Hi, my name is MacIntosh (Mac for short) and my mom is letting me have my own column every Friday so that I can answer your questions about knitting or whatever. I'm almost 5 years old now and live a very wonderful life in the Tehachapi mountains. I've learned all about coyotes and snow and even rattlesnakes! I really know lots about knitting too, because I've watched my mom do it all my life. Do you like my new cowl?
My mom said that I received two questions so far, so she read them to me and here's my answers:
Suzanne: "Well, inquiring minds want to know if he helps with the knitting? And if so, how does he do it, with paws?
Mac: "My mom lets me supervise everything. I seem to get tangled up with the yarn, so I let her fiddle with that. I help her to pick out colors for the socks and always hang out in her knitting room while she cranks out socks."
Sue: "I have a question for you Mac, you little cutie. If a person is just starting to knit, what is the best thing to learn first? I'd love to knit a sock but it might not be the best thing to try first. Is there a good book to look at that has real beginner instructions? Written for adults but laid out and explained as if you were a child? That's what I need, short of an actual teacher. Any recommendations, Mac?"
Mac: "I think that you need to take puppy steps first. If you go to Michael's or JoAnn's, they probably have some really nice "Learn How To Knit" booklets for beginners. There was a really good one written by Evie Rosen, but I'm not sure it's still available. I think maybe a first project might be something that has no shaping in it - like an easy scarf. You could just pick some fun yarn and cast on as many stitches as you want the width to be and then knit every single row. That's called garter stitch and it makes for a nice flat scarf.
If you have a yarn shop nearby, you could go there. Lots of shops offer free help when you buy the yarn and needles from them. Even Michael's and JoAnn's has knitting classes that you could sign up for."
If anyone else has questions for me, please just leave me a comment here and I will answer them next Friday.
Now I'm going to bed because I had to go to Bakersfield with my mom today to take care of the grandchildren and I'm one tired dog!
See you next Friday.
Mac
2 comments:
Thanks Mac...LOL!
Thanks Mac. I hope you have a nice restful sleep. Also thanks for the advice. I have some great CD's and books but I had just wondered if there was one that was even simple-er that you might know of. So I will get out my CD's and books (one from my Granddaughter who would love to play with you.) and try again this year to see if I can knit an actual square or rectangle.
Maybe this is my next question for next Friday: What am I doing wrong if the rectangle I am knitting is wider on one side than the the other. Kind of like a misshapen triangle?
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