The Magic Of Knitting

I don't know what it is about this sweater but whenever I get to work on it, it feels like I'm out of the woods with tricky bits of life and on quiet waters of day-to-day existence, with looming absence of deadlines and colossal undertakings. Strange, because this sweater is a bit of daunting piece of work in itself.

It cheers me up. It takes me some place else - like a good book! It's almost like it makes me be really present to just how lovely my life is (very much present, especially when I work the stages where shaping and pattern are both involved :)

The riotous colours are so stimulating to look at and the feel of yarn is pure sensuality. Oh, I so love this alpaca!

There is something about the aesthetic of this kind of fabric, which feels so perfectly unspoilt and innocent. It's like a tribute to the magic of childhood...

I've been hooked on this sweater for two days in a row, and have managed to progress the work quite a bit.

Today I shaped the neck and grafted the shoulder seams. It went really fast - I love how quickly children's garments knit up!

Now I'm waiting for 'Nick post' to arrive. He's picking up some extra supplies for me from Loop. I realised I've run out of grey and I need it to be able to finish off the rib on the neck.

Oh, also wanted to highly recommend this book, as the source of inspiration for this project, which I am enjoying so much. It's brilliant! A little obvious, hmm.

You Can Knit

It was a "blast off" day last Saturday for a spring series of ten sessions of knitting course for beginners, and what a lovely start it was! The class takes place in a spacious room situated in an old building on Upper St, N1. In the middle of the room there is a large round table, which got covered completely by various knitting "paraphernalia".

There is a lot to get one's teeth into... Various knitting implements:

A few pieces from my collection to exemplify the scope of possibilities:

Ample reference materials to inspire and facilitate:

A handful of samples, just because:

The class is tiny, and its size has a lot of appeal for me as I have been so busy lately that I am in serious need for some kind of "refuge" from my mad day-to-day frenzy of activities. I'm really looking forward to choosing and making a start on our projects - I think I should start something new as well (Oh, please have mercy, do not point out to me how many unfinished projects I already have hanging around!) Saturday morning was very enjoyable, a course sandwiched between 2 leisurely bike rides, and then I got home to find out that everyone was out in the park so I decided to read in bed. And then as to round off day's perfection children appeared in the door completely "invisible" behind a huge bouquet of spring flowers. The scent of these flowers is something out of this world!

PS: I cannot believe that I have checked out of the blogging world for so long. I swear, it felt like a week to me! Bear with me guys, I am very curious to find out what you've all been up to. Need to make time for rambling around people's blogs instead of bedtime stories :)

Serial Secret Project

I got carried away knitting like a maniac and abandoned this space in a most unforgivable fashion... I actually forgot about Stitchville, and forgot that I missed it!

One of the projects I was working on was upgrading N's sock draw in an attempt to mark his Landmark Birthday this month. The gift was received with utmost gratitude and appreciation, and the project is still on - as in "I have a dozen more pairs of socks to knit". This sock knitting thing is seriously addictive. By the end (I am not as far gone as to acknowledge that there is NO end) of it I'll be a complete sock-oholic :)

Off I go now to prepare for the first session of You Can Knit tomorrow. Very much looking forward to it!

£££ Yarn money - how to boost your budget £££

Do you know the pain of having to restrict yarn spending? Read on.

I don't think this is common knowledge - YET - but the whooping charges banks charge us for occasional... let's call them "instances of financial misbehaviours" (read "bounced cheques/direct debits, going overdrawn without prior agreement, late payments"). Well, they are not allowed to do this as it is considered unlawful. Strictly speaking they can only get us to cover the actual administrative costs, which are next to nothing. However, general unawareness made it possible for banks and credit card companies to make it a common practice. As a result we are all being taken for a ride - a rather costly ride, as the charges used to vary from £25 to £40 a pop. Well, you can claim it all (6 years back precisely) back, if you know how. Just follow this link. BTW, Motley Fool website is worth a read, if you care to educate yourself a bit about the traps awaiting us all in the financial jungle out there.

And if you're wise enough you might even choose to put this money to a better use than blowing it all on yarn, no matter how nice that would feel. (The Mother in me speaking - I have to keep up the appearances :)

With love,

Foolish Gosia.

Acceptance

I went to I dream of the sea yesterday and was struck by Kendra's post on Acceptance.
It lingered on my mind in my not-so-deep sleep last night. When I read the post I thought to myself "I think I'm good at accepting things as they are, with all their imperfections." It's not always easy, but I can do it.

