It is hard to take a book for learning knitting after you have already knitted sweaters , scarves and hats, to go back to the basics of understanding a craft.
I became a knitter by chance and necessity. It was 1988 and I have gotten sick and needed to be in bed rest for 30 days. I could not imagine what I would be doing for 30 days, it was December 1988. A friend of mine accompanied me to the Doctor's Office, which was at the French Hospital here in San Francisco, now part of Kaiser Permanente. I think that I told him that we should go to Woolworth's ( Remember the Good Olde Woolworth's?) and get some knitting needles, yarn and a booklet, because I was going to teach myself to knit. I was going to make myself a sweater for New Year's Eve Party and I did! I taught myself to knit.
Since then I have made at least two sweaters, with and without cables, hats and scarves, but I never thought that I had properly learned the craft, maybe I did, because as one of my blogging friends says, (LadyLinoleoum) knitting is one of those crafts that is embedded in our genetic material as a basic need or as part of our genetic make up.
That is the reason that I have been busy reading this book. "Knitting without Tears" by Elizabeth Zimmermann, is the book that I have been reading. So far this book is a nice read, easy to follow and I am expecting to learn or re-learn how to knit.
The lady is very funny and I agree with her in the perception that many people have of knitting. If you are looking for perfection, perfection meaning rows of flawless stitches, then you need to purchase a knitting machine. The art and hobby of knitting is about fun and about the ability of taking two sticks and using some thread to create something to wear.
Her advise is sound and it goes into details of explaining the different materials that needles are made of and subsequently the materials that you will use to make things. I will go along and make the projects that she has for practice along the reading.
For those people that knit very tight, as I have done from time to time, this books teaches the need to allow yourself to relax your gauge. In all reality, as she says, get a different pair of needles to reach a comfortable gauge, do not force the knitting to reach the gauge. Your hands , neck, ,back and wrists will suffer the consequences, plus you will be frustrated beyond belief and to the point of giving up knitting.
Thanks for stopping by and come back soon!
2 comments:
I will have to try to find that book at the library.
Sage advice from the mother of published knit tomes.
For me, making stitches with hook or needles is like breathing. The easier the breath, the more flawless the stitch. Sure, perfection is unattainable, but stitches can reach a sort of personal best. That's what I strive for...a symmetry that pays homage to my efforts.
You're the best!
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