The Perfect Beginner Knitting Project - In My Opinion :)

A few months ago I taught my lovely babysitter Steph to knit. She and I had talked about a few times over the years, and when I heard she was jetting off yet again, I finally got organised to get her started.

I went to the store and purchased her three skeins of Woolfolk Luft in the Black L06 colourway and a set of circular 60cm Addi Turbos. I know that sounds a little extravagant for a first project but a. Steph is ace and b. making is a sensual experience. Making something is all about the senses - we feel knitting in our bodies - and if we don't enjoy the sensations of knitting when we begin then why would we continue to knit? I wanted to make her first knitting experience a joyous one - one that would result in a beautiful product, and make her happy - so I purchased some of the most delicious yarn I could find.

I've talked many times about how materials matter and I passionately believe it to be true, especially when you are new to the sport. Now obviously, Woolfolk Luft is taking good materials to the extreme, and not all new knitters need to start with Woolfolk ;), but in this case I wanted to thank her with something special.

So, as Steph was looking after my smalls for one last time, I asked her to come 30min early so I could teach her before we had to head out the door. I'd already got the cowl started for her by casting on, and knitting the first row of the Purl Soho Lovely Ribbed Cowl - which I believe is the perfect newbie project! We had 20 minutes to chat all things knitting.

And here we get to the opinionated point of the blog post!

Teaching Steph to knit reminded me that I have always meant to post about what I believe the perfect project for beginners actually is - in my opinion. And I keep forgetting!

You see, I believe that a lot of beginner knitters start with the wrong type of stitch pattern. And that worries me. It worries me because maybe they won't stick with knitting because they think it is too hard, or maybe they will get confused and think it is stressful. And people need knitting, and the world needs more knitters. Knitting brings so much joy to the universe.

Beginner knitters are often encouraged to start with garter stitch - and they often get flumoxed. Which makes sense - as garter gives you no indication if you are getting your knitting right or wrong as you can't tell. Garter stitch is a red hot mess to look at, especially if you are new and you don't understand how it works. Initially looking at garter is like looking at a plate of spaghetti and trying to find a pattern in it.

If they are lucky, some beginner knitters will be encouraged to start with stockinette stitch - which I still don't like - but it's an improvement on starting with garter.

Stockinette is simpler to look at and understand, which means that some folks will be able to see if they have made a mistake, but it doesn't teach you to recognise the stitch you have on the needles - as you are repeating whole rows of one stitch then the other stitch, paying little attention to what you are doing. Stockinette also feels like a waste of an opportunity to learn about reading your knitting from the very start - especially as you would have needed to learn both a purl stitch and a knit stitch.

My hypothesis: Rib is the perfect stitch pattern to begin your knitting career with, as it teaches you to read your knitting from the start.

I believe that the perfect beginner knitting project is some form of 2x2 or 3x3 rib. Through knitting rib you learn that there is a V at the front of a stitch and a purl bump at the back! It is simple, repetitive and beautiful. And by learning the structure of our knitting from the getgo then we knit with less fear and we are more confident knitters.

A few years ago I wrote a post called The Secret To Becoming A Great Knitter and it was all about learning to read your knitting, about understanding your stitches and what they looked like - for freedom, and for joy. In that post I describe how to understand your stitches and how to read them; what they look like and how to recognise them.

Reading your knitting is something you can learn from the very start of your knitting career, as Steph has just proved.

Steph had her 20 min lesson before she started her evening's babysitting, and then we went out for a couple of hours. She had knitted till we got home, then we talked about where she was at. She did take a little film of me demonstrating a knit stitch and a purl stitch, which she took with her on the plane in case she forgot, but that was her whole lesson. About 30 min total.

Fast forward a couple of months and she has a cowl. A beautiful usable wearable cowl.

Photo she sent me via an insta story! xx

This cowl gave Steph repetitive practice of the two basic stitches in knitting. She watched, and tried to learn what they look like, and she was successful. Look at that pretty cowl. No counting, no keeping track.

A simple clean rib shows the newbie knitter what stitch is what. There is a simplicity and grace to it that builds confidence.

People teach garter to newbies as they believe that it's simpler - I believe this is based on the idea that the person only has to learn the knit stitch, and not a purl. Which makes sense, but it is a false economy. Garter is confusing to look at - one row sits on top of the other disguising the stitches. Many experienced knitters can't fix mistakes in garter as it is such a hullabaloo of a stitch pattern.

