Masters Hand Knitting, Level I - Take II - Week One

Over the past bit (as much as a year, perhaps?) the TKGA Masters Hand Knitting courses have been revised and updated. As I didn't turn my Level I stuff in by my deadline in June this year, I get to start again. Since I'm a much better knitter now than when I first started, this ups my odds of passing without too many re-dos.

One of the cool things in the instructions this time around is a Plan of Action. I love this - it's a really nice hand-hold-as-you-get-started page of common-sense steps to get the Master Knitter-wannabe started. It's only a suggestion (it says), but wow - it's a nice list to have!! Here's the things from it I've done so far (omitting items that I've already done).

1. The first thing up? Read All Instructions. After realizing, well after knitting, that I'd done a k2p2 rib for a swatch that should have had a k1p1, I definitely read all my instructions!!!
    
2. I've noted the date I received the new instruction packet - Wednesday, August 18, 2010 - and put it on my cover letter. I also found the phrase that describes how I knit - "Eastern Combined Uncrossed" - and put that in there, since my style of knitting is one of the less common ones. The reviewers need to know that!
    
3. All my necessary supplies (ring binder, section dividers, page protectors, label materials) are in the bin where they've been since last time. I do need to take all my OLD attempt stuff out of the binder to make room for the new stuff. All my reference books are actually on the shelf where they belong - and, oddly enough, now that I know I knit strangely, my footnotes are going to be MORE interesting. However, there's now a set number of sections: Swatches, Questions, Report, Project and References. And for the swatches, there are Reference Sheets to be tucked in the sleeve with the swatch, so no trying to fit a jillion things on each little card! That makes it easy!
    
4. My yarn is the same as last time: Patons Classic Wool. I'll have to check the ball band to see what size needles are called for (I think US 7s), and make sure I'm using those needles.
5. One new note: before knitting a swatch, look at the questions, so you know what you're going for. Then, after finishing, block & label and answer the questions. For each swatch. This would've saved me a world of hurt last time through!!
    
6. This time, while I will, as suggested, keep notes of how I blocked my swatches as I go, I'm doing the report FIRST, and actually getting it finished, so I block things the way it says to! One of the big comments from the conference was that people will write excellent blocking reports - and then their swatches are blocked poorly, showing that they aren't actually making the connection between what they've learned and what they're applying. I do not want to be one of Those People.
    
7. This time, they ask for a Reference Section, for the full cites for the footnotes, arranged alphabetically by Last Name. That's going to be fun for me, since I do Blue Book citations by force of habit, which isn't what they're asking to see. Sigh.
    
8. I'm going to have to do another hat. At least this time, I know that my hat will grow a LOT when I block it (I had dead-on gauge while knitting, then it GREW). I will knit accordingly!
    
9. And the checklist. *Shudder.* I will not be afraid of the checklist this time. I will not be afraid of the checklist this time!

And this time, I'm starting with fresh new worsted-weight, ecru-colored yarn, size 7 needles required.


Wish me luck!