A simple question led to stories – and memories. The question is this: How did you learn to knit? I asked it in my Ravelry group, and got permission to share some of the stories here. Many of us learned from a grandmother, mother, or auntie. Often we learned as youngsters, forgot about knitting for many years, and then rediscovered our skills as adults. These are a few of the stories. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do. And be sure to read on to the end of the post to read about a giveaway. [Added February 11: we now have a giveaway winner, so further comments will not be eligible to win.]
The Stories
By GrandmaBuck:
When I was a wee little girl we lived just about a block from my paternal grandparents. Grandpa was the greatest and we had so much fun gardening with him and baking pies. Never had a pie as good as his ever. Grandma however had already raised 7 children and my dad was next to the youngest. My brother and I were his youngest and born when he was 38 and 40. All that to say grandma was pretty old at the time we were little but whenever mom had business to take care of we would stay with grandma and grandpa. Whenever Grandpa was not at home Grandma would give Tom and me a ball of butcher”s twine and either a crochet hook or a pair of knitting needles. she would sit us down in front of her rocker and get us started on chaining or casting on just in time for SEARCH FOR TOMORROW to come on the radio. You could not talk when the show was on, period. She had a look that would turn you to ice. During commercials however she would compliment, correct or give further instructions. She had several soaps she listened to and I learned to knit and crochet at my grandma’s knee while listening to her programs. I know I knew how to knit with good tension by the time I was six because I taught my First grade teacher to knit. It has been on and off over my life but I still think of grandma when I am knitting and those easy times of childhood.
By WillowandTwist:
My mum was an excellent knitter and she taught me to knit when I was about 8 years old…I was one of those funny little kids who was always making things! I didn’t realise how much patience she had until I think about it now! I remember when I was about 13 years old making a tank-top as part of my school uniform, the yarn would have scratched the shell off a tortoise! Needless to say my tension was all over the place and it ended up a little on the wide side!!! Oh and did I say a bit short. I was in a rush to finish it…laughin… But I wore it with pride.
By kimmery:
Well—my Grandma Aeline was a knitter/crocheter, needle pointer and tatter and I never saw her just sit without a needlework project in her hands. When I was a little girl and my family would go to spend the weekend with my grandparents, as we would pull up towards their house (parked in the back) we would see her white hair in the window where she always sat-and we would always say, “Grandma is knitting her fool head off”. 🙂
I am 55 years old now and I can remember that like it was yesterday. When I was in junior high, she suffered a stroke after open heart surgery-and while she recovered enough to continue working on her needlework, she was sadly never able to really teach me to tat, which was what I longed to learn to do. Knitting was not an interest of mine at the time. I spent most of my early adult years immersed in cross-stitch but when my daughter (who had learned to knit) became pregnant with Grandbaby #1, she gave me a set of knitting lessons at a LYS–and just like that I became a knitter and have never looked back!
I just found a picture of my sister and I at Westport Washington with my Grandma with the beautiful white hair! Oh, and I am pretty sure we are wearing hand knit sweaters by her in this photo. (1966)
photo credit: kimmery
By cascott:
My first knitting experience was in 4-H. We knit slippers and I had the hardest time binding off, so that ended my knitting at that time. About 8 years ago a friend started knitting dishcloths and got me interested. I knit a lot of dishcloths until DH told me to find something else to knit as the drawer was full! (now my friends and family know just to ask for a dishcloth when they need a new one) I then found a club that mailed yarn and a pattern that had different techniques each month and I haven’t stopped knitting!
By torunnb:
I learned to knit when I was 4. My maternal grandmother taught me. I still have the ball of blue cotton yarn that we used. I have kept it as a treasure. My mom could knit, but she didn’t enjoy it much. She was an educated seamstress and she really liked to embroider. My maternal grandmother sewed and she always crocheted.
By Asteride:
My grandmother taught me to knit. She was really a knitting designer, she could realize whatever she wanted. Intrigued by techniques and very talented. I was just fascinated by all the things she was able to create. In my closet there is still a nice kimono jacket that she created for me.