Yes, learning rib will mean they will have to learn two stitches rather than one, but actually a knit and a purl are incredibly similar in their form, so it's not difficult to learn both. In each case you simply insert the needle tip, you wrap your yarn anti-clockwise through the middle of your two needles, and then you pull your needletip through and pop the stitch off. The only difference between a knit and a purl is whether you insert your needletip from the left or the right. With a bit of practice and concentration it isn't much harder to understand two stitches rather than one*.

If we pay a bit of attention, rib gives us a basic understanding of what a knit stitch looks like on your needles, and what a purl stitch looks like on your needles. By the end of knitting the cowl you know that the front of the stitch looks like (a V) and what the back of the stitch looks like (a bump). Knitting then makes sense, as do the two basic stitches.

This is why I love rib stitch for beginners so much. Steph had so much confidence that she was off to the shop to buy yarn for a TCS Simple Hat. She is almost done already and is waxing lyrical about the joys of knitting. We have another convert!

I'd love to hear about your early knitting experiences and whether this approach would have been helpful?

And if you want to learn to knit, buy some beautiful materials and try this cowl. It is a total winner.

Felicia x

* I have one exception to the rule of teaching rib to newbies and that would be for small people. Small people don't necessarily have the capacity to pay enough attention. Instead with small people, my preference when teaching is to use circular needles and get them to knit a hat in the round..... I'm happy to finish off the top, or instead you can do a square top which kinda make ears. They love the ears.

Making An Elevated Life

So about six months ago I included a PS. on a blog post about how I had written an article for the absolutely beautiful Making Magazine. The article was entitled Craft As An Elevated Life and was all about how craft elevates us from the everyday by supporting us, and connecting us.

Fast forward to the Dots version of Making coming out. At the time I was in America, and was two days away from meeting the lovely Carrie (the founder of Making) who is going to be my roommate at Squam. I've never met her before and was so bloody excited, as we have "known" one another since the early days of Ravelry.

Anyhoo, on my way to Squam I stopped off in California to see my lovely friend Kellen, and one of the many fun things we packed into our two days was a trip to the beautiful Cattywampus store in Ojai. They have Making Mag and the Dots issue has just been released! I pick it up and start flipping through, once, twice and then again. No article. 

I tried to be brave, but I was thinking Oh My God!! She! Didn't! Like! It!

It seemed like she had when I sent it to her. She sent me back a lovely enthusiastic email. What could have gone wrong???

When I got to Squam I met Carrie and adored her from the moment I met her. And not in an internet "I ADORED her" kind of way but in a real "She is ace!" way. She's funny - a good woman with an eye twinkle.* The conversation eventually came around to Making and I bravely asked about the article trying to keep any trace of sadness from my voice, being super casual..... "oh did my article not fit what you wanted". I'm laughing as I'm writing this because I actually have no idea exactly what I said. I do know that somehow I managed to sound not too crazy.

Anyway Carrie looks and me a little shocked and says "Of course! I loved it!! But it was always meant for the next issue!!".

Queue massive relief from me, as I love the article I wrote for her. The article was my best shot at describing how craft elevates our lives and gives us meaning, because it really does!

Anyway it appears I didn't read an email properly and got the wrong issue.

If you haven't picked up Making yet, then please pick up a copy of this one. It is such a beautiful magazine - each project, image, recipe and essay are written with such intention. You can see the love Carrie (and now the lovely Ashley!!)  are putting into it.

The photos below are from my week at Squam. I was doing some work on my book, writing at the beautiful Tamworth Lyceum, and got lost on the way back to camp. I love getting lost and this is such a beautiful place to get lost in - it feels a little surreal as it feels like you have stepped into a movie set. The houses and the setting of Squam lake are all so picture perfect it is ridiculous. All white paint and green lawns. That said, my favourite houses were the ones that were a little ramshackle-ish and falling down.

Most of these photos were taken out the window of my car as I wandered through the wilds of New Hampshire.

If you've seen the article what did you think? Did it capture how craft fills you up?

Felicia x

* My friend Kellen has that too!

Breaking The Rules

So I was always the kid with the why. Why should I do it that way? And why can't I do it? And why and why. And why.

