Five years ago today, in the home of a woman whose name I no longer remember, I learned to knit. I was a member of a group of moms* who participated in various types of activities and outings, and several women had expressed an interest in knitting. One of the members knew someone who not only knitted but agreed to teach us, and she organized a time and hosted the class in her home.
There were six or seven of us on that Sunday afternoon and although I don't remember any of the other students, I will always remember the teacher, Hannah. She was kind and she was patient in her teaching, but she had two guiding principles for knitting from which I quickly diverged: use aluminum needles and buy the cheapest yarn available. It did not take long for me to realize that I hated the feel of both aluminum and acrylic, and when I decided that I liked knitting enough to stick with it, I purchased better needles and far better yarn!
Hannah showed us how to do a simple cast on and had us practice it several times, then taught us the two basic stitches: knit, and purl. We sat around the living room trying out our new found knowledge, working to get the hang of knitting and laughing at our mistakes. A few members of the first class reconvened two or three weeks after the initial meeting, but I was the only person who had continued to knit after the first few days. Hannah was pleased with my progress - several inches of garter stitch - and showed me how to bind off.
In the five years since my introduction to knitting, I have learned to appreciate good tools and materials. I prefer to knit with bamboo or wooden needles, and I adore knitting with alpaca, merino wool, and other fine fibers. With the basics learned and learned well, I can now expand my knowledge by viewing videos or reading instructions. I have completed over 130 different projects, many of which were gifts. I have learned that many people simply are not knitworthy, but that many other people are. I enjoy the process of knitting, and I enjoy having a finished product. Knitting has opened up a whole new world of fiber crafts and fiber fanatics.
Five years ago, I had no idea that knitting would become one of my passions. Thank you, Hannah!
*That group, the Fun Fayette Moms or something of the sort, taught me that being a mother is simply not enough common ground on which to build a friendship. I am reminded of that fact quite often.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Quick knit bit
Here is the cowl that I knit as a Christmas gift for my mother:
The pattern is Shawl Collared Cowl by Alana Dakos. You can see how the cowl is worn by looking at the cowl's pattern page on her website. I first saw the cowl in Soper Creek Yarn, the yarn store in Ontario that my friend Geri took me to visit and it really did not pique my interest; I don't think it was displayed to its best advantage. It wasn't until Geri knit the pattern and modeled the cowl on her blog that I saw just how pretty it is, and decided it would be a lovely gift for my mother.
I chose a beautiful all purpose charcoal grey colorway of Mista Alpaca Chunky, which is 100% Alpaca and 100% divine. I had a devil of a time getting gauge and ended up achieving it with US 4 needles - five needle sizes smaller than the pattern suggested. The pattern was interesting to knit and is a good example of those times when just reading a pattern confuses me but when I get into the actual knitting, it all makes sense.
After I completed her cowl, I knit another buttoned neckwarmer just like the one I knit for Aidan's teacher. I discovered when I finished Mr. A's neckwarmer that I had used just under half of the skein of yarn, and decided that rather than put away the yarn and likely never use it, I would quickly knit up another and see if anyone wanted it:
Not long after I posted the "free to a good home" notice on Facebook, my lovely Mary asked for it. We ended up working out a trade - the cowl in exchange for a gorgeous set of votive candles and tray. I still think she received the short end of the stick on that trade. Speaking of Mary, she is a very talented artist and (shameless plug) you can see a small portion of her work in her Etsy shop.
As for knitting, I am selfishly knitting some items for me - stay tuned.
The pattern is Shawl Collared Cowl by Alana Dakos. You can see how the cowl is worn by looking at the cowl's pattern page on her website. I first saw the cowl in Soper Creek Yarn, the yarn store in Ontario that my friend Geri took me to visit and it really did not pique my interest; I don't think it was displayed to its best advantage. It wasn't until Geri knit the pattern and modeled the cowl on her blog that I saw just how pretty it is, and decided it would be a lovely gift for my mother.
I chose a beautiful all purpose charcoal grey colorway of Mista Alpaca Chunky, which is 100% Alpaca and 100% divine. I had a devil of a time getting gauge and ended up achieving it with US 4 needles - five needle sizes smaller than the pattern suggested. The pattern was interesting to knit and is a good example of those times when just reading a pattern confuses me but when I get into the actual knitting, it all makes sense.
After I completed her cowl, I knit another buttoned neckwarmer just like the one I knit for Aidan's teacher. I discovered when I finished Mr. A's neckwarmer that I had used just under half of the skein of yarn, and decided that rather than put away the yarn and likely never use it, I would quickly knit up another and see if anyone wanted it:
Not long after I posted the "free to a good home" notice on Facebook, my lovely Mary asked for it. We ended up working out a trade - the cowl in exchange for a gorgeous set of votive candles and tray. I still think she received the short end of the stick on that trade. Speaking of Mary, she is a very talented artist and (shameless plug) you can see a small portion of her work in her Etsy shop.
As for knitting, I am selfishly knitting some items for me - stay tuned.
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