Will I Ever Be an "Advanced Knitter?"

dana5577 · 07-28-2008, 10:29 AM

Dear "Advanced Knitters,"

At what point in your knitting career did you consider yourself an "advanced knitter?" I'm wondering if I will ever get there!

dana5577

suzeeq · 07-28-2008, 10:53 AM

All it takes is practice, learning more techniques, practice, trying new patterns, practice and time. Don't push yourself, you'll get there.

Crycket · 07-28-2008, 11:14 AM

There is always the will to move on. Some ppl are content with the basics, some love the challenge of learning something new!

rachael72knitter · 07-28-2008, 11:34 AM

You'll find yourself ready to try new things that seemed so daunting at first; like knitting on circs, and making cables, and using DPNs. Once you do those things, you start to realize, "that wasn't too hard, I can do this!"

Still am afraid of intarsia and Fair Isle patterns. . .but with more practice and different patterns, you learn more and more things.

Ronda · 07-28-2008, 11:42 AM

I've been knitting about 3 years, and I still consider myself a newbie. Part of that, I know, is the fact that sometimes I go a couple months without knitting at all. I've been trying new things. I've done lace and socks, and I've used DPN and I've learned magic loop and using 2 circs for circular knitting, so I'm starting to feel more advanced. Knowing how to fix mistakes has boosted my confidence. My problem is that I know NO ONE who knits IRL, and I always feel weird going to the LYS for questions unless I've bought the yarn/supplies directly from that LYS. (Even then, I still feel weird about it.) I learn so much easier by watching someone...sometimes written instructions are confusing to me. I'm pushing myself though. I just did Silver's sock tutorial (1 toe-up sock on 2 circs), and even though there was one point where I had to frog back and restart and another point where I was scared to death of that dumb sock and let it sit for about a week, I finally just sat down with it and finished it! I think it just takes a lot of practice and a willingness to branch out and try new things.

LilHuskiesFootBallMom · 07-28-2008, 11:47 AM

i've been knitting for about a year... started considering myself an advanced knitter when patterns, regardless of the difficulty rating weren't intimidating and my stitches kept coming out nice and uniform

Jan in CA · 07-28-2008, 11:51 AM

Almost three yrs for me, but I don't know when you consider yourself advanced. Maybe when you don't look at a pattern and put it back because it looks too hard? Or when you are willing to buy expensive yarn to do an untested pattern? I'm sure everyone has their own criteria. I'm just enjoying the journey.

Denise in Michigan · 07-28-2008, 01:22 PM

I agree with Rachael: it's when you stop saying "I could never knit that!" and start saying "I could knit that, or at least try to knit that!".

KnittinMitchie · 07-28-2008, 01:57 PM

I have mastered Intrasia, which is SO easy to do. I'm finishing up a class this week that does a felted intrasia bag using slip stitches. I've aslos done a pair of entrelac socks and a cabled scarf. Fair isle still kinda scares me a littel bit but one day i will get it.

Crycket · 07-28-2008, 10:29 PM

I think most things are easy to do, once you try them. Looking at a pattern can be really daunting. A bunch of abreivations you have never seen before...and strange needles you have never used before...it can feel overwhelming....but then you try it once or twice...and you realize that most everything you do in knitting boils down to the four main stitches, Knit, Purl, Increase, Decrease.

Most all other stitches or patterns are variations on these main stitches!