Welcome to the rest of my knitting journey!
Hi, my name is Amy. I started teaching myself how to knit shortly after I got married in 2021. Really, I was just curious if I could do it. Although I'd been taught to crochet as a kiddo by my grandma, let's just say knitting did NOT come naturally to me. I began making lots of swatches. I practiced and I practiced and I practiced.
Trying on my Warrior Tank by Reywa Fibers while it was still a WIP.
My awesome husband saw all the effort and bought me a knitting book called 60 Quick Knit Blanket Squares from Cascade Yarns. The first "easy" square required a purl stitch. The HORROR! I could not figure it out to save my life. I put my needle in the stitch and I pulled the yarn through. Hmm. Still looked the same as my knit stitches. Ok this tutorial says bring your working yarn to the front--ok, did that--I pulled my yarn through the stitch and I kid you not, I STILL made a knit stitch. I had to put it down for the day because I was so frustrated. All I could think as I fell asleep that night was "How do you purl!!??"
This is the first design in the book, a cool knit and purl rib pattern. As you can see, I only made it about a third of the way through the square... 😅
Well, I'm about 3 years into this knitting adventure and just last week I had to ask myself that same question, AGAIN. How on earth do you purl? Now, I did figure out how to actually make a purl stitch just a day or so after initially trying. But I didn't know I was "Combination knitting", or essentially wrapping my purl stitch yarn the "wrong" way. What's the big deal you ask? If you figured the stitch out how can it still be wrong? Well, my friends, that's what we call a technicality. You see, I've been working at completing the Professional Knitting Course through The Knitting Guild Association (TKGA). And once again, the very first swatch required sent me into a tizzy all because of the Purl Stitch.
Before attempting all the swatches, I quickly knit up the first swatch, snapped a pic, and sent it off to my instructor. I was certian it was good. If highschool taught me anything it's that with minimal effort I could get an A+ in any class. Obviously a year to complete this course was ridiculous! It's not a course, it's simply a test. I can knit all these swatches over the next few weeks and turn them in; I'll get an A+ and I'll move on to the next module. Easy. Well, my instructor was quick to respond with encouragement and also criticism; "Looks like maybe you have some rowing out going on at the edges", she said. Rowing out? The heck is that? (Rowing out is when the tension of your knit and purl row aren't the same. It creates a row of larger stitches and smaller stitches.) I made a swatch, it met gauge requirements, there's more to this whole knitting thing than that?
This is the actual swatch I sent a picture of to my instructor thinking I was golden. Notice how the different rows of stitches seem to alternate leaning left or right? It's another indicator of my purling problem. She also advised me not to use slipped stitches at the selvedges (vertical edges). Keen eye!
And so began my downward descent into despair. No, literally, I told my husband this course wasn't just going to be difficult but it was probably actually impossible for me to complete at my current skill level. I'll never be good enough. So I stopped working toward the course. My cute pink binder with all the class materials neatly printed and organized sat neglected next to the couch. With each passing day the guilt sank deeper and deeper into my core. I'd spent money to purchase the materials to do this class. I had been so sure of myself and advocated for why I should do this to convince my husband it was worth it. Am I not true to my word? Do I really not know myself very well? Why was this whole thing so confusing?
Well, simply put, pride comes before a fall. Who was I kidding (other than myself) thinking I'd be able to pass a PROFESSIONAL knitting course with less than 3 years of knitting experience on the first try? When I first started knitting, I had needed to practice diligently to even learn how to hold tension and keep the yarn from slipping off the needle. And then when I wanted to switch from English style knitting to Continental it seemed like it took me ages to learn tension and everything all over again.
Finally, it hit me. This whole time I'd been overlooking a word in the title: Course. It's the Professional Knitting COURSE. I have a year to complete this because I actually CAN'T pass at my current knitting skill level. The requirements and the instructor are in place to help guide me as I practice until my swatches meet the standard. The requirements point out where I fall short, and thank God, TKGA doesn't just leave you there, helpless and ashamed of your terrible knitting, but they provide you with an instructor and YouTube videos and tutorials to teach you how to improve.
And on that note:
Here's what I wish I had known about purling from the very beginning of my knitting journey.
How to Purl 101
In order to make a purl stitch, you push the working yarn away from you through the loop on the left needle. This is essentially the opposite of knitting. There are 2 different ways you can accomplish this feat, and depending on which option you use, your results can be pretty different.
Do you notice how the "Correct" purl method causes the right leg of the loop to end up on the front side of the needle (highlighted in yellow, top row)? And on the "Wrong or Easy" purl method, the right leg of the loop ends up on the back side of the needle (highlighted in yellow, bottom row)?
Depending on whether that right leg of the loop is in front of or behind the needle is important, because when patterns are written, they assume the right leg of each stitch is always in front of the needle. And as you start creating increases and decreases according to a pattern, starting with the wrong stitch leg in front of the needle essentially means the increases and decreases you are making could be the opposite of what's really being described by the pattern. This mistake can really throw off your final project if overlooked.
Other issues with this method include 1) having difficulty maintaining the same tension when knitting vs. purling which causes rowing out; and 2) in stockinette stitch, the stitches can look wonky, with every other row seeming to lean the opposite way.
When I began knitting, I didn't know there are 2 different ways to purl. I found out on my own that I could wrap the yarn under the needle and still achieve a purl stitch, and that it was far easier than doing it 'right'. I didn't know the trouble that could come from this seemingly small mistake. And hopefully, if you've come across this tutorial early enough in your knitting journey, you can avoid the mistakes that I made.
And so, now that you and I both know how to purl correctly, and with the help of Jesus, who also doesn't just leave us humiliated and ashamed because of our sin and shortcoming, but who paid the ultimate price to redeem us and transform us, my aim is still to complete this course, although now with only half the time alotted to finish it. Would you join me on this curious journey of discovery and growth?
They say curiousity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought him back. So stay furiously curious, my friends.
-Amy 🐾