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minh
Permanent Resident and Destasher Extraordinnaire
USA
3416 Posts |
 Posted - 12/08/2005 : 5:50:42 PM
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I just taught one of my officemates the knit stitch! Here are the steps to my successful diabolic plan:
1 - I gave her a pair of handknitted socks to lure her. Who could resist the warmth of handknitted socks in the winter time?
2 - I casually mentioned that knitting scarves and mittens is great because you can always have scarves/mittens that match your outfit/coat.
3 - She saw my super cool pop-top mittens.
Today, she dropped by my apartment and we went through my (embarassingly large) yarn stash so that she could pick a yarn she liked. She has very good taste: she picked some Mountain Colors Mountain Goat :) I cast on for her and now she is knitting a scarf in garter stitch.
OK - so what should I teach her after the knit stitch and binding off??
--Minh
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kknitter
Gabber Extraordinaire
407 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2005 : 5:53:24 PM
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The next step would be the purl stitch...
And, point her in the direction of the KR forums...and we'll help complete her addiction.
~KKnitter's Blog |
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minh
Permanent Resident and Destasher Extraordinnaire
USA
3416 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2005 : 6:04:19 PM
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Yes, I was thinking about the purl stitch, casting on,... My problem is choosing a good project for her to learn new techniques, rather than choosing which techniques she should learn. I don't want her to knit only scarves so maybe a washcloth or a hat?
--Minh |
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eggshel344
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
391 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2005 : 6:06:04 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by kknitter
The next step would be the purl stitch...
And, point her in the direction of the KR forums...and we'll help complete her addiction.
~KKnitter's Blog
Yep, bringing her here will definately "complete the loop" so to speak, I have kept the site open at work for the last few days all day, and am just waiting for my boss to round a corner and say..."what's that?" |
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NaProus
Permanent Resident
1828 Posts |
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sparkleplenty
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
484 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2005 : 7:25:11 PM
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These are hideous slippers: http://www.frugalhaus.com/homepage/freepat2.htm
But they are really good when you are first learning to knit because you make all these little squares that you need to cast on and bind off.
Wash/dish cloths are good too.
Good work for recruiting another. :-)
sparkleplenty
http://sarah.teamradicus.com/art.htm
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If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.
~Mahatma Gandhi |
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Knit and Purl Grrl
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
414 Posts |
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blazfglori
Permanent Resident
USA
1333 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2005 : 05:07:25 AM
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Yay Minh!
You are more generous with your stash than I would be.
Just the thought of someone chosing a skein of yarn from my very carefully aquired stash makes me shiver!
I don't want to part with any of it. ;)
So far I've taught 2 peole to knit.
My Gram and a work buddy.
~Lori
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jaymeKnits
Permanent Resident
USA
1326 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2005 : 07:17:41 AM
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My favorite beginner pattern is a booga bag. All knit, I do the picking up for them around the base. They learn to knit, decrease, and knit in the round. After that I usually point them toward something that is flat stockinette or ribbed.
Last time I taught someone she really wanted to knit a baby sweater for her son so, after a large swatch, I had her make a top down raglan, she even started on DPNs. I find that if you don't tell people something is considered hard or advanced they find it much easier.
Jayme |
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RobA
Permanent Resident
2373 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2005 : 07:37:59 AM
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I think the Booga bag sounds like a great idea. A lot of folks just won't get excited about a washcloth (my apologies to folks who like to knit them). So I also second the Sally Melville Knit Stitch book.
Rob http://roberta.typepad.com/robknits/ |
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achrisvet
Permanent Resident
USA
5986 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2005 : 07:57:55 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by blazfglori
Yay Minh!
You are more generous with your stash than I would be.
Just the thought of someone chosing a skein of yarn from my very carefully aquired stash makes me shiver!
I don't want to part with any of it. ;)
So far I've taught 2 peole to knit.
My Gram and a work buddy.
~Lori
I know what you mean. I would be saying "No! Not that one!" Now I can go to my stash and pick out something to give away, but I couldn't let someone else pick.
Anita
My completed projects
and here
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Busyhands
Permanent Resident
USA
1496 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2005 : 08:02:14 AM
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I like hats as a first not-square project...teach her to purl, in the ribbing part, and then there is the potential for stripes in the crown, and then decreases and DPNs at the top. Plus they are pretty small and so fairly sure to get finished. Nice diabolical plan, Minh!
