Tuesday, November 28, 2006

So proud...

I finally got to sit down with my work friend today and taught her how to knit. I felt HORRIBLE though! I'd given her the book I taught myself with, some wool and needles to play with in case she felt like it over the Thanksgiving weekend and she sat down and got stuck... with the slip knot. I felt so bad. I've been making slip knots for SO long I didn't even think about it. But today we sat down at lunch and while she didn't catch on so fast to the long tail cast on (it's the only one I could pick up from reading the book) she got the cable cast on quickly (and I learned how to do it finally!) and then knit. I was so proud of her. She's unsteady with the needles (who wasn't?!?) and the stitches are not even but damn it, she's knitting!! The last half of our "class" all I was bascially doing was going "uh huh, yeah, you know what you do next, right! yup! you're doing great!" Of course there was some stitches that fell off the needles (am I the ONLY one who wants to type kneedles??) but I told her just stick 'em back on and keep going. Knitting is fun and I don't want her to stress over all the things we all did/do. She's doing great!

So, any one got any ideas on a cast on she might do better with (and I could learn too.. until lunch today, I could only do the long tail)? Any one have any hints for how to keep the damn needles in your hands? I already told her don't be afraid to use your thighs/armpits/whatever it takes to hold 'em still. Or just general teaching hints?

1 comment:

Mary said...

Well, using circular needles would be one way to not drop the straights. I highly recommend them for airplane knitting, because it's often impossible to get at a dropped needle on a cramped and tiny jet. I know some people (like Debbie Stoller of Stitch 'n Bitch) use extra-long straights and tuck them under their armpits when knitting.