Life skills in knitting

I knit because it helps me to relax. I knit because there is sod all on the tv to watch. I knit because I love watching a length of yarn and two needles make something with shape and form, something beautiful. I knit for many reasons.

Knitting has taught me to have patience. Knitting has taught me that it's better to go back and correct a mistake rather than leaving it and regretting it. Knitting has taught me that I do possess some creativity. Knitting has taught me many things.

Today I realised that it has also taught me something very important....how to hand wash clothes! There have been a number of things at the bottom of the laundry basket that require hand washing for quite some time. I keep avoiding them. Today was the day.

There was an angora mix Tommy Hilfiger cardigan of Pickle's (Tommy Hilfiger on a 22 month old I hear you cry?.....don't ask...a present from MIL!), a beautiful hat and gloves also belonging to Pickle and Jomp's lovely Husband socks. As I swirled the items very gently in luke warm water, then carefully rinsed them in water at the same temperature, then rolled them lovingly in a towel before laying them out on another towel to dry, I realised that this was the first time I had taken such care over such a chore.

Less than a year ago I would have slung them in the washing machine and hoped for the best. Or, at best, I would have run the water far too hot, rubbed the items together vigorously and then rinsed in an ice cold rinse before wringing every drop of water out and hanging them on the line.

I've read many blog comments and forum posts lately about why people knit. Usually the answer is to relax, to forget or as a cheap form of therapy. It does do these things, true, but I like to think about all the many little, inconsequential things knitting gives me.

Like teaching me how to hand wash!

A fine vintage?

Well, there we are. It's 21 days into the new year and one of my resolutions has been broken. Bah! I said I would blog at least once a week but now it's been 8 days. I did try to post yesterday... honestly...but my stupid new laptop is playing silly buggers, or the broadband connection is. One of the two.

I don't quite know what's come over me recently. In the last two years or so, my knitting has come on leaps and bounds. Heck, I can even knit socks! Funky socks! Pure wool hoodies. Cute trendy baby raglans. You name it, I'll try it. Cashmere? Yes please. Handpainted sock yarns? Bring them on. Cotton dishcloth yarn? Oh me oh my!

So, why oh why have I started knitting like my much missed Grandma?

Last week, a work colleague's little girl was born at 36 weeks. I went stash diving and Ravelry searching and what did I come up with? A bloody teddy bear knit with acrylic (well it did need to be washable!). It was a quick knit and is pretty cute but is awaiting eyes and a nose so pics later. Jomp's hates it.

Not quite as much as he hates the most recent WIP:

My mum asked me to knit some doll's clothes for a friends little girl. It's the first time my mum has asked me to knit anything so of course I agreed. However, I didn't expect her to provide a pattern that is at least 30 years old and some pound shop acrylic! I even started knitting them on awful very old steel needles but they were so heavy and slippy I very quickly changed to my new Brittany's.

Jomp's is not a happy bunny. He says my knitting has taken a step backwards. It would seem that he is secretly proud of his wife knitting young, fairly funky designs in ever more beautiful yarns. He cannot understand why I would want to knit such awful patterns when there is such a wealth of lovely stuff available.

To be honest, I'm not sure I understand either! But I said I would knit these god awful dolls clothes and knit them I will. It means alot to me to have my mum's approval, which is not easily given, so I will finish this set of clothes then never again knit stuff my Grandma would have loved! That's a promise!

My lovely husband

Is indeed lovely. Why else would I have married him? He's gorgeous, he makes me laugh, he scratches my back in the most perfect way only he knows how, he gave me our beautiful Pickle and he likes to cook a mean roast dinner!

What more could a girl want?

Ummm.... someone with smaller feet perhaps? He has enormous feet, size 11!

Ummm... someone who dislikes hand-knit socks? He is a total convert now he has a pair of his own!

Ummm... someone who is not so hard on their socks? My lovely Jomps' asked for some Cashmere socks, chose the yarn and even paid for it! I did explain that socks made from 100% Cashmere would not be very hard wearing and would be house socks but he still wanted them. So I made them:


Pattern: Boyfriend Socks by Alice Bell
Yarn: Sophia 4ply Posh yarn. Colourway: Shadows
Size: UK11!
Knit for: My Lovely Husband
Comments: I love these socks! I love this yarn! They are much shorter than I would have liked but each skein is only 55g and we only bought two, due to the cost. Thankfully I knit them from the toe-up and knit til I ran out of yarn.

You can see in the pics that there is already some piling present where Jomp's insists on wearing them with shoes. The stitch definition isn't so crisp as it once was as they hardly ever leave his feet.

But, I don't care about the piling, or the fact I have to hand wash them, or even the fact that he wears them til they are practically crawling on their own. Because he loves them!

He says he not only loves them because they fit well, and because they are the softest socks in the world. He says he loves them because I knit them. Because he watched me knit them. Because he knows how much hard work and love went into them.

And for that, I love him. He can have as many pairs of hand knit socks as he likes!

Another year older

Another year wiser. Is that how the saying goes? I'm not so sure it's true in my case but I guess it's a bit early in the year to see.

It was my birthday last week. I have always hated having my birthday 9 days after Christmas Day. When I was little, people always gave me joint birthday and Christmas presents ( meaning less to open on your birthday - important when you're small!). Those who did get me a present always wrapped it up in Christmas paper (I wouldn't notice that now but boy did it matter then!) As an adult it's even worse! Most people are so thankful that Christmas and New Year are over and that they can finally relax, that they forget altogether. Or send a cheque or vouchers.

I know, I know! I know I sound like a spoilt brat, and really I'm not! Honestly!

But I'm one of those people who think long and hard about what to get for people. Jomp's always says I spend too much and that I worry far too much about what to get for people, especially as most of them forget mine!

Anyway, this year was very quiet. Jomps was back to work so it was just me and Pickle. However, the presents have been slowly but steadily trickling in since then. That is one bonus, you always get late presents..either because of postal delays or people forgetting!

Pickle is already showing very good taste when it comes to knitting notions -

She brought me two pairs of Indian Rosewood needles, some Brittany needles and a fab Lantern Moon bag made out of Cambodian Fish Feed sacks! Very eco friendly and I love it.

Jomps's 3 kids bought me Favorite Socks. I'm thrilled because I bought this for my Secret Pal and had a really hard time putting it in the box to send to her! It's a lovely book and I can't wait to start a project from it!

I bought myself a couple of Birthday presents too! I got the Debbie Bliss Simply baby book for £3 in a cheapy book shop. Brand new, what a bargain! Oh and 4 skeins of Koigu KPPPM from a fellow Raveller:

As the sun is shining today, I have finally managed to get a modelled pic of Jomp's in his Lovely Husband Socks but I think this post is pic heavy enough so I will save them for another time!

Til then, take care and happy knitting! xx

A picture paints a 1000 words

so what about 8 pictures?

These are the results of frenzy that was the Posh yarn sale! Aren't they gorgeous?