I am well aware this is a strange question.

[jackandahat]

I learned to knit as a kid, so I don't remember that much about it. Now I'm writing a character who has suddenly decided he's going to learn to knit. So. Assuming a fairly intelligent adult who does stuff with his hands (drawing, sewing), with the usual book/internet resources - how long would it take someone to learn to knit things? How long before being able to do a scarf you could wear in public, or learn to knit in the round and start on socks?

I know it's going to vary hugely from person to person, but I'm curious about guesstimates.

Comments

[evilawyer]

It's going to vary widely, but for someone who is good with their hands, decent at visualization or at least comfortable with the concept of not knowing what his rendition of a written pattern will look like until at least a few inches are done, and who likes to sit relatively still and concentrate (because it take a long, long time to develop the "second nature" attitude, and even then it's not going to apply for complex stitches and patterns) for longish periods of time (as in hours per day, because I maintain that you can't learn the "feel" of knitting by spending a few minutes a day on it ---- you have to sit and practice it until you've got full control of the yarn and the needles), I'd say he'd be producing a decent-looking scarf that he wouldn't be embarrassed to wear in public within a month's time, maybe less if he's particularly good with his hands. Of course, there is the advice I received years ago: "You finished, so wear it! You won't knit anything else if you don't." And it's true. Wearing your first scarf is both important to congratulate yourself for finishing in (no small feat!) and to keep you motivated to make the next thing.