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November 21, 2006
A Plethora of Role Models
Do you realize what a plethora -- yes plethora -- of mentors and positive role models we knitters have in our lives!? As I'm lapping up the wisdom of Elizabeth Zimmermann, I'm broadsided by an amazing 2 day workshop with Sally Melville.
Workshop swatches -- boy oh boy I learned a lot.
Here are a few of the many pearls I took away from those two days:
- Work your selvage stitches in stockinette stitch
- When your skills match your challenge you're working in your "Flow Channel". Your best work is accomplished when you have lots of skills and tackle a big challenge.
- Everyone has a personal short sweater length they look best in, mine is 22 inches.
- When working a rounded neck always bind off the neck edge stitches, even when it's just one stitch at a time.
- Change the way you look at something, and that something changes.
- Reverse stockinette stitch makes for a nice edging.
- Once is a mistake, twice is a problem, and three times is a design.
To continue to grow and to learn it's important to take advantage of the many, many wonderful mentors available to you. Please, please, please, don't let anyone tell you, "It's only knitting". Just by creating, just by solving problems, just by knitting, you become a positive role model to those around you.
November 21, 2006 in nonaThoughts | Permalink
Comments
sounds like a great way to spend a couple of days. How did you get the pleasure of learning from Sally Melville? And I'd love to figure out where my flow channel is... how do you know?
Posted by: Jen the Knittingspaz | Nov 21, 2006 4:18:10 PM
thanks for sharing the pearls! i am a great believer in "Once is a mistake, twice is a problem, and three times is a design."
Posted by: hPNY knits | Nov 21, 2006 5:48:04 PM
Sounds like a great workshop! Can you share with us just how you determine your ideal short sweater length? Is it by just looking and deciding which is best, or was there some sort of guideline or measurement involved? Thanks!
Posted by: Sue | Nov 21, 2006 7:09:34 PM
Wow - it sounds like you learned a lot! I love your info on the provisional cast on for a hem stitch. i am going to be hemming a pair of socks and was trying to figure out how to do it so that I wouldn't have to sew at the end. I LOVE this idea. I am going to use it!
thank you thank you thank you!
Posted by: Lise | Nov 21, 2006 8:58:26 PM
What great info, thanks!
Bet you had a blast!
Posted by: Arleta | Nov 22, 2006 5:24:25 AM
Ah flow, sounds like someone has been reading from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. I'm in occupational therapy school so we talk about that a lot, about the ideal way that we occupy our time, that precious experience of flow when our mind is engaged and activity but we are relaxed at the same time... it's beautiful. If you look at all the key features of 'flow' knitting has all of them, if you love the craft.
Posted by: Maggie | Nov 22, 2006 7:54:17 AM
Wonderful advice. I shall keep your little pearls of wisdom :)
Posted by: Isela | Nov 22, 2006 8:18:09 AM
"When working a rounded neck always bind off the neck edge stitches, even when it's just one stitch at a time"
Why? Could you expand, please?
Posted by: Janina | Nov 22, 2006 1:03:58 PM
Thanks for sharing all those pearls. And how fabulous to be at a workshop with Sally Melville ~ too cool!
Posted by: Ceci | Nov 22, 2006 2:47:30 PM
Thanks for sharing those pearls. I have bookmarked and saved several of your tutorials and tips. I also really enjoy your sense of humor. I learned to knit as an adult, and I would describe myself as a precocious knitter. I don't have a huge number of projects behind me, but being a practicing biochemist (of 20 years), I am used to thinking about complicated stuff. Therefore, I often tackle projects that are a bit adventurous for my experience level. Sometimes that gets me in trouble, so I appreciate blogs like yours with advice and techniques. I like to knit and I like to learn. Luckily, the two go great together.
Posted by: Brenda | Nov 24, 2006 11:22:52 AM
I, too, am confused about the neck edge bind off factoid...?
Posted by: Jade | Nov 26, 2006 2:41:23 AM
How wonderful to have been able to attend a Sally Melville workshop. And as always, thanks for the pearls. I truly enjoy and learn from your blog.
Posted by: Anne | Nov 27, 2006 3:14:57 PM
I just love that seed stitch cardigan. Are you going to publish a pattern? Best, Liz
Posted by: Liz | Nov 30, 2006 9:49:13 AM
I just love those 'aha' moments in knitting, the camaraderie shared between people that love the craft and generously and enthusiastically offer up those little tid bits. You live in the Bay Area too don't you? Now I want to know where was Sally Melville and boy am I out of it.
Posted by: Sonya | Dec 1, 2006 8:32:39 AM
Hear Hear! Glad to know Sally Melville does such a great workshop, though I would have guessed that. I get to spend a weekend with her next March at KnittaPalooza in VaBeach - can't wait.
Posted by: DeltaDawn | Dec 4, 2006 11:51:41 AM
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