Practice Swatch

Learning to knit has certainly been an adventure! I have never been the sort to grasp the proper way to do something by reading a book, or even by watching a video. I pick up on things much easier when I have someone sitting beside me, guiding me and showing me how to do things. However, finding someone to help me with my knitting this summer has proved to be rather difficult. I purchased the book suggested to me by Donna (Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook), but following the carefully written out instructions did not go so well for me. I could not understand what the text was saying, despite the included pictures. So, I turned to Youtube videos. However, I quickly became frustrated because I just could not understand how to even get started with the knitting process. I wanted someone in the room with me, helping me understand what I was doing wrong, and giving me tips on what I needed to do better.

So, I turned to my grandmother. She is an avid knitter, so I felt that going to her home for help with my knitting would be a great idea. However, aside form the simple fact she could not manage to stay on task - she rarely has visitors, despite our large family - she could not explain things to me in a way I could understand them. I think she assumes that because I am smart, I can catch on to tasks such as knitting easily. That is certainly incorrect. I need someone to be patient with me, and she lacked that necessary patience.

Thankfully, I finally found the perfect teacher in Molly Boyd! I went to Fort Smith to visit her, and she sat down with me and showed me techniques for knitting. Within just a short time, I was working away at my practice swatch. I quickly became frustrated when I found myself both losing stitches and adding more, but Molly assured me that was okay, because it was my first real attempt. She also told me my hands would become accustomed to the way it felt to have the knitting needles in my hand, as well as the process of knitting itself, and she was right! Soon, I was moving much quicker, and my rows were looking much better! It certainly is not the most gorgeous thing in the world, but my practice swatch - which is rather long and skinny, but I was simply knitting away, rather than keeping it to a square - is complete! There are holes, but it is a start. I am excited to see where things will go from here!