2KCBWDay2 - Skill + 1UP

Today's prompt: "Look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year."

Over the past year I have transitioned from person who knits to Knitter.  I have learned how to knit socks and sweaters and have truly become obsessive about carrying a project with me at all times, no matter what people might think.

I am posting later in the day because I am still trying to decide what skill I have actually learned.  And honestly, I don't know what that might be.  I could point to my love of the short-row heel, or my first projects knit in more than one color, or the utter glee I experienced when I figured out how to knit on the sleeves of my first raglan sweater.  But honestly, I don't see any of these as a particular "skill," just a deepening of my understanding of the way knitting works.  I've always viewed knitting itself as the skill and the different kinds of knitting as more techniques that build on it.  But maybe that's simplistic of someone who is only a few years into her knitting life.

One skill I have learned in the last year is to be fearless.  While certain techniques may require more concentrated time than I have available, I have developed this "I can knit that" attitude.  I decided that I am done waiting to ease myself into some kinds of knitting and will just jump in and hope I don't end up cocooned in my own yarn.  It is the reason I knit a sweater entirely on dpns last summer.  It is the reason I knit my first sleeves in laceweight.  If there is something I want to knit, I decided just to do it (within the constraints of time, money, and attention span of course).

This has unfortunately also had its drawbacks, most notably when last May I decided to do the right thing and block a newly finished halter top.  It was so cute and I loved the color and wanted it to be perfect.  Everything looks better blocked, right?  Well, not 100% alpaca laceweight.  After giving it a good soak and laying it out to dry I saw in horror what I had done.  It was huge and still sits in my sock drawer, mocking me.

And that is why my next skill to master is caution.