Knitting Skills - 3kcbwday6

Today's topic for Knit and Crochet blog week is about improving my skill set. I've been a knitter for about five years now, maybe a little longer, but it has only been in the last year or so that I've started to increase my skill set. Let's put it this way - before last year or so I knew how to knit, purl, knit 2 together and change colors at the end of the row. I couldn't even figure out how to switch back and forth between knitting and purling on the same row. I always added yarn overs when I tried.

At the beginning of last year I decided I wanted to learn to knit in the round. I had the perfect opportunity when I found an Android to knit for E's birthday. (He's the little guy that was in the picture on Tuesday - the Android, not E.) That seemed to be the moment that I got over a lot of my fears of trying anything new. I ended up really increasing my skills last year. I learned how to do an i-cord, pick up stitches, kitchner, do a three needle bind off, start with a knitted cast on and the kfb stitch. I also participated in my first knit along (and had to figure out M1R and M1L to do it).

I'd consider myself to be an intermediate knitter right now; I still have a long way to go before I'd consider myself advanced. I need to know how to do cables, colorwork and at least a few more types of cast ons and bind offs. I'd also like to do something that requires an accurate gauge like a sweater. Some of these are on my New Year's Resolution list for this year - practice cable knitting, knit a pair of socks, learn at least one new cast off, learn some sort of colorwork, and try short rows.

I also plan on adding a whole different skill set too; I plan to learn (relearn?) how to crochet this year. I took a class a few years ago and made a scarf that was all single crochet stitch but unfortunately I have pretty much forgotten how to do it. I'd love to be good enough to do a granny square blanket or add a pretty crochet edging to my knitted blankets. Plus I want to learn amigurimi - based on my love of knitted toys, I think it would be fun.

Basically I'd love to be able to go on Ravelry, pick any pattern in the database and be able to make it. No small challenge, right?

To read about other knitters' and crocheters' skill sets, just use Google to search 3kcbwday6.