My research focus in grad school is learning and problem-solving, with emphasis on mathematics and implications for classroom instruction. One of the big problems in math education that teachers and education researchers and curriculum developers face today is how to build conceptual understanding of mathematics.

Many students emerge from their K-12 instruction knowing how to multiply, but not really knowing how to multiply. Namely, they can execute the multiplication algorithm quickly and flawlessly, but couldn’t, say, tell you why they have to shift every subsequent row one over to the left in order to get the right answer. The relationship between multiplication, place value, and the distributive property never got established during any of those twelve-plus years of schooling, and not understanding these sorts of relationships will probably hurt the student’s chances of applying the math s/he already knows and his/her ability to learn more advanced math.

These are the sorts of things that fill my head when I’m trying to teach someone to knit.

I remember that as a beginning knitter I learned a lot of sequences of motions and knitting facts—procedural and declarative knowledge in psychology parlance. A knit stitch is made like this. A purl stitch is made like this. Garter is knit every row. Stockinette stitch is knit one row, purl one row.

And while knowing these things certainly enables you to knit, I don’t know that just knowing these things means you know how to knit, just like knowing the long multiplication algorithm enables you to multiply without knowing how to multiply.

I believe that understanding the structure of knitted fabric and knowing how to read your knitting are skills that separate beginning knitters from non-beginning knitters. It’s not that there isn’t any merit in mostly-procedural knitting, because there is. But I think this an important line between being bound to a pattern and being confident in your own ability to make your knitting do what you want and many of my efforts in teaching knitting are in getting beginning knitters to cross this line.

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Pattern: Eyelet Washcloth from Knitting for Baby, sort of
Yarn: Sugar ‘n Cream, #228, 1 skein
Needles: Addi Turbos, US 7 (4.5mm)

So, what can I say about an eyelet dishcloth? For some reason I really wanted to make a dishcloth and had randomly bought four balls of super cheap-o kitchen cotton from Big Box Craft Store. At the time, my swift was still on its way and I needed to kill some knitting time before I could start on my lace. I saw the pattern in Knitting for Baby and decided I would make one like that. I cast on four stitches, proceeded to follow none of the pattern instructions, and wound up with this dishcloth.

Exciting, huh?

More exciting: Alex wanted to see some lace! So lace you shall see.

Yes, despite my adventures in winding laceweight, I opted to knit with the yarn that comes in a giant cone. It’s Jaggerspun Zephyr in color Cinnabar on Addi Turbos Blunti Stumpos size US 3. You can see a picture of what it’ll look like towards the end of this post.

The first two rows were murder, I tell ya. It took four cast-on attempts, I think, to actually successfully get the shawl started. It was like trying to thread a sewing needle with rope. I got so frustrated with it that I actually left a mistake I made in the first or second row, figuring that it would get hidden when I attach the edging anyways, just to avoid having to frog and start again. Now that I’m past the first few rows, the Blunti Stumpos don’t bother me so much, except occasionally on the k3tog.

And now, back to studying for my systems neurobiology exam. Didn’t I just have one of those, not that long ago? Yes.

Pattern: Harvard Square Cardigan, from Knitting for Baby, 9-month size
Yarn: MC—Baby Pure DK (#502), CC1—Sirdar Snuggly DK (#0377), CC2—Plymouth Dreambaby DK (#201), 1 skein each
Needles: Addi Turbos, US 6 (4mm)

Aww, another itty bitty sweater! Baby sweaters are so quick, yet so gratifying.

This project represents a few firsts for me

• first time doing a lot of itty bitty stripes, and
• first time doing a button band and buttons.

The stripes are skinny enough that I just carried the colors up the sides, rather than cutting and having to weave in eleventy billion ends.

The buttons are knit on like beads, and then reinforced with thread.

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