Knitting a sweater -- all the moving parts

I’m so happy because my boy, Colton, came home from college Monday. I was especially happy when he finally boarded the plane, because, I will tell you, it had been an ordeal. He’s all the way in Oregon, with a 9am flight.  The airport is 100 miles away from campus, and he doesn’t have a car.  His roommate, who does have a car, left for home last week.  I am not at all familiar with the area, and with Covid closures, he hasn’t had much of a chance to explore the downtown. I did manage to book Amtrak to Portland, and he got his first Uber to get to the station. Talk about planes, trains, and automobiles.

Colton’s flown before, but never with so many moving parts he had to manage on his own. He’s smart and resourceful, and I’d tried so hard to make everything clear and smooth. Still there were glitches.  He called me from the Amtrak station to say that there is no train from Eugene to Portland.  His ticket was for the bus. OMG.  How did I not know this???  So many little places to mess up or misunderstand.  Checking into the flight. Getting his boarding pass.  Getting the airport shuttle.  Could I have done all of this for him? Sure, but as stressful as it was to let go, I knew in my heart that it was important for him to get these experiences under his belt.  The goal is to help him become a competent confident traveler. One day soon he will be booking his own flights, getting a hotel, renting a car, and navigating new cities.  This first time was tricky, but I know that the more he does it, the easier it will get. 

It’s just like knitting a sweater.  Lots of moving parts, and if you’ve never done it before, or you don’t do it all the time, it can be stressful and a smidge intimidating.  The designer has, we hope, been painstakingly clear, and you are a good knitter, but still, there will be parts that are new and different. Things may not be as you expect, or there may be things you don’t understand completely. Or maybe you do, but you just need to check and make sure that it’s okay if you use a different sized needle to get gauge.  Or that you make it longer. Or shorter.  That first time, or maybe the tenth time, depending on how many different sweaters you’ve knit. You have to jump in and do it, but you don’t have to be completely on your own. 

This is why I put together the “First Sweater Class-Keisha".  This class lays things out for you in a clear and easy-to-follow plan.  You have to do the work yourself, but there’s lots and lots of guidance and demonstration that you can go over again and again. 

Good classes are one of the most important things we do at Crazy for Ewe. Classes and quality projects support my long-standing goal of creating competent, confident knitters.  Many of you are already there – you can navigate any sweater pattern, choose the right size, manage gauge, and finish it flawlessly.  If you’re not there yet, and you want to be, take the class.  I promise you’ll learn a ton, and you’ll be well on your way. 

Other classes in the works to be ready in early 2021

Reading your knitting and fixing your mistakes – in this class you’ll begin to really understand your knitted fabric, how to count stitches and rows, how to recognized where you made your shaping, and how to go back and fix things without having to rip your entire project out and begin again. 

My Next Sweater – Sandy – This sleeveless shell with a scoop neck is a perfect next sweater.  You’ll learn about shaping necklines and armholes as well as a different method of joining the shoulders.  You’ll learn how to pick up stitches perfectly along curved fabric, and much more. 

Better Knitting – in this class, you’ll learn lots of tips and tricks that more experienced knitters use regularly without even thinking about it – Better cast ons, smoother bind offs, selvedge know how, perfectly invisible increases, beautifully paired decreases, and much more.