The Knitting Teacher Wanna-Be

That's me. Last night my friend Gay suggested that I might be able to teach knitting for the summer at Miriam College, and so, despite my busy-ness, I sneaked in a list of subjects I could teach, from April to May.

And again goofing off from work now, I decided to make a list of what I can teach regarding knitting, based on actual experience and personal knowledge:

1. Two kinds of cast-ons, since they're what i use: the basic long-tail and the chain cast-on popular in Japan and which I almost always use. But for bind-off, I only know the basic one.

2. Knitting and purling (Continental/German, not American/British style)

3. Increasing and decreasing

4. Basic stitch patterns: garter and stockinette

5. Knit and purl combinations: seed/moss, double moss, rib, basketweave, etc.

6. Slip-stitches: Barbara Walker's Charted Knitting Design such as Alternating, Pebble, Tanbark, Fancy Herringbone and others from Knittingfool.com, including Honeycomb, Linen, Pebbled, and Slip-Stitch Weave

7. Lacy stitches: Garter drop-stitch, Honeycomb cluster, open star and the usual yarn-over

8. Projects: headbands, squares, washcloth, hand/face towels, scarves and shawlettes (rectangular scarves larger than the usual size but smaller than shawl size), hats (top-down designs only) and blanket. I've also made small circular pieces.

9. Making a swatch to get gauge, and measuring gauge (for an afghan square)

10. Weaving in the ends

11. Finishing a scarf: blocking, washing and fringing

12. Color knitting: combining two strands of yarn of differing colors throughout, or alternating the colors in knitting

13. Knitting with double-pointed needles and circulars

14. Reading patterns and pattern charts

15. Basic knitting lingo, e.g. FO, UFO, WIP, CO and BO


I cannot teach how to knit a garment, since I've never done any and maybe the closest I'll ever get to one is a poncho (which can be done by putting together two rectangular shawls). One reason is that, I only know basic sewing and I don't like sewing.

I cannot teach lace knitting, since I hate doing it.

I cannot teach advanced techniques like cable knitting, intarsia, entrelac and Fair Isle knitting. I plan to learn entrelac this year, but the others don't appeal to me, since they are more for those who knit garments and wear them in cold climates.

I've knitted various types of yarn: wool blends, acrylic, acrylic blends, unmercerized and mercerized cotton, cotton blends, hemp and tencel.

I've knitted with various needle types and sizes: bamboo, plastic, balene, metal, 16-inch and 31-inch circulars, 7-inch and 10-inch double-pointed and 14-inch needles as big as size 19s.

I've designed my own patterns especially when doing my scarves for charity knitting. I like to modify existing patterns to adapt them to my needs. I want to continue making simple, easy patterns, such as the 13th Rib.

I own around seven books on knitting, mostly bought in second-hand stores (really lucky finds!). Only one of them was bought online. I also have some back-issues of knitting magazines.

I intend to be better in my knitting. Not just in terms of quantity and quality, but also in skill and knowledge. Aside from entrelac, I'd like to learn mosaic knitting (involves at least 2 colors) and maybe the log cabin pattern.

Most immediate desire: make myself a triangular shawl.