What I've learned about knitting

I finally finished my Audrey In Unst cardigan, as mentioned in previous posts. Begun in April, it turned into a big of an epic knit, as after a burst of productivity I lost the thread (or yarn...?) with it and moved onto other knitting and sewing projects. Part of this was also due to the fact I was sure it would turn out too big.

After trying to impose deadlines on myself for completing it, it was only when a new project settled in my mind that I decided I must finish it before starting something new. I didn't have to spend long on it to complete it, after picking it up again this weekend. And you know what, it turned out ok. The fit isn't as snug as some I've seen and my wool choice was quite mediocre. I think I'll still get a lot of use out of it and may make the same cardigan again in the future. The pattern is so well written and very clear. Any time I went wrong with it, it was just a matter of re-reading the directions more carefully.

I've been knitting on a regular basis since about 2007-ish and after various projects, successful and unsuccessful I've learnt a few things. Sometimes I forget what I've learned but hey, mistakes are all part of learning, and knitting. Here's a few things which come to mind;

1. Use wool you love. Cheap yarn is a false economy.
2. Use decent needles. It's worth buying nice wooden needles rather than wincing every time you make a stitch because the coating has worn off the tips of your metal needles.
3. Knitting in the round is brilliant if you hate sewing the pieces of a project together.
4. Knitting in the round can be a b***** to learn but it's worth persevering with.
5. Don't skimp on buying the amount of wool you need, unless you want items with random stripes in.
6. Knitting makes you less likely to buy knitted items - you'll think "I can make that!"
   
7. A stash is inevitable.
8. You will get frustrated by badly written patterns.
9. Expect to have to rip out knitting, or even whole items.
   
10. Expect knitting to become an addiction. Well, there's worse addictions!

K x