Knit & Crochet Blog week- Day 2- An Inspirational Pattern. Knitcroblo

I have attempted many exciting patterns in the last several years of adventurous knitting.   Lace, cables, Fair Isle, chart reading, textural.     The most adventurous and ambitious pattern has been the GAAA, aka the Great American Aran Afghan which is one of my works in progress. (see the sidebar).   I am on the 7th square and although I haven't worked on it for a few weeks, I keep up with the Ravelry group dedicated to this pattern.   This past weekend, I was able to assist another knitter who was stuck on the Sumner square which I had already finished.  This is the one with the spider, web and vine, and flies.   You have to see it to understand it.

And, I was actually able to help her with a few simple instructions.  That is what the knitting community is all about.    Teaching, supporting, sharing, and passing on skills and tips to everyone interested.   The community was there for me as I gained new skills and I am thrilled to be able to pay back and pay forward.

That is inspirational.

Knit & Crochet Blog week- Day 1- Starting Out.

My Grandmother was a knitter, and so was my Mother, and it was Grandma who taught me how to knit in 1957 or so when we were living with Grandma and Grandpa after my Dad left the Air Force for good.   I remember sitting with her watching "Edge of Night",  a popular soap of the time, or was it "As the World Turns"?  Grandma, in her big chair with the footstool and always knitting.  Mostly fisherman knit sweaters, or shells with the tiniest of needles.   Lots of lace, suits.   I never noticed her looking at the patterns, so I thought she was magic.  It was only recently when Mom moved, did I find the pattern books from the 1950's and 1960's when Mom and I cleaned out some of the old stuff.   Pattern books that contained the sweaters that Grandma made, but tweaked with her talent.

Here is another sample of Grandma's knitting with sequins.

The first project we shared was a doll sweater, in a salmon color.   I don't remember too much about the process, or the finished results, or what happened to it, but I do remember the holes from dropped stitches.   There is a long gap in my memory to the time of high school and college.   By then I could crochet, and knit well enough to have completed a couple of sweaters.

These two I still own and wear.   I remember a couple of things about knitting them, that the patterns were from Family Circle or Woman's Day magazine.  They are both the same pattern, with two different fair isle patterns, and one a turtle, one a crew.  Those were the days when wool was put up in 4 oz skeins (like Red Heart, but 100 % wool and for only about $1 a skein)  

 
The fair isle pattern was accomplished with bobbins, which were forever dangled and tangled on the back of the knitting.  Every other row or so, I had to stop to untangle everything.    I must have had a lot more patience then!

  I have since learned two handed stranded knitting when I knit my Kauni rainbow sweater so no more tangles.

Whatever I learned when I was 7 must have stuck with me and returned throughout my years improving with practice and new skills learned.