Me Too Stupid!

[Miss Crochet]

I've never been a good knitter so I decided to re-learn, Continental style, because it's supposed to be easier for crocheters. What have I learned? I'm too dumb to knit! Actually, that's not true, but learning - or relearning - a mechanical process like knitting at the age of 35 is SO hard. My fingers hurt from holding the yarn differently and those big pointy things ... I keep stabbing myself, they keep falling out of my pathetic little scarfy-thing and on to the floor with an enormous clatter, every now and again one of them decides to wriggle out of my grasp and take four stitches with it... The air is littered with naughty words, as I growl "Fudge! Butterscotch! Caramel cookies!" (or words to that effect) when I accidentally knit a row backwards (yes, it happens). And what do I have to show for myself: a grubby, holey piece of "knitting" in what's vaguely recognisable as stocking stitch.

 

Yaaay me! But I'm wrecked after that... But I'll perservere. I'll get the hang of it. I WANT to learn to knit, continental-style.

 

Eventually....

[DesertCrocheter]

Hey, I relearned in my 40s. You have no excuse!

 

Someday it will all click, magically. And the sense of accomplishment will be huge.

 

Come join us in the beginning knitters special interest group here on the 'Ville. We will commiserate in the agonies and rejoice in the triumphs with you.

 

Patty

[lynns]

that is why I use the Knifty Knitter LOL

[quietheart]

I've never been a good knitter so I decided to re-learn, Continental style, because it's supposed to be easier for crocheters. What have I learned? I'm too dumb to knit! Actually, that's not true, but learning - or relearning - a mechanical process like knitting at the age of 35 is SO hard. My fingers hurt from holding the yarn differently and those big pointy things ... I keep stabbing myself, they keep falling out of my pathetic little scarfy-thing and on to the floor with an enormous clatter, every now and again one of them decides to wriggle out of my grasp and take four stitches with it... The air is littered with naughty words, as I growl "Fudge! Butterscotch! Caramel cookies!" (or words to that effect) when I accidentally knit a row backwards (yes, it happens). And what do I have to show for myself: a grubby, holey piece of "knitting" in what's vaguely recognisable as stocking stitch.

 

Yaaay me! But I'm wrecked after that... But I'll perservere. I'll get the hang of it. I WANT to learn to knit, continental-style.

 

Eventually....

 

I totally can relate, I taught myself continental a few years ago and now its so much fun, keep at it!

I made so many grandmother's favorite dishcloths that first year lolol it makes me laugh to think about it!

But you can do it!! :cheer:cheer

[CrochetinMama]

That's why I'm scared to try..lol...GOOD LUCK and keep trying..

[eurolyons]

You know, I tried in my 40's to learn how to knit continental style and honestly, you would think since I crochet far more than knit, that this would have been easy to do...it wasn't easy at all. I had learned to knit when I was 9 and crochet when I was 10 or 11...my hands seem to think that when I knit I need to do what I first learned, not this continental style...holding the yarn that way is for crocheting my hands seem to say...

 

I need to practice...I do...but for now, if I knit, I just do it "my" way by throwing the yarn like I do. The result is the same, just a little slower and that's okay for now.

 

Keep at it and you'll be okay,...you're not too dumb to learn...just that old habits can be hard to break.

[Becky Morgan]

You're not stupid. IT just feels weird to knit! It'll work. If I can do both, ANYBODY can! (And I'm 51 and just last year learned to double-knit, so 35 ain't nothing.)

[eyrthmother1]

as everyone else said, you are NOT too dumb. I just learned for the 1st time at the age of 40.

 

I will suggest going to youtube and finding continental knitting videos there. my knit teacher had made the comment that w/ my crocheting, i could probably learn continental easily. she didnt do it though, so i had to search it out. the knit is easier than the purl, at least for me.

 

just remember long long ago, when you first picked up the hook. you made mistakes. it wasn't easy. it didn't look right. practice made all the difference. it will come, with practice.

 

I have faith in you.

 

Sandy

[shana0923]

I tried to learn knitting before I ever tried to crochet. I knitted a grand total of one dishcloth and one (shortish) scarf...lol. When I learned to crochet, I never looked back. I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and knitting killed my wrists and hands. Not to mention if I lost one stitch I lost 4 billion rows because I could not for the life of me figure out how to pick my stitch back up. I love crocheting and that is good enough for me!!

[Aggie May]

:cheerThe answer to your problem is to buy yourself some circular needles and you will not have the dropped needle problem.

When you are not knitting, you just push your stitches onto the cord between the needles and you do not have a problem with dropped stitches either.

 

The other reason to use circulars is, if you are knitting a large item, the weight is not on the needles but on your lap so it is kninder to your hands.

