TKGA Master Hand Knitter Level 1

I decided to attempt the masters knitting program last year. I was quite excited about it and ready and willing to learn new things. To take a critical look at my knitting and try to improve the quality. I had gotten quite FAST at knitting lots of things. I was learning a lot of new technicques and styles. But, I just felt there was an unevenness about my knitting that this program would help me with.

I planned on taking three months to knit all the swatches and prepare the documentation. It involves making several swatches that represent the best possible knitting you can do with several notes and or ideas of what to look for and what you want to try to correct.

I started working on my first swatch and even though I had been able to knit MORE evenly before? I suddenly couldn't. I had all the issues they talked about. And the more I did to try to correct them? The worse it got. I'd set it aside and work on something else. I'd pick it up and I would immediately get stressed out. (which is NOT the point of the program). I kid you not, I spent over 60 hours on that first stinking swatch.

It took me six weeks to do ONE swatch.

Enough was enough. I put it away in a bag and didn't look at it for AGES. Well, at least a year.

I started off working with wool since that's the recommended fiber for the program. Since I originally attempted this, I have since had my wool allergies worsen. I thought I'd be out of luck and wouldn't be able to complete the program... but then I dug a little deeper. Wool is only the recommended fiber (for pretty obvious reasons - it's very forgivable material AND it blocks like a dream). But if I improve my skills working with wool - while some of that will help me with working with the yarns I normally use - it won't all be something that would apply with acrylic or cotton. And sure enough - they totally accept acrylic or cotton submissions.

Using acrylic does mean that I'm going to have to REALLY work on my swatches because they won't block out as nicely as wool will and as such, they have to be darn good before blocking to get them to pass the program. BUT, everything I learn with working with them WILL apply to future knitting projects, and as such it really is a good use of my time.

My new plan was that when I got into the - it's only getting worse cycle - I would cut myself off. I would do the best swatch I can do within an 8 hour per swatch time limit. I'm going to still try to complete the program within three months because honestly? Without a deadline? It won't get done.

I picked up my first swatch and got started. I had to undo a couple of rows here and there - but within two hours I had a pretty good looking swatch. While I was at it - I knit up swatch number 2 - with a few less mistakes.

The next night swatch number 3 practically flew off of my needles.

Last night I completed swatches 4 & 5 in about three hours.

Seriously? Wow. What a difference it makes setting it aside for a year. I totally was stressing myself out over it last year - and that stress was bleeding into my knitting and making it uneven and awful. Now, I'm not saying the swatches are beautiful or that they won't need to be redone to correct mistakes. But they are SO MUCH better than what I was getting last year, it's not even funny. I wonder if it was partly that I read all that information about how to make things more even; and without stress incorporated them into my regular knitting? And now, it just comes so much more naturally? I don't know. I do know that I felt like I couldn't believe how awful my knitting was last year and this year I feel much more confident that I'm doing good work.

I don't have photos of all the swatches yet - but I'll post them a little as I work through it. I'll save the close-up glamour shots for during/after blocking.

May Sweater finished - Sweater #6 for the year

This was made in CotLin a cotton/linen blend and PERFECT for summer!

May Planning/Progress

Arm/wrist is fully healed... so I am off and running with projects! First my Heavily cabled sweater was finished on the first. Here's a shot taken by my 8 yr old son (so pardon the pic):

Here's a close up on the cabled center portion:

Other items finished: One hat for charity - DONE Baby blanket for Baby Shower - DONE

NEXT: Finish the Crochet Bronze Beauty top - free pattern from Lion's Brand Yarn. I'm doing mine in Navy KnitPicks CotLin yarn. Going quick and fits like a charm. Also in the works: Brioche Scarf done on 2-ply alpaca on BIG needles for lacy-effect. Pair of mini-socks done in Christmas colors & double-knit to test my theory that I can make a larger stocking with after-thought heel. Pair of adult socks for me - fairly simple pattern (tbd) to test out the Cotton sock yarn from KnitPicks to see if I can find a non-wool sock yarn. AND: I'm picking up and re-attempting the TKGA Master Knitters Level 1 program. Expect posts about it directly - should be (I hope) able to finish by End of July. I'm also picking up a top that's been frogged twice that's a Striped-T using Paton's Bamboo/Silk - I plan on starting this toward the end of May and finish by early July. Yes, indeedy - I am back! Now if I could just figure out how to do some glamour shots of myself... lol.

