Knitting needles

Gran knitted. She was an extremely talented knitter. She also knew how to crochet, and actually taught us how to knit and crochet.

She taught me how to crochet, at first, because I was younger than Maureen, and crochet is a bit simpler than knitting. She taught Maureen how to knit. I had a deep desire to learn how to knit, but Gran did not want to teach me right away. So, I contented myself with crocheting scarves, slowly moving up to afghans. I crocheted pot holders, and nonsensical things, all for the love of the art. As I got older, I moved on to more intricate things, such as doilies. I still wanted to knit; it looked like such a cool thing, and Gran knitted so fast, needles flying, flashing, clicking. It was an amazing thing to watch. She knitted so fast that she could have a whole sweater done in two weeks. She always promised Maureen and I our own Fair Isle sweaters. I loved Fair Isle design. It was so beautiful, and such an amazing thing to behold, the pattern emerging from the needles. I loved yarn work so much. Maureen ended up teaching me how to knit, and Gran supervised, and I shakily learned how to knit. I knitted a VERY crooked scarf for my first project. I wanted to knit a fair Isle sweater, but knew it would take years to learn. I think I was ten when I learned how to knit.

We were all having dinner one night when there was a frantic knocking at the door. One of Kathleen's friends was at the door, crying. Gran had been teaching her how to knit, and apparently while knitting at her own house, she had put a knitting needle through the palm of her hand. I watched, wide eyed, as Gran treated her cuts, and spoke reassuringly to her. Gran was so nice to her! That incident affected me in a strange way. I feared Gran so much, but not everyone did. Not everyone was afraid of her. Wow. Gran was nice to some people, it seemed. People who were not kids anymore. I sort of began to hero worship Gran after that, still afraid of her, but very much in awe of her at the same time. I was very proud of Gran that night, that this scared, hurt girl would seek her out, of all the people she could have chosen, but she chose Gran, that must have meant that Gran truly had a heart, and truly could help her.

I resolved to become a great knitter and a great crocheter, to prove to Gran that I was worthy of the craft. She said I'd have to become very accomplished at knitting in order to deserve to be taught Fair Isle. I decided that Fair Isle must be VERY difficult to learn.

Several years passed, and I became quite good at knitting and crocheting. I learned how to crochet mittens, and wore them to school. I got teased mercilessly for wearing "homemade" mittens, but I didn't care, for once. I was very proud of what I had done for myself. I asked Gran to teach me Fair Isle, but she said no. I was knitting at quite a good rate, and was working on an afghan of different colored squares, with different patterns of stitching on them. My favorite was and still is, the moss stitch, also known as the seed stitch. I loved the nubby texture of it, and it looked so interesting and pretty. I did basketweaving of knit and knit/purl squares within squares, and decided that if Gran didn't teach me Fair Isle, I'd teach myself. I studied her sweaters for hours. I realized that this was simply a matter of weaving a different color yarn in with the main color, thereby forming a pattern. I decided to try a heart. It worked!!! I showed Maureen, and she was excited enough to call for Gran and show her. Gran was not happy. Gran did not think it was great. Gran was angry.

I did not understand her reaction at all. I was so proud of myself to have figured out this difficult pattern myself. She was almost angry at me for having "taken on too much" with my knitting. She said I was a beginner, and that I was acting "too big for my britches" and "showing off" in trying the Fair Isle. My face burned with shame. I was not trying to show off at all. I was very confused and hurt by her reaction.

Well. I didn't stop practicing it, and became quite good at it. A month after my heart, I learned a snowflake, and a reindeer. I made a Christmas afghan for my best friend's mother. I started making it for Gran, but she got so angry every time I knitted around her that I felt it was best to give her something crocheted instead. I was learning some amazing crocheted patterns too, so I'd make her a beautiful afghan.

Maureen and I spent hours and hours with our knitting. Maureen had no desire to learn Crochet. I wanted to teach her so badly, as she had taught me how to knit. I was so grateful for that. Finally she decided she wanted to learn, she had asked Gran to teach her, but for some reason, although Gran could teach Maureen how to knit she had a hard time teaching her crochet, because Maureen is left handed. Gran gave Maureen a VERY hard time teaching her crochet, so Maureen just gave up on it and the entire craft left her with a bad taste in her mouth. I taught her, eventually, and now Maureen crochets things that absolutely blow me away, she is so enormously talented. She made the most beautiful Barbie dresses I had ever seen, I had never seen anything so beautiful. She far surpassed me when it came to the art of crochet, and I was so proud that I had helped her learn.

To this day, I love knitting and crocheting. I have also learned cross stitch and that was a real passion for a while. I always had a burning desire to be an artist, to draw, to paint, to create. Cross stitch is the closest I can come to creating something onto a blank canvas. I absolutely love it.

Maureen and I never received our Fair Isle sweaters from Gran. Yet another promise, unfulfilled. She knitted sweaters for everyone else, even virtual strangers. I always wondered why she would promise us something and then never deliver... I guess I'll never know.

Some of my cross stitch work... An Amish farm. Nearly solid stitching, and it took me a year to complete.