Stage 2: Something Isn't Right Here...But What?

So, about this knitting thing; it turns out that it’s a lot harder than it looks. Did you know that when you cast on, all those slipknots are supposed to be kept loose, not tight? The GIFs on the WikiHow did not mention that bit. The video (from GoodKnitKisses) I was using to doublecheck instructions did not make that clear either. Six attempts in and continuing to fail, I opted to try another video (this one from HobbyLobby) to see if a different perspective might help me discover what I was still doing wrong. This was where I heard about the slipknots needing to be loose enough to still move up and down the needles. That would explain why the stitch part of the process wasn’t working out so swell.

            Ah, yes, the stitch part.  It’s not going well. I follow the GIFs and I fail miserably and the videos go about the same. I get the basic idea but when it comes to execution…you know that scene in Iron Man (2008) where Tony’s testing his thrusters for the first time and he flips up and over, crashing into the ceiling and landing somewhere behind his toolboxes and just groaning? It’s the knitting equivalent of that. I’ve been trying to do the knit stitch – the videos all agree that it’s the easiest for beginners – and more often than not the supposedly simple part of slipping the stitch from one needle to the other goes less nice-and-easy and more tangled-mess. I think part of this may be due to the yarn and needles I am using. I’m limited by what I could find quickly in China and, hampered by the language barrier, I had to go with a “that will have to do” approach on the supplies. The examples in the videos are almost all being done with thick, smooth wool and large needles and I am deeply regretting not being able to follow their lead on those selections.

Another drawback I am finding is that the learning experience feels isolated. I watch the videos, look at the GIFs, try it out, see if it works, try to figure out why it doesn’t work, watch different videos to see if they vary the information enough to give me clues towards what mistakes I’m making, try it again – but all of it’s done on my own. There are no classmates I can bounce ideas off or compare progress and process with. There’s no instructor to ask for clarification or for specific help or information. It’s just me. Moving forward, I would like to try posting more on social media to see if it could mitigate some of the isolation and provide feedback.

When it comes to the resources I’m using, as I said, I’ve been alternating between the GIF-infused WikiHow entry on knitting and various YouTube videos. I like the GIFs because they breakdown the process action by action, each GIF demonstrating a single action in slow motion. What I like most is that the actions are on continuous repeat, thus eliminating the need to constantly pause and rewind like with the videos. Additionally, I liked the advice and commentary Hobby Lobby provided in her videos, although her demonstrations are on the small side and a little too quickly paced to follow easily. GoodKnitKiss offered a better pacing and a large visual on her demonstrations, but her explanations were less clear. Thus the bouncing back and forth.

            All of this to say that my progress hasn’t been visibly all that much due to all the restarts. On the bright side, I am doing phenomenal learning how not to knit.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

As I said: A tangled mess.