‘101 Socks’

I love making socks and even as I explore other knitting techniques, I have a feeling that socks are a project I’ll return to again and again. For this reason, 101 Socks (Schiffer Publishing, 2015) was a natural addition to my wish list.

This book is full of ideas and designs for a variety of socks, created through various techniques: double-pointed and circular knitting needles, crochet and the addi® Express mini-knitting machine.

I’d explored various approaches to making socks and came away from this book with ideas for techniques I would still like to try.

‘Susan B. Anderson’s Kids’ Knitting Workshop’

After three attempts at learning to knit, I finally succeeded with the help of a circular-knitting class: 16 inches of knit stitch on circular knitting needles to form the body of a bag.

It’s precisely this approach that is taken by Susan B. Anderson in her Kids’ Knitting Workshop (Artisan Books, 2015). “Knitting in the round is the easiest and most effective way for children (and adults) to learn how to knit.” All of the knitting in her book uses circular knitting needles.

Knitting: No longer ‘left-’ or ‘right-handed’?

Knitting-book authors seem to be moving away from terms like “right-handed” and “left-handed” knitting, referring instead to “Continental-” and “English-style” knitting. (In “Continental,” the yarn is carried in the left hand; in “English-style,” it’s carried in the right.

Unearned privilege, dextronormative and otherwise

I understand that when Nance Rosen writes about your left hand “hating” your right, she intends it as a metaphor for personality types and skills.

As a point of clarification, however, my left hand doesn’t have a problem with anyone else’s right hand. My difficulties as a left-hander stem from dextronormative bias on a systemic, social level.

Try knitting left-handed in ‘dextronormative’ society

I’ve decided “dextronormative” needs to be recognized as a word, after searching for a suitable book to continue my education as a left-handed knitter.