Closing the Chapter on 2018, by sharing an embarrassing Knitting Story

How can something so basic go so wrong? Read the embarrassing knitting story here.

2018 has been great to me – so I promise this post won’t be all bemoaning and complaining. But I did have a really embarrassing knitting story that I have to share with you.

2018 wasn’t all embarrassing…

I’ve met so many great knitters, had them test my patterns, give me feedback and post photos of their work. I’ve personally grown as a knitter (and human being myself).

I made my new house my home, got married, hosted our first big family Christmas and made so many memories this year…

I also learned how to purl correctly for the first time in oh over 6 years of knitting…

What’s my embarrassing Knitting Story?

Yup, this whole time, I’ve been purling backwards, or wrapping the yarn backwards. How did this embarrassing story unfold? Well, I might be making it sound worse than it was.

My aunt had knee surgery and couldn’t host our large family Christmas as she has done for so many years (as long as I’ve been around really). While a few of her siblings were in town/available, we got together for dinner and to watch the Notre Dame Game (our cousin is the backup quarter back but we won’t get into that saga here).

My other aunt is an amazing knitter. She was taught by her mother, and makes the most perfect projects. I swoon when I see her stuff really. She even owned a store at one point. So we started knitting together and she asked me to show me my latest project. I’m working on a worsted version of the tracks in the snow shawl. So I showed her.

After a few moments and a few stitches, she gently suggested that I might be purling backwards. Together we looked at the way I was purling and the way she was purling (I throw and she picks so it took a few stitches to see the difference). And low and behold, I was purling backwards…what an embarrassing knitting story!

She was so sweet about it. She said it worked for me and that rather than ripping it out, I could and should continue working the shawl in that manner. Of course I ripped it out and started over, the befuddled perfectionist that I am.

I’m even embarrassed to type this story and share it with you now – but we all can use a good laugh and a good story to show us all that we’re far from perfect. I’m sure I’ll be good for another embarrassing story in 2019 too, so stick around!

What’s the big deal?

When you wrap the yarn clockwise around your needle to purl a stitch, it twists the stitch. As my loverly Aunt Carolyn explained to me: the right side of the stitch should always be at the front of your work (no matter which side you’re on).

When you wrap counter click-wise, or above and down around the needle, it positions the right side of the stitch correctly, in the front. But when you wrap counter clock-wise, or from below and around to the top, the left side of the stitch sits in front. It creates a messier looking stockinette stitch which I had noticed when working on dog sweaters – where you knit one section in the round and the next flat. I couldn’t figure out how it was happening. But now I know!

What did you learn this year?

Have you set any knitting goals for this new year?

Share it with me/us in the comments on this post.

BRB while I go update my post on Purling….