Well, this is embarrassing...

I'm going to share something immensely embarrassing with you all today.  I trust that you all will laugh along with me because it's pretty funny.

I've been knitting in the round the wrong way.  For years.

For a little bit of background to build suspense: 
My city does not have a yarn store, a fact that I've moaned about several times, and I really want some sort of community with other knitters and crocheters beyond Ravelry.  I have been lucky enough to meet the oh so wonderful and inspiring Liz at Carolina Knits (lets take a moment to grumble at her for getting to go to Vogue Knitting Live this weekend).  But Liz lives a little too far for weekly knit nights and she is also very busy being superwoman.

I found a few other knitters and crocheters in my area and we are slowly but surely building a knitting group.  One of those knitters (a hilarious woman who is always knitting a new pair of gorgeous socks every time I see her) asked me why I was knitting in the round like this:

With my right side on the inside of the circle...Yes, I kid you not.

I was embarrassingly indignant about this fact and suggested that she was the one in the minority, knitting away with the right side out.  Then my mind went through one of those "world views crumbling" moments as I realized, that she was right and I was very, very wrong.

I thought back on all those years of having to laboriously turn my socks in progress inside out to show a curious person the stitch pattern and how the sock was constructed.  Knitting whole sweaters inside out even.  Oh dear.

I just never thought about it, I got so used to seeing knitting that I was blind to the mistake.  This is actually a really fascinating neurological phenomenon, like how only 25% people know where the fire extinguisher in their office is located even after working there for years.

Needless to say, I now knit in the round like everyone else:

Turns out my knitting didn't spontaneously burst into flame, in fact...my laddering problem vastly improved!

So that is my hilarious knitting blunder, surely I'm in good company: have you ever made a strange or comical knitting/crochet/spinning error?

Oh and thank you for everyone's helpful suggestions for the sweater pilling problem, I had no idea such tools existed!

Successes and failures

I don't really like to share what's going on in my life in very much detail, you guys don't want to hear about all that boring stuff, but I have to share that on Friday I was offered a position at my first choice graduate school program!  I've been ecstatic because this means that I will not only have the opportunity to be in the perfect program but that I will also be moving to North Carolina, my favorite state! 

In knitting-related news, I've hit a huge block with my colorwork sweater.  After spending several hours yesterday attempting to seam the stupid thing, I have been unable to seam it in any way that does not make it look like crap.  The pieces just don't want to fit together correctly!

I have always avoided traditionally constructed garments requiring seaming, simply because I have always felt as though there are better, more efficient methods.  So, granted I started this project knowing full well that I would be required to seam.

I was lucky to stumble upon a couple of videos from Berroco on the subject which really helped: 

Video on seaming shoulders:

Video on seaming set-in sleeve:

Through attaching the sleeve, ripping back, and then repeating several times, I have gotten quite good at making an attractive looking seam!  Sadly, I still cannot seem to make the sweater look attractive no matter how hard I try.

After closely following Evelyn's cardigan adventures, I have decided to take a leaf out of her book and calmly let the sweater hibernate for a little while until I feel better equipped to deal with it.  

Besides I have plenty of time to finish it to meet my Fiber Goals for 2012.

Eek, Steeking!

I recently went to the local library and inevitably found myself looking at knitting books, something I don't really do often.  I don't own a whole lot of knitting books because they are either full of horribly tacky patterns or are "Knitting for Beginners" kinds of resources.  However, our little rural Kansas library did have Color by Kristen by Kristen Nicholas, which I immediately checked out.

After flipping through this book, I was so inspired by her fair isle designs that I almost overcame my ongoing fear of all things colorwork.  The author isn't the best at tutorials, but she has such a fantastic color aesthetic that I really identify with.  She also has some really attractive patterns and gives loads of suggestions for making your own designs, which to me makes this book well worth buying.

She is also a huge advocate for knitting all colorwork in the round and frequently uses steeks, a technique I was not very familiar with.  I quickly decided to knit up a swatch (which she is also fond of) using one of her designs with the intention of steeking.

Because I didn't have a sewing machine handy, I actually somehow remembered how to crochet long enough to secure the steek by single crocheting the edges.  This is actually the first time I have ever used crochet for something useful (hooray!):

Here I am cutting my fancy steek. I was terrified at this point, I swear:

Here is the finished swatch where you can see the pretty pattern (please excuse the colors, they were the only acrylic options I had):

The steek looks great and seems to be holding very well.  This certainly has made me more confident in my colorwork ability and should make it easier for me to meet my Fiber Goal for 2012 of Complete a Colorwork Sweater.  Also, for one of my most recent projects I have been thinking about putting in a zipper, which basically requires a steek.

Learning new techniques can be challenging, but it can really pay off!  Have you learned any new techniques recently?