Sunday, January 29, 2006

Gettin' Knitty With It

I did it! After 32 years and many attempts to learn, I have finally figured out this knitting thing. I was inspired by bettie and Fuchsia, the neat projects over at craftster.org and my desire to make the really, really cool things in Debbie Stoller's Stitch 'n Bitch books. Plus, people I know keep getting pregnant, which makes me want to knit things for them. I asked for the first Stoller book for my birthday (back in October) and didn't get it. I put it on my Christmas list, and didn't get it. So I went and bought the sucker, borrowed some needles and yarn from a friend and went to town.

I've been a crafter for years. My first solo projects included dresses sewn for my dolls and coasters stitched on that plastic canvas stuff, somewhere around the age of 8. Before that I'd been making Christmas ornaments and Mrs. Tiggywinkles and helping my mom card, dye and spin her wool for years. I also wove myself a scarf in there somewhere, on a floor-loom, no less. As a teenager I progressed onto cross-stitch and have amassed hundreds of patterns since then, and have a good ten projects on the go at any one time.

Knitting always eluded me. Three female relatives tried to teach me. Friends sat me down with needles and yarn. I just found it to be too frustrating, so inevitably I'd give up on it. I don't know what twigged this time, whether it was (like bettie) jealousy that friends could do something I couldn't which made me stubborn enough this time around; or whether it was the way Stoller writes her book with not just clear but also fun instructions; or whether it's because there are tiny babies arriving in the world soon, and I feel the need to help keep them warm and snuggy. Or maybe the universe just decided that it's my time. Whatever it is, I'm addicted.

And now I'm gonna show off!


First swatch in garter stitch! I had to pull it all out about 3 times before I wound up with this.


First swatch in stockinette.


First attempt to change colours.


First project! It's the Windy City (tm) scarf from the first Stitch 'n Bitch book, but I decided to change the colour more than once. It looks like the width is less than the picture in the book, but that's just fine because it's for my friend's 3-year old daughter and she has a little neck, being three and all. [grin]

I'm very, very proud of me!

8 comments:

Meghan said...

ROCK ON!!!

So, now that you've got the hang of it... you want to come give me some knitting moral support here in the Land o' Sunshine?

Pretty please?

jenn said...

Yay!

Well done you!

CosmicAvatar said...

Well done! Always good when one has something to show for one's creative efforts.

Anonymous said...

Yay!

Those look fantastic. Well done!


~ mouse (at work and don't want to sign in)

Anonymous said...

Wahey!!

Love the scarf :-)

Dogeared said...

Great stuff!

Mum's a knitter. She used to knit Christmas ornaments whch were always in demand with friends and family and for the school Christmas fairs. She tried teaching me little bits when I was little, and I made a little jam roll (for a doll's tea party) and a square for a knitted blanket.

She also used to knit dolls and toys, and beautiful cardigans, but she doesn't have time these days- maybe I should get her to teach me!

I used to cross-stitch too- isn't it therapeutic?

allison said...

Pretty, pretty! Plus, Yay! for you!!

The Bears said...

Pretty! Pretty! Pretty!

*much bouncing up and down of Bears*

OK Bye
Spike