As a child I was surrounded by wool. My mum worked in the wool shop in the village and was constantly either knitting at her machine, or sewing up in the chair by the fire. My nan, my mother’s mum, also knit and it was she who first tried to get me to make something, showing me how to cast on, to knit the stitches and to create small rows of knitting. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried I could never keep to the required number of stitches and my rows grew by three or four at each turn. The wrath of a grandparent ensured I didn’t carry on with something I always wish I had.
So in recent weeks I have decided to try again. I have grand visions of Aran jumpers with great fancy cables up them, fishermens’ ganseys made on the round and with no seams, fancy cardigans sported by super-models, all made by my clacking needles in a few days from the home-spun wool of my own sheep. The reality is much more mundane. For a start I have no sheep, which is a big hindrance when you want to knit chunky shepherd-wear. For another, I have had to start from scratch and teach myself the basics. Thanks are due, in part, to my mum for the basic stitches and to You Tube, for some reminder videos.
Women make it look so easy. They sit there on the bus, in the hospital, by the fire, needles blurred and wool ball bouncing as a fancy jumper takes shape in seconds. Me? I spend twenty minutes trying to knit one row. Why? Because the needles slip out of my hands, because I try to knit the loose bit of wool and not the bit attached to the ball, because the stitches slip off the needles, because my fingers are all thumbs, because I knit so tightly I can’t get the needle into the stitch, because I have only been doing it five minutes where many people learn as kids and carry on. Even so, I have almost got the knit stitch sorted. Next on the list is the purl. Once they are ‘mastered’ I can have a go at casting on (because this is something I don’t quite understand how to do), ribs, cables, patterns and casting off. One step at a time. I do find it relaxing though, until the concentration headache starts, but then I just put it down and go and do the dishes or something.
There’s no real rush to learn, I have all winter. If it takes a few weeks that’s fine, although I’ve had to rethink my original ‘Aran’s for everyone’ Christmas present idea. After that it’s practice and only then, when I have the basics learnt, can I move on to the next step – getting a few sheep.
So in recent weeks I have decided to try again. I have grand visions of Aran jumpers with great fancy cables up them, fishermens’ ganseys made on the round and with no seams, fancy cardigans sported by super-models, all made by my clacking needles in a few days from the home-spun wool of my own sheep. The reality is much more mundane. For a start I have no sheep, which is a big hindrance when you want to knit chunky shepherd-wear. For another, I have had to start from scratch and teach myself the basics. Thanks are due, in part, to my mum for the basic stitches and to You Tube, for some reminder videos.
Women make it look so easy. They sit there on the bus, in the hospital, by the fire, needles blurred and wool ball bouncing as a fancy jumper takes shape in seconds. Me? I spend twenty minutes trying to knit one row. Why? Because the needles slip out of my hands, because I try to knit the loose bit of wool and not the bit attached to the ball, because the stitches slip off the needles, because my fingers are all thumbs, because I knit so tightly I can’t get the needle into the stitch, because I have only been doing it five minutes where many people learn as kids and carry on. Even so, I have almost got the knit stitch sorted. Next on the list is the purl. Once they are ‘mastered’ I can have a go at casting on (because this is something I don’t quite understand how to do), ribs, cables, patterns and casting off. One step at a time. I do find it relaxing though, until the concentration headache starts, but then I just put it down and go and do the dishes or something.
There’s no real rush to learn, I have all winter. If it takes a few weeks that’s fine, although I’ve had to rethink my original ‘Aran’s for everyone’ Christmas present idea. After that it’s practice and only then, when I have the basics learnt, can I move on to the next step – getting a few sheep.
2 comments:
It would be lovely if you could knit something with the wool from the Kite's Nest Sheep.
Rosamund has 4 (Angelina, Ellen, Leonora and Tealeaf) all producing excellent wool...and I hand spin it:-)..very slowly, although I aim to spend a great deal more time doing it this year.
You can see my efforts at the www.naturesthreads.co.uk as I progress.
We will all look forward to meeting you online.
Carol Webb
Well, now that I have 'mastered' the technique of not letting stitches fall off the needle I would like to attempt something with 'real' wool. My New Year's resolution is to learn how to make socks so a unique wool would be perfect.
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