That said, I was also incredibly happy when someone gave me a good reason ie. a good reason was simply one that made sense to me. I wasn't unreasonable. I just wanted to understand.

Perhaps it didn't make me the easiest child to parent, but what it did do is make me a great researcher. If someone couldn't answer my question to my satisfaction, I would just keep searching and asking, and harassing and pestering, until someone could explain to me the why.

The thing about a why though is that it is specific to the person giving you the answer. Often the person's why doesn't apply to you given your circumstances, as you will have different needs and values to them.

And so even now, when I (finally) get a good answer to a why-based question, I often find myself again asking "but why?". Oh so annoying, but oh so true.

The bigger why, is why is that answer true?

Which is how (and why) point 5 of The Craft Sessions Manifesto exists. It speaks specifically about why stating

“It’s your craft. There are no rules to how things should be done. Do them in a way that makes sense to you.”

— me in The Craft Sessions Manifesto

Now if you have ever been to an old school craft shop of any kind, or been taught anyone like my Nana, you will know that most people think that there are many many rules around crafting (and life*). And many people believe that rules are there to be followed; that that is the point of them.

I don't. I believe that rules are often specific to a person, a need, a value, an intention or a method. And I believe that you should choose to do whatever makes sense to you. Follow the rules or break the bloody rules. Both are valid choices in many circumstances.

This came up for me recently as I'm in the process of making a lone star quilt for my middle kid, and I'm breaking the rules. I'm making it out of linen and a basic rule of quilting - that I break all the time - is don't quilt with linen as it distorts. This is particularly true when you are trying to quilt something that is complicated and precise, like a lone star quilt. If you aren't precise as you quilt, then you end up with distortion, and distortion means your quilt will be lumpy and possibly not fit together very well. It definitely won't be flat. As linen is the queen of distortion, it isn't great to quilt with. It shifts in all directions and doesn't have enough structure to be precise. Quilting with linen leads to wonky quilts.

I made the decision to make this quilt from linen as the quilt my kid wanted me to copy was naturally dyed. I'm not planning on doing much natural dyeing in the near future, so I thought the Watercolour linens from Purl Soho might be a nice substitute as they aren't flat colour, which more closely mimics natural dyed fabrics. Yes, I could have used shot cotton (which also has a different warp to weft like the linen) which would have had stability but I was in love with the Watercolour linen colours.

So I decided to break the rules. I did this with the full knowledge that my quilt might not work and that it would probably be lumpy. I took measures to avoid as much distortion as possible by making sure as I was cutting I cut along the grain or cross grain. I was careful with my seam allowances, and measured often to make sure I wasn't stretching the diamonds. It was a crazy amount more work, involved a reasonable amount of torturous picking and unpicking, but I have a quilt. And I love it.

But it is distorted.

Distorted quilt piece (especially to the left of the picture) to match my chipped nailpolish?

I tell you my story because I keep remembering this wonderful woman from Brisbane, who made the journey to a Handquilting workshop I did in country Victoria a year or two ago. She took the time, and made the arrangements, to come all that way to do the workshop simply to ask a question.... which was "Can I use this fabric (that I love!) on the back of my quilt?" You see, she had been to her local quilting shop and been told a definite no. "No you can't use that kind of fabric on the back of your quilt." She didn't understand why, and was so frustrated by the answer that she came to my workshop to ask whether what they had told her was true. She said "I know you will tell me the truth".

I've thought about her often, as she illustrates to me just how confusing and tricky it is to be new at a craft.

The tricky thing about breaking rules, is that you need to first understand what the rule is about, where it comes from, and how it became a rule. This is the why behind the why....

And the even trickier thing about the many people who tell you about "the rules of craft" is that they often can't tell you why a rule is a rule in the first place. The fact that they don't always know, often makes it tricky to assess whether breaking a rule is the way forward for you, on a given day, for a given project, with a given outcome in mind.  Because by breaking the rules will generally give you a different outcome.

Of course it's not true that you can't use a fabric you love on the back of your quilt. Of course you can use whatever bloody fabric you want. There are no quilting police - I hope.

I know that the ladies in the quilt shop were trying to be helpful to a newcomer, and were simply telling her their rules of quilting based on their understanding of what a quilt should be. Their idea of a quilt is ye old "a quilt should be precise and neat, last for at least 100 years, be flat and slightly stiff, be quilted to within an inch of it's life". They love those kinds of quilts and they teach that kind of quilting, based on what they value.