 

Dont panic, you do not need to knit in a circle, but just turn at the end of each row as with straight needles.

 

I am sure that once you get the hang of them , you will wonder why anyone ever uses anything else.

 

Have fun.

Colleen:hug

[Pyroteca]

It took me forever to get the hang of knitting, but it came eventually. My mom taught me to knit when I was 8, but I was slow, and so it was hard to stay motivated. I retaught myself last year when I desperately wanted to knit socks, and after ripping out the same sock 3 times, I got the hang of it.

 

Although I do almost everything left-handed (well, I hold the crochet hook with the right hand), I find that I knit in the English style and for some reason that just seems to work better. I have even tension and my gauge is pretty good. Just something to consider, though I hear you on keeping tension with the left hand, but for some reason, I just can't do it. And as I said, my left hand is the dominant one for physical activity (I fence left-handed, shoot pool left-handed, etc.) but I still have to knit the English way.

 

Keep trying, it will get better. If you can crochet, you can knit, you just have to find what works for you.

[Roli]

:cheerThe answer to your problem is to buy yourself some circular needles and you will not have the dropped needle problem.

When you are not knitting, you just push your stitches onto the cord between the needles and you do not have a problem with dropped stitches either.

 

The other reason to use circulars is, if you are knitting a large item, the weight is not on the needles but on your lap so it is kninder to your hands.

 

Dont panic, you do not need to knit in a circle, but just turn at the end of each row as with straight needles.

 

I am sure that once you get the hang of them , you will wonder why anyone ever uses anything else.

 

Have fun.

Colleen:hug

 

Colleen! What a brilliant idea! I am not a knitter, even though I have tried to get the hang of it many times. It seems I am also too stupid to get my hands to do something different after all these years. But this idea of using circular needles is great. After the holidays I'll try to knit again and see how I make out. You are one smart lady!

[MaBear]

I have wanted to learn how to knit for a long time now. I bought everything I need, but I'm so scared of feeling like a complete idiot!

[CLLinda]

Good luck learning or relearning to knit. It can be quite a challenge.

 

Also, when you mess up in crochet, you just rip back to what you did and fix it. In knitting, it's a whole new ballgame.

 

I have just learned how to do colorwork on hats on circular needles. It's a fun challenge that really produces something pretty. I just made up my mind and kept trying.

 

The thing that gets me is the double pointed needles. It feels like you are handling an octopus with claws. I need them when I am finishing a hat. It can be pretty tricky. I have to go in my bedroom and just concentrate on it.

 

Keep trying. You will master it if you keep trying.

 

[teapot]

Well i too am old lol..... and knew how to knit from high school.... I figured out how to knit and purl again, and thats about it. It if very slow.... I also agree with the circular knitting kneedles, they are esier to use.

[kittyloverdeb]

I even took a class to learn how to knit! Did it work? Nope! I have crocheted for so long that I am not patient enough to learn to knit...it takes too long!

[reba88]

I could have written your post! I've been trying to teach myself to knit in the last week in the midst of crocheting a batch of scarves for gifts. It's so slow! I haven't read the previous posts, but the videos on this site http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/learn-to-knit

has really helped me.

 

Good luck! You'll get it!

[mva5493]

As I have mentioned here before, I started relearning crocheting after about 16 years because my father in law had some knitted dishcloths (the basic garter stitch, grandmother's favorite, idiot's dishcloth, and I am sure other names here on the net) He used to get them from a fellow teacher at the school he recently retired from. I asked him if he could get some for me, but the teacher moved, so to make a long story sort of short,lol I found a crochet pattern book in the clearance isle of wal-mart. It wasn't until much later (after finding lots of other patterns on the internet) that I realized the pattern I was trying to duplicate was another medium altogether. So with the help of my neghbor who at the time knitted beautifully. I gave it a try.

I too experienced the dropping needle, loosing stitches, lots and lots of expletives (on my own not in her presence) I decided that knitting was not for me. And I wasn't even covering all the basics! I couldn't cast on very well, and still don't do it the way I have seen it done. tension was awful, and I couldn't grasp the concept of purling.

 

I gave up for a little while, but was determined to try again. For the second attempt I used you tube video and segments from knitting daily, and knitty gritty. I have one of those I can't believe I am knitting books to but I can't seem to follow those very well.

 

I now prefer to knit dishcloths, and have become my father-in-law's supplier,lol. I am trying to learn continental but haven't mastered it yet. I am still working on it.

 

Circular needles are my favorite to work with, although as of yet, I haven't worked in the round. I am still mostly making dishcloths, thinking of socks and hats sometime in the future, still a little scary for now.

