Five things that seem obvious, but I never realised as a newbie knitter*

• There is more than one way to cast on

• You can knit flat on circular needles

• Yarn is more exciting than just acrylic

• Americans have a different system for sizing needles 

• Everything you need is on the internet

* I'm still a fairly new knitter, but despite my inexperience I'm pretty sure I'm past the total newbie stage!

Five Things I Found When Clearing Up

• The Rebel Knitters' Guide (which I thought I’d recycled)

• The remains of the jumper I made during the Knitting Olympics (year of which now long forgotten)

• Pattern which may be useful in busting the stash of tape-type yarn

• Coloured paperclips holding patterns together, now replaced by staples and being used as stitch markers instead

• Instructions on how to make a picot edging.

Five things about knitting through a dissertation

• June is the perfect time to think about Christmas knitting. Honestly.

• Knitting on the train is far more interesting than reading academic books

• It takes more self-control to not cast on a new project, than it does to read an academic book.

• Knitting smaller items is wonderful - at least you’re able to complete something with relative ease

• It's a brilliant alternative to throwing the laptop out of the window.