These Two Hands

Sock style.

At last, I  know how to turn a heel… it’s a very tricksy little process that I would never have guessed.

I also learned how to pick up stitches (this one’s for you, Ann!) Just in time, too – this sock class instructor has saved me from imminent knitterly doom (well, disappointment at having turned out a crappy project, least). I’ve all but finished the lace-edged tank top of hand-dyed yarn that I bought at the Sheep&Wool Festival this spring; once I bind the tops of the two sides together, the pattern calls for picking up and knitting all around the collar and armholes. I had always thought you just chose stitches from the sides and manfully crammed those tight, reluctant suckers onto your needle, and then, once victorious, then had to struggle and mutter and growl your way through actually trying to knit with them. This always yielded projects with crooked, gappy joins and endless frustration as I risked breaking the yarn in the process.

Turns out it’s much easier (and more graceful) than that, and in fact involves neither wrestling nor cursing. You don’t knit with the actual already-knit stitches you’re picking up; you just sort of use them as an anchor and pull new stitches through onto your needle. It’s a process that feels like it would be more appropriate using a crochet hook… –gasp- but we knitters would never stoop so low! -grin-

This entry was posted on Friday, June 8th, 2007 at 8:44 am and is filed under Crafts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.