I tend not to post any videos but my own, but this video on the tulip buttonhole from Interweave knits is not to be missed. If you’ve tried making a decent buttonhole, you’ll see the value in this immediately. It looks like a little trouble, but the result is so worth it.
I’m from Seattle, one of the nation’s hotbeds of New Age thought (what my husband calls woo-woo). Now, I love this stuff as much as the next person, but I often find the writing in these publications to be, well, turgid. But I picked up a copy of the New Spirit Journal anyway, a local woo-woo newspaper, because it was free. Nestled between articles entitled “Our Animal Friends” and “What Does Your Forehead Reveal About You?”, I found the following, which I thought was lovely, and that I want to share. Part of it, anyway.
From “The Path of Authenticity: Seven Stepping Stones to a Life of Joy” by Melody Larson
“First Stone: Be Happy for No Reason.
There’s nothing you need to become, nothing that needs to happen, in order for you to be happy. Happiness is simply a choice. Let go of the “when/then” game: When I lose 10 pounds, then I’ll be happy. When I know my purpose, then I’ll be happy.
Here’s the deal: happiness doesn’t come when you’ve achieved your goals; it’s what allows you to achieve them. The happiness that you seek is not the reward waiting for you at the end of your journey. It’s what makes the journey possible in the first place.”
My “takeaway” from this is to not beat myself up over imperfections, like the speed at which this site is coming together. I’m a WordPress newbie–’nough said.
What I hope to share soon are photos of the sweaters I am working on. Besides the one that I am knitting in the videos (still in progress!) I am working on a cowl neck for another niece in a very nice medium gray Cascade 220 and one for myself in Katmandu tweed in an eggplant color. Never mind the stuff I’ve bought with no plan in mind–maybe I’ll show that later and take suggestions.
This is a sprinkling of some of my favorites.
Books
Internet
KNITTING ON THE NET offers very handy charts of estimated yarn requirements.
YOUTUBE: an ever-changing variety of knitting videos. Search on “knitting”.
DVD’s
Lucy Neatby has produced excellent videos loaded with tips and techniques.
Instructors
Your local yarn store (LYS) is an excellent place to get instruction and advice, as well as yarn.
Books
Internet
KNITTING HELP: An excellent series of free videos showing knitting basics and beyond.
Instructors
Susanna Hansson, an expert knitter and fabulous teacher with a special talent in Scandinavian knitting techniques.
What do the videos on this site show?
The video tutorials demonstrate the steps in designing and knitting a woman’s pullover sweater with set-in sleeves. Topics include:
Later I hope to add more videos about designing other sweater styles.
I don’t know what some of those terms mean…short rows?
I demonstrate all of these techniques in the videos.
Can I learn to knit using these videos?
These videos are not intended to teach the novice how to knit. A great place to learn the basics online is at www.knittinghelp.com.
Do I need to be an expert knitter to do this?
I’m not. I’ve taught this method to beginning knitters who had not done much more than hats and scarves.
I do have a reason, actually. I am creating videos showing a simple way to design and knit sweaters and I want a place to add info, share thoughts and get feedback from anyone who happens to stumble upon this site.
So, who am I? Just a lowly knitter–not an expert, just someone who is frustrated and who thought there must be a better way. I’ve read books on sweater design and taken classes, and some parts of it are very straightforward (like knitting the body), and then suddenly you hit an amorphous part (like drafting a sleeve cap). Next thing you know you’re up to your tuchus in knitter’s graph paper and design software.
Since one of the reasons I like knitting is that it is low tech, I’m not too excited about knitter’s software, however good it is. Knitting is a respite from all the things in my life that flash and ring and beep at me.
My frustrations started me testing different methods. When I came to one of the gray areas, I looked for a way to create a formula, system or template that would provide a straightforward way to navigate that part of the sweater. Most of what I show in the videos are well-documented design methods. In a couple of places I deconstructed patterns to figure out a formula.
What I ended up with is a system. In large part you can design the sweater as you go, rather than try to do all the calculations at the start, which, again, can make you sorry you ever tried it.
This site is under construction. I will be posting the videos as I complete them–I’m working on them as fast as I can, but family, day job, and life in general occasionally intrude. So, watch the videos, give me your feedback, share your tips, and please, if you knit a sweater using this method, send me a photo–I would love to share it on the site, along with your comments.
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