On the first leg of my flight to Iowa, I pulled out a new skein of yarn and size five double point needles and cast on for a pair of fingerless gloves. I adore multi tasking, so knitting while watching a movie or while listening to a podcast or audiobook seems like excellent time management, but knitting without the extra stimulation allows my mind to unwind. I don't always appreciate this - I have found times when I really would rather not be alone with my thoughts.
But happily, today was not one of those times and I found myself revisiting the day I learned to knit. It was Superbowl Sunday in 2007. While I knew how to crochet, having learned as a girl and did various projects over the years, in my late teems quilting overtook everything else as a favorite activity. (Well... except for reading of course!) But I found cotton fabrics more appealing than acrylic yarns.
Somewhere along the line over the years, I realized that Marji had learned to knit and was making some very lovely items. When they were planning a visit to Oregon in the winter of 2007, I finally decided this was the time for me to learn. So I gave her a warning ahead of time.
Her response was enthusiastic, "Okay!" And she brought me some scrap yarn and an assortment of long aluminum knitting needles.
But first, it was mandatory to go shopping for yarn for a proper Project. I had decided on a scarf and the prior week was spent Googling scarf patterns, printing out a couple, and making a Plan. Aha! A whole new opportunity for shopping! I hadn't anticipated this! But, there are so many knitting accessories that, you know, one can't pass up...
We headed to Websters in Ashland. Oh. My. Goodness. Yarn has really changed since the late 1970's! Ooh la la, such textures! Such colors! I couldn't stop touching! And, it was really, really difficult to finally choose something. I finally settled on a Nubby Texture in a blue, teal, and purple colorway, and it was SO SOFT!
On to the knitting bit... Marji demonstrated a cast on. What?? How am I going to remember how to that after she leaves?! After all, you only do it once, then not again until you start a new project. Well, in theory as it turns out. So picking up a knitting "how to" book at the yarn shop was actually a brilliant idea (when Marji suggested it, I was thinking, "Why? Isn't she teaching me?) Because, as it happens, one must cast on every time one rips one's work out to start over because somehow, several rows down, the number of stitches has mysteriously changed. And not always in the same way. Which, for a while I thought, heck, it should all come out reasonably well in the end! Trouble was, there's also a mistake called Dropped Stitches, and this will unravel back to the beginning if it isn't fixed at some point. Which I didn't know how to do, just that it involved a crochet hook. I have some of those! The skinny ones are handy for opening bathroom doors in our house when it's been accidentally locked with nobody inside. Or when kids have locked themselves in and who knows what they're up to...
So I became adept at casting on in spite of myself. I also frequently forgot which way to wind the yarn when making a knit stitch, thus the book was a Good Thing.
After feeling relatively confident with the scrap yarn = easy to see stitches, I cast on with my Nubby Textured yarn = hard to see stitches. Cool! The mistakes won't show.
Oh. Now when I would get a different number of stitches than when I started, I had no idea of where the mistake was. Dang! Pull it back out and start again. Oh no! Nubby Textured yarn doesn't rip out like regular plain old boring yarn... okay, take it out carefully, stitch by stitch.
Do it again.
And again...
Okay, done with a whole skein finally without having to start over, and you know what? It's long enough. Even if it could be longer, no way am I going to dip into the second skein when I can be done!!
Next project: A shawl. Rich and I were anticipating the upcoming Black White and the Blues art benefit auction in March and I needed a little something to go over my shoulders to go with my little black dress.
Yarn: A fabulous "eyelash" yarn in browns and blacks. A pattern book, and size 15 straights.
Oh my goodness, these needles are awkward and long and I can't make them behave properly. Kind of like the smaller sized straights, only worse. I end up holding the left one under my arm, and maneuver the right one, but even so, when nearing the end of a row, the rest of the stitches slide right off. And eyelash yarn? Even harder to keep straight than Nubby Textured yarn. I comment on this to Marji during a phone call. "That's another reason people like circular needles - they're shorter and easier to handle."
Well! And here I thought circulars were only for knitting round stuff.
So, off for another shopping opportunity. I purchased a set of beautiful bamboo circular size 15 needles, and sure enough, much easier to use. Still had to be careful though, eyelash yarn tends to "stack" and you easily can knit into two stitches at once by mistake. I counted stitches on every row.
I did take an unexpected trip to Iowa that month for Grossmommie Nisly's funeral and this gave me travel time to work on the shawl, plus get help from Marji.
At the airport, a lady was watching me. "That looks like a challenge."
Me: "It is. I only learned how to knit three weeks ago and I'm having a bit of trouble with this yarn."
Lady: "Why don't you work on something easier?"
Me: "Because I need to wear it next week..."
Uh, well, sometimes we like a challenge. Do we not?
