Wrong. Directions.

So I was teaching a design-your-own shawl class at Unwind today and I asked the group if they were pickers/throwers/etc and the group was pretty mixed. I then said that if you're someone who has knit a certain way for a very long time it may not be worth trying to make a switch. After that, I said that I was taught to throw but since the span of time between learning/quickly quitting and picking up knitting again (like, a span of 30 years) that I made the switch pretty comfortably.

"Not me," said one of my students.

"I guess you could have called me an Eastern Combo Knitter" . . . (not sure if I have the lingo correct) . . . "I was just a beginner and I was happily knitting for awhile and sooo excited that I taught a ton of people how to knit. Then, one day, I decided to incorporate some new skills and realized that I couldn't knit two together using my 'technique'."

"So, I showed someone what I was doing and they told me that I was twisting my stitches and doing some other things and the method I was following wouldn't allow me to maneuver my stitches and I had to completely re-learn how to knit."

And then she paused.

"But the problem was, I had already taught all these other people to knit. The. Wrong. Way."

Ooops.

Which reminded me of the time, at a gas station, a car full of nuns pulled up. The driver nun got out of the car and all shook up, she said:

"We're lost. How do I get on the Southbound 101 from here?"

"You'll be just fine, sister" I assured her.

"See that onramp over there, right near that tree? Just follow that onramp and you'll be happily heading south, I promise."

Then, I finished gassing up my car, got on the 101 heading north so I could go home and drove about a mile. Then, I looked to my right and there they were, all five nuns, happily driving . . . north.

Ooops.

And sorry about the hiatus. We've had some "life" happen to our family. We will be okay. : )

BTW: The other weekend, guess who sat near our table? I'm not usually a drooling fan, but we totally had to kinnear him.

Comments

[Norma]

It probably a sign of my advanced age, but who is he?

[Tamara]

Sorry, but who is that person?

[Wendy]

Steve Sanders!

[Princess Di]

I throw. There I said it. I would love to switch to "picking" b/c it's faster. I have watched my friends fascinated by the picking. I. have. tried. It's a lot of pressure for something that's supposed to be relaxing to me. So I could be a thrower for life.

[Barb T.]

I think the old saying 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks' certainly applies here; I'm a thrower. I was taught this way and will die this way.

[Cambria Washington]

Hilarious!!

[Mary K. in Rockport]

But who's Steve Sanders?

[Wendy]

Hello! Beverly Hills 90210!!!

[robinvk]

I blanked too, and I am old enough to know who Steve Sanders is!
I am a thrower, who will always be a thrower no matter how much I want to pick.

:)

[Seanna Lea]

I knit one way for everyday stuff and another way for fairisle, but it took a fairisle class to even try picking. I understand about the attack of life. I'm going through one now and it might (if I don't rip out all of my hair first) make me a better person.

[Eleanor]

I'm a thrower who will probably learn to pick at some time, but maybe not.
Headed out to Newport Beach (from Florida!) this weekend for a skimboard contest at Balboa pier. Come check it out - I'll be the one knitting on the beach all day Saturday and Sunday :)

[Brenda]

I am a faster thrower than picker, which I also learned to do fair isle, and I might have changed over and practised up, but I hate purling by this method, whereas I can purl by throwing as fast as I can knit, and I knit reasonably fast. So---I guess I'll stay a thrower.
Brenda

[quiltyknitwit]

I don't recognize him, don't know who Steve Sanders is, didn't ever watch BH 90210. As for knitting - I'm a self-taught thrower & for a brief time several years ago my friend persuaded me to try picking, but it just didn't take. So I throw...

PS Living in So Cal, you must see celebs all the time!

[Helen]

You mean Ian Ziering aka as Steve Sanders?

[Erin]

I love that you said kinnear! Was it the Yarn Harlot who gets credit for "creating" that word?

[Wendy]

Not sure about Yarn Harlot, but I think I remember her talking about Kinnearing so maybe.

Yes, Ian Z. That's Steve Sanders, and yes, we're surrounded by celebs, but I'm 90210 obsessed so I couldn't help but notice.

[Sarah]

I am 90210-obsessed as well! I'm so happy to share that with you, Wendy! Excellent job on the kinnearage.
p.s. Dylan or Brandon?

[Natasha]

Yarn Harlot indeed: http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2008/10/03/it_is_too_a_real_word.html

[mike]

Even when your a pro at something you make mistakes. It's not a big deal just teach them how to knit the right way. Were glad your back we missed hearing from you.

[Marsha]

I too was a thrower but taught myself to continental knit/pick by knitting a garter scarf for practice. I used larger needles and yarn and by the time I was finished with that hank of yarn I had converted myself. I find it to be much faster for me because of the economy of motion. Sometimes I revert back to throwing if the pattern necessitates it or if I get a cramp in my hand - plus I have arthritis.

[Jenn]

Wow. He has aged so well I barely recognized him. How is it that some people get so much more good looking when they get older?

[Wendy]

I'm definitely a Dylan girl.