A million years ago, my Mom taught me how to knit--but I never really made anything. About six years ago, at a Christmas gathering, a niece was knitting. She had taken lessons and was making herself a shawl.
A SIL and I were quite fascinated by this. My SIL also knew how to knit--but hadn't done a thing in years.
The following day, my SIL went to a local fabric / yarn store and bought beige yarn, gold metallic yarn, needles and she began to make herself a scarf. Later that day, I saw what she was doing and wanted to do it also. So I went to the store and explained what my SIL was using. As chance would have it, I spoke with the same saleswoman who had helped my SIL and so she pointed me in the right direction.
I chose black yarn -- I'm not sure what it is, but it has some elasticity to it--and a silver-colored metallic ladder yarn. The needles were big ones--9s or 10s. Straight needles.
I cast on using the long-tail cast on. I have no memory of ever learning how to cast on this way--but somehow my fingers remembered. The scarf is done in garter stitch and it only took a few hours to knit. How proud I was when I finished it! And that's how this knitting adventure started.
I wore the scarf for a while that winter. But then I discovered the wonderful world of fabulous yarns and the finer points of knitting. I put the simple little scarf away. And forgot about it.
The other day, I was rooting through my scarf drawer looking for some suitable spring silk scarves to wear with a new coat. Way down on the bottom of the drawer, I came across the black and silver scarf. Despite some mistakes, it really isn't that bad-looking. And there's something kind of funky about it. (It reminds me of a sparkly bowling ball!)
Recently our weather has been quite fickle. Not cold enough to be wearing heavy woolen scarves--but too chilly and rainy to wear fine silk scarves. This black and silver scarf has just enough heft for these days and I think it looks great with the coat!
A found object and a memory of that first flush of knitting excitement!
8 comments:
I don't remember how or where I learned to knit. But it was forever ago. I never moved beyond the scarf stage, and only made a few of those over the years. But this fall I found a squishy soft scarf I made a long time back--big needles, garter stitch. And I kept it wrapped around me for most of our unusually cold winter. I also got the bug to learn more and have knitted more in the past 6 months than in the last 30 years. Think maybe the angels (Shirley, Goodness & Mercy?) knew it was time for me to progress, so I'd be ready to make baby things. First grandbaby due in September!
How wonderful to pull out your first scarf and showcase it with your beautiful scarf! It's good to remember where we began!
What a terrific memory! I think you're lucky to still have your first knitted object. I don't know what you see in person, but in photographs it's actually quite striking. (I'm pretty sure I knit something very similar to it for one of my first knitted objects 10 years ago.)
Thanks for sharing your story.
It is so cool you have that first scarf, and great that it is perfect for you current weather.
Fickle is just ONE of the words I've been using to describe our spring weather! Enjoyed your 'F' post. I especially like how there are always so many memories worked into handmade objects.
Nice that you found it! And a nice memory, too.
Memories of projects. This is great. I can't remember my first project....perhaps cause I always have 20 going at once. Oy vey!
Love the scarf.
What a nice story and what a lovely scarf!
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