This weekend was my third knitting birthday — 3 years since that fateful trip to Nashville to visit friends, who taught me to knit while I was there. Er, here. Now not only does my life revolve around knitting — with this blog and Fringe Supply Co. — but I also live in Nashville! Life is strange, ain’t it? If you were reading last year, you’ll remember I spent the month of October doing a series of posts aimed at new knitters and those wanting to expand their skills. This weekend, in honor of the anniversary, I organized it all neatly onto one page (along with a couple of other applicable posts), so you can now find it all right here: Beginning to Knit.
There’s general guidance — from how to learn to knit to how to gradually expand your skills — along with some very basic techniques and then a set of posts revolving around pattern recommendations for those wanting to give something new a try, including cables, colorwork and pullovers for first-timers. I’m always saying my favorite thing about knitting is how little you need to know to expand your knitting abilities exponentially. If all you can do is the knit stitch, learn to join those stitches in the round and suddenly you’re making a stockinette tube. Insert your needle into two stitches instead of one (knit two together, or k2tog) and you can decrease, which means you can turn that tube into a hat. And on and on — such incredibly simple little maneuvers turning your knitting into cables and then lace. But I also I love that I still have so much to learn — new tricks, techniques, construction methods, and on and on. Knitting is a neverending opportunity to amaze yourself, the way I see it. So if you’re a new knitter or you’ve been knitting for ages but haven’t quite gotten past basic knitting and purling, I hope you’ll find encouragement and enlightenment in those posts.
I’ll be continuing to add to that page over time. But for now, can I ask you for a little knitting birthday gift? If you find Fringe Association valuable, will you take a minute to tell your friends and/or followers about it? Pin your favorite post, tell your Facebook friends about the Beginning to Knit page (there are no doubt people wishing they could knit), whatever the case may be. It means to world to me.
And thank you so much for constantly egging me on and making me a better knitter!
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p.s. Pictured above are a sampling of my own projects, clockwise from top left: my first (of two) Orlane’s Textured Shawl (June 2013); my Acer Cardigan (Jan 2014); some simple stockinette armwarmers (Feb 2012) (at sport weight, still the finest gauge thing I’ve knitted!); and giant lace in the form of my State Street Cowl (Jan 2013). Most of my FOs from the past three years are documented at Ravelry.
I have been knitting for a year, and am ready to venture out a little, but haven’t yet. My mother and my Aunt Jane knitted everything from sweaters to Barbie doll clothes and I would hear them talk about all these different stitches and thought all my life knitting was sooo complicated (not that it can’t be; the cable sweater you are working on is WOW!). Then the lady that taught me how to knit told me it was just knit and purl. Just variations of it. I feel like I am now in that “secret society” of garter stitch and stockinette stitch. Love your blog!
And even knit and purl are the same stitch, worked from opposite sides of the fabric — the two sides of a coin, as it were.
Have a Happy 3! So proud of all you have accomplished….. and that you’re here in Nashville.
So happy to be here! And so grateful to you and Meg.
Happy birthday Karen. I tell everyone about you and your shop, I love you both and am so happy for the changes in your world, they bless us all! My knitting turned 4 this past May and I can not imagine a day without wool and sticks, it really is life changing.
Geez, I assumed you’d been knitting your whole life! That’s awesome, Tracey.
I see you say you’ve never knitted with anything finer than dk, so I assume you’ve never used tiny knitting needles. Knitting socks on a size 0 is the best thing ever! You haven’t lived until you’ve done socks on a 0.
Happy 3rd Knitting Anniversary!
I’m at 25 years. I know it makes me sound old, but I started knitting at 6 years young. First thing I ever knitted was a cardigan. I really wanted it in the store, and mom said knit it. So she bought me yarn, needles, and a pattern (fingering weight). I learned to knit from the very vague instructions in the book. Next thing was socks! Fun fun!
Why are my zeros looking like o’s?
Never finer than sport, other than a swatch or two. I have yarn and needles to knit my husband a hat on 0’s and 1’s, but I don’t know if it’ll ever happen. I’m not that patient.
Congratulations on your third knitting birthday! :-)
I know to knit but I am more of a crochet person… These days I see soo many lovely knitted garments though that I am thinking about starting to knit again. Hm, we’ll see.
Take care
Anne
http://crochetbetweentwoworlds.blogspot.de
I really want to crochet more. It was a goal this year that has so far not come to pass.
Happy 3 andwishing you many more to come. I have knit for more years than I can count and am glad that you are doing so well. Knitting is the best. :))))
Thank you, Susan!
Yay three! You inspire me to be more of a bold knitter, for so many years I thought so many really simple knitting techniques were really complicated. And yesterday I just decided to learn knitting socks two at a time!
It’s amazing how simple things really are — especially if you approach it all gradually, one or two new tricks at a time.
Happy third birthday, Karen – you’ve come so far in just three short years! Congratulations and best wishes…you’ve only just begun…wishing you continued success…today and always!
Thank you, Maureen.
Congratulations and keep it up, Karen! What you’ve done here is genius, and reading/watching what you’re up to always make my day. x
That’s wildly flattering, Julie — you know you’re an inspiration to me! xo
Congratulations on your third birthday! And a big thank you for creating the Beginning to Knit page — I plan to explore it and work up the courage to move beyond garter stitch — and I’ve passed the link on to my good friend who wants to start knitting. What a wonderful resource!
Yay! Good luck!
Congrats!
I found your blog maybe a year ago, and it has given me great confidence in my knitting and the courage to try new things. I have since made two jumpers after only ever making socks and mittens.
My grandmother taught me to knit when I was little and I’ve been doing it on and off since then (29 now). It’s only now though when I have realised that it’s my hobby (didn’t think I had any before that) and I am treating myself to nicer yarns and needles.
So, thank you for inspiring and sending the message that we all can do it – it’s only knit and purl :)
Hooray for courage! That’s my favorite thing to hear.
Yahoo! Many happy returns of the knitting day! You have enriched my knitting life so much and I’ve been knitting off and on for eons, it seems! Thanks for sharing your spirit!!!
Thank you, Amy!
Happy 3rd birthday! I follow your blog and love the store..and I am glad you’re in Nashville now.
I learn something new about knitting all the time– Meg just taught me magic loop in about 10 minutes! Here’s to many more knitting birthdays!
That Meg — filling the world with knitters!
Happy anniversary! You’re such an accomplished knitter for being so young.
Haha, thank you!
THANK YOU for beginning this blog that is so very full of wonderful info, inspiration, pattern possibilities, how-to’s, designers I’d never know about otherwise, etc, etc. I could go on … Ok, so I spend a lot of time on your blog, what can I say? Makes me happy and I learn a lot!
I’m happy you’re happy, MJO!
Congrats on your 3rd knitting anniversary! I am a brand new knitter (although I’m 38 yrs old), just started learning about 5 months ago. So I hardly know anything but was excited to finish my first scarf and am feeling I could really get into this! I love your blog, keep up the good work.