I Really Love To Knit.

Any of my comrades in knitting know the joy I express when I say “I love knitting”.  But I’ll confess I can take it too far. 
Over the years, knitting has been a soft place to fall after a difficult day in the workforce.  Knitting has provided the peace and repetition, not to mention the inspiration and sense of accomplishment, that had nothing to do with a harsh and jagged-edged modern career.
In fact, knitting became a type of meditation.  As the project slowly unfolded in my busy hands, my mind could wander through my life events.  Or, alternatively, my mind would simply be at peace, as the case may be.
Is it possible to get too much of a good thing?  Yes!  Working on an especially enjoyable project, with an interesting pattern, I continued to knit into the night.  I remember jolting awake once or twice, and I was still knitting.  Eventually I decided I needed to stop and go to sleep.
The next day when I picked up my knitting again, I noticed something strange.  I seemed to have made several ludicrous mistakes in my knitting project.  As I ripped out the last several rows of my work, laughing to myself, I considered again what I already knew.  Moderation and balance are a sign of a healthy human being.

The joy of knitting is so much to my life.  But it’s still about life with the spectrum of activities and perceptions that create the wholeness from which my sense of joy can flow.
Do I even dare share what I am motivated next to divulge?  Maybe not, but here goes.  Back “in the day”, probably 30 years ago, I was in a relationship that wasn’t working out well.  At the same time, I also began to feel the wish to knit.  Wandering off to my local Philadelphia Sales store, a sort of discount department store unique to our region, I chose a learn-to-knit booklet, yarn, and needles.  Teaching myself has always been my method of learning of choice. 
I led a typical young-career-woman-of -the-80’s lifestyle, with a lively circle of friends and activities.  I would have a glass of wine in the evening to unwind and to fit in with the choices of my friends.  When I began to learn to knit, I quickly realized the glass of wine and knitting didn’t mix.  No problem; I simply stopped indulging in the glass of wine.
Well, my friend was displeased.  He informed me that he wanted a companion with whom to drink.  I said, “but I can’t drink and knit at the same time”.  I could see the writing on the wall.  This was the same friend who informed me that his underwear was becoming dingy under my laundering oversight.  As in love as I was, I can remember, upon hearing this, my eyebrows shooting upward and uncontrollable laughter as my response.
Anyway, need I describe the end result of that relationship?  And, of course, I went on my merry way, knitting when I wanted to with whatever level of sobriety I chose.  And in fact, that was the end of my wish to be someone’s “drinking companion”.
A bit off topic here, but I suppose I’m describing a most healthy activity in my life---that of knitting.  But even knitting must fit into a larger lifestyle.  Sleep is euphoric.  Knitting while sleeping---not so much.
So knit on, my fellow knitters.  It fits well into the balance and spontaneity of the hilarious treasury of life.

My Best Hand Knit Socks.

The comfort of knit socks in Upstate New York winters can’t be overstated.  Indeed, more than comfort, they are often a necessity.  My husband and I live in a 200-year-old hunting cabin on a dirt road far among pine forests in a snow belt in our region. 
Consequently, my love of hand-knitting socks comes in handy.  We wear these treasures about 10 months out of the year.
The types of yarn that you can use are a personal choice.  Cotton is pretty and comfortable, but becomes slouchy quickly.  Wool is great, but a store-bought pair of thin cotton socks are needed underneath for comfort.
As a novice knitter years ago, the type of yarn for a project was a worry.  Needle size, instructions, everything about a knitting project was a worry.
Experience is helpful, and I don’t worry so much about details.  As a matter of fact, craft has intermingled with art and projects have become much more interesting and fun.  Technique is important to learn, but afterward projects can morph into personal expressions of art when you’ve embraced knitting as a friend.
The mistakes are nothing more than stepping stones in the learning process, and can be the path to happy discoveries.
My husband is an auction fan, and he, in the same stepping stone manner with auction finds as are my stepping stone adventures in knitting, will come home with sometimes-baffling purchases.
Recently, he proudly wandered home with a huge box of yarn that he had purchased at auction for $1.00.  He said, for a dollar he couldn’t go wrong.  I wasn’t so sure about that.  The yarn was excellent quality wool embroidery in subtle changes of color tone in yellow, orange, brown, pink, rose, and avocado.  Apparently a New York City embroidery shop had closed down, according to the yarn wrapper information.

