Knitting Put To the Test

Knitting Put to the Test

So after all of these blog posts, do I know how to knit?

I definitely would say that I learned a lot from the book, "Knitting" by Sharon Turner.  I learned how to knit, how to cast-on, how to do a slip-knot, how to cast-off, how to purl, and how to do a double strand.  I didn't know how to do any of this before I read this book.  With the instructions given in this book, I now know the basics of knitting. 

For the final challenge, I am going to be creating a hat

I know previously I said that I was going to be creating a scarf, but I wanted to challenge myself even further and create something that I haven't before, a hat.  I also got the idea because one of my relatives gave one of my cousins a knit hat for Christmas, so I got inspired to also create a hat.  The hat is going to put most of my skills that I have learned to the test: purling, casting-of, etc. in a much harder format.  I also have to use different needles (circular needles).

Let's get started!

So first when knitting with circular needles, you have to cast-on.  Basically, you cast-on the same way you would with regular needles, (Turner 104). 


To actually knit, "Knitting" says, "Hold the end of the needle that the working yarn is attached to in your right hand.  Attach a ring marker after the last stitch that was cast on to mark the end of the round.  Use the needle in your right hand to knit the first cast-on stitch from the needle in your left hand, giving the yarn a firm tug so that the join is snug," (Turner 105).  After that you can knit all the way around until you reach the stitch marker.  Then to begin the second round, slip the marker from the left to right needle and after the last stitch of the round you have to knit the first stitch, (Turner 105). 

My Progress is Below

So am I done?

My goals were to create a knit hat with purls, and I successfully did so, so I completed my goals.  This book, "Knitting" by Sharon Turner has helped me know exactly how to use circular needles to create a beautiful hat.  Just the instructions listed above have helped me know how to create this hat.  This book has helped me with this hobby of knitting in my life because now that I know how to knit and I have successfully mastered the basics of knitting, I can go on and learn new methods and techniques to knit even better!  This book has created a passion for knitting that I never knew I had before and also has helped me master the basics so I can know how to knit. 

A question for all fellow knitters out there...

What is your favorite technique while knitting?
Have you ever tried knitting with circular knitting needles by using two different colors (if so how did you do it)?

What should you take away from this?

Throughout the blog posts my main message and argument have been that even though a new skill such as knitting may be hard at first, the finished product is rewarding.  In this case I didn't even know how to knit before reading this book and starting my blog posts, but now I know how to create a hat!  Anything is possible with hard work.  Even though something may seem super hard at first (like I never imagined I would be able to create a hat at the beginning of the blog posts) I now think it's super easy to knit and also to purl, do double strands, and even create a hat. 


Also to answer the question "How are you using evidence from the text to improve your performance in the chosen activity?"  I am using evidence from the text (listed above) to improve my performance with knitting because with the book "Knitting" it lists all the steps that I have to take in order to achieve my goal (in this case it was a purl knitted hat).  I am improving by learning how to make a purl knitted hat.


MLA CITATION Turner, Sharon. Knitting: Teach Yourself Visually. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Pub., 2007. Print.
Dated: 1/6/16