Knit 'n' Bitch

Well, I've put writing to one side for a while in favour of learning to knit.

I'm a great procrastinator and have threatened to learn to knit for years.  When I was little and off school sick with a particularly nasty case of tonsillitis mum taught me to knit (probably in an effort to shut my continual spouts of, ‘help me, I’m dying’ up).  And, to make sure that I was completely and thoroughly occupied, she threw me in the deep end by teaching me to knit not just in one colour - but in (drum roll please) several.....  I can't remember just what it was I created - probably a scarf - but I do remember sitting on the sofa, only casually aware of Play School being aired on the telly, and carefully threading each colour slowly around the needle in a effort to create a work of pure art.  I remember using the colours red, yellow and white and making tassels for the end of the finish product.  Then I got better and dropped the needles in favour of playing outside.  I didn’t pick a pair of needles up again for decades.

Roll on the clock 20 years and Ben bought me a lovely sewing machine for Christmas.  I made patchwork quilts, curtains, napkins, and the occasional top.  I made quilt covers and pillow cases, cushion covers, and am still halfway through making a Halloween throw for our bed made of fat quarters.  (I must dig that out….)  And, during all this time, I still wondered about knitting.  But instead of picking up the needles and starting again, I got into latch hook rug making instead, which is a great hobby.  Me and mum made several colourful rugs.  A were popped in front of the fireplaces in our homes for years.  I even had a frame, but it had a wonky leg so ended up in the bin.

 I also completed a lovely sunflower design that I still need to find a home for.  Sunflowers (and poppies) are my favourite flowers.

In fact, I’ve yet to start a massive 8ft by 5ft rug in a wonderful medieval design called Shalimar.  It’s boxed up and stored away in my wardrobe and is decorated in roses and unicorns and other very old images.

 
I’ve got patterns for the barn….

And for Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’…..

But I need to get the wool to complete them.

Anyhow, back to the subject of knitting….  Due to Ben completing a presentation package for Kodak, I couldn’t get on the pc in the evenings to do my bit of writing.  Instead, driven by boredom, I picked up the needles and began knitting a Shaker-style throw - and LOVED it.  Why had I waited so long?  You get such a sense of achievement from completing even the smallest of sample squares.  When complete, this is what the finished project should look like….

Wish me luck….

Karen