Remember how, the other day, I was talking about what makes a real knitter? Chickies I’ve got the answer. I AM A REAL KNITTER. Want to know why? Because, dudes, I’ve got freaking CALLUSES!!!!
The left hand callus comes from pushing the needle down with almost every stitch. It’s just one of those things I do. When people talk about wanting pointier Addis, I cringe a little bit. My god I’d draw blood! The right hand callus is also from pushing the needle into my finger – I think I use my finger to anchor the needle when I’m moving stitches around. As much as I’d love soft, never worked a day in her life hands, the calluses are good because sometimes I actually hurt myself. This SO makes me a real knitter. Not that designing stuff or changing patterns on the fly. Calluses. I’ve declared it right here, right now. (Oh and whatever you do don’t google callus. Very very disgusting.)
What’s giving me such noble well-worn hands? Seraphim. I can’t put the damn thing down.
What’s that I see? Could it be? I think it IS! It’s LACE!!!
Let me just say this: knitting with your own handspun is incredibly challenging and absolutely satisfying. Or maybe that’s just the case when your handpsun isn’t that great? Or maybe, actually, that’s the POINT of handspun? I’m not sure – I’m still learning about all this. Anyway, I started knitting the shawl and tried a bunch of different needle sizes. I settled on 7s and all was good. Then, the first skein ran out. (At the perfect spot no less – I had one purl row left before I started the first lace chart.) I started knitting with the second skein on the 7s and quickly found it wasn’t working. You could FEEL the difference in the fabric – you didn’t even have to look at it. You might remember that there were definite differences between the skeins. There were some desperate phone calls to MY MASTER and I switched to 6s. I’m not sure why I think this is a big deal. I mean where’s the rule that says you can’t switch needles mid pattern (I’m not talking about a smaller size for ribbing or something) and even if there is rules schmules. Right? Anyway, I switched to 6s and things got A LOT better. I could barely feel a difference in the fabric – and I don’t think you can see anything either.
Can you tell? I’ve looked at it about a million times and I can see a difference, but then again I KNOW it’s there.
That crisis over, now all I have to worry about is running out of yarn. I’ve got 42 rows to go and 2.5 oz of yarn. I should make it.
Yesterday I went to the Knit Out in NYC – my first one. It was great to see old friends and some new ones! I finally got to meet Margaux and her friend Dana in person! And we had to go to the other side of the Hudson to do it! The best part of Knit Out was looking into a sea of people – all of them there for the fiber arts! INCREDIBLE! Trendy, not trendy – who cares? It’s something I LOVE to do (I’ve got CALLUSES people) and it’s just nice to share it with so many others. And the new knitters – you can’t even imagine what’s coming! 🙂
I love this post…
I know I am a “real knitter” because whenever I knit lacy socks, I split my left index finger open,a nd it wont heal until I knit something on fatter needles and lay off the socks! (I have calluses too, but for some reason it is the splitting that reminds me of my commitment to the craft.)
Your seraphim is beautiful. I cant wait to see it blocked.
I’m like Sarah–I love the pointy needles, but I can’t knit with them for a huge amount of time b/c I end up with a hole in my left index finger. Pretty soon, knitting muses willing, I will have a callus there.
Seraphim looks lovely–the handspun is gorgeous, and I totally can’t tell a difference between needle sizes. You go, girl!
**laughs** the girls in LSSK and I were just talking about this a couple of weeks ago. I have callouses on both index finger tips, the middle of the second finger on my right hand and on my right inner forearm/wrist area. The last one garnered a lot of quizzical looks until I proceded to show how I use DPNs and where they rub. **grins**
Your handspun has me so envious. I just can’t seem to ever get mine fine enough to do the type of knitting I really enjoy doing. I think I’m goign to go pout, now. 😉 Seraphim is looking just absolutely wonderful.
Do I get to be insulted that you didn’t trust me when I told you to go down a needle size? (Smirk)
Your Seraphim is so pretty. The color is just marvelous. It’s making me salivate to knit one of my own. (Must knit baby things instead – no, not for me.)
I was knitting seraphim last spring and then I ran out of yarn. I need to go back to it but the pattern is still in time out for me. I cannot see where the needle size change is, it just looks all good.
I’m sorry we didn’t see you yesterday! Seraphim is looking lovely! As to pointy needles, I just got a set of the Knitpicks options, which i’m really enjoying, i have a very sore index finger, but it’s ok. i love how well that needle handles fingering weight yarn. Enjoy what’s left of our gorgeous weather!
I have callouses in different places for different things — there are the socks on DPN callouses and the thrummed mitten callouses and the shawl on circs callouses… haven’t knit enough lace to determine where the lace callouses will be. Soon…
Can’t see a different at all where you changed needle sizes. After seeing Margene’s finished Seraphim and reading your comment there, I can’t wait to see this and I gather it will be soon. ; )
A sea of knitters, eh? Sounds like fun.
I guess I knit a lot this weekend because I ended up with a blister on the finger I use to tension my yarn. I drained it and continued knitting — I thought about teaching myself continental but it was going too slow — today I had to use a bandaid on it to continue knitting — I am hoping it will callus.
I have a callus on my left middle finger from guding the needle through (I don’t actually push the tip of the needle just sort of guide the side of it). And one on my left index finger where the yarn sraps around it (I knit continental).
I think I’m going to have to keep in mind that I can change needles when I knit what I just plied, the second bobbin is definately s bit thicker than the first.
Your Seraphim is beautiful, I love the color! I’m also just the teensy-tiniest bit envious of your spinning…
Oh – and like the others, I see no difference between the 7’s and the 6’s.
i just love how the color of the yarn is turning out in this pattern! lovely!
