This week I had a conversation along the lines of:
” Wow your edges are really neat” (me)
“What do you mean?”
“Well look at mine” I proceeded to show her the edges where I had picked up stitches. A rather uneven and holey affair altogether.
“Oh I though that you were confident doing this”
“Well so did I!”
It would appear that I couldn’t have been more wrong. My designer friend then went on to explain how she had taught herself to do it properly using YouTube. I on the other hand had taken the instruction to ‘pick up stitches’ literally and had put my own interpretation on it. The result is a fairly substandard result that I am rather ashamed of.
A rather obvious seam.
I have never really thought about it before – I just thought that I knew what it meant and so got on with it. My friend on the other hand had not made any such assumptions and had therefore learnt the proper way. It got me thinking. I wonder how many other people do this? Have you ever assumed you can do something only to find out later that you had been doing it all wrong? If you have please leave me a comment below so that I can stop feeling so bad. (To make it worse I thought that I was a perfectionist!)
In case you are wondering all is not lost and I have plans as to how I can neaten the whole thing up. I shall keep you posted. Meanwhile I shall leave you with a couple of links that shows you how it should be done – just in case you are wondering (and so that I can also learn!)
For those of you who like written.
The moral of this: Never ever assume that you can do something because it seems simple – check first.
knitnrun4sanity 
I have been knitting for years and this was new to me, too. Maybe it’s for the best that I gave up knitting ….
I’m not good at looking for instructions. I like to say that I’m a playchild, I love to experiment and can be very patient at trying out things to make them look the best. I wouldn’t say a different way always has to be a wrong way, but sometimes it’s more difficult when it doesn’t have to be.
I love the playchild thought. I think that is the way to go! I am glad that I am not the only one!!
I’m a kind of jump right in there person – though I am in my old age getting better at finding the proper way first or at least looking at other ways first! I guess I always think that there is a way to sort it though it would be better to not have to use this option at times.
It just takes so much more time when all you want to do is get right on in there!!
I was told this week that i crochet from the wrong side, thats what i get for learning from pictures i guess!
I wonder if that matters?
Oh. My. Gosh. I have been picking up stitches for years and always struggled with it. I feel a lilt bit like “d’oh!!” right now because you are right…it was a simple as checking out a video. On the vest I just finished, I did not enjoy picking up stitches because I just felt like I was muscling my way through it. Thanks for this!
Thank you! I am so relieved that I am not alone 🙂
I haven’t knitted in years but for me, mistakes are okay as long as you learn from them and get even better… 🙂 unraveling is not fun… lol
As always you have such a great attitude. Love it 🙂
I taught myself to crochet and found out I was doing stuff wrong years later, I didnt really care and kept doing it my way. I do this to have fun and I know its good to learn properly for some things esp if you are selling but I say don’t worry about it if something aint quite right so long as you had fun making it 🙂
A great ethos. Hold onto it 🙂
Yes, I’m pretty bad… When I started crochet, I would watch a video, then follow it. After a while, I’d think “OK, I’ve got this” and carry on. Until I realized I was doing it all wrong
Lol at least you tried in the first place!
I’ve used YouTube when looking for clarity. Knitting patterns do my head in and drawings of steps to perform an unfamiliar stitch don’t help much. I’ve learned from bitter experience not to do what I think an instruction mesns. So happens it was pick up stitches and knit. ..
Oh dear but I am glad I am not alone. It is very comforting 🙂
Yes, yes, yes. I am on a mission to undo all my years of learning things wrong. Youtube is my saviour 🙂
Lol. If it works why change though?
This is totally new to me…I LOVE new! Thanks so much for sharing. I feel like knitting is an ever evolving thing and you have contributed greatly to that in the past 14 weeks since I started blogging. Thank you!
Ahhh thank you 🙂 I hadn’t realised that you were quite so ‘new’. You do a great job on your posts. Sharing and learning is one of the things that I LOVE about this whole world.
It has been fantastic! Who knew blogging could end up being such a well rounded – almost life changing experience. It may seem overstated but that really is how it feels!
Not at all overstated. I was very tentative to start but now cannot imagine life without it!! (and wouldn’t want it either)
I wholeheartedly agree!
Thanks. xx
I’m mainly self taught in sewing and dressmaking. I was shown the basics from my mam but she was self taught too. Looking back some of my early work must have been dreadful!!!!
You are probably being very harsh on yourself. How else would you learn? I am amazed at how much my designs have changed over the last year. Practice definitely makes perfect!!
I always assume that I can do everything but it often takes a lot of trial and error. There’s nothing like having someone show you properly for getting it right first time.
So very true. I am liking your attitude however.