You know that old saying “practice makes perfect”? I always hated that saying. Why would I want to take time just practicing when I could be actually completing something?
This was my approach to knitting. Crocheting just came naturally to me. Tension was never the issue. But knitting was something entirely different. Everything I knitted just never looked good. I would admire other knitter’s work and wonder what I am doing wrong. Then I took a class with Adrenda Holladay and she let me in on the secret. My tension was not consistent. She mentioned in the class that continental knitters seem to have a harder time keeping their tension while purling. I knit Continental rather than English. I tried to switch to English knitting but I just couldn’t get the feel for it. I spent years trying different techniques but nothing worked. I would knit a few rows, look at my tension, notice the tension was off and went on to the next technique. Finally I just gave up. I decided that I was never going to be great at knitting.
Then 2 years ago, I decided to start knitting for charity on a more full-time basis (not on and off like I was doing). I made a point to knit everyday for at least 2-3 hours. And guess what; my tension improved. I realized after 6 months that I actually loved what I made. I no longer felt ashamed to show other knitter’s my work. I may not love that saying, but I do respect it.
My “Before” and “After” pictures:
Before After
Happy Sheep Creations 