I’m not necessarily a wool-embroidery buff, and there wasn’t enough of each color for a sweater, even if using an intarsia pattern in knitting. 
So, with winter coming on and cold feet to cover, I decided to use this wool embroidery yarn to create Turkish socks.  Turkish socks are an easy type that starts at the toe and works easily up the foot, slipping the heel stitches onto a stitch holder as the work approaches the heel length, continuing up the leg portion of the sock after picking up a similar number of stitches to compensate for the heel stitches that are now on the holder, and binding off when the leg-length of the sock is to my liking.
I’ve purchased a Turkish sock pattern book, and it is full of intricate design patterns to be completed in the color of choice. 
The beginning of the toe can be worked per your genius.  The technique I’ve learned and love is to cast on about 6 stitches on one straight needle, and then 6 stitches on a seconds straight needle which will result in 2 straight needles, each with 6 cast ons, and snuggly hitched together.
I start at one side and begin knitting down the side,  producing 4 stitches on each needle after I have knit together the end stitches.  This results in a heavier end for each row, and simply precludes holes and flimsiness.  Remember, knitting is an art as well as a craft.
The 4 stitches on each straight needle will be the edges on each side of the foot.  At this point, begin knitting around, and pick up 2 stitches on end-straight-needles that will now be inserted into your work at the ends of the 4 cast on stitches on 2 straight needles.  Your 4 preliminary side cast-on stitches will remain constant throughout the foot and up to the heel slip-on to a holder.  I continue picking up 2 stitches between the 4 constant stitches, you now are working with 4 straight needles and the 5th straight needle that you are knitting with.  This 5th straight needle isn’t constant, of course, but alternatively replaces the needle off of which you are knitting as you work around the sock. 

I usually end with about 16 stitches on my needle, top and bottom, before I stop increasing the side stitches, which are now the top of the foot and the bottom of the foot.  You will also still have the preliminary 4 stitches that are the side ridges.  Using stitch markers, at this point I divide onto the 4 working straight needles, which makes it easier to keep the stitches on the needles.  This way your 4 side stitches can be incorporated into a knitting round comfortably, as long as you maintain your stitch markers to keep your top and bottom foot stitches separated from your 4 side stitches.
At the same time your different-color pattern can be worked into the round, keeping the 4 side stitches the preliminary solid color which will give you a solid color stripe up each side of the foot.in 4 stitches.
When you have completed these portions of your sock, you will have a completed sock without a heel, and your bottom heel stitches on a holder.  So the number of stitches you had cast off for the heel, and then picked up at the ankle in the round to complete the leg portion of your sock, are at this point picked up on a second needle, which is then separated.  You now have 3 straight needles with stitches and the 4th needle you are knitting with.
Begin working these stitches in the round, and I will generally work the first 3 or 4 rounds before I begin to decrease.  The decreases are the technique that will create the rounded heel, and I will work decreases at the ends of the bottom cast-off portion of the heel.  The new stitches that are picked up from the knit-in-the-round leg portion can be split onto 2 straight needles, and it seems to work well to decrease one at the beginning of the first needle but not at the end, no decrease on the second needle, but then decrease at the end of the second needle.  At the same time, as you work around, continue to decrease at each end of the straight needle upon which the bottom heel stitch-holder stitches are worked.
When I have decreased down to about 4 stitches on each straight needle, cast off and slip stitch into place.  By the way, the toe in this technique wears like iron because there is no gap. 
And the subject of this article---the wool embroidery yarn.  I suspect that if I ever work through the huge box of wool embroidery yarn for my knit socks, I will go out and purchase wool embroidery yarn for my next pairs of socks.  The embroidery wool is warm, washes well, wears well, and is a delight to wear over thin cotton socks.  Our feet are often the only parts of our body that aren’t cold out here in the winter woods of January or February.
I’m a fan of cleanliness, my husband not so much.  I watch sadly as he comes into the house in his outdoor boots, sits down and takes off the boots, and back-tracks through the muck and mire in my artist-socks.  In his defense, he may have been outside in -25 degree weather gathering firewood, but the socks get dirty.
My method of cleaning them is very effective and easy.  I have a bucket for hand-washables, and in go the socks.  The particularly dirt spots are sprinkled with baking soda and a bit of laundry detergent and rubbed together.  A bit more laundry detergent and baking soda are sprinkled over everything at this juncture, and hot water from the faucet completes the process.  They are soaked overnight.  In the morning I dump the concoction into my automatic washer at the ringer cycle to remove the dirty water, laundry detergent and baking soda.  When this stops I turn the washer cycle to the rinse cycle, small amount of cold water and run it through to the end.
This is simple and effective.  The socks are then hung on my clothes line, and ready to re-wear in like-new condition.

