Knitting Groups
I am a member of a knitting group that meets once a week at a local library.
One of the joys of the group is meeting knitters from many different backgrounds and with a wide array of knitting abilities and interests. Another is, frankly, an hour and a half of dedicated knitting time! The precious woman who started it all is such a delight-- she will try anything, knitting-wise, and I mean anything. She is insatiably curious, intrepid, bold and joyfully flings herself into new projects. Great fun.
Today we all met, but there were only three of us.
And I got to help another knitter a bit.
She is a very talented knitter (originally from Ireland and oh I love her accent), and had two beautifully knitted socks, whose toes she wanted to graft, but she had never tried to do Kitchener Stitch. She asked if I'd ever done it, and I said, oh yes, it is a great technique I really love.
She said, "well, I probably need to be somewhere quiet and alone to figure it out."
I wasn't sure if that was "PLEEEZE help me do this!!" or "Do not even think of trying to get into my knitting space and helping me"-- or something in between.
Turned out she was dying to get the socks finished and longing for some help, so-- off we went to the knitting races. Metaphorically speaking.
Now, grafting can be a bit fiddly and awkward, when you have never done it before. Once you have the big picture you can really truck along with speedy progress. But it feels pretty fiddly at first, and stitches don't always want to stay on needles even when you know what you're doing.
I slowed it way down.
However, calling both the darning needle "Needle" and the knitting needle "Needle" was going to lead to disaster. (Note to self, I really need to work on some teaching terminology)
All that said, it was great fun to watch her gradually become more and more dextrous and confident: and afterwards, with two beautifully finished socks, she was radiant.
I love moments like that, where I can actually help someone to the degree that lightbulbs turn on in their lives. Yup, I know, we weren't solving the world's problems-- but now she has a new skill and I could just see she couldn't wait to use it again.
I am sorry, I did not take any pictures of her socks. I wasn't thinking or I would have asked her permission and you could see her beautiful work. Next time, I promise.
I do, however, have some photos of the present condition of a shawl I am trying to finish despite my rapidly waning enthusiasm. It is an asymmetrical Melanie Berg designed shawl called On The Spice Market, which I started in July. I ran out of wool a couple months ago, which made me lose my momentum a bit.
As I get closer to the end I have several thoughts--
first, Melanie Berg is a very talented woman.
second, I should never choose colors in a hurry.
third, assymetrical shawls can be big fun.
and, fourth, some slip stitch patterns I like. Others... not so much.
OK--here it is, a bit crumpled
And some details:
One of the joys of the group is meeting knitters from many different backgrounds and with a wide array of knitting abilities and interests. Another is, frankly, an hour and a half of dedicated knitting time! The precious woman who started it all is such a delight-- she will try anything, knitting-wise, and I mean anything. She is insatiably curious, intrepid, bold and joyfully flings herself into new projects. Great fun.
Today we all met, but there were only three of us.
And I got to help another knitter a bit.
She is a very talented knitter (originally from Ireland and oh I love her accent), and had two beautifully knitted socks, whose toes she wanted to graft, but she had never tried to do Kitchener Stitch. She asked if I'd ever done it, and I said, oh yes, it is a great technique I really love.
She said, "well, I probably need to be somewhere quiet and alone to figure it out."
I wasn't sure if that was "PLEEEZE help me do this!!" or "Do not even think of trying to get into my knitting space and helping me"-- or something in between.
Turned out she was dying to get the socks finished and longing for some help, so-- off we went to the knitting races. Metaphorically speaking.
Now, grafting can be a bit fiddly and awkward, when you have never done it before. Once you have the big picture you can really truck along with speedy progress. But it feels pretty fiddly at first, and stitches don't always want to stay on needles even when you know what you're doing.
I slowed it way down.
However, calling both the darning needle "Needle" and the knitting needle "Needle" was going to lead to disaster. (Note to self, I really need to work on some teaching terminology)
All that said, it was great fun to watch her gradually become more and more dextrous and confident: and afterwards, with two beautifully finished socks, she was radiant.
I love moments like that, where I can actually help someone to the degree that lightbulbs turn on in their lives. Yup, I know, we weren't solving the world's problems-- but now she has a new skill and I could just see she couldn't wait to use it again.
I am sorry, I did not take any pictures of her socks. I wasn't thinking or I would have asked her permission and you could see her beautiful work. Next time, I promise.
I do, however, have some photos of the present condition of a shawl I am trying to finish despite my rapidly waning enthusiasm. It is an asymmetrical Melanie Berg designed shawl called On The Spice Market, which I started in July. I ran out of wool a couple months ago, which made me lose my momentum a bit.
As I get closer to the end I have several thoughts--
first, Melanie Berg is a very talented woman.
second, I should never choose colors in a hurry.
third, assymetrical shawls can be big fun.
and, fourth, some slip stitch patterns I like. Others... not so much.
OK--here it is, a bit crumpled
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| "On the Spice Market" (I call my version Spicy Curry Powder with Avocado) |
And some details:
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| Detail of a slipped stitch element I quite like |
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| Detail of a slipped stitch element I am a bit less than fond of, but to be fair I think it is at least partly my color choice that bothers me |
 |
| The shawl, a bit more spread out.
And, that's all from here, folks.
Except a shout out to my dear friend Marietta-- keep up with the rogue knitting, girl!!
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