It’s always that way isn’t it? There are advantages and disadvantages to almost everything in life . . . two sides to every coin.
Like winning the lottery. Hurray, you are rich, rich, I tell you! Qiviut and cashmere, here you come. But 72 people (so far) are whining at you for money including your brother’s widow who knows exactly where your Guilt button is and she’s lying on it. (You never did like her from the get-go.)
Like that mystery virus that landed you in the hospital and swallowed 12 weeks of your everyday life. The one that reminded you to appreciate every moment of your everyday life since then . . . (And FINALLY you got your Advanced Directive carefully crafted, witnessed, copied and in the hands of those who might need it some day which is something only a near-death experience could kick you into gear to do because who wants to figure that stuff out or even acknowledge that it needs to be done? But it’s a good thing. To have it done.)
The Learning Knitting coin has two sides as well, but they look the same . . .
The good news about knitting is “There is no ***RIGHT WAY***.”
The bad news is “There is no ***RIGHT WAY***.”
At least once a week someone asks me, “Cheryl, what’s the correct way to . . .
hold the yarn . . .
bind off the ribbing . . .
pick up along the neck edge . . .
cast on . . .
cable without a needle . . .
etc . . .
And my answer is always the same: “There is no ‘correct’ way that works for everyone in every situation but here’s what I would try . . . And if that doesn’t work you might try . . .”
This idea that there is no right way has come up in my own knitting in the past month. I’m learning how to do Twined Knitting. I’m enjoying sifting through the details of learning a new skill . . . but here’s the rub . . . Z-twist vs S-Twist yarns and which way you wrap them.
There are number of experts (and I have consulted all I can find who are in English) who talk about only one way to do it using the least-available yarn in this country. My question is why can’t we use the other kind of yarn and wrap it the other way? Who sez we can’t and why not?
I’m finding that I’m not the only person asking the question. My conclusion? If it works for you, and you’re happy with the process and result, then it’s right. And don’t let anyone tell you different.
I poke around on Ravelry and other forums to learn what people are having trouble with or questions about (also to check what they’re saying about me). Every once in a while I see someone telling someone else the “right” name for a pattern stitch or the “right” way to do something. And always the remark comes from someone who doesn’t have enough experience to know that the knitting world is bigger than they can imagine.
Not knowing the exact, right, step-by-step safe path, or worse, knowing that there isn’t one, can be scary. And that’s why I tell you to be brave. Because it’s just yarn, no one has ever bled out because of a dropped stitch, and I, for one, would be bored brainless after 70+ years of doing it if I didn’t get to discover something new.
Back in my teaching-high-school-English days, an occasional student would ask, “You know something?” (Or more like, “Yunno sump’n?”)
My answer was always the same: “Not a thing. I’m awed only by the enormity of what I don’t know.”
And I still am.
Cheryl, I’m delighted to have found you (from YouTube looking for lace cast on). Your philosophy reminds me of Elizabeth Zimmerman and she was all about shining on the ‘rules’ when something more interesting, beautiful or efficient presented itself.
Thank you Linda for finding me and taking the time to comment.
Off to a good start here downunder , still smiling after reading all the chatter. Thought I would add my story of the first socks I knitted as a new bride 53 years ago !! Husband said he was freezing walking to college in the middle of a London winter and he planned to write to his mother and get her to knit some & post them to him. Well, I immediately said” oh I’ll knit you a pair.!! Summer will be here before they arrive by mail.” My mother-in-law who I loved dearly knitted so evenly her knitting looked as if done by a machine. So my challenge had begun. During the process of knitting these we visited friends of friends as you do and I had a great time chatting to Granny who was in excess of 90 years. .When we were leaving she asked me to come again and visit her & proceeded to tell me she thought I was so clever she had never met anyone before who knitted socks inside out !! I said oh am I ? oh well they’ll be the same. Granny then kindly explained why they wouldn’t but I couldn’t bear the thought of ripping out my effort, I figured the trousers would cover the horror of my knitting and proceeded . They were a disaster because as my husband had insisted on them being longer & longer ,when he wore them the first time they fell about his ankles .No problem I thought and I tried to solved the problem by inserting elastic at the sock top. Big flop !!! More mess around his ankles
I wrote to his mother and explained my predicament and she was lovely enough to recognize my effort and said she’d not knitted socks at my young age either, and got busy with her knitting needles. A month ago I decided to make another attempt at the sock knitting. Sitting with knitting pals I said how come you are all knitting so effortlessly and I’m struggling with my needles .One of my pals said well you do know you are knitting them inside out >>>>>>I now own a pair of knitted socks ….and it was much easier knitting in the round the accepted way !!!! I hope you get a chuckle …
I did get a chuckle Elisabeth. Thank you. And thank you for this charming story. I love being reminded of how important knitting has been for so many of our life’s experiences that are important.
Cheryl, your gentleness, humor, and humility keep me coming back. Your love of the craft comes through in the writing and videos…and keeps me coming back. Fear of failure and the need for perfection deter me from trying new things. You help strip away fear and allow me to try something even if it won’t be perfect. I so look forward to exploring new frontiers with you!
