Saturday, July 16, 2011

Knitting? Knitting!

Until two weeks ago, I was a fabric girl. Not at all your yarny type. No skeins or sticks lying around, no k2p2 bizzo going on around chez clutterpunk, no thank you very much. I was Not A Knitter.

Well, that's changed. And about time.

 

See that there? That's a SCARF. Made it myself! A ribbed scarf with a keyhole opening in it, no less. And there was even unknitting and reknitting involved, and yet I finished it. 

I AM KNITTER, HEAR ME ROAR.

I know it's ridiculous to be so pleased. It was, of course, quite basic. But you see, I'd come over all perfectionist again without even realising. I'd told myself and numerous others that 'I don't knit'. What I thought I meant by this statement was 'I don't care to knit'. What I actually meant was 'I can't knit', which is perfectionist-speak for 'I would really like to knit, but when I pick up a ball of yarn and some needles for the first time I am not instantly, effortlessly brilliant at knitting and therefore I really should just leave it to the experts and stick to what I know, which is nothing much of anything and why am I so crap at everything and blah, blah, blah.... oh look, a cupcake."

So anyway, down with perfectionism and up with knitting!


As it happens, I don't think I could have held off much longer. The yarn-obsessed world was conspiring against me.

The arrival of a most stunning dusky pink in threes cardigan by that almighty stick-wielder, Tania;

A visit to my dear friend Anna, clutterpunk's preferred providore of finely knat washcloths and beanies, who introduced me to Ravelry;

The constant sighting of gorgeous milo vests made or in making, and the fact that I keep returning to oggle at them;

The revelation that my mother, whom I have never accused of doing anything craft-related, is KNITTING a gorgeous garter-stitch jacket for Susannah ('oh yes, I knit' she announced breezily, producing a perfectly-tensioned work in progress as I picked my jaw up off the floor - where have you been these past 35 years, knitting mother?!);

And finally, the sudden remembering that the very first therapeutic act of craft I committed four years ago, after emerging from the PND haze, was the knitting of a beanie for my newborn son. How could I have forgotten that? Knitting was the first step towards the unravelling of perfectionism. It's well and truly time to recommence. 





29 comments:

  1. What a timely post!! I have just been given three skeins of the most gorgeous HAND-PAINTED alpaca wool. I also am not a knitter, of the "have tried it once or twice and was too impatient to actually give it a chance" variety.

    I have decided it is time.

    I'm going to start modestly, practicing with squares for the Wrap With Love project. (http://www.artsandcraftsnsw.com.au/Wrap.htm) Maybe I'll even try crochet. I just have to get some supplies first!!

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  2. Oh, darling G, I am so ridiculously proud of you (in-between bouts of giggles). YOU GO, GIRL! x

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  3. And I thought it was the lions I could hear roaring; nice to know that it was in fact the arrival of KnitGirl!

    I've had several people at the zoo stop and admire the hand-knitted beanies the boys are wearing too - apparently knitting is the new black...

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  4. (Had to come back for another disbelieving giggle)...

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  5. ;-))))) That is fab and no wonder you are so pleased with yourself you should be really proud ;-)) Practise makes perfect with everything. Happy knitting, dee x

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  6. Good for you - it's such a great winter craft too!

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  7. GORGEOUS wool/yarn. I am the same about quilting - I don't try because I know I wouldn't immediately be the best.

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  8. good on you! i was taught how to knit 2-3yrs ago. since then i have managed to make a scarf! and mine doesn't have key hole. so. you are doing better than me :)

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  9. What a great scarf and welcome to the knitting world I have knitted on and off since I was very young and am knitting at the moment too

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  10. My journey with painting started with knitting. Around 4 years ago now. I knitted a really long scarf all in plain stitch with 4 ply multi-coloured wool. Somehow it opened up all sorts of creative doors.

    Happy knitting.

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  11. You know it was only a matter of time before those sticks were wielded though don't you. Ribbed scarf with keyhole? I wish... If only I had some sort of know how with the whole knitting thing!

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  12. That final pic is so, so lovely. And I've been seeing those Milo vests around and feeling pangs too - but I am the worlds worst knitter. My stitches get tighter and tighter until everything is a triangle. I shall have to admire from afar. x

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  13. Hahaha. I picked up knitting four years ago. I still haven't finished my first scarf. I think you rock! :D

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  14. I have sworn off yarn craft. I have NO ROOM for a yarn stash! ;)
    Enjoy!!
    Andi x

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  15. Welcome to the knitty world! And please Gina believe me when I say, once the baby is here the three manicured corners of our house that i photographed will dissappear... they are the only nice spots left. AT the moment I'm sitting in the midst of a cardboard Dalek and 4 dried up teabags. It's terribly glamorous...x

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  16. woo hoo she is in the club : o )

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  17. Welcome to the wonderful world of yarny goodness :D Just so you know, there's no hope for you now. Housework will quickly dissolve into hours of yarn shopping, pattern browsing and general Ravelry addiction. Knitting is both a gift and a curse. Enjoy!

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  18. Yah Gina! Good on you! Nothing like a bit of yarn in winter I say :) Your scarf is looking fantastic to me - and how gorgeous is that boy of yours?! As a lovely old Italian lady once said to us in the street when my girls were little... "You make em GOOD!" Kx

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  19. Fantastic... good on you... the knitting bug hit me in a big way this year too! It's a wonderful way to spend a cold wintery day. Enjoy!

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  20. Oh Gina. You and I have just swapped crafts! I have a much neglected yarn stash :( Winter really is the perfect time for knitting and that really is a gorgeous scarf - keyhole no less!! I'm very impressed!

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  21. But have you joined Ravelry yet? If not, do come and join us over there:
    http://www.ravelry.com/
    Lots of knitterly fun!

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  22. I wish to knit, perhaps I am also afraid of it not turning out 'perfectly' or that I don't have the patience to knit... when it comes to sewing, I just get fabric, scissors and a few zips here & there with the machine, Wa-La, finished product. I was very pleased with msyelf for finishing my scarf, which was in both knit AND purl, LOL. Next to try my hand at knitted dishcloths, because I still haven't learnt to crochet yet either!

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  23. I'm with you - fabric first and always but just 'relearnt' to crotchet and I'm smitten!

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  24. I too am a 'I don't knit'-er (along with the true meaning of the phrase...) You have inspired me to pick up those sticks!!! I wonder if a baby cardigan is a bit ambitious as a first project. Well second if you include knitted squares... thanks! :)

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  25. Welcome to knitting - a finished project qualifies you as a true knitter! Just to help you acclimate to knitting language, "unknitting" is called frogging - you "rip it, rippit, ribbit" - thus, frogging. Good job and happy knitting.

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  26. YES!! You know I have only just come back to knitting in the last year and by god, I cannot get enough! I love this scarf and it just so happens I wanted to make one for Luca (well, he keeps asking for one with his sad little hang dog face) and I visualised one with ribs! How'd you do that?

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  27. Great scarf!

    Welcome to the dark side. We're friendly over here, I promise.

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  28. you truly deserve to be proud!! I can knit very badly, but don't. I have tried to become a knitter many, many times, and just get frustrated by it. I wish I was a knitter.
    My little boy learnt at school the year before last, and didn't take to it. Maybe it isn't in our genes.
    And that is SO hilarious about your mother!! I think many of our mothers have hidden talents we don't know about.
    Good luck on your next project!

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  29. Yay! Me too! It's quite fun, actually. What do you think you'll knit next? x

    PS. verification code is STRUT. Yep, proud.

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“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
~Albert Einstein