Skip to main content

Difficulty and Risk

¨It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead.  The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time. ¨ - Winston Churchill.

There are several types of knitters -- beginners all the way to experts, cautious to degrees of risk-takers, those repeating the same instructions over and over to those who simply will not redo a set of instructions. Whatever type you are, you often want to know as you ponder a new pattern how difficult that new set of directions will be for you to complete. 

 The Craft Yarn Council has somehow put the following gauge about skills needed for a pattern into a grid. Near the start of most modern patterns one of these four options can be found.  (It is rare the description is attached so I am adding them here for you to see.)

Skill levels for knitting
1beginnerBeginnerProjects for first-time knitters using basic knit and purl stitches.
Minimal shaping.
2easyEasyProjects using basic stitches, repetitive stitch patterns, simple color changes, and simple shaping and finishing.
3intermediateIntermediateProjects with a variety of stitches, such as basic cables and lace, simple intarsia, double-pointed needles and knitting in the round needle techniques, mid-level shaping and finishing.
4experiencedExperiencedProjects using advanced techniques and stitches, such as short rows, fair isle, more intricate intarsia, cables, lace patterns, and numerous color changes.
I have always wondered about the reliability of such grids.  How can a pattern designer know the degree of my competency with a technique; or better yet, how well do I actually know my own skill level?   Does anyone who cooks know their degree of proficiency?  How about those who drive a vehicle or frankly do any common activity where winners and losers aren´t determined.   How good am I at any of these things, really?

 Despite this potential conundrum (perhaps only for me) all knitters make some sort of a decision about their abilities as they move into a new knitting project.  Those knitters more conservative about their knitting skills might shy away from Intermediate or Experience patterns with concerns about getting ahead of themselves.  This may mean they potentially miss out on a new and interesting challenge.  Those more adventuresome knitters might dive right into something well outside of their skill range and find themselves running for help after the ribbing is completed.  

 To paraphrase Churchill, a completed project is knit but one row at a time.  This is only knitting; there are no knitting police; the worst that can happen is you frog the project.  Unlike cooking where someone might get sick if it is bad enough or driving where you or others could be hurt, knitting is a place in your life where wild risks have little to no negative consequences.  (OK if you knit with mohair it is harder than heck to frog, so exclude mohair yarns.)  

 In many realms of my life I watch my step, but knitting it is a place where the riskier, the better!  



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Anatomy of a Sock

I've been knitting socks for a relatively short time.  One of the disconcerting things for me as I started following patterns for socks is the pattern designer assumes the knitter (in this case that would be me) knows all the parts of a sock.  So I thought I'd devote a post to improve my own knowledge about the anatomy of a sock and maybe some of you will learn something about the humble yet necessary sock as well. Here's the names of the parts of the foot as I know them. #49 ankle, #50 heel, #51, instep, #52 ball, #53 big toe, #54 toe, #55 little toe, #56 toenail. There are some parts more important for this discussion; first the heel of a foot is generally used to refer to the entire C-shape from the ankle to the instep.  Speaking of the instep, it refers to that curve near the bottom of the foot.  And what seems to be missing in the design above is the sole which generally refers to the bottom of the foot in total or plantar aspect in more technical terms...
8 comments
Read more

Yarn Usage II: Crochet vs. Knit

All four swatches were made.  Each is 6.25" or 15.875 cm square; each prepared with the same sized yarn and needles or hook.  It took 25 stitches to get the appropriate width for the knit swatches and only 20 stitches for both of the crocheted squares.  That already says something, but I'll get to it in a minute.  (Don't know what I'm talking about here?  Check out this post first.) Unfortunately, you'll just have to trust me that four swatches were prepared and that they were all the same size.  In the excitement to get to measuring and weighing of the swatches, no photographic evidence was taken.  Luckily for me the results of this research doesn't have to be reviewed by a jury of my peer.  This blog post will be the sum and total of where this information is published. The remains of my four swatches What can be shared, however, are the balls of yarn rewound after the weighing and measuring was completed.  You will note the size ...
7 comments
Read more

Knitting-Related Guinness World Records

I had to share some of the Guinness World Records connected with knitting.  It is amazing to me the type of skill, stamina and unique characteristics these record holders have in common. How about trying to knit with these SPNs?? Ingrid Wagner and her large needles and knitted swatch The largest knitting needles measured 3.5 m (11 ft 5.8 in) long and had a diameter of 8 cm (3.15 in). Ingrid Wagner, a rug and art creation artist, from the UK used the needles to knit a tension square of ten stitches by ten rows at the Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, on March, 10 2008.  (And I complained about getting certain SPNs stuck in my clothes.)  See how this swatch was done with merely 5 people managing the needles.  And what about the yarn?  It is truly ex-bulky.  It looks like they're knitting in a warehouse, but with a wingspan of almost 24 feet or 7 m, you'd need all that space.  Or h...
7 comments
Read more