In The Middle of a Project

Yarn, pattern, needles and knitter have been tested and project cast on. Don't just cast on to get to the project! Remember your cast-on is usually going to stick around. You want it to look as polished and professional as the rest of the item.  Ribbing usually comes next, and can seem to take a while, especially if worked in smaller needles than the main section. But settle into the rhythm of the knits and purls, they will end and a new stitch will begin.

I love that point when you can just pick up your project and knit. You have memorized the stitch pattern, so no stopping to check charts. Especially if you don't have to worry about shaping, you can just keep knitting until you might be close to the number of inches you need. 

Then you stop and measure. Knit some more, stop and measure again. I will admit, I have measured, knit for what seemed like a long time, and when measured again the item was the same length as the first time. Being sure to always lay the item out flat can help. Don't get to eager to bind off, make sure you will have the length you need after blocking. Other times, I have been enjoying the knitting so much measuring revealed the item was too long.

After the knitting is finished, you move on to finishing a project. This stage has it's own challenges and enjoyments, come read about them next week.