I must be unhinged.
Yesterday I started a new project (let us not even count the already existing projects, aka wips). The project, yes, requires those shorter circular needles and their annoyingly short grip-this-part-of-the-needle parts.
It is-- another Very Warm Hat.
I have never had such a dramatic response from my family, to something that I knit.
Consider the Awesomeness of Elizabeth Zimmermann:
I wish I had met EZ but, let me tell you, Meg Swansen, her daughter and knitter extraordinaire, is pretty darn awesome too :)
(Sorry, followed a rabbit trail there.)
So, walking with the dog yesterday it was cold- no, not Winnipeg or Minot, ND cold, but pretty cold. I thought to myself, "gee, I could sure use one of those Warm hats... I have that leftover red wool/alpaca yarn, and some white or beige or cream..." By the time I got home an hour later I had it all planned out. Estonian braids, color work, fun stuff.
I had forgotten The Hands.
So the good thing is, because they are still sore when moved in certain ways, I can adjust my knitting grip/motions/etc in direct response to my hand twinges. Very helpful.
The bad thing is that I have to work for short intervals and take lots of breaks.
I realized that I grip the needles far too tightly, in a wrong-headed attempt to control my loose-knitter tendencies. But if I hold them very lightly, and rest/anchor my left hand on something solid-ish (like the table in front of me or my lap) I can totally eliminate the small almost-spastic actions my left hand was doing with EVERY STITCH (yup, I think that was a shout- but of amazement).
Seriously, a great insight. I had no idea what my hands were actually doing.
PS I am experimenting with the structure of my blog, apologies if it seems to be going through seriously contorted growing pains!
Yesterday I started a new project (let us not even count the already existing projects, aka wips). The project, yes, requires those shorter circular needles and their annoyingly short grip-this-part-of-the-needle parts.
It is-- another Very Warm Hat.
I have never had such a dramatic response from my family, to something that I knit.
Consider the Awesomeness of Elizabeth Zimmermann:
- My son-#2-in-Colorado (where let me tell you the high yesterday was 6 degrees Fahrenheit so he really wants his hat) is hourly checking the progress of the hat I mailed to him on Tuesday morning.
- Sons #1 and #3 have both admired the finished hats, and politely indicated they might, in fact, want one.
- Husband loves his and wears it literally any time he goes outside in the cold. Even, sometimes, to work.
- My daughter, who otherwise considers me Far From Cool (which I consider quite the compliment, frankly, when I see what passes for Cool) also likes it and, um, kind of wants one. Amazing.
I wish I had met EZ but, let me tell you, Meg Swansen, her daughter and knitter extraordinaire, is pretty darn awesome too :)
(Sorry, followed a rabbit trail there.)
So, walking with the dog yesterday it was cold- no, not Winnipeg or Minot, ND cold, but pretty cold. I thought to myself, "gee, I could sure use one of those Warm hats... I have that leftover red wool/alpaca yarn, and some white or beige or cream..." By the time I got home an hour later I had it all planned out. Estonian braids, color work, fun stuff.
I had forgotten The Hands.
So the good thing is, because they are still sore when moved in certain ways, I can adjust my knitting grip/motions/etc in direct response to my hand twinges. Very helpful.
The bad thing is that I have to work for short intervals and take lots of breaks.
I realized that I grip the needles far too tightly, in a wrong-headed attempt to control my loose-knitter tendencies. But if I hold them very lightly, and rest/anchor my left hand on something solid-ish (like the table in front of me or my lap) I can totally eliminate the small almost-spastic actions my left hand was doing with EVERY STITCH (yup, I think that was a shout- but of amazement).
Seriously, a great insight. I had no idea what my hands were actually doing.
PS I am experimenting with the structure of my blog, apologies if it seems to be going through seriously contorted growing pains!
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