A Student's Thank You

Good Afternoon,

Another hot and humid day in the Hudson Valley, New York.  There is a possibility of T-Storms, if so, hopefully not too severe.

Busy day today, so this will be written in short segments throughout the day.  Breakfast with daughter, lunch with a good friend I haven't visited with in about six weeks, and also back to work tonight after a few nights off.

I'm back once again, and today I would like to share with you a conversation that I had a few days ago with someone on one of the knitting blogs that I read.  She stated that she had picked up a pattern and was totally confused by some terms and also that double point needles were to be used during the knitting, but the pattern didn't seem like it started out that way.

Her question had been sitting there for a day or so, and not wanting a knitter to be frustrated, I made the attempt to help her out.  I mentioned that the key words to beginning knitting after the cast on, was to look for terms such as "in the round" or "join without twisting".  I also de - mystified the knitting terms by explaining what they meant and how to execute them.

The return comment included the first few rows of the pattern, where I determined that she was to begin knitting flat on the double points and then pick up stitches at said areas then to join into a round. 

There are so many times that just some simple direction from a listener, and most of us are good at that aren't we, can get "that stuck in the pattern" person over the hump and on their way.  I think it is that way in life too.  I can remember being reminded to listen harder and louder than I spoke or sang.  It is so very true.  What I have found in the knitting community, most knitters are extremely compassionate and helpful of others with less experience and knowledge.

On that note, let me share some of our ending conversation with my new knitting friend:

Thank you so very much Diana, no as yet I haven't started my slippers I am just about finished a shawl I took the Sweetheart Shawl (Jasmine Shawl) internet class with Kristin Omdahi, its been an easy shawl to knit but seeing I haven't knitted for such a long time I have had some problems but there all sorted now.

I saw the Pemberley Slippers (Jane Austen) it was apart of the 2011 Jane Austen knitting book but you could purchase the pattern on its own so I did so will start my knitting of them when I finish the shawl.

I really appreciate your explanation on the pattern so I will keep it safe for when I start my slippers....... 

Thank you again

Andrea

I am so happy to be able to mentor and coach students, helping them along their knitting way.

Have a great rest of your day and Happy Knitting!