KNIT HAPPENS, RIGHT?
“In the mid-1300s and 1400s, a number of paintings were made in Italy and other areas of Europe showing the Virgin Mary, with little baby Jesus at her feet, knitting away on some sort of round garment. They suggest that, by the late Middle Ages, knitting had arrived in various parts of Europe. Working with four needles – no slouch, she! – the knitting Mary in these paintings tells us that even Jesus Christ wore sweaters made by his mom.”
Excerpted Stitch ‘N Bitch by Debbie Stoller (© 2003 Debbie Stoller – Workman Publishing, New York)
Not long after learning that my brother, Trevor, and Laura were expecting their first child, I decided for some reason (completely unknown to me) that I desperately wanted to make a baby blanket for my first niece of nephew. “Why not knitting?” I asked myself with a shrug, and at that decided to learn.
Lindsay informed me that I had get my mitts (pun intended) on a copy of Stitch ‘N Bitch by Debbie Stoller. She swore it would tell me everything I needed to know, plus was filled with tons of cool patterns to learn.
Debbie’s take on the art of the knit (and purl) is fresh, funny and truly informative. The book starts as a narrative, the story of a girlhood spent surrounded by countless women who knit, sewed, cross-stitched, needlepointed and much more. Before long, however, the fun begins and sooner still, I was knitting!
My mom’s best friend gave me an excellent starter lesson over the Christmas holidays – as well as fantastic bamboo needles and cashmerino wool to learn on.
Um, I may have lost a stitch or two along the way…
My greatest sense of accomplishment so far? Not just that I finished my first “project,” but that I taught myself to cast off entirely on my own with instructions from the book. While I did have to read that particular page three times in order to translate it from knitterish (a.k.a. gibberish – I made that up) to English.
My first real project is going to be a blue scarf for my partner-in-crime, Rebecca. How it will look is to be seen, but at least it’ll be handcrafted with love, and that’s what really counts, right? Right?
While my purple knit strip isn’t much of anything, it totally reminds me of a set of arm cuffs and headband I had as a little girl. I’d dance around with them on while listening to this. I have no doubt my mom surely remembers.
Click here to learn more about the book and find out how you can get a copy for yourself.
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11 Comments
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Inspired by your post, I went to Chapters on-line to order the book and … she has a second book on crochet … the title? OMG, it’s hilarious … ready? THE HAPPY HOOKER! LOL! Love it!
Knitting and crocheting are the two things I always wished I could do. My friend is going to teach me to crochet tonight. Maybe I’ll get my hands on that book and teach myself to knit.
That’s a lovely shade of purple! Congrats on your first completed piece! What’s your next project?
That is something I wish my mom taught me. Why did I have to be so interested in hot wheels when I was 7?
@Alissa Well, technically it will be a navy scarf for my friend Rebecca’s birthday, but I hope to quickly whip up another “headband” before the weekend for someone who tried to “steal” my purple one last night!
my mom decided to try to make socks over the holidays. for days all we’d hear is ‘oh my! I’m making a sock! look at me I’m making a SOCK!”
You’re off to a great start! The sense of accomplishment you get when you finish knitting something is one of the best feelings around.
[...] on the list is creating homemade gifts. The knitting sensation is catching on and I have a feeling that many friends and family will receive a knitted item from yours truly. [...]
I well remember your little knit cuffs and headband. Was there also a pair of leg warmers?
[...] I got home, I found a package waiting for me. A while back, Keira published a post about knitting in which she recommended the book “Stitch ‘n Bitch” by Debbie Stoller (she also [...]
If you’re still looking for “how to’s” on knitting and crochet take a look at my wife’s web site when you have time. She has many videos on how to knit and crochet.
Thanks!
Wayne