It's confirmed. I am the world's worst mother. How do I know this? Well, when your sick son presents with a high temperature and intense pain, the first thing I think with glee is, extra knitting time. No school runs for the rest of the week, no cubs, no rugby, and no library (he is back on his feet and off my hands from tomorrow). However, I feel totally vindicated. Having received my copy of Yarn Harlots latest offerings - Knitting Rules! I found a piece of myself neatly described on every page. For instance, my level of yarn involvement is level 4 - Obsessed. This is me down to a tee.
"The knitter spends all of her free time knitting, and the time she considersShe's even described my filing systems down to a tee. Her insight into my knitting world, never mind anyone elses is scary, or maybe I am truly a geek of the knitting world. A thoroughly good read with interesting tips and tit bits, I wonder if it's going to be put on to CD......
"free" is expanding. She is likely now neglecting housework with a vengeance and
is dreaming in knitting code. The "obsessed" knitter stalks other people to
stare at their sweaters, and would rather sit on a train for nine hours where
she can knit comfortable, rather than drive. This knitter has discovered books
on tape, buys yarn like it's a job, and dreams of a way to make money from
knitting so she wouldn't have to waste good knitting time earning a
living..."
Knitting news.....
We have grey weather at the moment, so I'm offering indoor pictures to the best of my limited abilities. The ribbon edge cardigan pieces are finished, but are not yet sewn up. I've started 2 cardigans' in pink for summer. One is in chunky pure cotton, by Laines Du Nord (Cleo). I bought this cotton last year on impulse from Loop, got it home and then had no idea what so ever, what to do with it. Because of sick sprog I've been taking time to look through past knitting magazines and books and came across a pattern using double stranded cotton to the Cleo spec, what a piece of luck (Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2000 back in the day when there was a UK edition). I'm making a few modifications as I go. For starters, the pattern only goes up to a 36 and I'm shaping the sides. The second is in a very similar shade of pink, but is Jaeger Sienna, a 4 ply yarn. I want something elegant for the evening which isn't thick. I want something along the lines of Jinny, but without the beads. This time I'm drawing on Rowan patterns from Book 25. Of course, all is being dutifully recorded in my knitters journal. I have to admit that I originally scorned the idea of a journal, until the comments about me being a bag lady became too tedious. I've always been known for carrying large hand bags, add a few knitting projects, knitting books and yarns that I want to match colours to and life was becoming impossible. It all came to a head when I got a ball of yarn stuck around someone's boot heel on the bus. 
I spent one weekend catalouging my stash, cutting out my bits of yarn and I think I managed to reduce the load in my bags by almost half - now that's got to be a good thing. The only problem is with the sections of this particular journal. It focuses more on creativity, i.e. on the premise that you want to design, rather than log your progress or catalogue your stash for ease. However, it is the best one I have come across for my basic needs. And you never know, it may spawn the designer in me.Saturday proved very productive, although Ms S couldn't make a knitting session, Ms L did. She has progressed from garter stitch to stocking stitch and is enjoying the experience. On her one piece of work, she is on her third set of needles.
She started on bamboo, went on to circular metal and is now on straight metal in a larger size. She found the differences quite remarkable. I'm meeting up with Ms S tomorrow for a mid week session. I'm beginning to feel like Mss Jean Brodie and her girls. I'm definitely trying to lead them into the enlightened, uplifting, sexy world of knitting!!
P.S life sucks when your text and pictures won't go where you want them too!!
2 comments:
A ball of wool on someones' boot heel!!!! I love it. I would have wrestled the person to the ground. I too, carry loads of bags - in fact the Scottish NHS has wonderful e-library bags which are big capacious, sturdy bags, we are supposed to give out to promote databases etc. Only trouble is they are too good for this (and whoever managed to carry a virtual thingy like that in a bag - pah), these bags are fabulous for carting knitting supplies. As for the knitting rules, Stephanie ommitted the odd one which I am guilty of and that is... the knitter will do anything to delay leaving the yarn department in John Lewis - she will happily ensconce her offspring in the adjoining cafeteria and feed them so she can make knitting notes while eyeing yarn. The true knitter will also make her children carry larger rucksacks than these children need for their own uses, so as to evenly distribute stash and therefore sneak it past her partner. The true knitter has been known to take deliveries of yarn at work and smuggle in yarn to her house at 3.00 am or in her bra (yes she has).
I love this post, I have such a great image of you on the bus now and yesterday you sprang immediately to mind when I had a nasty moment in the supermarket, my needles where poking out of my bag and got caught up in my basket, a helpful customer behind me tried to help and succeeded in pulling the knitting off the needles. I think he thought me very ungrateful....
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