Every child in the Warn family has been introduced to "spool knitting." It's a simple art that can be made from a wooden spool, four nails and a darning needle (or a more elaborate set up--see below). It's also a quick way to make something called an "I cord" in the knitting world. It was my first introduction to knitting.
I did eventually try knitting needles but couldn't get the knack of it. And then it came to pass about a year or two ago that my mom, a lefty, decided to start knitting (and taught herself "backwards" as a
righty). She soon became convinced that it would be a perfect mother-daughter bonding experience. Something akin to guilt was the only thing that made me pick up (rather begrudgingly) the pair of size six needles with striped pink cotton yarn to give it a try.
I knitted only in her presence. My excuse was that the cats would get into the yarn if I took the 'scarf to be' home. But really I was rather frightened of all of the mistakes I could possibly make. That and I just wasn't "into it."
While visiting
Whidbey Island after my uncle's death, my cousins and I ate ice cream and drank coffee (well, did one or the other) while our moms visited a local yarn shop. Eventually, we got bored and went inside. The colors were pretty and in all honesty, it was the textures of the fancier yarns that drew me in. Then, he saw it. My cousin picked out a sample of a simply GORGEOUS scarf done in all sorts of colors, textures and triangular patterns. He was so taken by it, he tried to buy it for his wife. The
proprietress was aghast! SELL one of her creations?! Never! Didn't we realize that they were for DISPLAY ONLY? Slightly taken back, we hung our heads while our moms kept shopping. I'd decided if the cousin didn't buy it, I'd buy it for myself so I was quite put out. I just kept going back and looking at it. Fingering it (I MUST touch yarn...I practically PET IT). Coveting it.
Then the
epiphany struck me. I could learn to make something JUST LIKE IT. Suddenly, I was inspired. I knew I had a ways to go before getting to that skill level but in fact, that night, I knit up a storm. (My mom had INSISTED I pack my knitting...I think I made her put it into her suitcase,
lol.) It took a little time to finish up my small ball of cotton yarn and it wasn't enough for a scarf. I wasn't sure what store it had come from or how to find more of it...what is a novice knitter to do? Be creative! My mom took the almost finished piece to my 11 year old niece, E, and she finished up a pointed end to it. My mom blocked it and sewed it together. Then...viola! A small coin purse was made.
I knitted an I cord with the spool knitter and one of these days, I'll get my mom to help me attach it as a strap. I wand a little coin PURSE not wallet,
lol.
Now my days and nights are filled with knitting and my closet full of my yarn stash. Of course, my fears about my feline helpers wasn't completely unjustified. Phat Cat is rather clingy for a cat and just LOVES to curl up next to me (and on my creations) and though four years of age, it isn't beneath the Princess to find the end of the cast on string to is dangling JUST to torment her. Sigh. Phat cat has gotten into more of his fair share of yarn, I must mention. He shreds yarn labels more finely than toilet paper, it seems.
There are all sorts of clues and hints in this picture of my progression from novice knitter to an intermediate chick with sticks but I'll save it for another post. As we speak, Phat cat is curled up against my right arm and plus, you wanted a blog post, not a novel. Until next time...peace, love and yarn!
I wish I could come up with something as profound as this quote to describe blocking and it's use in knitting, but someone else said it first and said it well. "Blocking is a method of stretching and shaping a finished knitted piece to reach the dimensions suggested in the pattern, to make two pieces that need to match the same size, or to make your stitches look nicer and more even." (http://knitting.about.com/od/learntoknit/a/blocking_knits.htm)
