Knitting

Knitting is something that has always eluded me.
When I was really young, like maybe 10 years old, a friend showed me how to "cast on" by twisting yarn between her fingers and then slipping the loop onto a knitting needle.
Then she showed me how to do the "knit" stitch.

Over the years, and I'm talking decades, that is all I've been able to master. Casting on a bunch of stitches and knit until something roughly resembling a scarf appeared on the needles.

When my children were little I desperately wanted to make them something nice knitted. I made the girls smocked dresses and sewed many of their outfits, but I couldn't master knitting needles to make them something that looked half-way decent that was knitted.

My mother could whip out Fair Isle sweaters like nobody's business but she was unable to teach myself, or my sister for that matter, how to knit.

Now I find myself a grandmother. What is the measure of a grandmother?
The only grandmother I had lived in England and I only met her twice so not having a role model, I have invented my own grandmotherly standard.  And that standard say's that among the home crafts like making costumes, fancy clothes, toys, beading, weaving, and felting I must also be able to knit.

In January I went with a neighbour (whom coincidentally has grandchildren almost the same age as mine) for knitting classes.  Neither of us were too hopeful that we would actually produce anything, but hey, it's worth a try.

Well guess what?

I did it!
I knit something that actually looks like what it's supposed to look like!

Oh sure there are lots of mistakes in the sweater and I ripped it out many, many times before finishing it but the bottom line is …. I made it with yarn and knitting needles!

I found that pattern thanks to Cindy.  Her mom (also a grandmother) used this pattern to knit two of these sweaters.

The pattern is called In Threes by Kelly Herdich and I bought it as a download from Ravelry.com

At first I thought it might be daunting but persevered and in the end, it wasn't so daunting at all.

The yarn has pilled somewhat and I suspect that's because I ripped it out so many times.  But no matter. I have learned volumes about yarn, tension and all things knitterly.

And there verdict?
Dad likes the sweater and the style.
Mom loves it and say's to make more but is sorry I didn't conquer knitting when she was young … oh, and she wants me to show her how to knit.
Miss C loves it too and told me I was a "good knitter". Music to my ears.