Sunday, July 11, 2010

New Beginnings

I know it seems like an odd combination, knitting and stagecraft. I try not to do them both at the same time, the grease and road gunk gets all over the yarn and the fibers get all over something that is supposed to be black and it just doesn't work out. However, I do mystify my fellow techies and roadcrew with my innovation during breaks, which is often followed with this all-too-common exclamation.

"My Grandma used to knit!"

*sigh*

I am aware that your Grandma used to knit. Most Grandmas of our generation knit because of WWII and knitting for the troops and such. Knitting for the troops is a very noble gesture and there will be a link at the bottom of this post so you can contribute to the troops with wooly goodness or a cash donation if you're a non-knitter.

The statement of "My Grandma used to knit" makes me feel a touch, well, old. I just turned past the point of being half of 50 or a quarter of 100 as I like to think of it. Yes, an older lady taught me the basics of knitting but she had been knitting since she was five. She never brought her knitting to work but she was a knitter of great prowess. Delicate lacework and doilies were her specialty, as were baby blankets and other grandma worthy items.

My point is that knitting projects evolve. She told me about complicated laceweight cardigans and dishclothes for her first home when she was a newlywed and wedding/baby for friends. Right now I'm at the laceweight cardigan/dishclothes for my first house/wedding/baby gift stage. I even knit socks! Not boring white socks, but some really wild footwear. The current socks in question were being worked on when I recieved the afformentioned comment. I have a hard time believing that the socks your Grandma knit looked anything like what I knit with. I find the brightest, most wild striped yarn and do what I can with it. Life is too short for boring socks.

If your Grandmother is still alive, I encourage you to ask her to teach you. Not only is it a good skill to have, i'm sure she'll get a kick out of teaching the next generation. It's in a knitter's nature to pass the skill on. If you don't have a Grandma who knows how, i'm sure theres someone in your life that can show you how.

And for the love of all things cashmere, don't say "My Grandma used to knit!" You might get a needle to the eyeball.

Much love and good yarn,

KbD, SbN

I am in no way affiliated with The Ships Project. It is a charity that sends handmade goods to our troops wether they be on land or on the sea.