Knitting the Impossible

 I have never attended a knitting class. My professional career included NYS and Federal exams that meandered through years. The thought of taking on yet another class wasn’t appealing. In fact, my interest in knitting was probably maintained and grew in contrast to the compliant-intense professional employment with the unforgiving demand for excellence and adhering to rules and guidelines.
Knitting was my unconscious response to attempting to cling to some level of autonomy and to clear out the tension. And so, I fell back on my heritage of needlework that was a part of the everyday life of my mother, grandmother, aunts, and female family friends.
With the mountains of needlework in my family, knitting, strangely, was not one of the areas of expertise for these independent and capable women. I saw much of crocheting, sewing, tatting, embroidery---you name it, they did it. They could slaughter a chicken and cook it for Sunday dinner, which was noon, without straying from their lighthearted conversation. Harvest a garden to feed the family through the winter---it went without saying.
But knitting? Nada! So I began slowly reading through knitting instruction books, wishing to learn but feeling very uncertain in my ability. I wandered the yarn department of stores, sometimes buying a set of knitting needles or yarn I admired, between my professional work demands, studying, and embarking on a career in a so-called “man’s profession”.
I learned a very important lesson. If you work along step by step, there is almost nothing you can’t accomplish. My knitting journey possibly informed my professional path. The professional work was daunting. But just as in knitting, if you don’t jump into the middle, but rather take each project step-by-step, the result is truly inspiring.

I’ve finally come to the time in life when I can retire. Now that I’ve slowed down, to say I’m shocked with what I’ve accomplished is an understatement. And I now have the time to devote to my real love of knitting. I found a project that quite frankly was beyond my expertise; but with my 40-years of experience of meeting challenges, I decided to give this knitting project a try.
Once again, the instructions seemed daunting, but I shelled out the cash for the project and began where I always begin. First I read through the directions from beginning to end. The directions never make sense to me the first reading, just like when I was a novice at knitting.
If needed, I’ll put the directions down for a day or a week and let them rest. I’ll pick them up again and read through once more. Eventually, I’ll begin to feel the need to get started---I’m sure all crafters recognize this urge.
This is the time to start with step 1 and pretend there is no other facet of the project. This is precisely the process that worked in my mind-bending professional career. I have yet to meet a challenge I couldn’t conquer and learn, when I take it one step at a time.
My latest knitting project, which has been the most fun in knitting I’ve experienced ever, is almost complete. I’m surprised with how gracefully it has turned into the end result I first saw in the photograph that attracted me in the first time.
This is, of course, the way to build confidence. And by the way, a knitting class would be an excellent place to begin. My point is, if you wish to accomplish something, do it. Don’t get ahead of yourself; and know you have the same ability as anyone.
My latest project included steeking, in which, after an intricate rose pattern circle of about 1 ½ ‘ was completed in knitting, I needed to take my scissors and cut through the middle of the entirety. I had heard of this technique perhaps 20 years ago. At the time I tossed the project instructions aside with a sarcastic “yea, right!!”
Come to find out, even after using the 10 different yarn colors to complete this gorgeous circle of roses, the adventure of cutting through the center was superlative. Throughout the project, I would set it aside for a day or a week while I mulled over and envisioned in my mind what the instructions were trying to get me to accomplish. No need to rush, and no need to be intimidated. Simply take the time to wrap your mind around what you are doing.
Now I’m ready to take on just about anything. Not that I haven’t already.
So, if you are a new knitter, find an easy project to start on. Have fun with the fascinating materials you can find, and start at the beginning of your directions.
You will never run out of excellence to achieve in knitting. I can’t wait to tackle my next challenge.
And you will love the confidence you gain.

Knitting Reflection.

How does one work through a complicated knitting project without becoming frustrated?

Recently I had the opportunity to take on the challenge of a knitting project that is a step beyond my experience level. Actually it was about 5 steps beyond my experience level. I love the challenge and this is probably as much fun to me as I can have without a party hat and cake.

