Curious.. Do you remember first learning to knit?

[RoseFairy]

Okay I'm very curious, does anyone remember what it was like when you first learned to knit? Was it difficult or easy? How did your knitting looked? Was it messy or neat looking? Loose or tight? Does anyone still have their first swatches or projects? If so do you look at it sometimes and think "Wow..."? Do you know anyone that was a 'decent' knitter when they first learned?

[Jan in CA]

I do remember...it was only 5 yrs ago at age 53 or so. I'm a late in life learner. It was awkward and my tension wasn't that great, but practice makes perfect! Or closer to it anyway since no one is perfect. Unfortunately I think I repurposed the yarn so I don't have my original swatch or whatever it was.

[suzeeq]

I learned on string and sharpened tinkertoy sticks over 45 years ago, so I don't have my first 'swatch'. I didn't even know what a swatch was until I took up knitting again about 6 years ago after a 12 year break. My first project was a bunny for my niece, my second a sweater that I ripped out and reknit and is now unraveled again, waiting for a dye job (I don't like purple anymore) but I still have the yarn.

[Daylilydayzed]

I taught myself how to knit when I was in High school in the 1970's. I made a baby blanket for my English teacher who was having a baby. Our class gave her a baby shower in class one day before she left for the baby's birth.I used yellow yarn (don't remember the brand) and a how to knit booklet that also had a baby blanket pattern in it. The pattern was stockinette background with purl rectangles that echoed the shape of the blanket and each rectangle was getting smaller until I reached the middle and then got bigger as I reached the end of the blanket. I put a sleeper and a pair of booties with the blanket when I gave it to her. She was surprised to learn I had knit it. After her baby was born( it was a little boy)
, she sent me a very nice thank you letter.

[Vaya]

I think I was about eight or nine years old when my cousin taught me to knit, using what she called the knitting fairy tale. It goes something like this: The prince (your right hand needle) rides against the castle (first stitch on the left hand needle). He sneaks around and inside the backdoor, get the princess (i.e. the thread) and rides out. Voila!

My first project ever was a scarf, knit with some kind of frilly yarn that I thought lovely, but of course it was terrible for a first time knitter. Well, at least all my holes weren't as visible.

[salmonmac]

It was a rainy day at the shore and a friend's mother, desperate I think to keep us busy, bought us each a ball of yarn and knitting needles. Since she was right-handed and I'm a lefty, I learned to knit right-handed. We just knit a rectangle till we reached the end of the ball, ripped it out and re-knit the same yarn many times over. I remember slowly turning the piece to the back while watching the last st on the needle to make sure I only knit one st into it at the beginning of the next row. That first piece was uneven, full of errors and pretty grubby but it was a beginning.

[fatoldladyinpjs]

I was 11 years old. It was 1967. A babysitter taught me how to knit. She learned from her old German grandmother. It was Continental style but she draped the yarn around her middle finger instead of the index. I still have that odd quirk. My first project was a headband. They were popular then.

[bambi]

I picked it up 6 years ago or so. A friend and an aunt had taught me how to CO, do st st, and BO. I decided to tackle my first project while pregnant. I wanted to knit a poncho for breastfeeding. I finished the poncho, the purple one in my Ravelry projects, but never wore it for BF b/c when I had my daughter in November in Savannah, it was still well into the 90s and I would have roasted.

I am amazed about how I can now pick up a pattern that says experienced and be able to do it. I didn't even notice the transition from novice to experienced and I am there!

[cftwo]

My mom taught me to knit about 30+ years ago as a "tween". I remember tight stitches, and extra wraps when I was learning to rib. I also remember starting so many projects (and often frogging them) that I knew exactly how to cast on, but could never remember how to cast off. I think I finally had casting off stick about the time I was in college.

[Jeremy]

I was a very tight knitter when I started.