I’ve loved reading each of these stories. I can just picture sitting at grandma’s knee listening to soaps on the radio, or a scratchy handknit tank top made by a 13-year-old and worn with pride. I can picture a white-haired grandma “knitting her fool head off,” a drawer full of handknit dishcloths, a treasured ball of cotton kept by a four-year-old who proudly learned to knit, and a lovely kimono made many years ago by a talented grandmother.
These, and all the others that have been posted our Ravelry group, are a gift. It’s so intriguing to hear the ways in which our craft is passed on from each generation to the next. And so often it is taught with love and joy. What’s your knitting story? How did you learn to knit? I’d love to hear about it.
I also love giveaways, so we’ll combine these two things. Leave a comment with your “How I Learned to Knit” story below, and I’ll choose a winner in about a week for a lovely skein of Malabrigo Arroyo in the Arco Iris colorway (similar to this one). [Added February 11, in case you missed it above, the giveaway is now closed].
In fact, we are also having a giveaway in the Ravelry group. Post your story there, as well, for another chance to win. There will be two winners – one there and one here. The instructions for the Ravelry group giveaway are at the top of that page…just look for the picture of the Malabrigo! Follow the link!
This is one of my all-time favorite knitting projects. You may think it looks somewhat old and ratty, and you’d be correct. It’s just well-loved. Actually, part of the reason is looks a bit beat up is because of one of the yarns I used, but more about that in a bit.
I love it because it was really quick and easy to make. I made it when I was a fairly new knitter.
I love it because it is super-warm and comfortable, but because of the construction, it breathes and I don’t get overheated.
It’s based on an article in the February 2008 issue from Knit ‘N Style by Leslye Solomon titled They’re So Big!!! about knitting with large needles.
This afghan was made with 7-9 strands of yarn knitted together at once, using 500-600 yards of each yarn. I cast on 36 stitches and worked in garter stitch. Whenever I got tired of any one yarn, I cut it and tied on a new different yarn.
My fancy system of keeping the yarns from tangling was to place each ball of yarn in a Ziploc bag, cut off one of the bottom corners, run the end of the yarn through the resulting hole, and seal the bag.
My rule in purchasing the yarns was that they needed to be white or off-white. Since I really knew nothing at the time about different yarns and their characteristics, it made shopping pretty easy. Yarns used included these (and I imagine many of them may now be discontinued): Bernat Satin Sport Solids, Lion Brand Moonlight Mohair, Lion Brand Jiffy Solid, Lane Cervinia Le Fibre Nobili Imperiale, and Bernat Soft Boucle. I also used something resembling thick and thin roving – but I have no idea now what it was. That was the yarn that pills so badly – but it surely did make the blanket warm and cushy soft. I also remember buying a yarn that was a raw silk blend.
There’s not much more information on my Ravelry project page, but here it is if you’d like to take a look.
I really do love this afghan and sleep under it every night. Using size 50 needles (25 mm) was a kick in the pants! Working in garter stitch and changing out just one yarn at a time made things pretty easy. Changing a yarn when I started to get bored kept the work interesting. It’s definitely something to keep in mind if you’re looking for something unique and different to make!
knit equals joy
P.S. For reference, the largest needles in the photo are the orange needles, which are size 35 (19 mm). Size 50 needles are BIG!!!
Rhinebeck, as the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival is known, is now a distant memory, but the yarn I brought home with me is a concrete reminder of a lovely weekend spent with friends. I wrote about the weekend here, and now I’m writing about the yarn I chose and why.
My first yarn purchase at Rhinebeck was from Weston Hill Farm. I discovered Weston Hill Farm on my first trip to Rhinebeck, in 2011. The yarn was luminous, natural, and I had never seen anything quite like it. I returned to their booth several times, finally buying a sweater’s worth of yarn for this Shalom Cardigan using only natural, undyed yarns. Weston Hill Farm’s yarn comprised the bulk of it.
