How does your first project compare to your current/last project?

Knitting 🧶
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What was your first knitting project and how does it compare to your current WIPs or last FO?

For me, other than the little swatch I made to learn with, the first project I tried was a baby blanket for my sister (who was due a few months later). I made several errors:

  1. Mismatched straight needles. One was a size 3, one was a 5. I had the companions somewhere but I was eager to start and didn’t think it’d matter. Also the blanket used worsted weight because 12yo me didn’t know what gauge was.
  2. Tried to do stripes, didn’t think to count rows or line up the backsides.
  3. No pattern. I just guessed at how many stitches to cast on.
  4. My grandmother (who is a crocheter) taught me how to knit, and she never got around to teaching me purling. I didn’t think to figure it out for five years.

That project was never finished, but the scraps might be lying around my parents house somewhere. :woman_shrugging:

I have a few current projects. A really pretty gradiated triangle shawl. Two brioche scarves. All of them look far better than the baby blanket. Also, I have made some nice baby blankets since then too. I can always get better but I think I am far more knowledgeable now. I’m extremely confident in my abilities.

I’m very curious about how everyone else’s projects compare from when you started to now (or as far back as you can remember). Even if you’re a beginner, I’d love to hear how fast you picked up new skills.

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I was raised mostly by my grandmothers…one did crochet, embroidery, quilting, and only the most basic homemaker sewing. The other one was the daughter of a professional seamstress, she also knitted… so I don’t remember a time before learning fiber arts. I can tell you that even after nearly 50 years of knitting, I still discover new things or new understandings all the time.
I also don’t knit the way that is popular now, so there was a long period of having to translate the meaning behind the instructions in modern patterns. (pre-internet, lol)
I would say that my skill really leveled up about 10 years ago when I started trying to draft my own patterns. Because I’ve sewn forever, I understood how to make fabric do 3 dimensional things and fit properly but I was at the constant mercy of designers when it came to knitting patterns because it really doesn’t translate. No matter how perfectly you execute the stitches, it will end up in the garbage if you don’t like the fit. If I start there, there is a vintage sweater that I have been trying to make for 18 years now. I’ll pull the pattern out every couple of years when I think I finally learned the thing that will make it right…I fail and frog it and move on. I still don’t understand biased knitting enough to figure out what is wrong with the pattern.

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One thing I really like about this hobby is that there’s always something new out there. I won’t ever get bored or stagnate, if I do, I can go find something else to learn. And it seems like there’s always new techniques discovered or created as well.

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My mom taught me to knit and I just jumped in with both feet and made a baby vest. my last big project was a lace shawl I designed and knit, on my design page ;). i’ve knit a lot of baby sweaters, hats, fingerless mitts, blankets, etc.

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That shawl pattern is gorgeous, I grabbed it :slight_smile:

Baby stuff is great because it uses such a small amount of yarn and is a great way to learn new techniques. Also it’s always so adorable :blush:

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