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24 Days of SAP Community – Door 12: Let’s knit together

anne-petteroe
Community Manager
Community Manager

Day 12.png


Earlier this year, my colleague Moshe Naveh, started a discussion on hobbies, which I really enjoyed reading.

With the #SAPCommunity24 looking back on 2022, I wanted to take the opportunity to share my journey of falling in love with knitting. And hopefully also connect with other fellow knitters in the SAP Community 😊

Growing up in Norway, I was surrounded by knitters. (As most kids in this region were)
I have not so fond memories of the itchy prickly wool sweaters my mother knitted for me. And I remember hating learning how to knit in school. My first knitting project that was somewhat successful was a pair of Easter socks when I was in 8th grade.
Needless to say perhaps, I did not start any new knitting projects for 30+ years.

But then around 3 years ago, I started following some knitters on Instagram, and at the same time more and more friends started knitting as well.

I was looking for a new hobby, something that could help me stay away from screens in the evening and to relax. So, I decided to try knitting. I did not fall in love immediately, mainly because the yarn I picked for my first project was the most difficult yarn to knit with. Newbie mistake. I put the knitting needles back down, and it was not until this spring that I picked them back up again and decided to start on a new easier project. And this time I fell in love, and I have now knitted 3 sweaters since June LOL. (Working on my 4th now)

Knitting turned out to be the perfect hobby for me as it challenges me, and at the same teaches me to just be here and now with my current knitting project, and relax. I learn new techniques and get better at knitting sweater by sweater. Knitting also allows me to be social at the same time - I can knit while being together with friends, at cafés or at "Knit & Drink" events (we have many of those in Oslo).
I can also listen to music, podcasts, or watch channels I follow on YouTube, like SAP Community.
 

And I can bring my knitting projects with me everywhere, I love having a portable hobby!

I am 90% self-taught.
It was of course, helpful that I still remembered the basics from school, but I quickly realised that much had changed in the world of knitting since I was little.

Some of knitting techniques were new. In terms of the needles we use, but also basic techniques like purl knit had changed.

The knitting patterns are different. I now knit sweaters from the top down and in one go. No more stitching sweaters together at the end. You pick patterns based on your skill level, so I started with some super basic sweaters, and gradually advanced as I felt I mastered the basics. YouTube has been my best friend when I am stuck, or I come across a new technique. 

The wool has of course also changed a lot. No more thick itchy Norwegian wool. The sweaters I knit today mostly consist of soft wool like merino, alpaca, mohair, or mohair mixed with silk

I hope there are other knitters in the SAP Community, it would be great if we could knit together here. Share pictures of our projects as we go along. I am always curious to see what other people knit 😀 
I would also love to hear other community member's stories of how they became knitters. 

Below you can find a few pictures of my recent projects, and other knitting images from my camera roll:

IMG_4684.jpegIMG_4754.jpeg

 

Knitting samples:
IMG_4233.jpeg IMG_2863.jpeg

Knitting everywhere/strange locations:
IMG_6797.jpeg IMG_6688.jpeg

And of course also the projects where we have to start over 😂:
IMG_5559.jpeg

14 REPLIES 14

TammyPowlas
Active Contributor

Very nice!  I don't knit, I crochet instead.  See https://florence20.typepad.com/renaissance/2020/03/technology-and-my-passion-tammy-powlas-and-croche... - I received a nice compliment at the grocery store last week on the crocheted hat at the bottom.

I take my crochet for air travel - it relaxes me as well.

I read too that Julia Roberts knits between movie scenes to relax.

Crochet is next on my list to learn 😊 (perhaps a goal for 2023?)
I see several knitters on instagram who combine knitting and crocheting in the same projects. 

The British diver Tom Daley was knitting while he was watching the diving events at the Tokyo Olympics too. He even knitted a small medal case for his Olympic medal 😀

sveabecker
Community Advocate
Community Advocate

So cool @anne-petteroe ! Your self-made sweater look beautiful! I love them! And it's great you found a nice and "productive" way to relax ... it's like meditation, right? 
Thanks so much for sharing! 😊


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Knitting helps me find calm, focus and it also relieves stress. 
For me it has become the best/easiest way to relax in my daily life, as meditation requires that I sit down somewhere quiet for an extended period of time. (and life with kids is rarely quiet for extended periods of time 😂) Knitting on the other hand is something I can do in the middle of the "hustle and bustle", I don't necessarily need silence around me first. 

And of course it also is a huge plus to be able to knit warm sweaters in the exact colour and quality I want with the current energy prices in Europe 😆 Even my daughter, who has not traditionally been a huge lover of wool clothes, just asked if I could knit another thick wool sweater for her. 

lenastodal
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert

Really cool, @former_member5144! I also want to knit a jumper! I somewhat don't find the time, but I guess that's just an excuse 😉 I also think it might be quite ambitious to start that big (with a jumper), I might try some pairs of socks first, is that a little easier? 
Thanks for sharing with us! 


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Learning the basic knitting techniques doesn't take a lot of time 😀

A pair of socks is actually very difficult, and I have not even started knitting socks myself yet. The problem with socks is also that you need to knit two, many of my knitting friends only finish the first sock and never the second LOL. 

Sweaters are much easier than you would think, because you only need to know 3 basic techniques with the easiest patterns, and you knit around and around and around on circular needles. 
95% of the most basic sweaters, like the purple one picture above that I knitted for my daughter, are knitted straight on a circular needle. The remaining 5% is rib, where you knit one mask straight and one mask purled. 
I find knitting forth and back on straight needles more difficult, as every second row is knitted purled. 

You could start with dishcloths instead?
Or a scarf? (although scarfs are long)

lenastodal
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert

Oh, so I obviously had a very wrong impression about knitting socks! 🙈 Haha, that means you can combine each others first sock, so there is at least a few pairs 😄
Thanks for providing me with the overview, I will have a look! Hopefully, I'll find some time during my upcoming vacation time 🙂 


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Actually, there are ways to knit sock two-at-a-time so that you finish both of them at the same time.  This helps avoid the challenge of trying to finish a second sock.

I'm also a knitter.  In addition, I weave and I spin yarn for both weaving and knitting.  Mostly I knit shawls, but I'm working on some color-work mittens and a color work top-down sweater too.

-Dell

Lydie
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert

Ah ah ! That's some trick here. I'll have to test it 🙂

DellSC
Active Contributor

You use either two circular needles - one for each side of both socks - or a single very long circular needles with "magic loops" out the sides.  I've done this and it works very well.

-Dell

0 Kudos

I had no idea it was possible to magic loop two socks! I will definitely have to check it out when I feel ready to try socks 😅

AlexGourdet
Community Manager
Community Manager

Wow, very nice work. I like creativity works like that. 

Lydie
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert

Nice job ! I love to knit myself... Been doing so since the age of 5...  I started in the hospital room when my mother was expecting my little brother ! I've started with sweaters for my dolls and now I'm knitting for myself. My mother is a knitting addict herself so for the moment I let her do all the work for the rest of my family. And sometimes me as well... My house is full of sweaters and cardigans, scarfs and hats... Needles, Crochet, just name it... We (my mother and I) have lots of accessories. 🙂  I've progressed throughout the years and love taking a challenge and learning new techniques with youtube videos ! Once a Learner, always a Learner 😉My current work in progressMy current work in progress

 

 

This is so awesome!! 
Knitting braids is something I would love to learn next year, I just need to finish the other 4 sweaters and cardigans I have on my to-knit list first 😂

I have been amazed with how easy it has been to teach myself knitting through YouTube videos.