Things Only Knitters Understand (And Why I Love This Community)
There are a lot of hobbies out there, but knitting is just something kinda special. If you know, you know. And if you don’t… well, you’re probably wondering why someone is shouting “I finally frogged it!” or whispering sweet nothings to a skein of yarn in a craft store aisle.
Yup. This is me. I've been there. More than once.
But that’s part of what makes knitting so much fun. Somewhere between the yarn, needles, stitches, and slightly ridiculous vocabulary, we’ve created our own little world. One where “just one more row” can keep you up far past bedtime, “I had to frog it” is a perfectly normal thing to say, and a pile of unfinished projects is somehow a collection.
What's better, is knitters don’t really need to explain any of it to each other. We just get it. That’s what I love most about this community. Beneath all the quirks and inside jokes is something much bigger. Connection. Creativity. Tradition. And, perhaps most importantly, each other. Every time we pick up our needles, we’re joining a long line of makers who came before us and adding our own stories, projects, mistakes, triumphs, and wonderfully weird knitting habits to the mix.
So, if you’re a knitter, you’ll probably find yourself nodding along to at least a few of these. And if you’re not, consider this your backstage pass into our wonderfully weird world.
Let’s start with one of the happiest lies we tell ourselves…
"Just One More Row"
We’ve all said it. We all know what it means.
To the non-knitter, “just one more row” sounds like a small, innocent commitment... maybe five minutes tops. But knitters? We know it’s a slippery slope. That one row becomes three, then ten, then suddenly you’re squinting at your stitches at midnight with cold tea or half a glass of wine still on the table and a growing sense of pride (and maybe denial).
A little while ago, I started a test knit for a friend. I thought, "OK, I'll cast on, do the brim plus the knit row, then I'll go to bed." Forty-five minutes later, I was done the headband and was thinking... "Should I just cast on another brim?"
Knitters everywhere understand this mantra. It’s not procrastination, it’s passion. It’s the universal phrase that binds us together, the unofficial motto of knitters everywhere. And let’s be honest... it’s one of the happiest lies we tell ourselves.
Frogging Without Tears (Well, Sometimes)
Non-knitters always raise an eyebrow when they hear us say, “I had to frog it.” Reason for the term? It’s because when you rip out rows of knitting, it sounds a lot like “rip-it, rip-it.” (Get it?) And trust me, once you’ve done it a few times, the pun feels a little too accurate.
My first big frog? Oh, I remember it vividly. A DK-weight shawl in Hedgehog Fibers’ Flamingo - the pinkest neon pink you’ve ever seen, (you've probably seen it around MMK in a picture or two). Halfway through the shawl, I spotted a glaring mistake in the very clean garter stitch pattern. Before I knew it, I was pulling back twenty rows... yes, TWENTY ROWS OF DK yarn. Stitch by stitch.
Did I cry? No. Was I dramatic about it? Absolutely. But here’s the thing - every knitter has a frogging tale, and surviving your first one is practically a rite of passage. Sure, it stings in the moment, but frogging isn’t failure - it’s commitment. It means you care enough to get it right, even if it means sacrificing hours of work (and maybe your sanity) to do it.
Gauge swatches? We say we’ll knit them. (Sometimes we even do.)
Let’s be honest - gauge swatches are like flossing. We all know we’re supposed to do them. We all say we’ll do them. And more often than not, we skip them entirely, crossing every appendage on our body and pray the knitting gods are feeling generous. Sometimes it works out. Sometimes you end up with a sweater that could double as a tent.
Swatching for the Kauri Loop Cowl by Rachy Knits
My first swatch was for my first overhead sweater. Let me be clear - I started that sweater two years ago. I've been knitting for over 20 years... it was my VERY... FIRST... SWATCH. (And no, that sweater is still not finished. See the next section 'WIP Pile' for reference). I ordered my yarn, cast on my swatch like a model student, and discovered the yarn was WAY too drapey. Back to the drawing board. Found a different yarn, swatched again, and I was back on track.
Of course, swatching can feel like a detour when you just want to dive in, but that little square of stitches? It’s like fortune-telling for your project. Sometimes it says, “Yes, this yarn and pattern are soulmates.” Other times it says, “Nope, this sweater is about to be a sad, saggy mess.” And honestly, I’d rather rip back 4 inches of a swatch, than frog an entire sweater.
Bonus! Hate swatching? (Honestly, who doesn’t?) Go watch this video from Chantelle over at @knitatude. She doesn’t just tell you how to swatch, she breaks down the why and the how we need to do it—and suddenly it all makes sense. Packed with info, easy to follow, and maybe even enough to make you actually swatch next time.
The Notorious WIP Pile
We don’t call it a pile - we call it a collection. Non-knitters might shake their heads and ask, “Why don’t you just finish one before starting another?” (I know you knitters just chuckled...). It's because we know the truth: each WIP (Work In Progress) is a mood. Sometimes the lace shawl needs a breather. Sometimes the endless stockinette sweater body is just sucking the soul out of you (anyone else relate?). And sometimes, you just need the thrill of fresh yarn and shiny needles.
I’ll admit it - I’m one of the worst offenders.
Do I love my WIPs? Absolutely.
Do I want to finish them? Of course.
Do I need more than eight of them on the go at once? Definitely not.
Do I have more than eight WIPs on the go? Friggin' right.
Will I ever finish them all? Mmmm... jury’s still out.
The WIP pile... it's a little shameful, sure (it doesn’t lie). But it’s also something to be proud of. You’ve got so much inspiration that it is literally spilling out into project bags, baskets, and probably every corner of your house. Just don’t forget to circle back to that pile. Those projects are waiting patiently for their moment in the spotlight too.
Lost in the Scroll... Found in the Yarn Isle
Let’s talk rabbit holes... You know the ones. You sit down just to "browse” Ravelry or Pinterest and suddenly, it’s two hours later, your tea is cold, and you’ve saved fourteen different shawls you have to make right now! Non-knitters may not get it, but for us, it’s the yarn-lover’s version of Netflix binging. Oddly comforting, wildly addictive, and guaranteed to leave you with a longer queue than when you started.
Of course, all that scrolling comes with a side effect. You know the one... it grabs you by the needles and whispers... you cannot wait! That’s how you find yourself at your LYS (Local Yarn Store) with an armful of yarn you definitely didn't need (ok... you did, but you didn't know it until you got there).
My LYS - @unwind_yarn_house
Non-knitters may believe us when we say that, but every knitter knows the truth: no one walks out of a yarn store empty-handed. Sure, the WIP pile is already overflowing, but when inspiration strikes, you follow it. Sometimes that spark is worth the extra yarn, that extra project bag, and yes, the side-eye from everyone who knows, “I'm just going to look”, is a another lie we happily keep telling ourselves.
Here’s the magic of knitting... the connections don’t just live in the past, they happen in the here and now. I’ll never forget sitting at my daughter's swimming lesson, knitting away, when the woman beside me leaned over and said, “I should bring my crochet.”
That was it... the spark.
One question later (“What are you making?”) and suddenly, we weren’t just two parents waiting for kids. We were makers, sharing stories, swapping tips, having our own little chlorinated fiber circle every Wednesday.
Non-knitters might think it’s bizarre, but for us, it’s second nature. All it takes is a glance at someone’s project bag or a quick, “What’s on your needles?”, and suddenly, you have something to chat about.
It’s never just about the yarn, the 'one more row' or the WIP pile.
It’s about knowing the feeling behind those words. It’s about the stories we tell, the things we make, the people we meet along the way.
And if you know... you know. (Lucky you.)
Crafting through Chaos,
Stacie