Lin, High Priestess of Liberal Color Usage
"Wearing cheerful, multicolored hats is a public service, easy to perform, and of incalculable value." - Anna Zilboorg
[IMG]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y69/Busyhands/elisaintunnel.jpg[/IMG] |
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ScubaQueen
Seriously Hooked
USA
883 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2005 : 08:04:10 AM
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When I was learning I did dishcloths. I bought some of those leaflet books that have patterned washcloths which helped me learn a lot of basics like YO and K2Tog and SSK. Plus being a new knitter the gratification of getting a FO in one day was was helped keep me going.
Other then that I agree with the others....point here to KR and we'll help you complete your diabolical plan  !
I remember when I first started knitting...I was only semi-hooked as I was teaching myself and I would get frustrated when I didn't understand something....then I found this cult circle of friends who made everything seem so easy...my "travel craft" quickly became an addiction!
This brings me to another rambling thought....I think YARN STORES both internet and store retail should be SHAMELESSLY throwing MONEY at Clara! Until I found this site I didn't even know there were SPECIALTY YARN STORES!! I bought all my yarn at Wal-Mart or JoAnn...after coming here and reading posts and following links I discovered the wonderful world of non-cheapo yarn. I've become a "regular customer" at MANY on-line stores and my 1 local LYS...all because of this site!
Wendy
Somewhere in Texas there's a village missing its idiot!
My blog and other such nonsense... 2 Wet Fins
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minh
Permanent Resident and Destasher Extraordinnaire
USA
3416 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2005 : 09:51:58 AM
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Thanks for all the great suggestions!!
I'll write them down and print out some patterns for her to choose from. When she left yesterday, I told her: "I'm going to post about you on the Knitter's Review Forums". So hopefully, she will have a look at this thread :)
Edited to add: about showing your stash to someone else... When she saw my stash (only 100 skeins which by knitters' standards is rather small, right?), she said: "Whoa, you must have enough to knit til you die!". Somehow, I didn't understand why that was a problem ;)
--Minh |
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Eli
New Pal
USA
40 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2005 : 11:38:56 AM
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When I first learned to knit, I only did washcloths. You can learn a lot of new and different stitches that way. I agree with knitting hats in the round. They are quick projects and turn out so great!
Gina |
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KellyKnits
Permanent Resident
USA
1608 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2005 : 11:43:23 AM
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only 100 skeins.......
that's horribly small : )
I think a hat is a good project for a beginner but I think st st looks better than garter so knitting in the round is what I prefer.
Kelly |
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minh
Permanent Resident and Destasher Extraordinnaire
USA
3416 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2006 : 5:16:31 PM
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To thank me for teaching her the knit stitch and how to bind off, my officemate just gave me a beautiful garter stitch scarf made from a very special yarn. It has three strands of different materials (including mohair) and is also variegated. Her mom showed her how to cast on over the break and she made me this scarf. Isn't that sweet??
It really made my day :)
--Minh
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Knit and Purl Grrl
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
414 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2006 : 5:29:30 PM
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I think those of us who convert folks should get a special reward -- a badge, a notch in our Addi Turbos, etc.!
I have taught a couple of friends, and recently passed on info to one of the baristas at my favorite coffee place. I loaned her a copy of Knit Wit, sent her to my LYS, and gave her an extra copy of FCEK (or whatever the new name is). Now I need to bring her here!
Lain
Knit & Purl Grrl
visit me at http://knitandpurlgrrl.blogs.com/my_weblog/ |
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truly violet
Permanent Resident
6397 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2006 : 5:43:10 PM
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teach her the hat...
it's cold up there by yous
and she can then have a hat to match her coats
as well as scarves
soooooooooooo the next logical step is gloves or mittens
the knit stitch book is good too
I had the new knitters in my spin group borrow that one
vi
~who is currently threatening a chicken with exile......for being a smart ass
none of this will matter in 100 years.......
except I will finally be at my goal weight...vi
http://notashyviolet.blogspot.com/ ~now with chickens!
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lella
Permanent Resident
9697 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2006 : 6:36:25 PM
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Minh, that's sweet indeed. Enjoy your scarf. In the last two years, I've bagged three sock knitters and two beginning scarf knitters, one of which is teaching her DD to knit now. It's moving up river, and we can all say we helped row that boat! 
lella[img]http://smilies.sofrayt.com/^/9971/omelet.gif[/img]
http://zippiknits.blogspot.com |
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Rho
Permanent Resident
1570 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2006 : 7:34:18 PM
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Wow Minh -- that is wonderful - you must have been so touched. I'm just learning - so I enjoy doing the dishcloths to lean new stitches and to see progress quickly. In fact I am doing a lap robe and decided last night I needed to do something that would show me some results quickly because I am just knitting and knitting and knitting on the other - so I did a dishcloth in the one night for morale.
rho
http://rhosknittingwoes.blogspot.com/
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