Starting Out - Week (sorta) of Knit Crochet blogging knitcroblo1 knitcroblo2

So, over on Ravelry which I just found out about last week, there is a knitblogging thing going on this week with specific topics. Of course being somewhat late to the party, I'm not quite doing Monday's assignment on Monday but oh well.

Starting Out
My mother taught me how to knit when I was around 10 I think. Also embroider, crochet, sew, can stuff, and other household tasks. We had an attitude of figure it out and get it done in my family. I remember many times my mother saying, I'm not going to pay that $$, I could make that myself! We would can fruit, tomatoes and make jam every summer. Handwork was seen as a valuable skill.

The first thing I ever made was a knitted owl hotpad out of extremely bright and ugly yellow yarn. Of course, it was meant to go around hot pan edges and it did its job well. The pattern taught knit and purl stitches on the back, and on the front to make the owl you learned basic cabling. Then of course you had to sew the back and front together. I did a good job because that hotpad went through the wash many times and was never the worse for wear. After that, I occasionally would knit a scarf. Until a few years ago I usually turned to sewing or crochet when making a major item. I've made quilts, clothes, and crocheted afghans, one of which I still have as the first afghan I ever made.

A few years back I started getting into knitting a lot more. I found I really liked the look of a knitted garment as opposed to crochet, and it just seemed like you got a better end product if your goal was to make clothing. I then found myself taken aback by the price of the yarn, but I think I have finally reconciled that one. It used to be that you knitted in order to save some money. That is not true if you compare the cost of a handmade garment with something purchased from Ross or Marshalls. However, if I compare the cost of what I make with the cost of something that is high-end then I am definitely saving money. So, all I need to do is keep that firmly in mind and I will not be so stumped by the price of the yarn.

In fact, my sister, designer clothing wearer, asked me to make her a sweater after she saw the two that I made for my father. She bought the yarn, Jade Sapphire 12-ply Cashmere and I started making it. I've had a few false starts due to the fact that I think the high $$ cost of the yarn is stressing me out but I think I've got it figured out now and I do have to say that knitting with this yarn is extremely, extremely enjoyable.


An Inspirational Pattern

My inspiration was not so much a pattern as a couple of specific designers. I fell in love with their colorwork. I learned about the terms fair isle because of Alice Starmore. I do NOT like the shape of her sweaters, no-one looks good in a giant box. However,  the colors, patterns, and photography in the two of her books that I own; The Celtic Collection and Tudor Roses are simply stunning. The other designer who really inspired me was Kaffe Fasset. Once again, not for garment design but for colorwork.

Of course, to all of this I have to say I have not knit one of these designs (yet). I was not good enough. I would need to restructure the entire garment shape so that I would not only love knitting it but wearing it. Also I found the cost of these designs is jaw dropping.

So, since I also love cabling and the rich textural detail that can be created, most of what I have made over the last few years has been cabled sweaters with a few forays into felting.

I think I'm ready to go for it now though. I'm a better knitter than I was a few years back, and frankly, I'm just getting really tired of buying wonderful knitting books but yet never knitting the patterns because they would cost too much. It is really somewhat farcical. I'll drop $100 on pattern books but not on the yarn to at least make one item.