Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Grinner... check; Lover & Sinner... check

And now I'm a Picker!





I've been throwing since I learned how to knit (because the friend who taught me is a thrower), and then I began this 2x2 rib sweater (Tempting). I had to knit 14 inches of ribbing before I started the sleeves and it was not moving along very quickly at all. And I want to wear the sweater for one of my upcoming bridal showers, which are upcoming very soon.

I had tried to do the left-hand carry before, but couldn't get the purl stitch to go correctly--it was always twisted when I tried to work into it on the next round. I gave up on that, though I was pretty sure I should be a picker, because I began my fiber life as a crocheter (yarn in left, hook in right hand). Then, then! I found Knitting in Plain English by Maggie Righetti and now I worship at the altar of Maggie Righetti because I can now pick-purl. I have no idea what I was doing before, or what I'm doing differently now. It just works and it's awesome.

If you knit, do you pick or throw? If you crochet, how do you hold the hook (pencil or knife)?

(Pardon me as I abandon you for the moment... I have to work on the sleeve.)

2 comments:

froggiemeanie said...

I'm a thrower - I can't knit continental AT ALL. So much so that I learned how to hold two colours of yarn in one hand for fair isle. I'm odd.

I think I hold a crochet hook like a pencil (hard to imagine without doing). I taught myself to crochet from a book and figured I had to hold the yarn in my left hand to be able to do it "right" as that's what the picture was doing.

I once taught a knitter to crocher and she had to hold her yarn in her right hand. I also taught a crocheter to knit and she has to pick for it to make sense.

Shelly said...

You had asked on my blog if the S&B shawl was a triangle or rectangle and I didn't see my email or notice the post until now...anyway, it's a triangle and it was pretty simple to do. I love your wedding dress and you look beautiful in it! I just got married in August and had a blast although I'm glad to not be planning another!