Curious- How much did Amy's videos teach you?

#1

Just thought it would be fun to see… and an ego boost for Amy :inlove: to see how much her videos helped her peeps learn to knit.

#2

oh good. I’m glad I didn’t do something smark-alecky like I usually do!

#3

I’m actually sort of in between the first two…I had been knitting for a day or two when I came here in desperation and Amy’s videos taught me to cast on the right way and knit continental-style instead of all that crazy throwing business. :wink: I’d definitely credit Amy with teaching me how to knit! :thumbsup: (Thanks, Amy!)

#4

i took a class and learned how to cast on and knit…finished the scarf i was working on there by the end of the weekend and wanted to do something else. Found another site that has fairly good basic videos purling and binding off (though never explains what to do with that last loop…sheesh) and learned how to do that there. then decided that there has to be more out there because while their videos were okay, the site was bad. did another google search and there Amy was…i have pretty much been stalking the site ever since and always come here when i want to figure out something i haven’t done before!

THANKS AMY!!!

#5

My grandmother taught me to crochet and I became frustrated that I couldn’t find any fun crochet patterns. All the patterns that looked like something that I might actually wear/use were knit patterns. So one day I thought… let me seach online to see if I can teach myself to knit. I stumbled across this website and sat in front of the computer watching her videos for like an hour… This place is amazing!!! :cheering: :cheering: :cheering:

Thank you Amy!

#6

ditto what everyone said above… these videos have been so helpful (i’m constantly on the increases/decreases page, trying to remind myself of certain things and learning new ones as well)!! i’ve referred a number of friends here and it has helped them tremendously too… thanks amy!! =)

#7

I bought a book called the “Encyclopedia of Knitting” and all it did was remind me how to cast on. So I kept trying to knit a couple rows and kept screwing up and it always looked like crap. I put my stuff down and didn’t touch it for months. In that time, I searched and searched for anything to help me and FINALLY stumbled onto this site. I must have watched her videos 3 times each that night and it all CLICKED! I immediately sent Amy this email and stayed here as a member.

Email:
I just wanted to tell you that I began knitting again after learning the basics as a small child. I’m now 32 and picked up where I left off… the very basics. I bought several books. I watch “knit one purl two” and “knitty gritty” religously, on diy network and I am constantly surfing the net for sites to help me, since I don’t have any crafty friends, locally. I’ve avoided the hard stuff because I could never get any kind of CLEAR look at what they were doing. The people demonstrating were either too fast, failed to explain properly, or they just didn’t show the demonstration long enough.

I stumbled onto your site from a blog, that I also stumbled onto. BRAVO! In one night, of watching your videos, I learned to do every step, with the exception of the sock heel, on your site. I have to say you are an amazing teacher. I think some people need a little more hand holding than others, but if they were learning from you, I have no doubt they would get it on their first try. Your comments like “that’s all there is to cables” really fill me with the confidence to go and try it myself. Your video’s are very detailed and you explain things so well. I look forward to more instructions. Thank you so much for helping me learn the more complex side of knitting.

Your Student
Jeanie Healy (middle name, DH calls me Jeanie)

#8

I’m with Julie…

Back in February I had some kind of weird HOBBY EPIPHANY :angelgrin: and decided for no real reason (maybe making Howie a sweater was in the back of my mind) that I wanted to learn to knit.

I bought the Art of Knitting DVD and a “learn to knit” kit.

The DVD taught me to cast on (by knitting on) and to knit.

When I stumbled across KH, I found out I was knitting “combined” :doh: and I learned the long-tail CO.

Then I learned EVERYTHING ELSE I KNOW here! :cheering:

Amy understands the best way to learn…one needs to SEE the motion, CLOSE UP! (Did you all know that she is HUGGING the video cam’s tripod as she knits for those videos??? I finally had to ask one day…) And, yes, her commentary makes things CRYSTAL clear.