I’ve also used Weston Hills Farm yarns to make this Ebb Cowl (pattern by Susan B. Anderson)
The yarn I brought home this year from Weston Hills Farm is just as beautiful! It is luminous, soft and springy, and I love the colorways – beautiful, pure hues and subtle tonal solids.
Weston Hill Farm – Worsted WeightWeston Hill Farm – Mountain Lake, Pear
Weston Hill Farm is based out of Westerlo, New York. Eileen and I became friends following Rhinebeck 2011 – when I called to order a bit more yarn to finish that Shalom – and I always love to see the pictures she shares on social media of the farm’s sheep: Romneys, Border Leicesters, and long wool cross sheep. This is Ailionora, a registered Romney ewe. Isn’t she adorable?
Ailionora, photo used by permission
Getting back to Rhinebeck – next on my quest for fiber, I picked up some lovely yarn by Solitude Wool.
Solitude Wool is based in Virginia and creates breed-specific yarns. Each skein lists the yarn’s fiber source as well as the yarn character, fiber content/care, length, size, suggested needles, gauge and batch.
Gradient and/or mini skein sets were all the rage at Rhinebeck, but I didn’t find one that I couldn’t pass up until I saw the Llama-rama mini skein bouquets at Solitude Wool. The yarn is 1/2 llama & 1/2 Romney, 2-ply/ fingering, 35 yds per color (210 yards total). The beautiful heathered colors are created by blending natural color llama with natural and dyed-in-the-wool Romney. It’s luminous, too.
Llama-rama mini skein bouquet
I fell hard for this Alpaca/Merino. This fiber is a blend of 80% natural, undyed black and white alpaca with 20% natural and dyed-in-the wool Merino (2-ply/ lace weight, 275 yds, 2 oz). It is amazingly soft, and I absolutely love the muted purple tones. I think they had me at “elegant” in the description on the label. It has a great deal of depth, and I see more to love about it each time I look at it.
Solitude Yarns Alpaca/Merino
The next yarn company that made me stop and stay awhile in their booth was North Light Fibers. North Light Fibers is a micro yarn mill based in Block Island, Rhode Island. We spent a lot of time in their booth just squishing the yarn – it all had an incredible hand. I was tempted by the cashmere – and it was amazing – but ended up with the Atlantic – 100% Falkland Island’s Wool (3-ply/Worsted, 170 yds, 2.5 oz). I snagged the exclusive colorway they created just for Rhinebeck, Blue Moon, a lovely periwinkle – one of my favorite colors ever. It will have excellent stitch definition, and will probably end up as cabled mitts.
North Light Fibers Atlantic in Blue Moon
My final purchase of the weekend was from a Hudson Valley farm, Buckwheat Bridge Angoras. The farm raises Angora goats and Cormo sheep using sustainable practices. What caught my eye, however, were the painterly colorways. Beautiful!
Buckwheat Bridge Angoras 70/30
The blend is 70% Fine Kid Mohair and 30% Cormo Wool. The green colorway is 250 yds/4 oz. and the multi blue/yellow is finer at 200 yds/2 oz.
Buckwheat Bridge Angoras 70/30
I’m always amazed at the wonderful yarn selection now available to fiber enthusiasts. When I think back to the yarns my mother used back in the 1970’s and 1980’s, I am so grateful for the natural fibers we can now so easily find. And now, when there are so many artists hand-dyeing their fibers in gorgeous colorways such as the ones that made it into my Rhinebeck shopping bag – with so many options, now is a great time to be a knitter!
I was so fortunate to be able attend Rhinebeck last weekend! For those of you not yet familiar with Rhinebeck, that’s the name knitters, crocheters, weavers, spinners, dyers and other fiber lovers have given to the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, which takes place every October at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, New York.
Going to Rhinebeck has become an annual affair for many. For me, this was my second time attending, the first having been in 2011. I wrote about that trip here: Fiber Festivals as Travel Destinations.
