Silent "K's" & Why Do I Knit ?

I wrote this before I know what a blog even was - May 5th 2005

Knaughty Knancy Knightly Knavishly Knits Knots for her Knight with Knifelike Kneedles Kneeling on a Knapsack

Why Do I Knit?

Because it is the trendy craft of the moment?
No.
Maybe that is why I initially became interested in learning how to knit.
I knoted that certain celebrities knitted and that sparked my interest.
{knitting really fast with wool and metal needles can cause sparks to fly}

In the recent past I have tried to crochet and my attempts were met with total confusion and polite laughter when I presented my work to qualified crocheters for error analysis.
What I had done was make a knotted mess by carefully following instructions in a how to book, and viewing instructions, with pictures even, on line.

My mama-in-law and her sisters, my two best friends, my mama, my aunt are all very good at crochet.
Aunt Jeanie turns out many beautiful afgans, large ones.
My mama-in-law makes the whole family Christmas ornaments, angels, snowflakes, bells etc. from cotton thread from Grandma Graff’s stash.
Even my husband was able to learn crochet, but he didn’t continue.
He also has made loom placemats and pot holders.

So I started collecting finished crochet products:
Hugh stacks of afgans in 70’s colors…{ we can survive a power failure during a freeze :) }
Small drawer fulls of 50’s doilies, pot holders, coasters, pin cushions, little sewing kits…
Pot holders in all sorts of animals and objects…
Aprons for dish soap bottles, Barbie doll dresses…

Even my Dad’s mom crocheted.
She crocheted a great black shawl with a border of pom-poms for Mama to wear over square dance skirts and petticoats….I want it !

But she was a knitter.

So, do I knit because my grandma taught me?
No.
I think one of the reasons I knit is to honor her memory.
She did teach Jean & me to knit when we were little.
I vaguely remember knitting rectangular garter stitch Barbie shawls, more because I still have little hand knitted wool & cotton Barbie shawls, but I am not sure which one of us made them?
I don’t even have knitting needles saved from my early knitting experience, and I save nearly everything.
I also don’t have any of the Norman Rockwell memories of grandma in the rocker by the fireplace, with Jean & I at her knee, teaching us how to knit, while playful kittens bat balls of yarn…
Grandma Mac knitted mittens, hats, slippers, scarves, little purses, doll clothes, sewing kits, Christmas decorations, bun covers, shawls… I still have them.
{ the slippers really hurt the bottoms of my feet so I didn’t wear them?}
Every Christmas we would get a matching hat and mitten set and a flannel nightgown.
I loved the flannel granny nightgowns and wore them until they were falling apart.
I still wear flannel granny gowns.
A friend tells me you can get really good heavy weight flannel by shopping where it gets cold in the winter, like Colorado. The flannel sold in Texas is too lightweight.

Daddy has saved items his mom knit for him including a turtle neck sweater of very small fine stockinet stitch.
Maybe years from now I will be able to knit like grandma and feel a connection to her, like inheriting the family knitting gene.

My sister quilts. My country neighbor quilts. My nieces quilt.
I do not feel compelled to quilt.
I have a box of sentimental scraps in case the quilting bug bites.

For some reason I do feel compelled to knit.

I do not knit for relaxation or to calm my nerves as many knitters will tell you they do.
Knitting has an almost opposite effect on me?
It requires intense focus on my part and I grip those needles till my hand cramps and keep on going…on into the wee hours, { especially if I can sleep till noon the next day J }
If I was using small size Brittany needles they would snap like pick–up-sticks.
I try to approach knitting scientifically and understand how it works and I don’t want to make mistakes! I have learned several ways to rip out my work back to an error, including knitting in reverse.

I will persevere.
I have been a knovice knitter for about three years now and can even do lace patterns.
I still use Wall-Mart yarn because I am not accomplished enough to use the good “Viki” yarn.
I rarely finish a project due to fatal errors that the perfectionist and penny pincher in me compels me to rip it completely out…don’t want to see my mistakes and certainly don’t want to waste yarn on an imperfect creation.
I did manage to complete several garter stitch scarves for family.

I decided to choose a craft and stick with it.

Pottery is so inviting.
Occasionally I walk through the pottery/sculpture studio and want to play in the mud, and own my own kiln and potters wheel…I keep a little notebook of my pottery ideas…I have just recently started having knitting ideas….
Leg warmers with pockets for knee pads
I even day dream about how I could incorporate knitting and pottery…..and raising my own sheep & alpacas, and spinning my own yarn…

But I am committed to knitting.

Knitting is more affordable than pottery.
Knitting is portable.
Projects have definite beginnings and ends.
People are always amazed at seeing a person knitting and usually relate memories of family members who knitted, so knitting in public is a knifty conversation starter.
Friends and family love hand “knitted with love” gifts made with trendy feathery yarns.
Gift washcloths are proclaimed to be too pretty to actually scrub anything with.

So I guess I knit because I am stubborn, and I like the attention.
The end.