But than, I am quite upset with myself and at the bottom of it is not accepting myself as a parent. I think/feel (just to include that nasty sensation of tightness in my chest) that I am not doing good enough job of parenting. I am really challenged by my children's difficult behaviors sometimes and finding that a lot of the time I am simply not patient enough. And it does get worse - I find that some of the time I'm not loving enough.
Underneath this impatience and "insufficient" love I know that at times I'm not accepting my children as they are. And (external signal) things get difficult.

All of Kendra's thoughts on this subject fell onto fertile ground, as I read it after I "flipped" yesterday. Dropping the parenting ball in a way I did is just so horrid and inexcusable. I'm upset with myself for not knowing better.

I felt so battered that all I could handle was to snuggle up on the sofa after children's bedtime and knit L's soft angora scarf, which mirrors the colour of his eyes, and seek consolation in a gentle click-clack of the needles.

I woke up early brimming with bitter feelings, hence I'm in the kitchen now pouring out my sad thoughts, and wanting to make up.

The bottom line is that ACCEPTANCE = LOVE.

The Warmest Yellowest Evening Gloves Ever

Debbie Bliss 80% Alpaca & 20% Silk DK, 2007.

An Original Technique?

I love seamless knitwear. The very essence of its superiority over flat knitting is the fact that it is much neater than anything with seams, no matter how hard you work to make the seamed garment impeccable on the inside.
Whenever I design a new thing I think really hard how to structure it so that it can be made seamlessly and the making process can be as "flowing" and "uninterrupted" as possible. This is how I came up with a number of techniques, which I arrived at by pure experimentation. Quite often I stumble upon such an original technique of mine in some obscure Art Deco pattern or other, and I say to myself with a smile: "Ooops. This looks familiar." It is hardly surprising that this happens. In the many thousands of years of knitting on Earth everything imaginable about how it can be done must have been covered thoroughly.

The point is that whilst making the gloves for the book I had an idea about closing the tips of fingers and running the thread inside to the base of the next finger where it can be picked up and used to knit another finger, or - as it is in case of a thumb - the palm of hand. It is very straight forward, if a bit fiddly.

Basically when you set up for working the finger/thumb make sure that the working yarn goes through the little hole, so that it runs through the finger as you knit it up. When the finger is finished close off all stitches using crochet hook and push the loop inside through the tip of finger. Turn the finger inside out and pass your ball of wool through the loop, secure by pulling and you're done. Now push the finger out and pick up the thread at the base of next finger. It completely does away with weaving in or having to put up with loose threads on the inside.

Original or not, I like it a lot. It is worth trying. Be aware though! When doing it once I lost my concentration only to notice that I knit up half a finger forgetting to run the thread through the finger hole. Dah!

Silk Hose

There was something about socks in the brief. I looked at it and thought to myself "Socks? What fashionista would care for socks? They're good for lounging and such, not for turning heads." Stockings is something else. Loaded with references and romantic appeal. Little did I think how much more work is involved!

Before soaking.

Special feature is padded (Dutch) heels and toes for extra durability. I was struck by the need for synergy of comfort and elegance here. You know, love thy feet.

Ornamental panels.

Lace at back.

Shapings.

Garters.

I got to use the beehive when I was working on the garters, and it was much fun. I was promenading around the house with the beehive dangling off my wrist, and actually got to take it on a bus whilst traveling to the yarn shop to get some supplies.

The yarn is Debbie Bliss pure silk in aqua and coral, and I loved to work with it - it's so flipping fantastic to touch! 2 mm needles, my ladies, hence it took full 5 days to make those beauties.

PS: I've got dates confirmed for a spring run of knitting course for beginners - downloadable PDF file with more details to be found in the COURSES section.

Knitting equivalent of Mission Impossible & Silent Poetry

I have spent 7 days knitting - without any breaks other than for sleep (very much diminished), snacking (on things that don't take more than 5 minutes to prepare), occasionally pulling Oliver out of the freezer or out of the fireplace (actually, to be perfectly honest caring for a 1 year old involves more than that, and for benefit of those of you who haven't had the pleasure of being in charge of such a small, delightful AND demanding person, they are not terribly patient either), and making myself numerous and delicious cups of strong coffee.

