Confessions of a would be knitter

Back in 2013 in my post infections-and-coals-to-Newcastle. I made reference to my BFF having a genetic proclivity to knitting and my lack of the same gene.

I noted her attempts to infect me with the knitting bug and the immunity I appear to have to that particular infection. I did promise at a later date to give that a post of its own.

It has taken some time but here is that post.

Haven given it some consideration, and because as you may have noted before if you have visited with me I am a keeper of things past I note that my friend was not the first to try me with the knitting.

School made the first attempt that I can recollect and for which I have evidence.  I think in the juniors, we were supposed to knit a scarf, I recall being quite firm that I had no use for a scarf, that I and my family just did not wear them! Stubborn about that I did not knit a scarf, I knit a much shorter  length than required for a scarf and turned it into a little bag.  Which I still have.

Little Red bag front

Knitted red bag back

The next knitting project at school was to make mittens, we were each told to bring two balls of wool with which to knit mitts.  I was even more apposed to this project as I could not see the point of so much effort for something that would quickly become a mitt, I was always loosing one of whatever pair of hand coverings I had.  I had a cunning plan, forget to tell my mother I needed wool and there would be nothing to knit with.

Sadly for me the class teacher had her own cunning plan, odd balls of wool, so whilst all the other girls in the class (yup just the girls, I forget what the boys got to do whilst we knit) made single coloured mittens. I made two tone ones, half red and half yellow.

I can't really recall the knitting process, I have a feeling it was fraught with difficulties and for the thumb there was much help required. Additionally it took me so long to finish kitting these that all the other girls had moved on to sewing an apron and then a "gypsy" skirt, the kind with an elasticated waist and a flounce at the bottom. I never caught up enough to make the skirt, although the apron was finished and was shared on an earlier post. proof-positive.

I do however recall that I did not like them, which is possibly why all childish predictions aside I still have both mittens.

And what is more I can still get them on! Not sure if that is because I made them too big in the first place or my hands have not grown all that much.

This is a little update on the mittens,  I fiund the pattern in with some of my mothers things tucked into a box.  I can be sure it is the pattern for the mittens as if you look closly you will see how helpful the instructions for the thumb are...well perhaps not...I very much doubt my teacher is still available to see...therefore having taken the picture for the blog I have thrown it away.

That was the end of the knitting at school, things moved on to material, at least for the others as noted above. With for me at that time, an equal level of enthusiasm as I had towards the knitting..  

Whilst my mother did knit, and I had nice things to wear because of that, it was never something I picked up or had the concentration level for.  Occasionally I would set out to knit a blanket for a doll, which would become a cloak as the intended rectangle somehow became a steeply angled trapezium.

Knitting and I as a craft and skill parted ways for many years. Well other than as a recipient for others skill.

Periodically I would try and do squares for those charity knit blankets , also not a great success.  By the time I managed a credible square everyone else had churned out so many the project was over and done with and my contribution no longer required.

Then there was fancy wool, with  fuzzy bits, wool that hid little mistakes in tension..I could manage a scarf with that, and I did.  Delighted to have found a knit I could do I made scarfs, for my friend the knitter, for other friends...then I was done with that and bored.

Scarf

Now my friend having had a go at quilting and cross stitch at my urging, now felt the need to reciprocate.  She felt that what I needed to help me focus was something a bit more complicated than basic knit or purl. Not a change to something that required shaping, but variation in the combination of stitches to hold my interest.  So cable was the idea,  A pattern for a sort poncho, that is made from two knitted lengths with cable and basket work that are sewn together.

And so it began, only seventy stitches wide with three lots of cable separated by basket work.  Oh my!

The level of concentration it takes for me to do this knitting thing! My friend kept telling me it would get easier, it would become muscle memory, that I would be able to knit whilst carrying on a conversation, watch the TV, do both even.

Sadly she was wrong, I am not even capable of thinking anything other than knit one purl one (or whatever the required combination) any other thought and I loose my place, forget what the count is or even whether I am on a knit or a purl.

Still I kept going, very slowly, very very slowly.  My friend would keep helping, checking my count, taking it back a stitch or two when I mixed up stitch type.  After many months of work I had about sixty or so rows done  (I did say I was slow didn't I) but there was something wrong, something , my friend took a look, she figured I has made a mistake a couple of rows back.  Oh that was awful, that was hours for me, my friend said taking that back would be tricky for her, she would get her mother to take it back to the mistake. Deep breath and off it went to her mother.