I attended Rhinebeck with my friends Meg and Jen, and we met up with other Ravelry friends while at the festival (see picture below). We also had a great meet-up with our friend Alex and her mom, but I didn’t end up with the meet-up picture. We lucked out with lovely accommodations in Kingston. We had mixed results with our dinner in Kingston. But in the end, it came down to good company and lots of fun, fibery goodness.
Reports I’ve read state that about 30,000 people attended on Saturday. It was a bit crowded for me, but good for people watching and scoping out the yarn. Sunday was much more comfortable, the lines were much shorter and you could move around in the artists’ booths. I made no purchases on Saturday and none until about the last hour we were there on Sunday. I was sorely tempted all weekend by qiviut, the fine undercoat of the muskox and the softest fiber I’ve ever touched, but finally decided against it. I love locally sourced yarn, and that is mostly what I ended up with.
Now we come to the fun part, which is lots of pictures of Rhinebeck and pictures of the yarn!
Arriving in RhinebeckFall is in the air at RhinebeckFair food – while I didn’t have any of this, I did have maple cotton candy – delish!Happy RhinebeckersPassport Mitts in the wild! Made by Meg, Jen, and AlexSunday morning drive to Rhinebeck4-H dad talks to Jen about raising Shetland sheep. They are social animals and have to be sold in groups of two or more – at least in NY.This little guy was about six months old. He was so cute!
And the fiber!!!
(Click on the pictures with a yarn source named in the caption to go to each one’s website.)
Buckwheat Bridge Angoras. Love the colorways! The top one reminds me of Van Gogh and the bottom one is a luscious green.North Light Fibers Atlantic in Blue Moon – Rhinebeck exclusive color…more of a periwinkleSolitude Wool loveliesWeston Hill Farm Hand Dyed Sport Weight in Pear and Mountain LakeWeston Hill Hand Dyed Worsted Weight in Peony and New Dawn Rose
Thanks for letting me share my impressions with you. It was a wonderful weekend – and best of all was the time spent with old and new friends!
I have found local yarn shops to be, often, little oases of beauty. It makes sense, really, that the owners might have an artistic sensibility and would create a lovely space to be. Here, then, I share some images of my favorites with you.
I have a few more favorites, but, for various reasons, don’t have photos right now. Those favorites include Knot Another Hat in Hood River, Oregon and Close Knit and the Knitting Bee in Portland, Oregon. All great places to spend an hour or an afternoon!
Hello dear knitters! This giveaway is long over, but the beautiful yarns and products are still lovely and worth reading about..
All of these lovelies were purchased last weekend at the Rose City Yarn Crawl. It was so much fun shopping for locally made fiber products. The Pacific Northwest truly has a strong creative community, and it is a joy to share a little bit of that with you.
My only goal while shopping the Yarn Crawl was to find skeins of yarn that caught my eye…oh, and I was looking for yarn in a PDX Carpet colorway. The first store I went to was Twisted, and right away I found it. Score!!
I love this yarn! It’s the yarn I used (in Golden Delicious) for my Metolius River Mitts. It is amazingly sproingy, works up wonderfully, and comes in terrific colorways. I love how this colorway picks up the colors in the original PDX Carpet.
100% Superwash Merino, 4 ounces, 380 yards, in PDX Carpet. Purchased at Twisted.
I have heard whispers about this yarn. I have heard people waxing rhapsodic about it. It is truly, truly, lovely. The colorways have depth and the bases have a very pleasing hand.
4-ply fingering weight, 100 grams, 463 yds, 75% Superwash Merino/25% nylon in Glacier. Purchased at Close Knit.