Thank you for this kind comment and I totally agree with your sentiment that if it isn’t fun, why do it? And then there’s an element of “making” things fun . . . the things that you have to do in order to give you the time and space to do the things that are fun (like taxes and weed whacking around the wood shed.)*
* I just realized that was ambiguous. Taxes and weed whacking are not inherently fun but I try to have a good attitude toward them because they support the things I get to do that ARE fun.
Your message about no right or wrong in knitting is wonderful. I taught myself to knit over 3 years ago—-I could crochet and quilt but have brain damage so sometimes I literally can’t remember how to do those—so I decided I would teach myself to knit. From books. I’m a 20th century girl and using you-tube never dawned on me. Turns out I knit continental-style. AND I knit through the back of the stitch doing a knit stitch. It works for my brain and nobody’s died from it yet, so what the heck. Thank you for your teaching approach. (I knew you’d had some kind of formal education in how to be a teacher!!!!)
Thank you for this sweet comment Karen and congratulations on teaching yourself to knit!!! And I love your style.
Yippie a new video =D Thank you for a lovely email with so many wise words, that made me smile.
Thank you for this sweet comment Mona. I’m almost a little afraid to get out there and do a video because it’s been so long but I’ll do it anyway. The best way to teach is by example.
I think the very opinionated attitudes of knitters, et al, have hurt the craft community in ways that haven’t been imagined. So many people have turned away from ‘hanging in there’ long enough to master their craft efforts toward producing wearable or finished items because of those who have imposed their own personal opinions on the ‘right way’ to do something. I learned a long time ago that my way wasn’t always the only way when I started having children. Before, I thought my way of washing and folding clothes was the only or right way. Well, I soon learned that my husband’s way of doing the laundry was just fine!
Sometimes the bad news can be the good news. Ie I purchased a good amount of yarn fit a certain pattern and when I tried it I going it was too complex for me with my ra. Good news I came across one of your videos and have since taken the yarn and am making a mitered blanket. I am learning to make my own pattern, create the color theme and that I am capable to do things in the past were scary. Appreciate you so much Cheryl. Shine on
Cheryl, you are such a blessing to all of us. Your outlook on things is so refreshing. I’m looking forward to your new videos. Praying that all goes well.
Thank you Jackie, for this sweet comment. I’ve been fussing a lot about getting everything right and now it’s time to stop fussing and start shooting.
I found out a few years ago that I had been winding my sewing machine bobbin the wrong way for 25 years. Didn’t seem to affect my sewing – nothing mysteriously fell apart while walking down the street, lol.
My sister asked me to teach her to knit when we were in our early 20s. I’d been knitting since I was 6, she was too active to stay still enough to learn. When we met up she was in tears because “everyone at work said you shouldn’t learn to knit with black wool.” She wanted to make a black jumper with scattered coloured squares for her fiance. I told her she could do anything she wants, her eyesight is great, and she wants to learn so the black wool won’t be a problem. She did a great job. It looked fantastic on her fiance (if just a smidge tight) and he wore it to death because she made it for him.
Love your article. This old chook has learnt a lot from your videos, even though I’ve been knitting for nearly 50 years! Thank you for being real and realistic about knitting 🙂
What a sweet story Cheryl. Thank you for it. And I love that you wound your bobbin “wrong” for years. My mother canned tomatoes “wrong” (according to her sisters-in-law) for decades. I canned them that way too, open kettle. Thousands of quarts of tomatoes and no one every died from eating one.
Cheryl, from what I have observed about you….you are a do-er. Not only will we all learn from you but we will have some fun, too. I count my lucky stars the day I ran across Cheryl Brunette’s name on the internet. My knitting had never been the same. Thank you!!!
Oh Barbara, thank YOU for this sweet comment. And you are most welcome.
Short rows still baffle me! I tend to go to every resource and which way to learn how to work them. Panic! Then I find another pattern. The LYS seems to believe in only one way and gives the evil eye when asked about various techniques. Yikes! Maybe you can help in this area!
Sandi D. I am on that one. After the twined knitting I want to do one video on how to do German Short rows (I already have good ones up on wrap and turn) but then I want to do a series on WHEN and HOW you use them. What good is it to know how to do it if you don’t know when to employ them.
Dear Cheryl
Wishing you every success on the new videos. Even if there is no right way of doing something, learning ways can be helpful. Eclectic people have a wide range of knowledge that they can choose the method that will fit the circumstance and that usually brings a successful outcome.
Sr Jean
Thank you Sr Jean and yes. Knowing different methods is great in helping us solve problems and get our best outcomes.
A few years ago I worked with a girl who was learning to knit and was brave enough to start a fair isle sweater which were all the rage back then. She was left handed and there fore she twisted her stitch when she was knitting in the round which produced and interesting pattern in the ribbing and in the body of the sweater. We explained why it looked like that but that we liked the effect it gave so she continued up to the arm then when the knitting was back and forth it looked different. Another girl that worked there was German and used continental knitting. She knit very fast and could have knit up the sweater very quickly. unfortunately she was of the opinion that there was only one right way and when Kim ask her about the change in her knitting the other girl told her she was doing it wrong and ripped it out to the ribbing. It took Kim quite a while to finish that sweater. I would have told the other girl to knit it back up to where Kim had been in the first place.
Dreams and early efforts are fragile. It’s our job to protect them and help give them wings. She could have steeked it, for example, to continue in the round.