Just before Christmas I submitted a couple of projects for knitting books and both were chosen, due to be published this autumn.

This is how I got to work on this crazy deadline. I bit the proverbial bullet and committed to making a pair of over the knee stockings and a pair of long evening gloves in 7 days. Both fully fashioned and fiddly. The surprising thing is that despite the pressured circumstances I really enjoyed both projects and am proud to announce that I am pleased with both (this is such a relief, especially that I am so difficult to please myself).

Ta-dah!



I promise to publish separate posts for each item over the weekend, as there are stories to be told about each project. And I have taken lots of pictures.

Also, huge thanks to Jill at Designer Yarns for furnishing me with gorgeous yarns for both projects. Very much appreciated.

I just realised it's Second Annual Brigid in Cyberspace Silent Poetry Reading.

I could not pass this opportunity to share one of my favourite poems with you.

LOST

Stand still, The trees ahead and bushes beside you

Are not lost, Wherever you are is called Here,

And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,

Must ask permission to know it and be known.

The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,

I have made this place around you,

If you leave it you may come back again, saying Here.

No two trees are the same to Raven.

No two branches are the same to Wren.

If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,

You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows

Where you are. You must let it find you.

An answer to the question, “What do I do when I’m lost in the forest?" Given by a Native American elder and rendered into modern English by David Wagoner (Chair of Poetry, University of Washington, U.S.A.).

Close up

The crazy yarn is Magic Ball by Bee Sweet. Sleeves are turquoise Bouclé Baby Mohair by Bee Sweet also. Underskirt is Patons cotton in vintage pink. For the "bustier" I used Rowan's 4-ply soft in dark green.

Joys of collaborating

On one of our visits to the yarn shop Clara spotted a crocheted dress and asked if she could have it? The dress was too small, so I suggested she could choose some yarn she liked and I would make her one, AND we can think it up together. The deal was struck between us and Clara went off to pick her yarn. She came back with these two skeins...

On our return home we took paper and pencils and started drawing things up and bouncing ideas off each other. That is, after I had a sedative cup of green tea, after it turned out that Clara picked two most expensive skeins of yarn in the shop... London... Britain... possibly in the "whole wide world"! I thought to myself "Must not imprint on Clara that some things are too fine for her just because she is a child." It's common behaviour in adults and it makes me cringe. On the upside it just shows some good taste. (To Be Prudently Encouraged - as this could turn out to be a double edged sword, so to speak.) Passion for fibers can fog one's ability to use reason at times. Don't we all know this?

Clara insisted she would like to wear the dress on Christmas day and so she did. She proudly explained to our guests that she made it together with me. Credit to Dad/Nick here for picking the colour for the sleeves.

Actually, I really appreciated working on a project with a 5 year old. Clara's imagination and unconstrained creativity are a force to be reckoned with. And she did her bit in a most refreshingly playful way! I think we will definitely collaborate on projects in the future. It's great!

Today we had a little ad hoc photo shoot, so that you can see the results.

Blue Moon

One of the banks did not seem to give much credit (quite literally) to people's passion for hand-knitted socks. To the point of refusing to accept money from Rockin' Sock Club members, set up and run by Blue Moon Fibre Arts - an online yarn store!

It is truly astonishing, and does bring up some thoughts about the patriarchal mindset that seems to predominate in our world. A world which, although it claims to be modern, paradoxically, allows some archaic prejudices to prevail in a subtle yet powerful way.

Example:

As Harriet Lane points out in her recent article titled Crafty Work in a February issue of British Vogue

"Certainly, the artists featured here feel it's a good moment to reclaim neglected or overlooked skills and materials, particularly, perhaps, as the use of technology and computer programming seems to have compromised some contemporary art. And just because these artists are using old-fashioned methods, it would be foolish to make old-fashioned assumptions about their work."

A small interjection here: I would go even further in putting forward an argument against viewing crafts associated with women as old-fashioned. They truly are not. Let's take knitting for example. Someone please tell me what is old-fashioned about it? It is a body of theoretical and practical knowledge, which accompanied humans for thousands of years, adapted according to changing needs and fashions and is as pertinent to our lifestyles in the new millennium as it was in ancient Egypt. Perfectly adapted and very much in demand. Same goes for needlecraft, crochet, spinning &c.