Written instructions have always been like a knitting class to me. To the credit of the editors and writers of these instructions, they take one step-by-step through the process in almost all cases.

Start by skimming through the instructions to get a general overview of that which you are getting into. Then, with the correct supplies and materials on hand, begin at the beginning. If you take your project one step at a time, the impossible can be accomplished. You know the old saying, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

And as you walk through each step, your confidence will grow for the next project.

But in fact, some projects are more complicated than others. My most recent project is one of these. After 25 years of knitting, I jumped into the mother of all knitting challenges.

This project included short rows, steeks, intarsia, and unusual shapes and assembly. In truth, the concentration needed made this a really intriguing process. It was interesting and absorbing from the start. Straight knitting can be relaxing, but at some point I begin looking around for my cross stitch. Not so with this. My interest never flagged.

But at certain points, when a new technique came into play, I would feel befuddled. As much as I wanted to charge ahead and “getter done”, I found if I set the work aside for several days and go into my imagination to play out in my mind what the instructions were telling me to do, I could more clearly picture what needed to do. I would imagine the result if I did one technique, then another.

My apprehension lessened as I relaxed into this imagining. I would go back and unconcernedly reread the instruction, avoiding pressure. I was simply interested. Then I would take the instruction into my mind, and quietly work away on the process in imagination.

Without causing myself frustration, at a certain point I felt confident and I also had several courses of process mapped out from which to choose. The instruction was a kind of a guideline upon which my own expertise could be worked.

This was a very pleasant interlude in what was a deeply challenging but also deeply satisfying process. The reflection about the project simply removed frustration and provided the room to relax into day-dreaming the process that would work for me.

Having spent far too much time in a competitive and goal-oriented work life, this different approach was like a breath of fresh air. And the knitting project is coming along beautifully.

Remember, this is the fun side of your life. If approached like a meditation, the outcome is derived in a peaceful and fun manner.

Hey, wait a minute; what would happen if I approached my work life this way?

　

The Fascinating Knitting Needle

I’ve been familiar with crocheting and the associated crochet hook from the earliest years of my recall.  Crocheting is almost a passion of mine, but not quite.  My early years included memories of my mother, mother’s friends, grandmother, aunts and cousins crocheting.
I found myself married to a man who was also surrounded with the mothers, sister, and aunts who crocheted, and interestingly called it knitting.
I became a crocheter by default.  My association with knitting was similar to the women of my acquaintance;  it was that of a hungry person standing outside a restaurant, watching the fortunate people within satisfying their appetite.
Familiarity with crocheting encouraged continuation of this craft, as I went off to work to fill the immediate necessity of supporting myself.
Recently, working on a knitting project, the equipment required was a 29” circular Size 1 knitting needle.  Wanting to start the project immediately, I went in search, doubting I had this item.  I didn’t wish to travel the 15 miles or so to purchase a new needle, but I couldn’t begin my interesting new knitting adventure without it.
To my surprise, buried among my stash of knitting needles I found a Susan Bates 29” circular Size 1 kitting needle still in the original package and never having been used.  The price was $1.65.  I didn’t remember buying this in some wistful past before I had begun my knitting journey, but it was probably from a strange little discount store from our region back in the ‘60’s called Philadelphia Sales.  It was a very long and rambling building that carried almost everything at supposedly discount price. Included in this establishment was a really well-stocked sewing department that displayed knitting, crocheting, embroidery, quilting, and fabric.

 