It was AWESOME to meet you too!! We’ll have to plan a Jersey outing one day 🙂 Your Seraphim is Gorgeous! I cannot see a difference… I can’t wait to see it in person and your spinning is fabulous… maybe you should treat yourself to another wheel, **cough cough** you know you want toooooo.
Oh course you realize I HAD to google callus 🙂
may I just say Ewwwwww! But I was warned!
I have the most sensitive skin on earth and I have no calluses…I do have long natural nails and I use them to push my needle tips so I think that preserves my skin…I have done the occasional split skin with sock needles tho…so does that mean I’m a real knitter or am I still velveteen? 🙂
Oops, I forgot to add… the shawl is lovely and something you’ll always treasure!
Seraphim looks awesome and switching down a needle size was definitely the answer. I wish I’d thought of that for the teddy bear I’m (not) working on. My homespun is so erratic that there are some squeaky-tight knitted patches and some holey, loosey-goosey knitted patches. Yes, I do believe those are the technical terms, thankyouverymuch. Anyway, great spinning and knitting, Cara! Such a lovely color–like the color of the sky the seraphim are presumably floating in… (at least that’s where I imagine seraphim being)
It was hard to break myself of the habit of pushing on the needle tip. I had holes in my fingers and blood doesn’t look good on yarn (most of the time). I still push if the needles are too tight. Your shawl is gorgeous and your homespun is too!! If we wanted perfection we could buy commercial yarn. But Seraphim wouldn’t have the character and richness of texture that yours has with fancy smancy commercial yarn. It’s going to be such beautiful accomplishment!
I’m so thrilled to know that established, famous knitters poke their fingers! When I started knitting a year and a half ago, I thought I was doing it wrong by poking myself so I tried and tried and finally trained myself to not poke myself too much. Phwew!
Hey, check out my new blog. There’s not much there yet but there’s a tasty treat to keep ya’ll entertained for the moment.
Lord, I have TONS of calluses – mostly from knitting socks. In addition to my left pointer finger, I’ve got a big honkin one on my right pinky and another on my right middle finger. New irritations seem to pop up each time I start a new project. But I cherish each one!
I’m real, I’m REAL! I get calluses on the side of my left hand pointer finger (guiding the needle through knit stitches) and nearer the end of the left thumb (guiding the needle through purl stitches).
I also have weight trainer’s calluses at the base of all my fingers. ROAR! I lift weights at a gym to provide balance for all the sittin’ knittin’, so I guess in a way they are knitting related calluses too. 😉
I can’t see where you changed needles. She’s looking great!
How on earth do I find yarn like this? It is so pretty. I love it and the seraphim is looking lovely. Your spinning is worth the drool and the color-Shazam ! No needle difference at all that I can see. So, are you going to model it like the beaded one? Please do…..you DID look pretty in that and will in this. Have fun Woman of knitting callus. I have callus from my steering wheel and am working on one on the right index. You always give me something to think about- now I will take notice of my use of the needle.
Way to go.
Difference? Where? I don’t see no stinkin’ difference. I say you gotta go with what works and throw those stupid ol’ rules out the window. I’m impressed with the calluses (is that the plural?) – My hands are in such terrible shape it’s hard to tell if I have any or not.
I actually have a hole (minor, but actual separation of skin) in my left index finger from using US0 metal dpns – something I now try to avoid!
Of course you’re a real knitter – there was never a doubt. Oh, and I push the needles with my fingers as well. Only the tight knitters have a need for pointy needles. Us loosey-goosey’s like ours blunt! (Let the cards fall where they may on that sentence.) xox,
Your Seraphim looks so soft and cuddly. I can’t tell where you switched needles. Not even after you pointed it out.
I’ve got a callus on my left finger from pushing the needles tip down too.
my gawd girl! how quickly did you knit that shawl! i love the calluses….i have a couple myself i have to admit.
As if I didn’t have enough pre-Rhinebeck jealousy. Seraphim, indeed. Some of us are stuck here in purgatory, friend. Ah, well. Keep giving us glimpses.
I’ve got the calluses too, so I guess I’m a real knitter. Yipee! I have some of those Knitpicks needles in size 1, and am here to tell you they are lethal! I like the Knitpicks in the larger sizes, they are really wonderful for lace, but in size 1, for a simple pair of socks, forgetaboutit!
Calluses! Peg Bracken referred to gnarly callused hands as “hands that don’t look as if they never held anything except each other.” I’ve earned those calluses, and so have you–revel in them, celebrate them!!
Yesterday was my first Knit Out as well – something I learned for next year: go EARLY! I apparently missed out on giveaways.
Can’t tell at all where you switched needles, although I understand your panic. It just seems wrong somehow to switch midstream, and yet by the looks of it, all works out well!
And yep, I’ve got calluses, too. One on my left index fingerprint from pushing the needles through and one on the back of the first knuckle on my right hand from the fistlike way I grasp my yarn…I should take a picture of *that*. Thanks for making me see my calluses in a positive way. 🙂
The needle switch looks like a good idea to me. The fabric looks lovely and lively. The picture of Seraphim that is fuzzed out in the background made me think of the sky at first. The color is just lovely.
Yes, I’ve got calluses of my own – on my left pointing finger from pushing the needle down with every stitch. And everytime I venture into lace knitting with size 1 or lower needles, I even cut open the finger. I’ll spare you the picture. Needless to say, I stock up on bandaids for these occassions.
And I do see a difference with the fabric. Hard to describe, but it’s there.
I agree! Calluses show your dedication to the cause! And I can’t tell a difference in the fabric so that is good!
I’m a pusher, too! Your shawl looks lovely–can’t wait for the fashion shoot when it’s all done. Happy New Year!
the scarf looks awesome – with no way to see the needle change – even when you pointed it out, I still can’t really see it 🙂