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Available in 3 options, these stylish bags are great for your projects and supplies!

Fixed Circulars, Interchangeable Tips, Cables, Connectors & Adaptors, and a selection of Deluxe Needle Sets!

Handcrafted wooden shawl pins made in India; available in Mango Wood or Rosewood

Visit Ancient Arts Yarns + Dye Studio - 607 Manitou Road SE, Calgary, Alberta

Visit Ancient Arts Yarns + Dye Studio - 607 Manitou Road SE, Calgary, Alberta

Visit Ancient Arts Yarns + Dye Studio - 607 Manitou Road SE, Calgary, Alberta

THE Barb Brown: NOT NOW, I’M COUNTING…1, 2, 3,…

From the time I was a wee child I swore that as I grew older I would never, ever sayYou young whippersnappers! It was so much better in my day! Yet here I am, saying it. Well, I could leave out thewhippersnappersI guess!

I have lost count of the number of times I have seen this question on social media (or versions of it) Im a beginner knitter, well maybe advanced beginner. I fell in love with a shawl pattern, but its marked intermediate. Should I try it?and it baffles and confuses me to see the answers!I would leave it till you have more skillandYou are only setting yourself up for disappointmentetc.

orenburg
Detail of Orenburg Rhapsody

 

When I was young (there you go! I said it!) patterns were not marked this way. For the most part, there was nothing said at all. Many American patterns had something along the lines ofthis very easy patternorwith a little patience, this pattern can easily be knitadded into the description of the design. As a Canadian, I used a lot of British patterns, and one yarn company had their patterns marked in what is, to this day, my favourite designation system. There were symbols that indicateddegree of concentration required. Thats it! Just concentration. So if it was high on the scale, you might not want to tackle it while looking after 5 children on a day when you couldnt shovel them outside for an hour or two.

Why do I dislike the current system, and think the old one was so much better? Because I think it discourages people. It makes them hesitant to try new thingsthey automatically doubt their own abilities! When I was a wee kid, Id say to my Mom,“Do you think I could knit this [insert cable hat, stranded sweater, lace socks]and shed answer“Why not?. Degree of concentration:why not? I can concentrate! AdvancedUmmmI havent been knitting that long; I dont think I can.

cropped Funky Time
Funky Time Cowl and Headbandset

 

First, lets consider lace. Its just holes made on purpose. Make some yos, and some decreases. Thats pretty much it. Not so tough. Add in some stitch markers to help keep track of where you are (thus reducing thedegree of concentration required), use a life line if you are a nervous Nellie (like me!) and there you go. (A lifeline in knitting is just a strand of smooth yarn threaded through all the stitches at a point you KNOW you had it right! It gives an easy place to rip back to if need be.)

Take a look at Rippling Waves by Caroline Sommerfeld. You need to yo (wrap the yarn around the needle – thats easy) and knit 3 sts together. Simple! And there you go. You can knit these!

rippling detail

rippling glove
Rippling Waves Fingerless Gloves

 

Or the In Flight Shawl. A quick read over, and theres that yo, and then slip 2 together, knit 1, pass those 2 slipped stitches over the one just knit, and thats it. Thats all the fancy pants knitting involved!

In flight
In Flight Shawl

 

So, dont be dismayed by labels ofIntermediateorAdvanced. Its all just knit and purl with a few variations. 

A lady namedmaryootsybought my book, Knitting Knee-Highs because she fell in love with Flora. She wrote meIve never knit socks. Ive never knit stranded. Do you think I could make these?I told her to give it a try, and email me with any problems, and I sent her a few helpful links. A few months later, she sent me pictures of her knee-highs! She knit them 2 at a time so they would matchshed never done that before either.

flora_2 at a time
Flora Socksin progress

 

Be brave! Be likemaryootsy! Knit that shawl, or that cowl, or that scarf, or those socks you fell in love withjust do it one step at a time!

scottie
One stitch at time makes the most amazing patterns! Scottie Scarfby Liz Lovick.

 

Wurmli 6
Wurmli Shawlby Caroline Dick

 

tiny mouse
Tiny Mouse Scarfby Kathy Perry

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