Simple Knitting Tip: Lifelines

I'm not like Jeanette. Jeanette is sweet and funny and talented (OK, so I'm a little like Jeanette). Jeanette, however, loves to knit lace. While I don't hate it, I'm not quite to the "love" stage. I do it, I am even designing a simple lace wrap, the test-knitting of which is very instructive, and even, dare I say it:  fun.  Now, since I'm not like Jeanette, this pattern will not be on the same level of lace (read: pro) as her lace patterns. This is the kind of thing Jeanette designs: Seabrook on Ravelry.  She designs lace for people like her who are not afraid of lace and/or love it. I design lace for rank amateurs and those who struggle with paying sufficient attention to the project to keep from screwing it up. Like my mother used to say, It takes all kinds.

I'm not like Wilma Rudolph either (whose story is simply amazing) but her quote applies to me:

“I ran and ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never, never give up, no matter what else happened. ”

When you realize that she overcame the effects of a childhood case of polio to go on to on to be the first American woman to win 3 gold medals in track & field in one Olympic games, that quote takes on a whole new light, doesn't it? While my own struggles with complicated knitting techniques are literally nothing like her struggle to achieve her goals, I am inspired to embrace that part of my character that very stubbornly does not quit. I tell my students all the time, especially the beginners, keep at it. You're bigger than those sticks and that yarn. Don't let them get the better of you. Because really, how sad would it be to give up on mastering a knitting technique with Wilma Rudolph as your role model?

I've had good times with lace knitting and times that weren't so good. There was the lace shrug for my daughter's prom that ended up just being stockinette stitch, for example. There was also that enormous lace blanket that I knit, so I know I'm not beaten.

Perseverance then is the name of the game. Another word for perseverance is "Lifeline." (OK, I may have made that up) If you're going to make anything of yourself as a knitter of lace (or at least conquer the fear or master the technique, as the case may be), you're going to HAVE to run a Lifeline. I know it takes valuable knitting time to do it. Trust me, I understand--some days my knitting time is scarce as hen's teeth (as grandmother used to say) (you're picturing a chicken now, aren't you, trying to remember if they have teeth) (disturbing imagery isn't it?).  Take that extra time now to save yourself the heartache of having to start over from the beginning.

If you don't know how to use a Lifeline, do not knit any lace until you go to KnittingHelp.com and watch this video.

When you put in a Lifeline, there are a few things you need to keep in mind:

1. Write down the number of the row on which you put your Lifeline.

2. Use a thread or a yarn that is the same size or smaller than the one with which you are knitting. Try to find something slippery (aka not mohair) because ideally you will thread that yarn through your stitches and never have to use it to save your project. Ideally you will just pull it back out and thread it through again further up on your project. Even if you never use it to prevent chaos, it's got to come back out again sometime.

3. Make sure you have the correct number of stitches knit on that row (because if you have missed a YO, you will hate yourself).

4. Don't put the Lifeline through the stitch markers if the stitch markers do not open. Don't ask me how I know this.

5. Move your Lifeline every few rows. If your Lifeline is on Row 3 and you make a mistake on Row 26, you might need expensive therapy. Totally preventable.

6. Put a Lifeline on a "rest" row. The project I'm working on now has a row of lace stitches, followed by a row of just knits and purls. This wrong side row is where my Lifeline goes and I run it after having completed this magic row.

7. Also, lace knitting and lap cats are not always a happy combination.

Persevere. Put in your Lifeline. Conquer lace. You can do this.

Sometimes I use two Lifelines. Don't judge.

New Sock Pattern and a Sale!

I am so excited to announce that I have a brand new sock pattern! And because I'm so excited, from now through March 31, it's on SALE.  Get my Diamond Ring(let) Sock pattern from Ravelry for 50% off the regular price.

If you have a subscription to KnitCrate, it may look familiar because it was in the February sock crate! Here are reviews from some awesome KnitCrate knitters:

“The Diamond Ring(let) sock pattern is probably my favorite KnitCrate sock pattern thus far. Tiffany D.

I think this sock pattern might be the best yet. Shelley

Diamond Ring(let) is far and away the best sock pattern included since I first subscribed in January of 2014. Brava, Tamara Goff!
Erin”

The ringlet stitch is used to make larger diamonds on the front and smaller diamonds along the sides and is easy to master. Knit in the round on double-pointed needles, these socks are worked from the cuff to the toe.

Bootleggers, rum runners and knitters

So I'm reading this book about "Jazz Age" Manhattan and since it's such a big interesting book, I'm sort of immersing myself in the time period. In pondering the ins and outs of what we remember about the 1920's, I'm seeing a lot about Prohibition, night clubs, jazz, urban construction, disreputable leadership and a hero who flew a long ways all alone.

