Knitting For Anarchists

 

198 stitches were cast on 4mm circular needles at the beginning of this month.. I prefer to knit in the round as I dislike and am not good at sewing my work together. The Rules dictate that pieces should be blocked and pinned; I've never obeyed. Knitting in the round means that the amount of sewing is drastically reduced. 

Knitting for Anarchists. I'd been intrigued by this book for a while now and eventually found it selling for the right price on eBay. Anarchy, derived from Greek, means 'having no ruler' and I've often been irritated by the Knitting Rules. 

They are being broken here. I'm using odds and ends of yarn sourced from everywhere. That grey was found in a charity shop and cost pence.

Having recently knit several baby sweaters I find I get stuck at the neck. The usual ribbed style leaves me wondering if it will fit over the baby's head and I cannot be bothered with the faff of buttonholes.  And as my babies are all very far away, living in Dublin and Dingle and Walsall, I cannot measure their not-so-little heads. So I experimented with rolly necks. Just kept knitting stocking stitch, so easy in the round and after a loose casting off the neckline just curls into a sweet little collar. I still don't know if it keeps its shape after washing. 

I really hate knitting rib so I thought I'd go for the rolly option there too. The only snag is that there has to be a few rows in garter stitch or rib or else the hem might roll up to the armpits!

The body of the sweater and one sleeve are completed. I always find knitting the second sleeve relaxing as I don't have to worry about shaping or colourways - just copy the first one. Knitting without patterns is satisfying but sometimes it's stressful. I always tell myself that my projects are purely experimental so that if they don't totally please me, I will at least have learned something.

The work starts to get heavy when the sleeves and body are all on the needle. I decrease every second row to produce a raglan. The beads keep me in mind about where I begin and what decrease I'm on. 

Coming close to the finish. That picture was taken this morning and I hope to complete it tomorrow. Picture of the rolly neck to follow.

The Knitting For Anarchists book. It's OK. Full of rules. I prefer this one.

The Knitting Bug

Q. Why don't I blog more?

A. Because I am currently obsessed with knitting.

I took a notion for it before Christmas and on a day when I was supposed to be shopping for presents, I popped into the Silk Road in Mill Street and bought 10 balls of knitting yarn, all in different colours. I already had the needles even though I’d previously donated all my yarn collection to Aunt Lizzie who was keen on crochet work.

Every now and then during the Christmas and New Year stir, I’d glance at my bright balls of yarn and feel a glow of excitement. Soon. Soon I will cast on and begin my first simple project.

The return to knitting was every bit as enjoyable as I’d hoped. Before long I had enough strips of multi-coloured garter stitched pieces to sew together. I did not enjoy the sewing part but it had to be done. Perhaps next time I will endeavour to make the sewing neater but I was in a big hurry to start my next project – a stripey sweater just like the ones I knitted so many years ago. By this time I had acquired a lot more wool. Unfortunately, I did not have a pattern. Zoe loaned me a book, Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmerman and it was informative – lots in there about knitting with circular needles. No definite instructions though. Elizabeth talked about knitting gauges. She wrote that it was important to do this accurately and conscientiously. She remarked that (and I quote her) that to ignore this advice might lead to me supping the porridge of regret with the spoon of sorrow. What a phrase! I admired it hugely yet did not pay heed to it. Sure didn’t I knit a dozen or more sweaters back in my heyday? Sweaters ranging from husband-sized to premature baby size. All were in perfect proportion. I’d wing it. It would all come back to me.

But it didn’t. The body and arms were far too wide and the sleeves too short. I decided to call my work a prototype and that I should learn from my mistakes. Even so, the prototype is almost finished. Zoe (a far better knitter than me) said I should keep going and that with the sharp increases in heating fuel it would be a useful addition to my wardrobe as it can be worn over several other jumpers.

I’m already planning the next project. Wish me luck.

 One of my stripey jumpers from when I was younger. Wish I still had it.