Knitting & Purling

It's about as serious as things can get right now.  We're hunkered down when we'd prefer to go out, volunteer, and somehow try and save lives and reduce suffering, staying home unless we are essential. Because, we understand, it's the kindest thing we can do for others right now, not to mention for ourselves and our families. So I've been sewing masks for our local health center. And, naturally, I've also turned again to knitting from time to time. Recently when my neighbor Marc and I were chatting over the fence at a respectable 18-foot distance, he said he had a new idea for a hat, and it should say "roll." "Why roll?" he said recently on Instagram. "Because that's what my father would say: roll with the punches. So that's what we need to do now."   If I were this professor's student, I'd get on with it.  And knowing I had some leftover yarn tucked away in my stash, I got to work. Now to me, Marc i...

First time experiences are so often memorable -- and not  just the big moments, but small-scale triumphs as well, like roasting a turkey, fixing the sink, rolling out a a pie crust, or repairing a bicycle tire.  Rowan Softknit Cotton As a child you leave these matters to the grown-ups and as a teen you start building some basic skills. But if you sew you still might leave those difficult buttonholes to your Mom. Or you might delegate the use of the power drill to your brother, defer to your Dad on the fallen bookshelf, or ask your sister to wire your sound system.  "Killarney" by Martin Storey And that only covers the household. Let's take sports and recreation. Whether child or adult, you may learn to ride a bike, swim the backstroke, ace an overhead tennis serve, ski parallel, paddle a kayak or master a back walkover--all of which I've loved.  Rowan Big Wool cowl But who can say what is the tipping point that leads you to step up to the ...

"All the world loves a do-it-yourselfer." That's what my Mom wrote--in 1966. She and my Dad steered us toward DIY before it was cool. He built our furniture, she knit when she had the chance, my sister sewed and embroidered, and my brother built models and things in the woods. So we were all "makers". Much as we loved it, my Mom will also tell you it was born of necessity when times were tight. But let's talk about this gorgeous vintage lopi sweater from the late 60s. Because if you are a baby boomer, you may have had one, too. Sweaters from lopi wool are knit densely to keep out the cold. Its name originally referred to wool that has not been spun. M y mother made me this sweater when I was in junior high school, and it is still in my armory for long winters. Her first lopi creation was a surprise for my father, and her frantic and secretive knitting as she tried to finish it one Christmas goes down in the family history books. I remember sittin...

Valentine's Day is a fun time to remember life's great romantic moments -- whether your own or those of someone dear to you. Last year, with my daughter's June wedding on the horizon, I began plotting a sweet surprise for the bride and groom. There's little decorating needed when an outdoor wedding is in a splendid location. But my idea? A play on tree graffiti with a nod to the fun of yarn bombing. The bride and groom's initials in a heart echo the ritual (but disfiguring) practice of tree-carving proclamations. The piece is knit in all-cotton with a crocheted lace edge. I-cords were used to simply tie the piece around the trunk. I chose an old-fashioned font with a handmade look. It's a reminder of samplers and counted-cross-stitch projects, which were both needlecrafts enjoyed by my grandmothers. Happy Valentine's Day!  When it comes to knitting for weddings there are many fabulous ideas. See one blogger's collection I really love.   ...