...knitting

As the season is changing my thoughts have turned a few times to knitting. Over the last little while I have been trying to remember if I learnt to knit or sew first. I can't. I remember learing to cross stitch when I was about 8 or 9 and I am sure I knew how to machine sew and knit before that but try as I might I can't put the arrival of these implemements in a better time context than that.

I am almost 100% sure these were given to me by my Grandma, as opposed to my Nan, which is a little strange because Nan is the 'knitter' and Grandma is the weaver, spinner, gardener and general tryer of many things (must be where my craft and home skills ADD comes from). I'm also almost certain that it was actually Mum that taught me the basics and I know it was her that had to fix all the mistakes cause I'm still not confident with the unpicking side of things when it comes to yarn stitches. I do know this was my first 'kit' of yarn tools.

Over the years I've chosen sewing more often than knitting and I have not developed any skills at all in crochet. I don't really have the patience to hand knit a garment - takes too long and I too easily loose my place. With some thought I could probably list everything I've ever finished knitting, a few scarves, some baby socks that I had to start again from scratch everytime I made a mistake (see unpicking issues) and one jumper, sweater for all the Americans with very fat wool and needles. I did this one in four days/sittings (front, back, sleeves - see losing my place issues). There was also that sock effort that was abandoned last year and the yarn sent of to Mum for completion.

None of this has put me off completely and I'm planning the Honey Cowl and a pair of Pom Pom Peds this winter. Never mind that this is the umpteenth cast on of the Honey Cowl and I am trying to convince myself I don't actually need to pull it off the needles and start yet again to fix the pattern repeat issues. The bit that really cuts me about this is I acutally finished it earlier this year and something went wrong with the casting off and it all fell apart.

I've tucked this aside for the peds - along with the hope the bamboo needles are a little more friendly and this lot does not have to be sent on to Mum as well.