Knitting Wish List

I got The Knitter’s Life List for my birthday, and have compiled a list! As a new knitter, I have a lot of things I haven’t done so my list is quite long. I’m going to post it here as a reference, and I’ll refer back to it as I complete projects! On to the list!

ETA: If the entry is bold, that means I've completed it but have not yet posted about it. If there is a link, that means I've completed it and linked it to the blog post.

0. Find out what the yarn in the basket on the back cover is. I want the entire basket!! (Not sure this can actually be done...)

Yarn

1. Find color inspiration in quilts, carpets, saris, rusty bridges, old trucks, industrial buildings, paintings, landscapes and gardens, textiles, pottery, butterflies, insects, birds, etc.

2. Buy yarns (and fleece) direct from the source.

3. Collect your experiments with various yarns in a notebook.

4. Hand paint or hand-dye some silk yarn.

5. Makesomething small with cotton, such as a washcloth or spa item.

6. Knit socks from the toe up, with nicely rounded heels.

7. Recycle an old or secondhand sweater by unraveling it, and knit something new with the yarn.

8. Include care instructions with hand-knit gifts: you’ll find them on the yarn band.

9. Knit with two different colored yarns held together.

10. Learn to spin.

11. Knit swatches from yarn with different numbers of plies and observe the differences.

12. Learn the intarsia technique.

13. Choose one of your favorite colors and find out what it symbolizes to people in different cultures.

14. Learn to wind a center-pull ball of yarn by hand.

15. Visit a fiber farm.

16. Use these yarns: Wool from at least ten different breeds of sheep, angora, cashmere, mohair, qiviut, bison, yak, alpaca, camel, guanaco, llama, vicuna, bombyx silk, tussah silk, cotton, hemp, linen, bamboo, corn-fiber yarn, metal-wrapped yarn, milk-fiber yarn, paper yarn, ramie, seacell, soy silk, sugarcane-fiber yarn, tencel

17. Designs: Ann Budd, Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne, Debbie Bliss, Jil Eaton, Vivian Hoxbro, Marianne Isager, Kristin Nicholas, Brandon Mably, Kaffe Fassett

Know-How

18. Start a notebook with your swatches, and jot down what you knit with each one.

19. Take part in a Knit Along.

20. Knit a sweater from the top down.

21. Knit a baby hat.

22. Create a hand-knit toy.

23. Knit a baby blanket.

24. Make some baby booties.

25. Felt a knitted Mobius basket.

26. Make a Christmas stocking for everyone in your family.

27. Knit a hat from the top down.

28. Make a hand-knit cowl.

29. Knit socks — and more socks!

30. Read up on nalbinding.

31. Sign up for a knitting class.

32. Locate the yarn shops within a 50 mile radius of your home, and explore each one.

33. Sign up for a class in one of the “sister” crafts to knitting.

Sweaters

34. Read at least one of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s books.

35. Knit a: sweater with a yoke, pullover, cardigan, set-in sleeves, raglan sleeves, saddle shoulders, scoop or jewel neck, turtleneck, crew neck, V-neck, long sleeves, vest, hoodie, kimono-style sweater, shawl collar, tank top, a gansey, twisted-stitch sweater, a classic Fair Isle design, Aran sweater, stranded Scandinavian pattern in red and white, Bohus, Baby Surprise Jacket.

Socks

36. Meet Stephanie Pearl-McPhee.

37. Designs: Cat Bordhi, Melissa Morgan-Oakes, Ann Budd, Charlene Schurch.

38. Knit: argyle, cable motif, lace, an ethnic pattern.

39. Memorize kitchener stitch.

40. Work on ways to avoid laddering.

41. Use the Magic Loop to make socks.

42. Use a picot bind off for toe-up socks.

43. Explore different techniques for turning a heel.

Scarves & Shawls

44. Choose a reversible stitch pattern and knit a scarf.

45. Learn to “read” your knitting.

46. Use a “lifeline” when knitting lace.

Hats

47. Knit: watch cap, ski hat with earflaps, ponytail hat, balaclava, klein bottle cap, ski hat with gathered top.

Gloves & Mittens

48. Knit a pair of thrummed mittens.

49. Knit fingerless gloves.

50. Create some lovers’ mittens.

Bags

51. Teach someone else to knit when you travel.

52. Look for stitch patterns that don’t stretch and use them for bags or bag straps.

Kids

53. Knit a baby blanket.

54. Knit a pair of wool soakers.

55. Knit matching sweaters for a child and his/her doll.

Home Dec

56. Learn about “mathematical knitting”.

57. Knit: an afghan or throw, placemats, napkins, pot holders, dishcloths, bath mat, electronic gadget covers, Christmas tree ornaments.

58. Systematize yarn stash.

59. Collect needles in one place and inventory them.

60. Learn to knit backwards.

61. Find out about “illusion knitting”

Fiber Lover

62. When you’re ready to buy your own spinning wheel, try out a number of different kinds first.

63. Learn to spin.

64. Buy, borrow, or make a hand spindle.

65. Take a spinning class.

66. Learn to weave.

Knitting History

67. Anne Macdonald’s No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting

68. Richard Rutt’s A History of Hand Knitting

69. Susan Strawn’s Knitting America

70. http://knittinghistory.typepad.com/historic_knitting_pattern