Pam Allen - Knitting For Dummies

Knitting For Dummies, Mini Edition

by Pam Allen

Knitting For Dummies, Mini Edition

Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
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Copyright 2011 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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ISBN: 978-0-470-05562-5

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Introduction

N ot long ago, a major New York City department store ran a humorous ad disparaging knitting as an activity for grandmothers. Imagine their surprise when ardent members of New Yorks Big Apple Knitting Guild took up their yarn and needles and staged a knit-in. To demonstrate that knitting isnt an activity limited to the rocking chair set but rather is an alive and timely art, a group of knitters of every age and gender gathered in the store to spend the afternoon knitting. Designer and knitter par excellence Lily Chin designed, knit, and wore a shimmering, slit-to-the-thigh, floor-length gown demonstrating that more than button-to-the-throat cardigans and stiff socks can come off the needles.

Sure, grandmothers knit, but so do movie stars, football players, doctors, and lawyers. They know what our grandmothers do: Knitting does more than just provide you with warm and cozy things to wear. Knitting stirs creativity, gives you an ongoing sense of purpose, teaches patience, and soothes the soul. Dont believe me? Try it!

Now is a great time to learn to knit. Never before have you had so many lovely and imaginative yarns from which to choose and so many stylish and sophisticated patterns to work with. Traditional knitting is still going strong. Beautifully illustrated books and magazine articles that explore and document knitting techniques and designs from all parts of the world are regularly published. You can find knitting workshops, conferences, cruises, and camps to sign up for, and everywhere plenty of fellow knitters are happy to share their love of knitting with you.

Swatching

Swatching (making a sample of knitted fabric) is to the knitter what scales and exercises are to the pianist and what rough sketches and doodles are to the painter. A swatch is a sample of knitting. It can be big (50 stitches and 50 rows) or small (20 stitches and 20 rows). Most of the time, knitters make a swatch to measure gauge (to see how many stitches and rows there are to an inch). But dedicated knitters also work up swatches to learn, to practice, to experiment, and to invent.

Here are some things your swatch can tell you:

Whether your yarn and needles work up to the necessary gauge

Whether your yarn shows off your stitch pattern or obscures it

Whether your chosen color combination works or needs tweaking

Whether you understand a new technique

If the swatches answer the questions you started with, theyll pose even more questions as you become a more advanced knitter.

Icons Used in This Book

Throughout this book, you find icons highlighting important information.

This icon lets you in on some secrets most knitters learn from one another. It also indicates special ways to make your project just a little bit better. You can get by without applying this info, but if you do apply it, your project will be that much nicer.

If you see this icon, Im pointing out hazards on the knitting path. Pay attention to these if you dont want to find yourself in tangles.

This symbol indicates information on the structure of knitting. Its information that you dont absolutely have to have to knit but that will facilitate mastery.

This icon alerts you to something you probably already know and that youll need to remember and apply to what youre doing at this point in the text.