Not to mention the community she has created! Such FRIENDS I have made here! Knitters are just GOOD PEOPLE, arent they?? :inlove:

I have been SO grateful for the opportunity to become a part of this place and give a little back through my modship. tissue

This thread was an AWESOME idea, Nik! :wink:

#9

hands another tissue to Kelly :smiley:

Amy’s videos helped me TREMENDOUSLY! I was taught by my friend, but I didn’t want to bug her every evening when I was knitting and having troubles, so I kept Amy’s site bookmarked and opened!

Yay for Amy!!!

:heart:

#10

I must have watched her videos 3 times each

Only three times?? :roflhard:

I referred my friend here and we both agreed that one of the best things about video is that you can watch them 1,000 times, or until you “get it.” Whereas when a live person is teaching you they might get irritated if you ask them to do somthign for the 1,000th time. :mrgreen:

#11

I love Amy’s videos, especially Increases & Decreases. I’ve been knitting for forty years and had done intricate cables and Fair Isle patterns, made sweaters, hats, scarves and afghans, and even designed some of my own sweaters including modifying existing patterns to add sizes (like XXXL for a very rotund friend), but I’d never made a sock.

Somehow the directions for turning a heel always baffled me. Well I’m halfway through my first sock - thanks to Amy - and I finally understand how to do the heel! It’s great to be able to actually SEE in motion what you have to do and not just try to decipher written instructions with drawn pictures. Ever notice how the drawn pictures never look like your knitting?

The increases and decreases all in a row are really helpful too! Other fun things I hadn’t known before: Provisional cast on, Three needle bind off, and double knitting.

THANKS FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL HELP, AMY!!!

(Now if I could just figure out how to use the emoticons - scratching head.)

Mary

#12

My mother taught me to knit and crochet, but it wasn’t until my dd asked me to teach her that I rediscovered the joy of knitting. Amy’s vids taught me to continental, the long tail cast on and other goodies. I go back to them whenever I get stuck, sit in front of the monitor, needles in hand, vid running over and over until I get it. It’s like sitting at the knee of a pro for help. The vids are incredible.

I stalk the site, add a few comments here and there whenever I feel I have any expertise on the subject matter, frequently ask questions, and get wonderfully helpful responses. The only problem is this site taught me what a “stash” was. Since no knitter worth her salt can be without one, I spent a fortune on yarn and now have a respectable stash. Wahoo!!

As my son would say, “KnittingHelp.com is da bomb!” I :heart: KH.

#13

I meant that night. :lol: Since then, I can’t count the number of times I’ve watched them. :blush:

#14

[size=5][color=orange]OMG, this is the best thread ever! [/color] [color=blue]Thanks Nik![/color][/size]

:heart: You all are so great! :heart: Pass the tissues… sniffle

I can’t believe how many of you learned from the beginning here! :shock: That is SOOOOOO cool!!! It makes me wonder how many people I’ve actually taught to knit! And how many people I’ve taught to make socks, and advanced things. I get all warm and fuzzy inside to think about it, it makes me feel even more connected to you all (who knew it was possible?), it’s like I’ve sat down next to you and we’ve knitted together, to hear you say what you’ve learned here.

I love hearing your stories!!! :sunny:

Amy

#15

I suspect without Amy’s videos, played over and over and over again, I might have given up!!! :XX:

#16

Amy, you truly started something special, be proud!
I have been knitting more years than I care to remember. I took a rather extended detour into the land of Needlepoint. With the resurgance of knitting, I dusted off my needles and jumped in. Your web site was one of the first I happened upon, and I am very grateful that I did.

Thanks to you and to all the special knitters who make this my first stop when I turn on the computer.

