On becoming a knitter...

For those of you who don't know, I am a self taught knitter.

We were married in December 2002 and by the January we were living in Canberra.  Being a girl who grew up in North Queensland I was a little worried at the prospect of the up coming winter.

So, with limited knowledge, I ventured into Lincraft, walked around and out I walked with a set of knitting needles and a kit for a scalf.  You got it - the 2003 Welcome to Knitting Scarf Kit from Lincraft complete with Feathers.

I went back to the self contained unit that I called home for 14 weeks and opened the packet.  Knit Knit Knit and I had a scarf.  So I went back - another kit came home and scarf #2 was complete.  What can I say, I was a newly wed, in a new town, no family, no friends and NO husband (he was on a course for 9 weeks - what a way to start married life)

The love of feathers and its softness continued - all up the first year in Canberra produced 17 scarfs.  Lets just say Everyone recieved one for Christmas.

I then found a local knitting store and purchased enough yarn to knit myself not one but two Cardigans. Sadly - or luckly, those two items still sit unfinished.  Another tick in the box for scary yarn on big needles.

Fast forward 18 months, we were now in Darwin and the heat got to me.  So much so that I left the feather yarns and found the love of knitting on 1.25mm needles, crochet cotton and beads. 

There was a requiement for a few little knits - friends and family started to reproduce and have offspring of there own and living down south the little ones required cute knits.  This saw the electicity bill go through the roof as I sat in front of it knitting.

Our next posting saw us move south and I knitted things for Amelia - bulky and thick.  I learnt how to knit on Double pointed needles.

My knitting took on a whole new level when we moved again.  This time I found a  local knitting group and there I have made friends that will be friends for life. These girls taught me skills that I never thought that I would be able to do. I pushed myself beyond any expectation that I had and enjoyed the challenge and ohh's and ahh's that I recieved on completing a garment. 

Fast forward to this year.  With the wonder that is Ravelry and the joy of being in a town that has quality knitting stores, I have been test knitting a few knits, and loving it.  I am able to get my hot little hands onto a pattern that has only been seen by a few people and wonder in the joy of moving yarn around the needle.  I have even tested and finished a garment for myself.

So, I got to a point where I thought that I knew it all.  I had the skills under my belt such as knitting in the round, knitting with double pointed needles, cables and scrary lace. I overcame my fear of stranded knitting upon completion of the colourwork workshop.

Enter Elena (AKA Anadiomena on Ravelry) and her wonderful talent and love of cables.

Lets just say that this last test knit was a challenge.  Along the way I have learnt how to read a cable pattern, throw a tension square out the window (ghhh - the square and the knitting was way out)  Increase in ways that I never thought were possible.

Tim has summed up the steps to success

Step 1: Cast on and Knit
Step 2: Swear, Curse and Cry (oh yes - there were tears)
Step 3. FROG FROG FROG
Step 4: Repeat Steps 1 to 3, Five times before asking for help

So it is finished, I LOVE it and I think that I can finally call myself a real knitter. Yes there will be another and thinking that I might even require one (there have been whisperings of an Adult version)

Pattern: Sea Princess by Elena
Yarn:  Cascade 220 from tangledyarns in MediumRose
Needles: 4mm and 3.5mm circulars

More photos after the weekend - I am at a dying workshop today and we are going camping by the seaside and am hoping to get some devine shots of Amelia in it before it gets wrapped up and gifted.