starting out

[adventures_with_kat]

Hey guys

I've recenty lost a huge majority of my vision and have always been to art/crafty things and was looking at getting into knitting.
Do you guys think it is very visual?
Also any good book recommendations to use to help start out?

thanks in advance :-)

Comments

[jackandahat]

I made a post a while back about watching TV while knitting and there are quite a few of us who do that, so it's definitely not something where you need to be able to see your hands constantly. However, I think a lot of people answering that way are fairly experienced knitters, so we're used to the movements.

With that said - I think it's definitely worth giving it a go. Everyone screws up when learning. Just don't go for black wool first off - I find it near-impossible to see the stitches there. Ditto fuzzy/novelty yarn. Get yourself some plain, bright coloured stuff so you can tell where the individual stitches are.

If you're on Ravelry they have Blind Webs, a group for people with visual impairments, they'll probably have some good specific advice.

[aderam]

I think knitting can be very visual. I generally need pretty decent light to do it, and every time I make a mistake I always need to stare at the offending bit for a while to figure out how to fix it.

That being said, however, there's also a huge texture component. So sometimes I feel with my fingers that I've made a mistake before I see it. I think you could definitely teach yourself to feel the stitches the way most people see them in order to follow the patterns and find mistakes etc. But it's probably best to use big yarn and big stitches, at least at first.

Good luck! I hope it's something you can pick up!

[james]

I think it's completely possible to knit without relying on vision. It may be trickier to learn, (I started knitting without looking after I already knew how to knit) but if you start with big yarn and big needles, it should help a lot. Ditto on not starting with black yarn or fuzzy yarn! Something with a light color - or just fondle the yarn at the store and find out what you can see the best.

Good luck!

[iamshadow]

Knitting is certainly something you can do by feel rather than sight. I've knitted in a car at night before. My Nanna knitted up to her death, and she had cataracts. Also, you've got historical figures like Laura Bridgman, who learnt skills like kitting, sewing and crochet after becoming completely deaf and blind in infancy. (Her wikipedia photo shows her crocheting. The footnotes make reference to her learning knitting before leaving her home to be taught formal education and language.)

[havocthecat]

Hah, yes. My first scarf was attempted in black cotton. That was a mistake.

[untonuggan]

I echo what everyone's said here about yarn choices, etc. I would also mention you might want to try wool first, as it's stretchier than things like cotton and thus easier on your hands.

Thinking a bit further down the road - it might be harder to do some of the lace patterns, but there are tons of stitches using just knit and purl that are very, very textural. Every yarn store I've ever been in is filled with knitters/crocheters running their hands over the yarn, so that should give you an idea about how much touch is involved.

It's worth a shot, right?

Also, in terms of first project ideas: I usually recommend that my friends start with hats rather than scarves, because you can just use a circular needle and keep knitting for 6 inches and then you pretty much have a hat. Whereas for a scarf you have to knit for about 60", and it can get frustrating. I'm not sure what would be easier for you, but that's something to keep in mind.

FYI: The decreases at the top of the hat might be tricky, but a "quick and dirty" way to close a hat is just to run a needle through all of the stitches and pull it tight. In the fancier hat patterns, you just decrease until there are fewer stitches and do the same thing. However, because of the decreases you have to switch to using either double-pointed needles or two circular needles for the last few rows. I guess you could experiment with this, or maybe ask someone in your local yarn store or knitting group (or here) for advice. I hope I'm not bogging you down with too much information!

[untonuggan]

As for books, I really like "Knitting Rules!" by the Yarn Harlot aka Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (she also has a blog). Also, anything by Elizabeth Zimmerman can tell you a LOT about knitting and she is hysterical. Both of these wonderful writers give you freedom to play with your knitting and create your own patterns. They also give you good templates to add your own stitches to. For example: here's a basic hat pattern, now add whatever you want to it. Kind of like: here's basically how you make cookies, but you can add whatever kind of toppings you want or change the flour or what have you.

