3KCBWDAY6 - Learn All The Things

I have what I've termed fearless knitting. I don't know if this is because I'm self taught (thanks to youtube) or because I'm a touch crazy at times. Either way, it means that knitting patterns don't scare me. There are skills I still need to learn of course but the main reason I haven't learned them yet is lack of time, not reluctance to try.

I figure it's string and sticks. 'Very' pretty sticks and gorgeous string, to be sure, but still just string and sticks. They may be pointy sticks but unless I'm doing something very wrong they won't be poking me. (I, however, am not above poking others with them when needed. Just ask my poor Husband Man or try to cut in line in front of me.) The lovely string will not rise up and wrap around me. If it's a very expensive yarn I will make sure I have the skills down by practicing on something less expensive but that's the extent of it.

My first completed knitting project was a lace shawl. My second was a blanket. My first socks aren't elegant .. but I love them and wear them often when it's time to wear socks. With opening myself up to commission and requests I'm picking up new skills even faster.

A friend asked me to make her a beret, I was gleeful to take a stab at cables! When I was asked to make wrist warmers in two colors I didn't even worry about how I'd make it happen. More complicated colorwork for a piano? I can do that! A scarf with double knitting on the ends? It's working up fantastic!

I will confess to a bit of a panic when I first looked at the instructions for the Chinook Shawl but I quickly got control back from the silly brain and reminded it that it's one stitch at a time. And that's all I ever have to worry about. The one stitch that I'm currently working. The other time I panicked was while blocking the Haruni. There was so much love put into that shawl and I was so afraid of the yarn snapping and then I couldn't get it to pin out correctly no matter what I did and ... and ... breathe. I took pictures of it before I blocked it, just in case. At least then I'd be able to show my Sorcha what it'd looked like if I managed to ruin it. (Spoiler: I didn't.)

I have a rather laid back approach to things , in terms of ruining them. I take a picture of completed things before I throw it in to soak. I remind myself that I'm going to ruin it when I do so. Then, when I pull it out of the water and pin it out for blocking, I'm always pleasantly surprised to see that I didn't break it.

At the end of the day, it's loops around loops. It is awesome to watch it grow, thrilling to finish, and beautiful to behold. It's not fear inducing. And that ever growing list of things I want to learn? I just need more time. An few extra hours in a day sounds like a great solution to that, by the way.