This is part of the third annual Knitting and Crochet Blogging Week

This is one topic that I think will be easier to blog about.  I already know the things I want to learn or improve.  I like to jump in and start learning when I want to learn something new, then I will keep at it until I feel comfortable enough to let it sit for a while, while I go learn something else.  ًWhen I wanted to learn crochet, I just bought a hook, yarn and went head first.

Do you want to see proof?

These were the first two amigurumi toys I made.  Scary right?  Oh and the photography? HORRENDOUS.  But I am not ashamed of my lack of skills when I first started.  Every stitch, every picture I took were just another step to where I am right now.

After a lot of crocheting, I felt antsy and wanted to knit.  The first time was so miserable that I put it down for a few months.  The more I learned about yarn, tension, fabric, drape and all of the these things the easier it was to pick up the knitting.

General things I have learned:

• Buy the best tools and materials you can afford.
• Different sized needle/hook changes how the fabric behaves.
• Blocking really does change everything.
• Practice really does make perfect.
• If you don’t like it while you are making it, chances are you won’t really like it when you are done.
• If you find a mistake, it is generally better to go back and fix it, because it does haunt you later.
• There is nothing wrong with frogging.
• If you can’t do it the way they say you should do it, find another way to do it.

Specific skills I am glad I learned:

• Sock knitting.  I was terrified of socks, it was probably the combination of small needles and thinner yarn.
• Short rows.  They have loads of uses.
• Different cast on methods like the long tail and Estonian cast on.
• Different cast off methods.  Everything has its use.
• Continental knitting.  I started knitting English method because I couldn’t handle using two hands at the same time.  Once I had the moves figured out I switched to continental, it really is easier for people who already know crochet.  I tension my yarn the same way I do when I crochet.
• Lace knitting.  I was also terrified of lace knitting because it was so hard to fix mistakes.  Until I learned how to use waste yarn to create a lifeline.
• Reading my knitting.  Oh that was probably the biggest milestone of all.  Being able to put down my knitting then come back and look at it and know how many rows I had knit or where I was in a pattern made the world of difference.
• Grading garments.  This is a recently acquired skill.  After knitting the Princess Peplums pattern I knew I really wanted to write the pattern and release it but was terrified of having to grade it.  I procrastinated in every way and then I sat down and butted head with my spreadsheet until it came out.  It is still being tested and I have no illusions about the fact that mistakes will show up but at least I know now that I can do it.
• Chart reading.  That also changed my life.  I am better with diagrams with charts than words that go on and on and on.  Crochet charts are different from knitting charts but the idea is the same.

Skills on my To Learn List:

• Colorwork.  I can do both intarsia and stranded knitting but I am not super good at them.
• Spinning.  I have been eyeing Turkish spindles for a while and I know that it is inevitable
• Better photography.  That one doesn’t need a lot of explanation.
• Tunisian and Tapestry crochet.
• Better blogging.
• Better Designing

I am happy that I am doing all that learning publicly and watching others blog, podcast and videocast about their progress too.  Just look at any blog and compare what they could do when they started and what they can do now.  It is always amazing to see the transformations.