It absolutely amazes me just how restorative a trip to my local yarn shop can be.  After a very trying day of substitute teaching (’read  teacher’s day in hell’ ) I found myself looking for a way to calm my nerves before returning home, lest I take out my frustrations on my innocent family.  Remembering that my local yarn store, River City Yarns, had just opened a new location on the side of town I was working on that day, I decided that stopping in there on my way home would be just what I needed.

And it was.  I spent a full hour fondling yarn, exploring patterns, planning projects and absorbing the array of gorgeous colours with all of my senses.  By the time I left the store, my difficult teaching day was a part of my history I shall soon forget, and I was looking forward to casting on for a new pair of Ysolda’s Garter Stitch Fingerless Mitts when I got home.  The supersoft, superfine ball of Zarina Print Merino, by Filatura Di Crosa, that I had just purchased, would be the perfect yarn choice. It’s impossible to feel discouraged when looking at this soft, pastel confection of green, lavender and rose.

My other purchase was a couple of balls of yarn for a Christmas present for my daughter, which I cannot elaborate on here as she reads my blog.  Suffice it to say that the colours are again gorgeous and the mere thought of beginning this new project lifted my spirits even more.

I only spent $30 in the yarn store that day.  Compared to $100 an hour for professional therapy, I consider that a real bargain.

Two things have conspired  to force me to get a headstart on my Christmas knitting this year.  The first is my self imposed ‘yarn diet’.  As of August 2009, I’m not allowing myself to buy any new yarn before January 2010.  The idea being, of course, that I get creative and use up the varied and interesting collection of yarns in my stash.

The second is the fact that I’m on an unpaid leave of absence from my job this year.  Those drawer fulls of yarn are a perfect opportunity to create thoughtful gifts, while trimming back the Christmas budget.  A challenge that I’ve been enjoying even more than I expected to!

To date, I’ve knit 2 pairs of fingerless gloves, 2 slouchy hats and 2 pairs of slippers for family members. Since I have quite a collection of ‘one ball wonders’ in my stash, I’ve also knit a bag full of hats, mitts and scarves for donation to our local Youth Emergency Shelter.

It’s been great fun to pick up a ball of stashed yarn and let my needles and imagination decide what it will become - a truly liberating and creative process.

A few more pairs of mitts and some dishcloths and my Christmas knitting will be complete.

Maybe then I can start daydreaming about colour choices for the Slanting Gretel Tee I want to knit , with newly purchased yarn, once 2010 rolls around and my yarn diet is over.

stash knitting

In anticipation of cold winter toes, I’ve developed a pattern for my idea of the ultimate knitted slippers.  Adapted from a pattern I found in an old knitting book, circa 1911, these slippers are a great way to use up small amounts of yarn in your stash.  They’re snug and warm, adaptable to any size, and hard wearing.

The soles are sewn on after the knitted top is complete. I used 100% wool sweaters, purchased from my local Goodwill store, for the soles.  I thoroughly felted the sweaters,  in my washing machine, to create a dense, cushy fabric, then cut them to fit and sewed them to the slipper tops, using a blanket stitch.  The result is a comfortable, hardwearing sole.

Here’s the free pattern cozy-knitted-slippers4

Happy (knitting) Trails!

After reading this post Knitters Never Comment! on one of my favourite blogs Men with Pens, I consider myself extremely lucky to have as many comments on this blog as I do. Thanks so much to everyone who has left a comment after reading one of my posts.

I hope I’ve been conscientious in responding to your comments and vow to be even more responsive, and therefore helpful, in the future.

Knitting and spinning forums are, by definition, the essence of   ‘communities’. I read knitting and spinning blogs and check into Ravelry regularly, to get information, find patterns, ask questions and, most fun of all, see what other fiber enthusiasts are up to!

It’s through these shared ideas and discussions that my own imagination is inspired for future projects and designs. Sharing is what art is all about.

Our beautiful hand knit scarves and garments, and colourful handspun yarns,were not meant to languish in our closets or stash- they’re meant to be shared…shown off…discussed.

So please, feel free to use the comment section of this blog to ask questions and share ideas or opinions, perhaps get some discussions going.  For my part I promise to be a ‘conscientious responder”!         Barb

Show and Tell

Here are some of my recently completed projects:

Grey slouchy cap destined for donation to the Youth Emergency Shelter.

Hemp/wool slouch hat, also destined for donation to Youth Emergency Shelter.

Vintage Silky Wool top, pattern from A Stitch in Time,  by Jane Waller and Susan Crawford.

Very young children can be successful knitters, given the right teaching techniques.

Right Hand vs. Left Hand Knitting

The ‘English’ method of holding the yarn in your right hand and throwing it over the needle, as opposed to ‘Continental’ which has the yarn in the left hand, seems to be easier for children to learn.  They’re able to drop the yarn and pick it back up again more readily with the ‘English’ method, in the early stages.

A Knitting Mantra

Over the fence

Catch the sheep

Back you come

Off you leap

Teaching this verse to a beginning knitter will give them a handy mnemonic device to help them remember the multiple steps required. It works like this:

Over the fence: wrap yarn around the needle.

Catch the sheep: hook the yarn with right needle tip

Back you come: pull the yarn just hooked through the opening

Off you leap: remove newly made stitch to right hand needle.

Once children have been shown these 4 steps a few times the verse helps them remember the order in which they are performed.

Beginner Projects

A bookmark is a fast, rewarding project for a beginner.

Cast on 10 stitches and work 10 garter stitch ridges, or 20 rows.

Cast off leaving a 10 inch yarn tail.

Tie this tail to the cast on yarn end to create a bookmark which can be draped through the center of the book. With this project a child learns to cast on, work in garter stitch, and to cast off.

From there, the young knitter will soon graduate to creating headbands, washcloths, scarves, and eventually, mittens and sweaters!

With each successive project, they’ll acquire a new skill: purling, decreasing and increasing, and following a pattern.

Spool Knitting

If your young knitter is having difficulty mastering these 4 steps, try easing them into it with spool knitting. These are wooden or plastic tubes with nails or hooks around the top. They’re available at craft stores for $4-5.  Wrapping the yarn and securing it hook by hook produces a knitted tube. These are fast and fun and kids love them!  Spool knitting is a  first step in helping children develop the ability to do more than one thing at a time, such as holding the yarn while moving the stitch.

Passing the Torch

Knitting is a social, as well as a functional, craft.  It has united old and young in the creation of articles to keep us warm and  provide comfort, for many, many years.  Passing this skill onto the next generation ensures that our timeless knitting traditions will not be lost in our high tech world.