I was fortunate to make it to the One of a Kind trunk show at the Knitting Bee. Artist Candace Wilson designs these lovely buttons, and I got to chat with her for awhile. Her story is great, as are her buttons! This is the one I chose:
I love Portland! It’s such a great city, for many reasons, and one of them is its totally artsy vibe. Portland recently had 14 local yarn shops participating in the 2016 Rose City Yarn Crawl. Some of my impressions:
The last six weeks have been a whirlwind. Finally now I’ve enjoyed a few moments to catch my breath, to reflect, and to look forward to possibilities for the new year. Not to go into too much detail right now, as the upcoming designs are still shadowy and lurking around in my brain, waiting to take form…but I wanted to share with you the palettes I will be playing with…and I’m sure that other ideas will crowd in and push some of these further down the line, but for now, here are some possibilities for 2016.
These are a few of the skeins I picked up at the Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival in November. I believe they will become a two-color yoked sweater, with the green as the main color. I haven’t decided whether the yoke will be striped, a stranded design, or some sort of mosaic knitting. I’m sort of picturing a honeycomb type of pattern using slipped stitches for the yoke – maybe.
These yarns are also set aside for sweaters, perhaps with a lace or cable panel. I couldn’t decide on color, so picked up both:
I also want to experiment with an allover lace pattern for this lovely Shibui yarn. You can see the ready-to-wear sweater that’s inspiring me in the upper corner. I may or may not knit the linen and the mohair together. The colors are amazing in real life.
And I am so thrilled to be working on the colorwork tee again. Christmas knitting, among other things, took me away from it. But I’m back! And my tension is more even now. Woot! I am hopeful that testing can begin on it once I have placed the sleeves on waste yarn and joined for the body.
Other possibilities: fingerless mitts related to the colorwork tee, fingerless mitts inspired by this design inspiration session with friend and fellow designer Marie Greene, a pencil skirt related to the The Wayfarer Hat and the Passport Mitts, and, possibly, a cabled home decor project using Weston Hill Farm cottage spun yarn.
I would love to hear from you if any of the above colorways/palettes speak to you. And are you planning to attend any fiber-related events this year? So many possibilities!
The tee now has a rolled neckline. The plan is to offer options to leave this neckline or to pick up and knit either a corrugated ribbed neckline or a regular ribbed neckline. Stitch counts and charts are looking good and I am champing at the bit to get back to knitting this!
It seems to me that I should be further along by now. But sometimes other things move up the priority chain and have to be finished first. Here are some of the other items:
Basic Sock
I am teaching a basic sock class at Tangled Purls, our local yarn shop. The sock above is my shop/class sample. The Zen Yarn Garden Serenity 20 (20% Cashmere) yarn I used made knitting it up a joy. Then I was thrilled when I read the idea of making Kitchener kits for the knitters taking the class. It was great to provide a way to practice the Kitchener stitch on larger yarn and needles before tackling it on their socks.
Tomorrow is Part II of the class, so tonight I will finish this sample heel flap and heel shaping, using highly contrasting colors to highlight the sock construction. I always love blue and yellow together!!!
Basic Socks have been so much fun that next month it’s going to be Basic Christmas Stockings, pattern also by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas. Last weekend was spent frantically knitting to finish the sample. Getting a good picture for the store’s newsletter was another story…but here we are and that can be put aside for awhile. I’ll make Kitchener kits for that class too…in Christmas colors, of course!!!
The Passport Mitts KAL continues in my Ravelry group, and I’m knitting along, as well. I’m working on a red pair, using Rowan Felted Tweed DK in the colorway Rage. I love love love this yarn! It is so light, yet warm, and the colorways are wonderful! Here is my progress as of the other morning:
The knitalong goes through November 15th, so there is plenty of time to join in. Did I mention that there were prizes? Lovely, yarny, prizes! And a knitting bag, too.
Finally, I started my Stroll Cardigan by Olive Knits, once again using the wonderful Rowan Felted Tweed DK. This colorway is Ginger. I finished 3 or 4 inches of it, but worked on it while watching football, and somehow got off on my raglan lines, so I frogged it. But I can’t wait to get back to it!!! (When? I don’t know!!!) I even found the perfect earrings to coordinate with the sweater.
I’d best get knitting now! Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope you have some time to knit – or to do something creative and beautiful!
