Sunday, November 20, 2005

 

Philistines!


Today is the brother's first knitting lesson and I hope he went. I'm looking forward to being able to share my obsession in person with someone I see on a regular basis.

My mother loves knitting but it's not quite the same. She makes little sweaters for my daughter (and then BASTES them together because she hates finishing work! gah!). Her knitting is lovely and even, her neckbands sucketh mightily and her buttonholes are hit and miss. She has no interest in sitting for an afternoon discussing the merits of different casting-on techniques, and she has little interest in any fibre beyond acrylic or cotton (she makes dishcloths too; surprise surprise! Mine are better *g*) I don't think she even takes her knitting with her to many places where she could knit!

Anyhow, this is not to diss the devoted knittage of endless cardigans that my daughter declines to wear (there are neither flowers nor butterflies on them). Little warm cardigans that may well find their way to the Dulaan Project have their place, and she can at least do an armhole -- a feat which has so far defeated me.

This is to weep and wail about the first knitting class of the brother. Y'all saw the starter-stash. You know what lovely stuff he has. You know, even better than does he, the feel of some of those lovely balls of wool, si?

So, he sends me the specs for the class so that I can help him get it together.

Um. They want cotton. Either Peaches 'n' Cream or Bernat Handicrafter. Feh. I left two balls of cream Bernat on his desk last night.

Y'all just know I was tempted to give him the last ball of the green Peaches, don't you?

*cackle*

Comments:
Handicrafters Cotton? I like whipping up a quick and easy dishcloth with it as much as the next person, but I can't think of a faster way to turn a prospective knitter into a knitting school drop out than starting them with that. Not the nicest stuff on the hands.
 
Actually....my knitting guild teaches people with washcloths, too. We start them with the "grandmother's favorite" pattern--it gives a good foundation in the knit stitch, increasing, and decreasing. And if it comes out a bit wonky, it's just a washcloth! Admittedly, cottin is not the most wonderful thing to work with, but it's also not the worst, either. And in the end, you get a useful object, rather than another fun-fur scarf that you can't pay anyone to take anymore....
 
Here's to brother/sister knitting! I hope he gets addicted. It's nice to share the mania within the family.

It's a tough question, what to start a newcomer on. I can see advantages to both the scarf idea and the warshcloth idea, though I don't think I'd put cotton into a person's hands right off the bat. Feels nasty.
 
When I taught my knitting class, I gave them a choice of yarn for a tiny starter project, and it was a mistake to offer them cotton - there's not enough give for it to be forgiving to new knitter hands. Tell him - well, he reads this, we'll ALL tell him - don't give up if it seems you don't have the gene! You might just need different materials!
 
Let me dig around in the back of the closet. I am sure there are a few more balls of vole vomit cotton I could send your way.

I especially like the verification word today: "uvongwok."
 
ye gods, who's fucking idea of brilliance was that? i didn't knit with cotton until i was in my 20's, or i'd have never continued it. at least ACKrylic is easier on the hands! philistines indeed!
 
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