...and don't name your child after someone you want to sleep with.

[flexagon]

I learned to knit on Friday night (well, the two basic stitches: knit and purl). I and the teacher were also figuring out some aphorisms to live by -- see title of post. I was plenty ambivalent about actually getting into the knitting thing, but since then I've done a suspicious amount of fondling and looking at the small maroon rectangle I made. This seems like something where a little knowledge can go a long way. I was fascinated to learn that everything advertised as "knitwear" actually is knitted -- it's the exact same stitches someone would hand-knit, except done really really tiny with thread. I suppose everyone but me figured that one out a long time ago. Between that and some old sweaters an ex hand-knitted for heisenbug a long time ago, it's amazing how many examples of knitting can be found in our house.

Anyway, I was continuing to mull over this today, and thinking about how cables and ribbing work -- basically, they work because knit stitches migrate in front of purl stitches. That means a column of knits will stand out over a field of purls, and make a rib shape, and then you can just cross them over each other if you want twisty cables. It also means knit stitches are basically PIXELS. Stretchy pixels. Oho! I think if I had this book on aran patterns and this book on cabling and 20 years to practice, I could take the world by storm.

This was going to be longer, but I'm going to meet Chia at the bookstore and talk knitting books now.

Comments

[a-kosmos.livejournal.com]

I've been sort of interested in learning to knit. My grandmother sort of taught me some basic stuff when I was a kid, but I'm not entirely sure what I remember... and I didn't learn anything other than basic stuff. A friend told me that I needed this: http://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Anarchists-Anna-Zilboorg/dp/0966915372/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3756065-4637730?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177285151&sr=1-1

[belacane.livejournal.com]

I learned to knit when I was six... made some socks and gloves when I was 10... and have since forgotten everything.

I think it was relaxing.

[flexagon]

That's exactly like me with crochet. I did it when I was a kid, but it never inspired me particularly.