Basics Basics Basics

I bought 3 skeins of Cascade 220 at the yarn tasting yesterday so I could start my swatches for the Basics Basics Basics class. This morning before work I wound my wool and read the entire packet. So far, I'm already glad I bought this course. I mean, yes technically I know how to do the increases and decreases taught in the first lesson of this course but in practice I don't use them.

The only increase I ever use are the bar increase (fondly called kfb in my book) when I want to be able to see where I last increased and the m1 that EZ employed, where you just loop some extra yarn in the spot you need another stitch. Then of course yarnovers, which don't really count because I only use them decoratively. Do I use the lifted increase? Do I mirror my increases? No. But I do mirror my decreases, which is kind of strange now that I think of it.

So actually having to take the time to work these different types of shaping and answer questions about them and practice them is definitely going to help open my eyes to different possibilities and, perhaps encourage me to use them more.

I already know that I have loose purls, and I'm going to try to combat this in the swatches by using a needle 2 sizes smaller in my right hand for the swatches calling for stockinette. I also want to knit these swatches when I actually have time to focus on them. Which is not right now. My son is currently pretending to be Littlefoot and trying to get me to buy a quarter from him. (?)