Tutorials

I watch a lot of knitting tutorials online. Usually through Youtube, but pretty much any website that has them. Some are better than others. Some have poor lighting, bad (or no) editing, unclear directions, no corresponding pattern to follow, go too fast, go too slow, etc.

I've been developing a feel for the style of tutorials I like to watch. I would like to try to make a couple of tutorials myself. I don't have a very good camera though, so we'll have to see if it's feasible at all. I think I do a good job of explaining things to beginners, and I'd like to see if I can be of help to anyone. I'm not far beyond the beginner stage myself, but I look at it as a good thing. As I learn new things, it's fresh in my memory, and I can be sure to impart all those little "lessons learned". It seems like the experts forget to dumb down their demonstrations just a little bit, or don't provide some of those helpful little tips, because they learned them so long ago, or they just assume everyone else knows them.

If anyone has any suggestions for my first tutorial, please let me know. I have a couple of things in mind, but am open.

Inaugural Post

I've been doing a lot of hats and scarves lately, what with the cold weather and all. I saw this really pretty cable scarf pattern (picture at left) at the store, so I decided to try it. It's got giant cables, which I have never done before. This was not the pattern to learn cables :-( It's a 16-stitch cable pattern, which is tricky to learn. I should have found a C4 or C6 pattern first, but I just loved the chunky, textural feel of this one. Not only am I using size 8 needles, when the pattern calls for size 10 1/2, but trying to move 8 stitches from one side to the other (with too small a cable needle!) makes for some pretty tight knitting. I switched to a bigger cable needle, so that should help.

I didn't have size 10 1/2 needles so I tried a swatch with size 11. But I felt like it was just too big and loose. My size 9's are currently in use for another project, so I did a swatch with my 8's, and I thought it looked good. Gauge is not crucial for this project; I think it'll just come out a little narrower than the picture.

I'm using Caron's Simply Soft, as called for in the pattern. It's 100% acrylic, but it really is "simply soft", so I don't mind. It has a good sheen and doesn't split too badly. I always have a hard time with yarn splitting, but I think that's more my poor technique than the yarn quality. The color in the picture is Lavender Blue, but I'm using up some Sage that I had leftover from a P*nis Cozy project. (Don't ask; I don't think I oughtta blog about that fiasco!)

The pattern was designed by Marilyn Losee, whose work I love. One of my near future projects is her Divi Toddler Hoodie. Google her if you're interested in her other patterns.

One gripe I had with her scarf pattern though is that it specifies to slip the first stitch of each row purlwise. After about 8 rows, I realized that looks terrible. I switched to slipping knitwise like I usually do, and it looks much better to me. So the first few rows will have crappy edges, but no one except a reasonably good and observant knitter would possibly notice. I'm sure as heck not going to rip out all that work! I was also dubious about the seed stitches on the left and right borders. It took several rows for me to see it shape up. I'm lousy with my first couple of rows -- trying to establish the correct tension, stitch pattern, etc.

If and when I ever finish this darn thing (it competes with a baby sweater for my time) I will post a picture of it. One thing I regret is not taking pictures of any of my craft work.