Harriet Lane argues that

"Materials associated with women's work or dressmaking, with its heavy freight of political connotations (the drudgery of darning and of making-do at one end of the spectrum and transient, sybaritic frivolity at the other), have never had much currency in the art world."

This appears to stretch a touch beyond the art world, as the Blue Moon story explicitly shows.

Hence art galleries turn up their noses when approached by artists, who choose to use crafts as their medium. And we witness banks turning down people's money because of some fishy crafty associations.

"The change is underway", as Ms Lane put it, and if you need a proof of 'the changing barometer' just have a look at the uproar in the comments on Yarn Harlot's blog (link below).

To read up on the Blue Moon 'scandal' click here.

Spleen &c.

I feel low and starved of personal space and empty. As far as the circumstances go I cannot find a viable reason to feel so unhappy. To the contrary. And it is doing my head in. Everything I see around me says: "Lucky you! What a wonderful life you have!" A piece of jigsaw puzzle is missing and the picture doesn't make sense.

I read Stephanie's post today and what she said about personal space as a tool for unleashing energy resonated with me. I saw this picture of myself with 3 rocks hanging of my neck as I read it. The rocks were L,C & O. I realise that it sounds horrid but I do think that unless I am totally honest with myself I will not be able to deal with this in a satisfactory kind of way. (BTW, N & O are in France this weekend hence I cannot talk this through with the former AND my blog is my confidante of choice tonight).

It saddens me that I am not experiencing much joy in looking after my children at present and instead everything to do with caring for them seems relentless and exhausting. I suspect that I haven't looked after myself properly and I didn't get my priorities right. Is there a way to wipe out this unnerving sense of being overloaded and not able to think clearly? I think I might be outgrowing the current set up and there is change ahead of us. It feels uncomfortable and is so tempting to indulge in misery.

Than again, it strikes me that happiness is a matter of mastering one's mind, as opposed to circumstances fitting the ideal. Sounds simple, and I am tempted to say "not easy". I won't though.

As far as the remedy goes I will try noticing and letting go - a trick I learnt at KP courses.

And to think that lack of a digital camera (which currently is in France also) can prompt such trains of thoughts! If it was here I would take a photo of C's hat and entertain myself by telling you a story behind it.

Actually, I'd rather be looking "the beast" straight in the eye, than avoiding it.

And when it comes to think about stories, there is something sort of funny I can tell you about.

One of the things Harlot has been going on about forever are audio books, and how wonderful they are if you have a propensity to knit too much. Well, I had a dilemma over this Xmas holiday: whether to read or to knit. I enjoy reading a lot and I (perhaps a touch unwisely) started reading "Sense and Sensibility". Before I knew it I got drawn into the book and thus unashamedly "wasted" precious knitting time. I read over cooking pots whilst stirring their contents, in the torch light late into the night, in the bath (I don't do anything by halves, even if it's feeling wretched). All the while feeling terribly uneasy about all my knitting projects grinding to a halt. I decided to get an audio book, and promptly purchased Emma - 13 CDs! Unabridged. Hours and hours of reading... I mean listening. And I'll be able to spend them all knitting! I am so pleased and disbelieving that it took me so long to get around to it. Then (thinking that it could turn out to be quite an expensive addiction and one that would unavoidably affect my yarn spending), I found Simply Audiobooks - a rental site, where you can download audio books for a small monthly charge and I thought it a good idea to subscribe to it (brilliant sustainable way of acquiring goods - virtually no transport, packaging &c.). Little did I know how incompatible they are with Macs! Yesterday evening I was very unsuccessfully trying to download a book. I could have been just as well banging my head against the wall (to think of it - maybe it would shake out the frustrating thoughts mentioned above?). I was getting nowhere. I spent about 2hrs at it, had to revert to PC, which was obviously playing up and I'm not even half way there, because as soon as I've downloaded the file I'll have to work out how to make it compatible with my iPod. No CD player in this house, I'm afraid - L & C fed it copper coins and it was never the same again, so it had to go (do you see what I mean about living with little kids?). I have waisted about 4hrs so far trying to remove obstacles on the way to happy listening and knitting.

Self-diagnosis 2: I seem to be prone to distraction from knitting at present, whether it be emotional turmoil or technical difficulties.

I want to finish this on some kind of neutral note.

Marc Jacobs' oversized sweater, as found here.

In an attempt to cheer myself up I browsed S/S 2007 knitting trends today.