Neither of them has actual instructions on how to knit and purl. I started out a few months ago with Knitting for Dummies (from a used bookstore) and found it rather impossible, because while the info was good the drawings were done by someone who did not knit. I ended up looking at Youtube videos to learn how to do the stitches themselves, and there are plenty available. I don't know if that's something you'd be able to do, but the audio might help at least.

Good websites: Knitty (an online knitting magazine) and Ravelry (an online knitting community). Both have free patterns.

Also, there was a post in this comm recently about knitting books.

[indeliblesasha]

I don't have anything new to add to what's already been said, I just wanted to chime in in agreement that I think you can totally do it with limited vision, especially if you know people who knit who can help you hands-on while you learn. <3

[frotz]

My interaction with knitting is fairly visual, but the actual reasons I really like it are all about the interplay of the strands and the feel of it. Picking up the construction techniques may be harder, but if you have the same love for the way stuff fits together there's nothing inherently visual about appreciating it, and in any case when actually doing anything even remotely complicated I do a lot better thinking spatially but in my head than in trying to stare at what I'm doing to sort it out. So, sure, worth a shot!

[havocthecat]

I, personally, knit very visually when it's anything complicated. I knit more by feel when it's something simpler. I wish I had specific advice, but I think jackandahat gives a very good suggestion of a place to go with questions.

I think that the feel of the yarn in your hands is as important as the look of the yarn. For example, a friend was visiting from Seattle, and we made plans to go to a yarn store specifically to pet the yarn.

[tephra]

I would be one of those experienced knitters than can knit without looking at what I am doing. I think it's totally possible to knit without seeing it clearly. Learning to knit might be more of a challenge, but I'm sure it's possible.

I agree with all of the above, though by "big" yarn I would say no finer than worsted (category 4, medium) and needles no smaller than US 8 (5mm). Beginners tend to knit tightly, so larger than typical needles might be a good idea. Just be sure they aren't too big, because you'll have a harder time feeling what the knitting is like if it's very loose.

Pick a yarn in whatever color you can see as clearly as possible. If you can, wrap a strand around the needle you plan to use and find out how well you can see it on the needle.

I'd recommend a smooth, firmly spun yarn. It will have a more distinct texture for feeling the way the stitches are formed and the way the yarn is laying on the needles. Softly spun yarns can flatten out on the needle, losing their twist, and can be very easy to split with a needle tip.

If you have a dedicated yarn store (rather than a general craft store) you will probably able to get some help sorting out what you can work with and the ideal yarn and needle combination. You might get that help in a general craft store, it's just more likely in a smaller dedicated shop.

[medrin]

I knit combined continental style and have heard that it's the style recommended for people with vision issues since knit and purl stitches lies in different directions on the needles and it is therefore easy to feel if the stitch on the row below was knit or purl. The disadvantage is that you need to thing a step further when doing decreases to make sure that they slant in the right direction, but that is something that you get used to quite easily.

[attie]

Seconded on the firmly spun yarn! The top reason why I still can't knit without looking is because I have an unfortunately persistent tendency to poke my needle straight through the yarn.

[adventures_with_kat]

wow i post this at night, get up the next morning and bam a ot of answers and suggestions so thank you all.
you have given me some great ideas and i will follow them up, plan for tomorrow is a trip to the craft shop.
i'll keep you all informed of how i go

[afuna]

Seconding this comment; I also knit combined, and it affects how the stitches "sit" on the needles, meaning that a knit and a purl stitch will feel different to your fingers and when poking your needle through it.

I generally don't have to look at my hands, unless I drop a stitch and have to fix a mistake.


I don't know any books offhand, but the two resources I used to learn are:

A combined knitting tutorial by Bella Knitting, and Anne Modesitt's website (link is for purl instructions)

[babs_bee]

If you aren't a member of Ravelry--you might want to join:

www.ravelry.com

and then once you join, you might want to check out this group for hints/tips/help:

http://www.ravelry.com/groups/blind-webs