It brings to mind something I read recently: A "knitter" keeps going even when it gets frustrating. :)
The shawl did turn out nicely. Even though I found a dropped stitch somewhere in the middle when I went to wear it. Hmm... Masking tape didn't seem appropriate for this type of clothing repair (works well for hems though)... I know! A small binder clip will hold it in place. Which it did for the next year and a half before I finally caught Marji for help with it. She studied it, then asked for a sewing needle and black thread to stabilize it (remember funny yarn = can't see mistakes). Why didn't I think of that!
 |
| Starting on fingerless gloves... |
Somewhere along the line over the years, I realized that Marji had learned to knit and was making some very lovely items. When they were planning a visit to Oregon in the winter of 2007, I finally decided this was the time for me to learn. So I gave her a warning ahead of time.
Her response was enthusiastic, "Okay!" And she brought me some scrap yarn and an assortment of long aluminum knitting needles.
But first, it was mandatory to go shopping for yarn for a proper Project. I had decided on a scarf and the prior week was spent Googling scarf patterns, printing out a couple, and making a Plan. Aha! A whole new opportunity for shopping! I hadn't anticipated this! But, there are so many knitting accessories that, you know, one can't pass up...
We headed to Websters in Ashland. Oh. My. Goodness. Yarn has really changed since the late 1970's! Ooh la la, such textures! Such colors! I couldn't stop touching! And, it was really, really difficult to finally choose something. I finally settled on a Nubby Texture in a blue, teal, and purple colorway, and it was SO SOFT!
On to the knitting bit... Marji demonstrated a cast on. What?? How am I going to remember how to that after she leaves?! After all, you only do it once, then not again until you start a new project. Well, in theory as it turns out. So picking up a knitting "how to" book at the yarn shop was actually a brilliant idea (when Marji suggested it, I was thinking, "Why? Isn't she teaching me?) Because, as it happens, one must cast on every time one rips one's work out to start over because somehow, several rows down, the number of stitches has mysteriously changed. And not always in the same way. Which, for a while I thought, heck, it should all come out reasonably well in the end! Trouble was, there's also a mistake called Dropped Stitches, and this will unravel back to the beginning if it isn't fixed at some point. Which I didn't know how to do, just that it involved a crochet hook. I have some of those! The skinny ones are handy for opening bathroom doors in our house when it's been accidentally locked with nobody inside. Or when kids have locked themselves in and who knows what they're up to...
So I became adept at casting on in spite of myself. I also frequently forgot which way to wind the yarn when making a knit stitch, thus the book was a Good Thing.
After feeling relatively confident with the scrap yarn = easy to see stitches, I cast on with my Nubby Textured yarn = hard to see stitches. Cool! The mistakes won't show.
Oh. Now when I would get a different number of stitches than when I started, I had no idea of where the mistake was. Dang! Pull it back out and start again. Oh no! Nubby Textured yarn doesn't rip out like regular plain old boring yarn... okay, take it out carefully, stitch by stitch.
Do it again.
And again...
Okay, done with a whole skein finally without having to start over, and you know what? It's long enough. Even if it could be longer, no way am I going to dip into the second skein when I can be done!!
Next project: A shawl. Rich and I were anticipating the upcoming Black White and the Blues art benefit auction in March and I needed a little something to go over my shoulders to go with my little black dress.
Yarn: A fabulous "eyelash" yarn in browns and blacks. A pattern book, and size 15 straights.
Oh my goodness, these needles are awkward and long and I can't make them behave properly. Kind of like the smaller sized straights, only worse. I end up holding the left one under my arm, and maneuver the right one, but even so, when nearing the end of a row, the rest of the stitches slide right off. And eyelash yarn? Even harder to keep straight than Nubby Textured yarn. I comment on this to Marji during a phone call. "That's another reason people like circular needles - they're shorter and easier to handle."
Well! And here I thought circulars were only for knitting round stuff.
So, off for another shopping opportunity. I purchased a set of beautiful bamboo circular size 15 needles, and sure enough, much easier to use. Still had to be careful though, eyelash yarn tends to "stack" and you easily can knit into two stitches at once by mistake. I counted stitches on every row.
I did take an unexpected trip to Iowa that month for Grossmommie Nisly's funeral and this gave me travel time to work on the shawl, plus get help from Marji.
At the airport, a lady was watching me. "That looks like a challenge."
Me: "It is. I only learned how to knit three weeks ago and I'm having a bit of trouble with this yarn."
Lady: "Why don't you work on something easier?"
Me: "Because I need to wear it next week..."
Uh, well, sometimes we like a challenge. Do we not?
It brings to mind something I read recently: A "knitter" keeps going even when it gets frustrating. :)
The shawl did turn out nicely. Even though I found a dropped stitch somewhere in the middle when I went to wear it. Hmm... Masking tape didn't seem appropriate for this type of clothing repair (works well for hems though)... I know! A small binder clip will hold it in place. Which it did for the next year and a half before I finally caught Marji for help with it. She studied it, then asked for a sewing needle and black thread to stabilize it (remember funny yarn = can't see mistakes). Why didn't I think of that!
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