(new teapot and cups by Gary Rith...featuring Penny the beagle, for one....)
You will recall some discussion here about my LAST knitting project, a sweater I was working on for the wife back in 1992...I set it down...for 23 years. It was 2/3 finished, and frankly, I faked myself out: it was a complicated pattern I had devised, and over 23 years I forgot how to knit, and whenever I picked it up I was too intimidated to try again.
The wife exorcised THAT demon, bless her, by turning it into the awesome pillow you see the dog sleeping on here. Like I say: complicated.
I knit several sweaters in the 80s, sprinkling them across the galaxy of my dating life ( boyfriend who did NOT wine and dine you, but did give you pots...and sweaters....maybe I seem weird....?).
MY GOAL now was two part, since I no longer felt I had to finish the sweater: a) relearn knitting and b) knit tea cozies, like a penguin shaped tea cozy! That may not happen this week, but I pestered my wife, just as I had pestered my mom when I was 18 and had my wisdom teeth out, to teach me how to knit again.
I was a horrible student to both with my snotty "what the hell are you doing?!" and "THAT is not how you do that!". It should be noted, as you see here, that she is a very accomplished and experienced knitter making herself a very complicated cardigan....and I should be a nicer student ;)
ANYWAY, I dipped into the yarn bag and...
she: why are you using those needles, where did you get those?
he: I dunno, these are the only knitting needles I ever used
she: Where did that come from, why are you using that yarn???
he: It came from the bag, I bought it in 1988, and there is a lot of it! that is why I am using it.
I knit an inch. I want to make a double wide scarf and then fold it back and stitch the edge, making a normal width scarf that is IMPOSSIBLY THICK AND WARM. I figured it would be 50 stitches wide. NO. 80 looked good. Now I have an inch! If I do an inch a day (and take my vitamins, eat right, exercise, brush my teeth, clean the cat box, sweep the floor, do the dishes, walk the dog and EVERY OTHER DAMN THING I HAVE TO DO each day, plus work TWO JOBS) I figure I will have a scarf by, what, Memorial Day or the Fourth of July?????????
Below: sweater by me turned pillow.....
w.JPG)
5 comments:
I love knitting when the weather turns cool. Mmm, you may be inspiring me again. PS, that pillow is really a winner.
My wife and her wonderful cadre of 'fiber people' will love to read today's blog! I think you'll have broadened your fan base!
Cheers to you for re-learning to knit! I tried to learn, just not patient enough. I would get to stressed about it and my stitches would get too tight.
I’ve thought about taking up knitting to keep me busy during slow times of art shows and to show my yarn bowls in action. Of course YOU actually took the steps to learn, good for you.
Fair dinkum, that was a complicated pattern. Great cushion. Knitting is active meditation, good for the colder months.
Post a Comment