Taking my knitting to the next level
posted in Knit-witted |About two weeks ago I went on a yarn quest. I took a magazine into my LYS and Melissa helped me pick out the colors that inspired my “need for more yarn”. As if I do not already have enough yarn falling out of every crevice, right? BTW, thank you Melissa; you have the patience of Job.
Nonetheless, I had this magazine with me and charged right in and insisted…ok, begged Melissa to help me find comparable colors. The Cascade wall is not to be tackled alone, without supervision, as it’s like the black hole. It kinda just sucks one up into this vacuum of color euphoria. However, I digress. I cannot find exactly what I’m looking for, as the ideal pattern only exists in my own head.
When I left the store, I had way more yarn with me then intended, but that’s never a problem, as color and hues are what invigorate me. As I was driving home, I had an epiphany of sorts. I own 2 of the 4 Barbara Walker Treasury of Knitting Patterns; I have invested in just about every book that I think will aid me in my need to improve my skills. I spend valuable time, not knitting, but thumbing through my books, or seeking out the “just right” pattern, when that pattern doesn’t exist.
All of this leads me to my next journey. I want to take my knitting to the next step, which is to learn how to design. Yeah, yeah I know that designing is not you learn, as creativity is not taught, but I have ideas. Yep, that’s right folks, somewhere in that hamster cage, there is an idea or two that require a little nurturing.
I have concepts, just need to figure out how to take them from my head, to graph paper and patterns without losing steps in translation. I am accustomed to buying fabric on a whim, throwing it onto the floor and just whipping out an outfit. But, I don’t want to make the same mistake that I made with my sewing. I never learned to use patterns. I managed to make some really nice things, as my mother was quite a seamstress, but I do not know how to use my tools properly.
Knitting on the other hand, is not that simple to me. I cannot just throw stitches onto my needle, keep the pattern in sync and end up with a finished project that says, “WOW!”
With all of that gibberish said, I’m kicking it all up a notch:
- I’m going to take a sewing class. I cannot fudge my skills with my new sewing machine. Other than forward/backward, I need to use attachments, all of which I own, but I can’t just press a button and have a certain stitch appear.
- I’m going to invest in a private lesson. I need to understand how to construct my own pattern, or at the very least, how to implement a stitch-pattern into something as basic as a sweater, without it becoming discombobulated. I’ve already spoken to someone about getting this going and as soon as I figure out which direction I want to pursue, I’ll take action.
Wish me luck. I have this one idea stuck in my head and I cannot seem to shake it. It may not mean anything to anyone else when I can get it on paper, but it will mean the world to me!