Lifelines

 I certainly used them when I started knitting ganseys. 

Now, I knit finer, more intricate objects, always from wool yarns, and I do not use lifelines. I do use a knitting sheath, and blunt spring steel needles. I have been seriously knitting for 20 years. The first 4 years with hand held needles (circular, and DPN). Then there was 11 years of learning how to use a knitting sheath with pointy needles. The last 7 years have been a gradual transition to knitting sheaths with blunt needles. There was a period of learning that with knitting sheaths, blunt needles are better, and then development of better techniques for blunt needles, and learning  to make better blunt needles. The transition to blunt needles has allowed productive use of finer needles on finer wool yarns to produce finer fabrics. 

I assert: Lifelines can be replaced with 3 skills;

• Learn to feel the stitches as they are made, and use that feel to be sure the correct stitch was properly formed as you knit. The best solution to a knitting error is be able to fix the last stitch.
• Learn to feel/read the stitches you are knitting into, and use fine pointy needles and a crochet hook to fix any errors before making the error more onerous by knitting over the error and pushing it deep into what should be good knitting.
• If you have missed the error and pushed it deep into your knitting, you can use a fabric steamer to block the row that you have to frog back to; and make that row more stable and easier to pickup.

If you are knitting loosely, you can go back, deep into the fabric to repair errors without frogging. If you are knitting weatherproof, or very fine fabrics, or lace, then frogging and reknitting is likely the better fix.

A good knitter, can feel all the stitches in the fabric around the working stitch, and know when the working needle is near a stitch that is "wrong".  As soon as you feel the "wrong", fix it!  With practice, this can be even done with fine dark blue thread by by the light of a candle or the gloom in a movie theater.

There was a time, when English knitting cooperatives, worked in their gardens in the mornings and knit in the afternoon and evening producing objects to sale for cash . Candles were expensive, so there was very limited light, and yet they produced professional quality knit products.   We know it can be done!  It is just a matter of learning the skills and doing it ourselves. We develop the skills by - practice. We visualize what we want to do, and plan evolutions to become better.

They sang knitting songs to remember the pattern and count rows and stitches as they knit. I use a piece of wood that has grooves and slots that define the size of the objects I am knitting. For socks, it is the exact length of the foot I am knitting for.  I find such a measure gives a more accurate length of the sole of the sock. I can compare my knitting to the slots and grooves on the wood "story board" (by feel) and know when to move on to the next part of the pattern.  This allows me to knit socks for different purposes from different yarns at different gauges, and still have the socks fit. The slots and grooves for socks to fit me are also on a favorite knitting sheath that works with either 9" or  6 " needles, when used with a belt in my jeans. This allows me to knit socks for myself using my knitting sheath as a measure.  The knitting sheath, needles and yarn for 3 days of knitting fit into a knitting bag only 7" x 10" x 2".  My firmly spun yarns take less space than a similar weight of commercial sock yarn, and make socks that are just as comfortable, but more durable.  The 12" needles and their sheath remain by my knitting chair.

My epiphany came when I was knitting hard spun 6-ply / 1680 ypp yarn on 10" long blunt steel 1.5 mm steel needles. I knit a couple of pair of  these socks. It is not my favorite fabric with this yarn, but is is where I learned to feel the fabric. The light was good, and I had magnifying glasses handy.   I think the firm yarn and long needles conducted and amplified (?) vibration. Once I knew there was a sensation, it was a matter of detecting fainter vibrations in other (stiffer) knitting needles and (softer) yarns, and learning what the vibrations meant.  

I am knitting a few pairs of  fine socks to practice this skill.  This detection of  errors is best learned when knitting fine, firm fabrics -  e.g., garters, socks, mittens, gloves.  I find detection of errors by feel harder when knitting soft fabrics and soft [commercial] yarns. Also, I find it much harder to feel knitting errors when using pointy needles. This may just be me, but it may also be that the  angle from the shaft of the needle to the point makes it harder to feel small variations in spacing and tension. Also, I find that grippy needles are less sensitive. I like POLISHED steel. 

In a time of Covid, we learned how to binge watch movies and TV series. Leverage that, and learn how to knit in the gloom of watching Heartland or Madame Secretary or Gunsmoke!  I cheated and knit a few pair of white ski socks during Heartland . During the current binge of Madame Secretary, I expect to knit 3 pair of socks from purple, firm spun1,680 ypp sock yarn.  In part, this is a test of which gauge/needles/knitting sheath I like best for this yarn. The yarn is cabled up from commercial 2-ply wool weaving yarn. 

I also often knit objects that are intended to be functional rather than fashion statements. I fix errors that diminish the functionality of an object, but I may leave other kinds errors in the object -  to remind the close observer that it is HANDMADE.  I do not care if the socks in a pair differ by 0.07".  It is a gift, and I tell him that the bigger sock is for his his right foot, because we both know that his right foot is bigger. 

It has taken me 20 years, but I think I am starting to understand why master knitters expected apprentices to do knit stitches for years, before allowing them to knit other kinds of stitches.  Working intently with one kind of stitch allows a better understanding of the fabric.  Knitting fine socks is very different from knitting weatherproof ganseys -- each fabric has its own "Zen".  I consider it took me 12 years to understand gansey fabric, and after a few more years, I am just starting to understand sock fabric.