February 8, 2013
Dear Everyone:
Now that I am “really and truly”
retired, “Jeannie” has decided that I
need to start knitting. She
says it will “relax” me.
Evidently, just being retired is not relaxing enough.
I recall that I did “some knitting” 40-some years ago, when I was in
high school and/or college.
But I was more than willing to admit that I may have forgotten a thing
or two. So, last weekend,
while we were visiting the one and only knitting store left in
Walnut
Creek (the one in
Lafayette closed late last year), I picked up a “Teach
Yourself Knitting” book.
“Jeannie” paid for it. It
became my “Belated Christmas Present.”
“Jeannie” loaned me a few pairs of
knitting needles in “sizes befitting
a beginner”. And I figured I
have enough yarn, of typical weights, lying around, left over from
various crochet projects, with which to get started.
To start with, you have to decide how to hold the needles and yarn.
Multiple pages on “the English Method, the Continental Method,
etc.” Apparently, there are
over 57 ways to hold the needles and wrap the yarn around your hand.
Hold the needle in your left hand.
Wrap the yarn around your right hand.
Pick up the second needle with your right hand.
Only you can’t, because you have all this yarn wrapped around
your right hand. Needle
slips away and rolls off the table.
Begin again.
Detailed instructions for how to make a
slip knot.
(Seriously?) Cast on
some yarn. “Casting on” is
“knit-speak” for “get some yarn onto the needle in such a way as to
start knitting”. There’s the
“Backward Loop Cast On” (good for beginners).
And the “Long-Tail Cast-On”.
And “Knit Cast-On”.
And “Cable Cast-On”. In
fact, there’s about 10 pages of illustrated instructions, just for
casting on.
Then, finally, the instructions for actual knitting.
Something like “…insert the right needle into the front of the
first stitch on the left needle (front?), with the right needle behind
the left needle (behind?)…” holding the needles in a cross (X), wrap the
yarn counterclockwise around the left needle, bringing it down between
the two needles (see illustration)…”
And then “…pull the right needle toward the front of the left
needle, bringing the new loop of yarn through the stitch on the right
needle (a) and slip it off the left needle (b).”
And presto! You just dropped
your first stitch. Flip back
10 pages to find the instructions on how to cast-on again.
At which point the book flops shut and drops off the table onto the
floor.
Are we relaxed yet?
Even “Jeannie” had trouble with those instructions.
The trouble with “before and after illustrations” is they don’t
show you what happens in the middle.
Eventually, I figured out what they were trying to say and made my first
successful stitch. And
another. And another.
And went to You Tube to search “beginning knitting instructions” to make
sure I was actually doing it correctly.
According to the volunteer instructor with the bright blue nail
polish, I was OK.
After numerous starts, I have successfully knitted about 8 inches by 9
inches of I’m-not-sure-what.
Of course, I’m only on the fourth try.
But things are coming along nicely.
And I have to admit, it’s habit-forming.
You get to the end of a row and, before you know it, you’ve
started another row. “Just
one more,” you tell yourself.
“And then I’ll…” do whatever it was you were supposed to do
before getting sucked in.
The laundry can wait five more minutes.
Remember that movie,
A Christmas
Story, in which the kid’s aunt sent him a hand-knitted pink bunny
suit? I promise not to knit
anyone a pink bunny suit.
However, those of you who were thrilled to get hand-crocheted
wine-carriers, in college school colors, a few years ago can look
forward to matching hand-knitted car covers.
Assuming I ever learn how to
bind off.
Love, as always,
Pete
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