On a day off from work I would wander through this department with no cash in my pocket and dreaming of the activities that would fulfill me.  If I had a spare couple of dollars that wasn’t needed for rent, gasoline, or food, I would buy a feel-good item for the someday in which I could enjoy that which fulfilled me.
Today, after years of devotion to the needs of others, I’m beginning to have the ability to pay closer attention to my own needs.  The 29” Size 1 knitting needles I had bought so many years ago would finally be of use. 
Today, the character of knitting needles is virtually unlimited.  I’ve seen wonderful sets of needles with interchangeable tips, all nicely housed in nifty containers.  We can find beautiful wood needles that work so well with yarn of little resistance such as silk.  The man-made materials can be so slick it is a joy working with nubby wools.  Tips can be blunt or sharp according to need. 
Researching the various types of tools for knitting can be almost as enjoyable as the process.  Knitting is a very personal pursuit, and finding precisely what suits you is a journey in itself.
Once upon a time I barely had time to knit.  Now I have the time to relax into this wonderful craft, research that which is available, and play with the process.  This is a gift of age I had dreamed of for years.  I often wonder if I was smart to put on hold the deeply satisfying interests of my life, in order that I could fulfill the responsibilities of a career serving the needs of others.  A different path would have suggested a more modest lifestyle without the intense responsibility, but with more attention to the joys of my soul.
The bad news is I will never know.  The good news is, I’ve remembered what is the joy of my soul before I am too old to enjoy them.
A very simple idea to personalize knitting needles is to purchase the dowels found in craft stores.  A tip can be sharpened in a pencil sharpener, sanded to requirement, stained as desired, and with a knob at the top that can be a wood or jewel bead. 
This would at one time have been a silly waste of my time and energy.  Today, life has slowed down enough to allow for play.  I had forgotten play.  I almost forgot laughter.  Blessedly, I never forgot my dogs.
 I could continue working at a job that demands what I know to be senseless.  I’m fortunate to have chosen to let it go while I still have time to remember what life really

Mend Knit-In-The-Round Twist.

Most knitters have made the mistake of twisting stitches on circular needles when casting on.  The best solution is to catch the twist immediately; and after casting on, if you’ve twisted, simply untwist at this point and your work will be very close to perfect.
Recently I discovered the twist in an intricate pattern after knitting about 10 rows of 450 stitches in the round in an intarsia design.  A more patient person would have started over, but I chose to come up with a method of mending the twist. 
After day-dreaming for about 24 hours about the possible methods, I cleared a long afternoon to work on this mending in peace.  A quite acceptable mend was accomplished, at least for my less than perfectionist personality. 
I had recently knit a sweater that included use of the steek technique.  This provided the inspiration and confidence to mend my twist.
Steeking is accomplished when after knitting the body of the sweater without openings for the armholes, you then sew along the area that will accommodate the sleeve, and hand sew using sewing thread to secure the knit stitches so they won’t unravel.  I used my own steeking technique of deciding the area to place the armholes, and knitting in waste yarn for the width of the armhole I wished, and picked up the stitches of the sweater before I removed the waste yarn.  This precluded the need to cut the yarn and use sewing thread to secure the cut area.  It also created a seamless transition from sweater body to sleeve.
To get back to the current twisted knit-in-the-round piece, I chose the beginning of the row, which of course included the circle of stitches coming around so the end of the row abutted the beginning.  This is where the beginning marker is.  You can actually isolate any place in the piece, and need to separate 2 stitches that are side-by-side, pulling gently apart to expose the little strand of yarn that connects the 2 stitches.

 

My plan was to leave the original cast-on row alone, because this would be easier and it seemed less dangerous to the project.
Using a sewing needle and thread, I sewed up each row from bottom to top, starting near the undisturbed cast-on row, and securing each stitch from row 1 through row 10.  After knotting and cutting the sewing thread on this secured row 1-10 on one side of the between strand, I did the same procedure on the end row 1-10 that abutted the beginning row 1-10 that was just mended.  Remember, this is my personal project so you may be working on row 1-3, if you’re lucky.  Or you may be working on your row 1-25.  It depends on the number of rows you’ve knit before you discovered the twist.
With sharp scissors, I snipped each little piece of yarn between the 2 rows, stitches had been secured using the sewing thread, as described in the previous paragraph.  I untwisted the work, being sure the entirety of the 450 stitches were straight.  Remember, I had left the cast-on row intact.  This piece wasn’t going to be perfect, it would be mended.
I then cut off a piece of wool yarn from the skein of each color involved in the mending, with a length of about 8 inches.  Using a large round-tipped needle, I worked an embroidery stitch to connect again the knit stitch on each side of the snipped piece of yarn.  Leaving the tails of each color loose, I used the 8-inch yarn of each color in the appropriate rows. 
Again, using a sharp needle and sewing thread, I went back and secured the ends of the 8-inch yarn pieces and snipped off the unused tails at a length that feels comfortable for the strength of the knit material.
I would have preferred to have worked the cast-on correctly in the first place.  But after knitting 450 stitches per row for 10 rows on size 1 circular needles, this option was a good second choice.
I hope this inspires someone else to bravely make your knitting your own.  Life ain’t perfect and neither is my knitting, but it’s mine.