like to learn is steeking.  Like many knitters, the idea of taking that beautiful fair isle and cutting it is just a bridge I can't jump off just yet.

The other problem is that I don't own and cannot operate a sewing machine, but I think I can do a crocheted steek.

I guess it all comes down to "feeling the fear and doing it anyway."

Shameless Promotion Alert

Inspired by the recent Create South conference, I decided to start a new Twitter account, Knitting Tips, in which I spill my mind on a knitting or crochet topic, tool, skill, or teaching technique, or mindset.

You can follow Knitting Tips here.

See you tomorrow.

Comments

[Brenda]

I have a fear of colourwork as well!