[Miss Crochet]

Thanks, girls!! You're so kind! :hug:hug

 

Righty-ho: circular needles are on the shopping list, I'll definitely give it a try. Thank you, Aggie May, you're a star

 

This morning I was at the doctor's surgery because my husband was having his ankle x-rayed (he fell off a ladder, the noddy) and next to me was a woman knitting a sock. She had the same steady rhythm I have when I crochet, so I was nearly hypnotised by her clack-clack, clack-clack. She caught me staring, so I blushed and laughed and told her I was trying to learn and that she was better than the video tutorials I had seen. Continental style just seems so effortless and efficient. I'm like you, LeAnna (eurolyons), I learned to knit when I was SEVEN, nearly thirty years ago, and I was never very good at it, yet this mechanical process is filed away in some part of my brain and it's very hard to undo it. My hands itch to switch over the yarn, even though I knit so badly and awkwardly in the 'throwing' or English style. Weird isn't it, how the brain works? Like those people who've got amnesia and can't recognise their family, but can still drive a car perfectly... Just goes to show how strong that part of our brain is...

[Island Girl]

You should try the circulars Roli. I love them. Hate the straight but will use them if I "have to". 30 years ago when I was a young bride and 1st time mom, I tried to teach myself to knit from a book. It took just toooo long to do just one little stitch. So I gave up. Just stuck to crocheting. Then when my dh was stationed in Germany I learned the continental way and I haven't looked back since. That dosen't mean I'm a pro now. I'm still a beginner. But last year I finally tried the double pointed needles to make a very easy baby sock. I found I loved working with the needles. Now, if I could just make a pair of socks the same size I'd be happy. :lol

 

 

Colleen! What a brilliant idea! I am not a knitter, even though I have tried to get the hang of it many times. It seems I am also too stupid to get my hands to do something different after all these years. But this idea of using circular needles is great. After the holidays I'll try to knit again and see how I make out. You are one smart lady!

[Needle Arts]

Our own Kim Guzman will be teaching a basic knitting class here at the 'Ville in January that is continental style. Signups are not open yet but class starts January 1. I, for one, am going to be taking it.

 

I knitted for years but I learned as a "thrower". If I pick up yarn to knit it is in my right hand. If I pick up yarn to crochet I work it with my left hand. Just haven't been able to make the switch yet....my News Years Resolution is: Continental knitting and tucking tails as I go! I fail every year at the loosing the holiday weight so decided to reward myself with a different challenge in 2010 that would really give me a sense of accomplishment.

 

I love working with circular needles. I knit both sleeves at one time (and they are the same length) and both front and back together though I have to concentrate a lot more after dividing for the neck. Double pointed needles send me running for cover (that's why I took the Toe-up Crochet Sock class). If I'm knitting, I'd rather work with a seam rather than those large double pointed toothpicks! I'm soon to be 64 but determined to learn something new!

[faedragon]

I learned to knit first, as a child. I have even taught others how to knit. Taught myslef to crochet as an adult. I will knit now if someone wants to be taught...I still even own a pair of knitting needles, they are attached to the cuff ribbing for a crocheted sweather: the crocheting was finished 3 years ago, the knitted cuff...the second cuff, the last thing I have to knit, is still not done....and it may never be: I do not like to knit and am so very sorry I took the time to knit on the bottom ribbing and 1 and 1/2 cuffs on my beautiful sweather. If I ever get that cuff finished, I will not knit something ever again.

[Miss Crochet]

Darlene: the class with Kim Guzman is a great idea. But yesterday when I went to my LYS to get circular needles, the LYS-lady offered to teach me at their knitting circle on Thursdays. So I'm going along next week - if that fails, I'll turn to Kim!

Faedragon: your pullover sounds lovely - finish it, finish it! (and post pictures in the Show'n'Tell) It's only a tiny bit of ribbing... a teensy-tiny bit of ribbing... you can do it!... yes, you can! :cheer

[CLLinda]

You sound determined to learn to knit. It is always good to learn new things.

 

And you found the thread for Beginner Knitters, which will show you some new things in the world of knitting. People there show off their projects, talk about different kinds of needles and other things pertaining to knitting.

 

It's not really that scary, once you get the hang of it. It took me a while to learn to purl. Didn't think I would ever get that!

 

So good luck to you, Miss Crochet, as you enter the world of knitting.

 

[crazycrochet]

I even took a class to learn how to knit! Did it work? Nope! I have crocheted for so long that I am not patient enough to learn to knit...it takes too long!

 

I am with you kittylover! I knew how to knit before I learned how to crochet. I have tried to pick it up again, but as you said IT TAKES TOO LONG!!!