One of These Things...

...is not like the other, one of these things is not the same."

Do you ever have the sudden realization that you're a little "different" from everyone else, that you're knitting to the beat of your own, individual drum? You're working away, happy as a clam, thinking everything's good, and then...whammo! You are reminded that not everyone thinks the same way you do. Maybe it's just me and I'm the weird one. It wouldn't be the first time I had this realization, but I had my first such knitting moment a few months ago.

The big "ah-ha" moment came after reading the February 8, 2010 post from Yarn Harlot about her Wild Apples Bohus sweater (from the link, click on Bohus Knitting, then scroll down). YH posted some really beautiful photos of her progress on the sweater yoke, but I was surprised to see how she held her circular knitting. The next day at work, I commented to Tia, "Hey, did you notice the reverse way that YH knits circularly?" Tia replied that she didn't notice, and I open my web browser to show her. She looks at the pictures, looks at me, and says, "Uh...that's how I knit. How do you knit in the round?"

Now, seeing the puzzled, almost worried, look on her face, this really funny feeling comes over me. It's like the feeling you get when you show up for a party and your level of dress (up or down) is completely off from everyone else's. Come to find out, I am the dufus who uses the "backwards circular knitting method" if there is such a thing. Should have known; YH has been knitting for how many years??? Of course she doesn't knit weirdly - that should have been my first clue!

When I go to make the join in my knitting to start the circular part, I bend the circular needle away from me so that my join is in the back and my project ends up being inside out (picture how you would hold two straight needles, and imagine the circular cord connecting both ends). Then I continue knitting away, making the project inside out. Here's a picture of my sweater-in-progress to show you what I mean.



The big section of right-side stockinette you see is actually on the inside of my work. I'm also adding a photo of my cat Cinnebar, who had to come over and check out my crazy knitting method.

See the look on his face? It says, "Wow, my mistress is really nuts. First she works with string for hours on end, but never chews on it. Then she doesn't even work with it right, and finally, she takes photos of her mistakes and posts them for the entire world to see. She's really hopeless. Now give me some more cat treats."

Anyway, to me this way of knitting in the round feels natural because the circular needles are in the "normal" knitting position, forming a "V" that points away from you. It also feels natural because the position of the crossed needles generally follows the shape of the work. Nevermind that you end up knitting into a tunnel of sorts, because to properly view what you've accomplished you have to stop and turn your work right side out.

So yes, I am the oddball who knits backwards. If anyone needs me, I'll be sitting over in the corner knitting a dunce cap.