Thus far I have encountered no mention of knitting. Not one. Why then, do I even bring it up? It's not that there were no knitters in the Roaring Twenties, it's just that, sandwiched between the First World War and the Great Depression, both times of increased knitting activity, knitting just wasn't as big during the Jazz Age. Being a student of history, I understand that things ebb and flow in popularity.

This all makes me wonder...in 90 years when historians look back on our time, will there be NO mention of knitting? Will it be such a small part of life in the first part of the new century that it will be forgotten? Or will it go on record as having had a resurgence in popularity that endured despite the ups and downs of the economy and the ubiquitous nature of technology and the "plugged in" generation?

Will Knit in Public events and charity knit-a-longs and enormous knitting conventions make a blip in the history books? Will we be remembered as the generation that brought back the art of making things by hand?

While it is impossible to know the answers to these questions for several generations, what IS possible is for us to do all we can to make sure that knitting does get that mention. It really is up to you and me to make history--this year and next year and for as long as we have the opportunity to make a difference of any type. It's up to us to knit for charity, to learn all we can about knitting, to spread that knitting know-how far and wide and to leave a lasting impact on future generations. When my great-great-grandchild writes the history of the southern United States, 2000-2030, I want it to be written, to be remembered, that we were knitters in our time. I want it to be written that we changed the world for the better, just by picking up sticks and string.

We can do it! Who's with me?

Simple Knitting Tips: Take a Class

I love teaching people to knit. It's something I've done for a long time (not long compared to say, my friend Joyce, who's been at it for multiple decades, but still, long-ish) and when I take a break from it like I did last summer, I miss it. I try to keep an array of classes scheduled to make sure that I hit something that will appeal to just about anyone. I also like to create new classes from time to time to keep myself fresh and to answer the requests I get from students to learn certain techniques.

Need some reasons to take a class? How about these:

1. Meet new people. This being a fairly transient society we live in, I am always teaching folks who are relatively "new in town" and are taking classes to meet new people. This is also true of people who are in transition periods of their lives--the kids are going off to college or the streamers from the retirement party have just been taken down. Finding a new hobby means finding a new tribe (something I wrote about not long ago) and that leads to lots of good things, including the fountain of youth...

2. Stay young. We've all heard the scientific studies that prove that the more we stay mentally active, the longer we retain our mental faculties. Knitting is a fantastic way to keep your mind sharp, because having a hobby and staying connected to other people keeps you interested in life. Excitement about learning something new keeps you wanting to get up in the morning. So take a class, because if you do, you just might...

3. Learn something new. If you never do anything but the knit stitch and are deliriously happy with it, that's great. But if you find that working only garter stitch has made knitting lose its panache, then try adding some new knitting know-how to your repertoire (also, try saying "new knitting know-how" 3 times fast). When you learn to purl, for example you can then learn to incorporate things like cables and lace. When you learn to knit in the round, you can then learn to knit socks and hats. It's a slippery slope, people, and I'm here to push you over the edge.

4. Improve skills. I've had students who have taken the same class from me more than once, in an effort to solidify the skills they were working to master. Sometimes repetition is truly the key (and sometimes a class is the only time they know they can have uninterrupted knitting time!). I encourage practice, because I know that it took me years of practice and steady work on my techniques to have skills that showed improvement. Heck, I still have a freakishly large number of skills that I need to practice, so taking classes recently at the SC Knitting Guild's Knit Inn was a welcome change for this teacher! Improving your knitting skills can also lead to improved concentration and manual dexterity. Teach your muscles something new so they don't get bored.

5. Pad the resume. No really. Maybe you're not a knitwear designer or knitting instructor, so this may not seem obvious, but bear with me a minute. Remember what I said before about meeting new people? Y'all, it really is WHO you know in this world (AND how you treat them, but that's another blog post for another day...) and networking among knitters is just as legit as networking at a happy hour business mixer. Plus you gain those awesome new knitting skills, to boot. Think of it as golfing with potential clients, but with less pressure and in an atmosphere of learning and fibery goodness and less dependance on the weather. You never know whom you'll meet in a knitting class and how far that new friendship might take you.

6. Keep me on my toes. OK, yeah, I admit that this one is personal. I want you to take my classes to keep me on top of my game. Selfish of me, but y'all inspire me to stay sharp and focused and keep learning new skills and improving my teaching techniques. I love to teach knitting and I love my students (I have the best ones anywhere, so they're easy to love).

How about you? Have you found that taking a knitting class is sometimes about more than just knitting? What have you learned, and what did you learn that you didn't expect to learn?