Oh Shknit!

From what I remember from previous to this last year of knitting, I did tons of washcloths, and several socks. It appears I did my first pair of socks, too!  A few years ago I did make my son’s Halloween costume (he was Yoda).

This year I have really branched out though.

• I have learned more about yarn.  Fibers, how they drape, what is good and bad about them, the pros and cons of certain blends and what fibers do what do a blend.  Also what fibers are best suited for what projects.  It has been a very fascinating learning process.
• I have attempted and mastered short rows, a must for shaping, especially for curvy girls like me.  Bust darts, here I come!
• I have learned how to seam garments.  This has been a huge step for me.  My biggest teacher of this was looking at sweater construction when I was taking thrifted sweaters apart!  I really learned a lot about it through reverse engineering, really.
• I have learned much more about sock construction.  I can knit a plain sock without having to follow instructions to the T, or even at all.  I remember how to do the heel flap, the gusset without having to look it up.
• I have mastered kitchener stitch.  This seaming stitch amazes me to know end, how putting a needle in and out knit and purl-wise can make a stockinette stitch-looking, unassuming seam.  I can’t even see them when I do them, even though because of toe decreases I know where it is!
• I made my first pair of gloves.  I think my only pair of gloves.  Fingers are so fidgety, and I didn’t enjoy that part so much.  The recipient loved them in a huge way, so it was worth it, but it will be a while before I do it again.  I did learn alot about glove construction though, because doing fingers is much like doing socks…there are holes you need to avoid between the fingers, and figure out how to avoid them.

I have been better at tracking my projects (thanks to Ravelry).  I know when I made things, and have a place to store pattern notes and pictures.  I was trying to do it in a notebook, but for me it’s just like keeping a journal/diary, it falls by the wayside.

I have endeavored to learn more.  To keep pushing myself as a knitter.  I want to learn more about construction of different items, to try many more new things, and I don’t think it will happen this year, but next year I want to be able to go to Stitches or Sock Summit.  I just want to completely immerse myself in this community.  I feel at home here more than anywhere else (in the knitting community), and there is still so much more to learn.  There will always be more to learn.