N is for... no, wait a minute

Knitting!!! It's K day today, of course. 

I'm not a great knitter.  My mother is, but she claims she's bad at finishing so gets a bit frustrated when she knits something and the invidual pieces look great, but then the final put together garment looks like it was completed by someone wearing mittens. I think she's exaggerating.  The other difficulty she has is actually sourcing wool. All those little drapery shops that would have stocked it are long gone, and I can't convince her to get online (since their home computer got a virus and ran up the phone bill - she doesn't believe in Macs, which seem to be less targeted, or that a decent virus checker would help).

She loves to remind me about how I learned to knit in primary school (on those little coloured needles) and let's just say that I was a little impatient about the lack of progress.  I was sitting there with 'a face' on me, and when Mum asked what was wrong, she was greeted with a wail: 'But I want it to grow down!'  As you can imagine, this has popped up many times in the twenty-five odd years since. When I was buying patterns in John Lewis the other day, I got to talking with the woman beside me. She lamented the fact that nobody learns to sew these days, and I said I was taught hand-sewing, embroidery, patchwork and knitting in primary school - I didn't realise that went out years before in the UK.  She was really surprised and said that here, her daughters didn't learn anything like that.  I feel all the more grateful to Mrs. Clarke now.

So far all I've made are scarves.  Probably because they 'grow down' quickly.

 

The silver one is just miles of a now discontinued Rowan wool.  I just kept going with that it - and in fact I think I might frog it and reuse it.  But I'm not sure if it would knit up ok for a second time.The black one is velvety chenille stuff interwoven with velvet ribbon from London poshest (i.e. most glorious and correspondingly expensive) trimming shop, VV Rouleaux,   The green one is a deranged project that was sort of based on a Knitty pattern, which I knit on enormous needles, size 20 I think.  Buggers to handle.  I was going home for Christmas and decided to take it with me, to get Mum to help me finish it off (hadn't quite learned to cast off I think), and knew I'd have a problem taking the needles on the plane.   So Mum said, 'Don't worry  [Matha is heya], I've got lots of needles, just bring it home.'.  When she actually saw it, she said 'What the hell did you knit that on, broomhandles?'  So my Daddy went out and cut two willow branches, stripped the bark and made me needles, and then left them by the fire to dry out for a day.  They were fantastic, and we got it finished.  Then Dad used them to light the next day's fire - no pride in his workmanship, that man.

I'd like to knit something I can actually wear, but my problem is that I'd like something lacy, delicated, soft, fluffy - or as it's also known, 'Advanced'.  I always want to run before I can crawl.  And I'd crawl here on my hands and knees if only I had the cash to buy anything when I actually arrived.  Mind you, it would probably be quite good exercise. 

Comments

[pixie]

Hello dear Flib, you must not be comment-less! I do not knit, have no desire to knit...I sew. I love the dresses you've made, especialy the black holiday dress.Kepp on blogging, oh and posting on a year of colour too. Pink sauce bottles...hmmm.

[Flibbertygibbet]

Thank you Pixie! I see from your blog that you're a master (mistress?!) quilter... send me good vibes for my first effort!