August Resolutions: Two-Thirds Is Good

So it's the end of August, and time to figure out what I didn't do.

Remember from the mid-month update how I had a good four resolutions "in progress?  Well I did some of them!  Which ones, you ask?

Let's see...

August Resolutions: The Month Of "In Progress"

It's the fifteenth, which means it's Time For An Update!

If you'd like, go back to my August resolutions for a refresher before proceeding to the update, or check out the resolutions page to find out what this is.  Ravelers, don't forget to update us on your progress at the Resolutions Monthly group!

On to the update!

Colorwork Teddy: My Swatch Is Called An Arm

Small pieces make good swatches, because that's all swatches are.  Hence the absurd number of dishcloths and afghan squares conscientious knitters tend to make.  (For those who don't know, swatches are small pieces of knitting made to determine whether the pattern is good for the yarn, figure out what size needles you'll need to make the right size garment, and become at least somewhat familiar with the stitch pattern.  They're a good idea, but most people seem to hate making them.)

Someone commented recently that her sweater swatches are called sleeves, which made many people laugh.  Mostly because it's true.  A sweater sleeve is a small piece of the larger object, making it a useful and decent swatch.  I think many more people do this than they would like to admit.

Well, my swatch is called an arm.  The arm is the smallest piece of my teddy bear pattern, and I usually start with them because of that.  I pretty much don't care what gauge I get, because they all turn out unique.  In this case, I was swatching for color.

English And Continental

I think there are more ways to knit than there are to crochet.

Maybe it's that the knitters on Ravelry are louder on the main boards than the crocheters are, but there seem to be a lot more divisions, disagreements, and problems with knitting than there are with crochet.  Maybe it's because there are fewer ways to make a knot out of loops than there are to pull one loop through another loop.  Maybe we'll never know.

The biggest knitting division I know of is the English And Continental Divide.  This basically refers to which hand holds the yarn.  Knitting is a two-handed craft, meaning it doesn't really matter whether you're left- or right-handed, because you're still doing something with both hands.

English-style knitting is holding the yarn in the right hand, while Continental-style is holding it in the left hand.  Sometimes you'll hear English referred to as "throwing", and Continental as "picking", because of the different motions used to wrap the yarn around the needle.

My knitting story is as complicated as everyone else's, with one extra step at the beginning.

Resolutions for August

Those of you who came over from Ravelry's Resolutions Monthly group, and those who have been reading since last month, already know the drill.  Make a list of goals for one month and see how well you can stick to them.

Here are my goals for August.