My friend, got in touch with me to gently break the news, her mother had taken out more than expected to get back to where I had made a mistake 29 rows.  Oh! 29 to do again, horror....

Sadly, that had been a slightly misinterpreted message from my friend's mother. The correct message was that she had taken it back to row 29! That was an evenings knitting to replace for my friends mother. This was beyond horror for me, this was put it in a bag and can't face even thinking about it for nine months bad.  

I did eventual get back to it and even finished the first half.

And here is another one of the confessions promised in the title, chronologically (not actual hours spent knitting, even if it did feel like it) it took me seven years to get to this point .

Yes the eagle eyed knitters amongst you will see a mistake in this...and I don't care! It is staying there no pulling out for me on this project I shall just pretend I can't see it, and most of the time that is quite true I can't and that is half the problem.

If knitting was music, I am tone deaf. (Actually I am not that good with music either)

First half

Making progress ?

The second half is started..and is going even quicker than the first (yup sarcasm)

And it is still just as hard, I only knit when I am alone, to avoid the chance of someone inadvertently speaking to me so I loose count or place or even what type of stitch I should be doing,, I knit in silence as anything, TV or music, is just too distracting. The only sound is me muttering, knit one purl one once, knit one purl one twice, knit one purl one three times, knit two..where was I!

Each row finished is a victory, if I manage four that is time to stop, any attempt at more than that and I am tempting fate. If I think I have gone wrong..well if I can't take it back, I apply the motto of this blog.  (My BFF's mother is avoided at all costs LOL)

Given it took me seven years, as noted earlier, to get half way, and I have taken almost as many years again I think (having slowed considerably, which is saying something) to get to here I am not expecting an announcement of a finish anytime soon.

{ a little light hearted update, my BFF decided to knit this poncho in a mottled wool, she has got further in a few weeks than I did in a few years, however she has decided that the pattern is doomed...pop on over to her blog, it will be like time travel to the future to see why Click HERE for link and I am not laughing honest I am not..but it does make me feel a teensy bit better...)

Madly this is not my only knitting project, the other one lives at my friends house.  A bobbly sort of wool she did not like, not at the speed she knits, became mine as my slow style suited the wool better.  A pattern less complicated but with shaping, a long line sort of waistcoat.  It went quickly enough when all I had to do was knit row after row till a set length was reached, ah but then the shaping began.  And this required such a level of concentration for both my friend and I we both have to be in the right place mentally to attempt it. Add on vastly reduced visits to my friends house following my mothers illness and that project has also stalled.  Perhaps when we both retire (either sadly or happily depending on how I feel on the day and that is a lot of years away yet) we might have the time and the stillness of mind to make progress.  Of course by then the size chosen to make it will no doubt be too small.

Oh I did have a piece of my knitting win a prize in the local craft show, well sort of, from a certain point of view as Giles may not have reached the giddy heights of first place without his amazing scarf.

Ah you thought that was the end of the knitting confession, nope as it is not just the knitting it is the notions for the knitting.  My friend immediately thought it was a new gift category and bought me one of those folding floor stand basket things. Now she can be forgiven for thinking that there would be much knitting ahead.  However I should have known better , and not bought a  knitting needle case.

Or a variety of knitting needles and other oddments to put in it (oh and ones that won't fit) as the likelihood of them getting used is rather slim.

Especially all those single needles with the plastic bits!  What are they even for! Now this was not expensive as I got them all at a charity shop at a combined price.  That the money went to a god use is a mitigating factor but still why!  I expect that they at least will be going back to a charity shop some time soon.

Just to finish a couple of recommendations (knitting related but not knitting assisting) The Vampire Knitting Club series of books by Nancy Warren are light-hearted, funny and the main character and I have a lot in common with our attempts to knit.  And secondly the U Tube video Learning to Kit with Brandon Farris makes me laugh . My friend taught me to cast on with the long tail method...drove me crazy trying to get enough tail to do all the stitches without running out or having far too much all of a dangle...anyway if you want to try the u tube this may be a link to it, I an not to grand with tech either. Link to The video click this.  Shared it with my knitting friend and she felt for the teacher!