Poll for novice knitters and people who think about learning

[neadods]

So, I'm working on the knitting book. There are a couple of goals here:

1) To have a dozen projects, with a "use up the yarn from everything else" making the baker's dozenth pattern.

2) To make every project so portable that each module can be carried in a purse-sized cosmetics bag.

2a) To make every project easy to pick up and put down and come back to later. (Numbered needles rule!)

3) To make the new knitter buy the minimum of equipment (all projects knit to same gauge) and learn the minimum of acronyms (less than 10.)

Frankly, I'm hoping that $600 of Therapy and a Free Afghan is going to be one of those gateway books that knitters use to lure their unsuspecting friends into the hobby Mwahahahahahaaa!

*ahem* Anyway, I've decided to divvy up the patterns provided into four sections, with escalating skills so people can tackle what they want when they feel ready for it. Section 1 is the simplest: garter stitch and its associated concepts, "knit two together" and "knit front and back."

Section 4 is the hardest: cables. (Seriously, it's nothing to worry about. Same basic stitch as garter. Honest.)

What I can't decide is what Section 2 should be. For some reason, the purl stitch seems to freak people out; I've even heard someone at the knitalong saying that they've knit for three years "and am just about to learn purling." On the other hand, the yarnover intimidates at least one person I know.

So which, of the two, is the less threatening to a nervous novice? If I go to purl next, I can bring the readers up to seed stitch and broken rib - all sorts of texture play. But purl is a different stitch. On the other hand, the yarnover is the same motion as garter, and yarnovers + knit two together = all sorts of fabulous lacy effects that look much harder than they are. (Why yes, there *is* going to be a feather and fan project!)

[Poll #1211690]

Comments

[darthfox.livejournal.com]

There can be yarnovers before knits or before purls. I really think not knowing how to purl is a serious detriment, while not knowing how to handle a yarnover is ... well, less serious. But, I mean, honestly, there are two stitches, right, just the two, so I think a person should learn them both before moving on into different ways of manipulating them. (The fact that I was taught both knit and purl before I ever learned to increase or decrease is, funnily enough, beside the point. But I really can't get my head around what's so scary about purling that you don't learn it for three years. Good grief.)

[darthfox.livejournal.com]

Added to this: I learned yarnovers by accident when I was trying to purl, because I hadn't yet quite got the hang of always moving the yarn between the needles. I really think purling needs to come first, and then you can even say in your YO intro, hey, if you noticed some issues with your purling, and this is what they looked like, this is what happens, so, well done sorting out the purling, but congratulations!, you've already begun with the yarnover. :-D