March Accomplishments - April Planning

Well, this was a little light... but I did get some stuff done.

I finished three hats - in total, two knit in Brioche stitch and one knit with the loom. I finished a baby blanket...

And I got started on a super-simple short-sleeved shrug on the loom.

As of April 8th, I've finished my shrug (photos coming) and really appreciated the book I had bought which showed me how to do true stockinette and true garter on the loom. Just in time for my arm to be to the point where I can start knitting again (a little, not too much too fast).

SO - SLIM April Planning so that I don't overdo it!

1. A few hats to make up for my lack of progress so far on my goal of 40 hats for the year.

2. A baby blanket for a shower at the beginning of May - probably will be a super-fast crochet one.

3. Get my Heavily Cabled sweater out of hibernation and work on it so that I can finish it on May 1st.

4. If I get too far too fast with the sweater (well, that probably means I'm not taking it as easy as I'm supposed to - sigh)... then I'll pick up the heavily cabled gloves and try to get them to almost done so I can set them aside to finish on June 1st.

Now to try to figure out what sweaters to work on May/June/July.

March progress

So, from the knitting impaired - so far, I have ONE hat out of the hopefull three I was shooting for:



This was done with a simple e loop - which was the only stitch (besides e loop ribbing done on a long loom BUT knit flat). So, it's a twisted stitch stockinette hat.

I'm also working on the baby blanket that is more than half done... also picked up a book for more 'loom' stitches... which taught me a lot. I'm looking forward to trying something a little more involved.

I'm hoping some dedicated time will get the baby blanket finished by Saturday - it's ribbing, but still done with e loops - so still twisted. I did a panel half pink and tried-to-be-half variegated, but the length of the skein was shorter on the variagated. I'm starting the second panel with variagated; and will add from a third skein to try to get it as long as the pink square on the first panel. If when I'm done, my goal is to have two blocks of pink catty-corner to two blocks of variagated. If need be, I can undo the cast off on the first panel and add more length to it. We'll see... definitely an iffy project.

BUT - good news is that the doctor declares that I should be good as new in two to four weeks. So, I'll spend the time working on a project for me using some of the new stitches I've learned - to be determined yet. And can't wait to start truly knitting again!

And it's just in time too, I have a new knitting class starting up middle of April!

Still quite upset with myself

Stooooopid arm.

I did manage to pick up the needles enough last week to prove to myself that my hybrid cottage industry style/continental style could work even with a broken right arm... exceptionally slow. But enough for the demonstrations I needed to do to teach Thursday night.

Not fast enough to even bother trying to make something. However! The knitting loom? I can totally do that left-handed. And my right arm just acts like a dumb weight on the loom.

New March plans are to make 3 hats and a baby blanket on the loom. Wish me luck, because most of my free time right now is more focused on sleeping than anything else.

March plans (or lack thereof)

Finish my heavily cabled sweater.

Make a new sweater from scratch - from some sort of pattern, from some sort of yarn. Originally had planned an Alpaca long-sleeved sweater 'Ramona'. But a) I'm not sure the yarn is right for it and b) I don't think I want to finish a long sleeved sweater in Alpaca by the end of March (too hot to wear). So, then I was looking at a short sleeved cardigan in a different Alpaca yarn. But my allergies are kicking up, and I'm not sure I want to expose myself too much to Alpaca right now when I have experienced some 'slight' itching to it in the past. My wool allergy used to be slight itching, to major itching has now turned into Hives. So, I'm thinking non-animal fiber right now.

So, still looking at my stash and my queue of patterns I want to make. Haven't made a decision yet.

For non-sweater projects:

I would like to make 10 charity hats (since I didn't finish that many last month).
I want to crochet a 2 hour baby blanket.
A 12"x12" block for another baby blanket.
Finish my Kingdom Gloves I started last month.