Category Knitting

Sometimes Your Craft is Hard; Do it Anyways

Catherine Leave a comment

I have a lot of feelings about stuff, and sometimes it’s hard to write about. This past month has been one of those times.

As I sit staring at a long overdue project, it came to me that one of the reasons why I don’t talk about my work more often is the internal monologue that says (to paraphrase) “Oh, it’s so hard, it’s not going to be good enough. I’m never going to be able to finish it.” I know for a fact many other makers feel this way and so, as a way to hold myself (and others) accountable, I am here to say:

That line of thinking is bullshit.

We are makers. We are driven by a secret fire to create things for a variety of reasons: because we are fulfilling a need that the market isn’t filling. Because there is a communal demand not being met. Because we are able to create an income making what we love. Because we are doing for ~for the aesthetic~. All of these reason are valid.

We need to give ourselves permission to finish a project, even if it’s not perfect. Even if it’s not financially cheaper than a factory-made object. Even if it means risk of rejection.

Your craft is going to be hard. It is going to take you out of your comfort zone. It is going to make to learn new things, make new friends, bring competition to your door. It is going to meet a need you may not even recognize until it’s done.

Your craft is going to be hard and you should do it anyways.

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Designing A Sweater: The Things I Learned

Catherine Leave a comment

Early in 2020 I was asked by my live-in partner if I could make them a custom sweater. I’ve knitted sweaters before, but I’ve never designed one. At first I was a little hesitant, because designing sweaters means math. As much as I love math, math does not love me.

Credit: The Mincing Mockingbird

After a lot of thinking, a lot of research, and a lot of knitting, a sweater came from my hands. From one crafter to another, here’s some things I learned from designing my own sweater.

There’s Lots of Frogging in Your Future

Learning how to make and measure gauges will save you a lot of time, but all the predictive math in the world won’t save you from the frogging needed if you want the sweater to fit as best as you can. If I could make this sweater again, I would probably make more gauges than i did the first time around just to make sure that the pattern I developed could be scaled properly.

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Waiting for “The Right Pattern”

Catherine Leave a comment

Yarn can be a fickle character sometimes; in the years that I have been knitting I have learned that yarn has a tendency to tell you what it wants to become.

Acrylic, for example, is easy to use but difficult to master. It sucks you in with the allure of its potential. Easy to wash, gentle for blankets, perfect for small children and especially helpful for those with fiber allergies. Every so often I’ll see an amazing granny blanket at a thrift store, or a baby’s throw in a friend’s bag that has the tell tale sheen of spun plastic. The farthest I’ve gotten with acrylic yarn was making a massive blanket to fit my queen size bed. It’s also the wrong gauge, so the stitches open and warp with every wash. I’ve come to terms with this, primarily because while the blanket is not a masterpiece it does get the job done and I have no desire to make it again.

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