January 2019 – The NuMei Blog – The Chronicles of Froggie

Chronicle #10: Beginner Observations

Okay, I have been at this knitting for a few weeks. I can make a slip knot, cast on, knit, purl, and bind off. I have practiced a lot and completed three projects; a golf ball washcloth, a phone mat, and a set of armrest and headrest covers for my La-Z-Boy armchair. And of course, I have made lots of mistakes along the way and become quite adept at frogging. My enthusiasm for learning how to knit is still high, despite the frustrations that I have experienced with my learning-to-knit books and with my teacher, my avid knitter wife. So let me sound off and share with you some of my learning how to knit Beginner Observations.

Chronicle #9: Armchair Covers

I am now ready for my most ambitious project and adventure to date. Mind you, I am just on the fourth page of my Knitting Made Easy book and I have so much more to learn, but I have all the skills I need for the project that I have in mind. What makes this project so exciting and compelling for me to do is that I aim to kill two birds with one stone. You see, I hope to beautify my old and ever so comfortable La-Z-Boy chair and at the same time end the conversation about replacing it – a subject which my avid knitter wife has been bringing up with increasing regularity. Wish me luck!

Chronicle #8: Phone Mat

I really enjoyed learning the Stockinette Stitch. Though I initially struggled with inadvertently making Knit Stitches in my Purl row and sometimes forgetting to alternate between rows of Knit and Purl Stitches, I found a way to overcome those mistakes by saying to myself, “Knit down, Purl across” as I went about my work. After an evening of practice I got the hang of it and I got an idea for my second project, a solution to a problem that I have with my cell phone.

Chronicle #7: Stockinette Stitch

Having learned how to make a Purl Stitch, I looked forward to my next adventure, the Stockinette Stitch. The instructions in my Knitting Made Easy book for making a Stockinette Stitch were surprisingly brief, alternate knit and purl rows. I thought to myself, I can make a Knit Stitch and a Purl Stitch so it stood to reason that I should be able to make a Stockinette Stitch. Suddenly, I found myself thinking of the quote by Thomas Aquinas, “Men live according to sense, not reason.” Hmm. Though reason was telling me I could do it; sense was telling me something else. Let’s see.

Chronicle #6: Purl Stitches

Now on to Purl Stitches. My avid knitter wife suggested that due to my past difficulties in understanding the illustrations and instructions in my Knitting Made Easy book, I should let her show me and explain to me how to make a Purl Stitch. Wanting to learn how to make a Purl Stitch all on my own, I started to suggest that I would like to give it a go without her help. But no sooner than I opened my mouth did I get that spousal look, so I said, “Fine. Let’s do it your way.” How do you think things went from there?

Chronicle #5: My First Project

I have a great idea for my first project. Granted, I have just learned how to make a slip knot, hold the needles, Cast On, and make a Knit Stitch and I have a lot more to learn. But as an avid golfer that plays golf just about every day, I have a particular unmet need for which I think my newly learned knitting skills can meet. I am up for a new adventure and I am ready to give it a go. Am I being too ambitious? Let’s see!

Chronicle #4: Knit Stitches

Well, I have been at this learning to knit for a few days now. I have needles, yarn, a book, and a great teacher (my avid knitter wife) that is highly skilled and most of the time pleasant with me. I can make a slip knot with my eyes closed and I can Cast On holding my yarn with decent tension for a beginner. I am now ready to knit a stitch. Will this new adventure be a successful, highly enjoyable experience or will I find new troubles and discover new ways to fail? What do you think?

Chronicle #3: Casting On

I am ready for another learning to knit adventure. I have graduated from making slip knots and thanks to my avid knitter wife I have a fairly good idea how to hold the needles and yarn. So I open my Coats & Clark Knitting Made Easy book and I see that after Holding the Yarn, the next section is called Casting On. Hmm. What is Casting On? The book doesn’t say. As a complete beginner at knitting, am I supposed to know what Casting On is? Well, I followed the instructions, but I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew, if you know what I mean! And let me tell you why…

Chronicle #2: Holding the Needles

Now on to holding the needles. I had high hopes that this would be a straightforward easy thing to learn as I am not sure that I am up for another student-teacher row like the one I just had with my avid knitter wife over how to make slip knots. Hopes dashed.

Chronicle #1: To Knot, or Not to Knot

So my wife gave me this book by Coats & Clark called Knitting Made Easy. Yeah, right. It is a small book, more like a booklet. The subtitle of the book is Beginner Basics: Instructions, Diagrams, Patterns. Just what I needed, or so I thought.