I love and value different things. I want my quilts to be snuggly not stiff, I want them to have movement. I love linen, and I like the biasing that happens to linen when you quilt it. I don't mind if my quilts only last 40 years. I'm OK when they occasionally tear as they aren't perfectly flatly quilted and so, sometimes catch on a passing tree as my kids drag them around the garden. I'm ok when they wear more quickly than they need to as they are too lightly quilted or because I've used fabrics like flannelette.

We like different things in a quilt and as such it's OK that we follow a different set of "rules" when we are making a quilt.

Biasing and lumps on my little boy's quilt. And yes some of that binding is flanellette. And the spots are a thick cotton/linen blend. Not a quilting cotton in sight :).

Breaking rules is tricky when you are a beginner as you can't tell which rules are important for your project and which one's don't apply to you. And of course breaking the rules is still really tricky even when you have experience, if you don't know why the rule is the rule. Breaking the rules can lead to disasters, and deciding whether to ignore them can be a confusing conundrum.

But breaking the rules can also lead to beauty, to a quilt that takes your breath away as it is made with the things you love**.

The way forward? The way forward is to always question the why. To find out what is behind it. Is it simply aesthetics, longevity, values, useage, personal preference, x, and y, and z.....? What is it that makes that rule a rule? And do you care? Then if you still can't decide, experiment and see what happens. All new ideas and techniques had to start somewhere, and they often came from experimentation. Innovative, interesting things often come out of smashing rules, so smash away.

Any thoughts? Disasters? Triumphs?

Felicia x

* My nana had a rule that "young ladies should only drink lemon squash". Apparently this applied even if the young lady in question was 30.

** For a set of rule breaking quilts go have a look here.

Breaking Practice Down

Often in this life we use words without truly thinking about what they mean. Today, as I was listening to a Tim Ferriss podcast with the legendary music producer Rick Rubin, I heard a definition of practice that I found incredibly insightful. It is so helpful to have a word I use, and think about all the time, stripped back to it's practicalities. 

So what did Rick say. He said that practice is two things....

Practice is being willing to fail at things

This is essential. It's understanding that in order to learn something, anything, we need to go forward and we need to go backward. We can't learn what we need to learn in order to master something in one chunk. We need to build on our learning with experience after experience and some of those experiences need to be failures. Without falling off the bike we don't learn what we need to about balance.

We will fail. We need to fail. Failing is part of learning.

Practice is not expecting to just get it first go.

We need to have the right mindset in order to persist at our practice, and in order to practice well. This means not buying into the talent myth. This is about setting our expectations such that we stick at it and don't spiral into despondency. We need to avoid the mindset that says that if we were going to be able to do it that we should have gotten it already. Because it's not helpful and it's not true.

It's about believing that with persistence (and practice :)) we can learn just about anything.

To Rick's description I would add the following two things...

Practice is engaging in curiosity

Practice is not simply repetition. It is being curious about why one thing works and another thing doesn't. It is actively striving for greater understanding and for improvement.

Practice is in itself a practice

In order to be good at practice we need to practice. Practice getting over our falls, practice being curious, practice not setting our expectations too high based on where we are today.

Practice is about more than just the physical aspects of whatever we are trying to master. It is about learning to manage our heads while we do so.

Practice and all is coming.

Felicia x

Some Of the photos from our Annual 2017 Retreat

I love these photos! They have been the perfect reminder of all the good that was our annual retreat last week in the beautiful Yarra Valley, and of all the joy that is this magical craft community! As I sit here tonight perusing these beautiful images*, I am struck yet again by how generous and beautiful our community is, and what a joy it is to be a part of it.

The joy is that every time we run the retreat, we get to hang in the company of a group of wonderful women who come with open and generous hearts, ready to welcome those who they have not yet met into the space. Ready to listen to one another's stories and share their own. Women who enter into their learning and their making, with such bravery and grace. Who encourage one another and delight in one another's creations. And who understand what it is to live a life that has making as a core source of joy and sustenance.

As I look through these images, all I can think is thank you all for what you bring, both to the retreat and online to this blog. Getting to hear your stories and see a small part of your hearts, fills me up.

Enjoy!

Felicia x

*I have soooo many more!!

A few photos from our first night!