Mary

#17

Isnt it SURREAL that you can feel HUGGED by people you’ve never met?? :inlove:

#18

[color=orange]1st, allow me to admit the truth; and it’s[/color] [color=red]VERY :blush: EMBARRASSING :oops: [/color]!
[color=orange]I knew that there were ‘helpful knitting’ tips here #1 because of the name :doh: and #2 because I had heard about this website when I was on the knitting forum over at KnittersReview.com, yes, :rollseyes: I am a biforumual and PROUD OF IT! and #3 I never even looked at any of the ‘help’ areas when I 1st joined; I just came to talk about :XX: . I had completely forgotten that there were all these helpful diddies happening all over the site; I was too busy talking, yep, me…jabber, jabber; :XX: :XX: #4 When Amy sent me her cd’s I was then AMAZED :shock: at all of the helpful videos all over the place… :doh: duh; where had I been?!..TALKING…LOL!! Now, I begin tomorrow (finally) to try to learn continental knitting now that there’s that wonderful video with Amy’s great, easily understood explanations (that were always at my fingertips before, but …again…me…talking; Imagine That!!) After the continental knitting I intend to learn how to better accomplish color work; and the list goes on!!
After my embarrassing :oops: confession about my inability to read beyond the word ‘forum’ on the toolbar (or whatever it’s called) I would like to say: THANK YOU, AMY! Since I’ve received your cds I’ve learned all sorts of cool things and you, my dear friend, are an EXCELLENT :XX: teacher; you are indeed my Yoda :notworthy:[/color]

#19

The video’s here are the absolute best!!!
I knew one basic cast on (knitting on), I could knit and purl which allowed me to do simple things like seed stitch and ribbing.

When I mentioned I was looking for other explanations and simple patterns, bummble pointed me to this side and I haven’t left since :cheering:

Things I’ve learnt: to knit righthanded (I’m a leftie by nature but it was easier to not have to mirror the videos :D), knit in the round with DPN, how to do long tail cast on, in- and decreasing, cabling etc.
and I’ll soon try to make my first sock.

Oh and I’ve learnt a TON of new English words :roflhard: Somehow the subject of knitting never really was covered in my highschool English classes. Nowadays I think I can read a patterndescription better in English than I can in Dutch and I write my own ideas out using the English abbreviations aswell.

Best thing though is this forum!!! :thumbsup: If I had wanted to, I could have learnt most of the knitting from my mum eventually but I love having “met” so many of you on here :happydance:
I know I don’t post that often but I do read most of the posts as often as I can and I love it.

so, Amy: you’re inspiration is actually traveling the globe; thanks for taking this idea and running with it!! I hope that this baby isn’t growing too big for you though; I hate to see knittinghelp.com either kill itself or “kill” you by its own success :shock:
(a big yay!! to all the mods is in place here too I think, for helping to keep this forum up and running :balloons:)

Hmm, ok I kind of expanded on just the “how did the video’s help you” subject so I’ll get down from my soapbox and let you all continue with the regular program again.

:waving:

Karen.

#20

I feel VERY HUGGED :heart:, it’s so wonderful! :sunny: I’m loving it!

Rebecca, you’re too funny! Well the videos can take a long time to download for slower internet, so don’t feel like you’re the only one who didn’t watch them until you got a CD! I’m SURE you’re not alone! :slight_smile:

Simply Kaar, I agree, the forum is the best part!! It was an afterthought, if you can believe that, when I made this site. “Hmmm, I wonder if anyone will post to a forum if I put one up?” :shock: Yeah, within minutes!! DH says he’s never known of a forum to take off as fast as this one did! We were very lucky, because some poor wonderful forums never even get off the ground; it takes people to post, to bring the wonderful energy to it! You all are what it’s all about!! Thanks everyone!! :heart:

And YES, THANKS TO THE MODS!! for keeping my job fun for me. :wink: Don’t know what I’d do without you ladies! :heart:

Don’t worry SimplyKaar, this site’s not going be taken down for ANYTHING! It’s been a great blessing for me too, and gives back to me in every way. It’s been a huge help to have the mods. If you all can do without me for occasional periods, then you needn’t worry about me burning out! It’s a great joy to be a part of this community, and to add to and have fun with this site!!