The Appeal Of Knitting

I first learned to knit when I was about 11. Back in the day, my church's weekday religious program for children divided the girls from the boys when we turned 10 so we could have a class that was more relevant for our own interests, or something like that. No idea what the boys did, but we did a lot of crafty things. I learned to embroider, knit, crochet, and babysit. Surprisingly, all of these things came in very handy for me (you were expecting me to say something snarky, weren't you?). I took to the needlework like a duck to water, and never looked back. Over the years, I've added cross-stitch, smocking, needlepoint, needle tatting, hardanger, Swedish lace net darning, Swedish huck embroidery, rug hooking, sewing, quilting, and beadwork to the original three skills, as well as a little jewelry casting, leatherwork, and woodcarving. Each has its allure, but I think I love to knit the most.

When I was growing up, my mother always had some kind of project going. She did a lot of needlepoint and introduced me to most of the needlework forms I acquired over the years, but no matter what she was working on, she always had a knitting project. I can still hear the "click click" of her metal needles as she sat in our big brown chair making a sweater for Emily or a pillow for my bed. Both my grandmothers knit and crocheted, and I always had one-of-a-kind sweaters, slippers, hats, and mittens. Since we usually lived so far from my grandparents, wearing something they made connected me to them, and them to me I hope.

I hadn't knit in years, but after 9/11 I picked it back up again. I was horribly stressed at the time, and essentially I just wanted my mommy. After mastering a few dishcloths, I started a sweater for Elvira. It turned out pretty well--at least both the sleeves were the same length, albeit a bit short. I have knit while learning how to shoot Elvira up with insulin in the hospital, while waiting for my husband to come out of major eye surgery, waiting for Tinkerbell to wake up from a medical coma, listening to doctor after doctor go over our family's health histories and say, "Wow, that's really unusual! How interesting... Hey Joe, come take a look at this file! Would you consider being part of a study?" I've also knit while waiting for concerts to start, kids getting their braces off, waiting in line for all the "Harry Potter" and "Twilight" movies, watching baseball games, and yes, even in church.

But my favorite knitting memory was just over a year ago when I was home in St. Louis. Emily, Suzy, Mom and I were all watching "Mamma Mia"--and knitting. One of the best things in life is watching my mom watch a movie. Her face is so beautifully expressive, and she has the most wonderful laugh. Whether she's watching "Tom and Jerry" with Tinkerbell, "Mamma Mia" with us girls, or "Muppets Take Manhattan" with all of us, I would rather watch her than the movie anyday. I adore my mother, if you can't tell. There we were, me working on a sweater for a friend's baby, Emily working on a sweater for Elvira, Suzy just learning to knit, and Mom working on a sweater for herself. Click, click, click, the occasional curse word, and singing Abba songs. Then Dad got out of bed, shook his head at us, and asked us to keep it down. A happy, happy memory.

Tinkerbell had a Destination Imagination competition in Salt Lake on Saturday. When we were done, we headed over to Blazing Needles, which is the loveliest yarn store I've ever visited. Last summer I mentioned a moleskine project I was embarking on, and I was finally able to meet Laurie, the talented and versatile woman who is upline from me in the exchange. She was teaching a class there that afternoon. The store was filled with people, some in Laurie's class, a couple of women just hanging out knitting with a dog at their feet, Chris winding customer's skeins of yarns on the amazing swift they have, Cynthia popping around to show me things, an expectant couple looking at yarn for baby sweaters. The sun was coming in through the windows, lighting up the yarn in the bins. The yarn! Wool, silk, cotton, cashmere--handspun, hand-dyed, hand-painted, you name it. So many pretty little scarf pins, lavender sachets, books, leather project bags, just more than I could ever list.

But it was the feeling in the store, more than the goods, that made the biggest impression. There is such a comaraderie and sisterhood in knitting. The two women at the table were friends, though maybe they met through the store. One is an advanced knitter and the other just a beginner. They wanted to see what I picked out, and hear about a book I recommended. I looked at their projects and pet the sweet labradoodle that was recovering from peritonitis. Laurie and I had a big hug, Tinkerbell made herself at home picking out a project for herself, and there was a faint smell of tea from the mugs a few people were sipping from. I hated to leave.

My friend Pat, who currently lives in London, and I have talked about opening a yarn (or wool, as she says it) shop someday. We also want to write a book together. How lovely would that be? Surrounded by gorgeous fibers, creative customers/friends, the scent of lavender, and warm tea. I don't think we'd have to worry about writer's block at all.