I’m getting a bit shameless about knitting/crocheting anywhere and everywhere (except at work: my patients would be disconcerted to find their psychologist muttering over stitch-counts as they entered the consulting room. Unless they’re knitters, of course.) Oh, and I’d best gloss over my recent attempt to knit secretly under the table at the pub whilst having a rare lunch date with the Stoic Spouse. I know he reads this blog, and I’m not sure his disapproval of that incident has worn off yet. See, he’s not that stoic. If only the ball of yarn hadn’t rolled out from under the table, I swear he’d never have known.
But anywhere else is fair game… such as those places where they warehouse toddlers amongst sand-pits, ball-pits, tractor runs, climbing frames, and cute animals. I’ve long been a bit wary of these places, but I was persuaded to try one by a good friend and her son, so I took the Toddler Twinnage along with them on Saturday. In addition to seeing my lovely friend, this was a prime knitting opportunity, and I managed a good few rounds of a sleeve for the jumper-of-unrivalled-(not-to-mention-unravelled)-despair whilst my highly anxious children took wary steps closer and closer to the sand-pit. I completely understand their reticence, having been similarly petrified of pretty much everything at their age. I really do get their caution, and I think it’s OK. So I sat there, working a sleeve, and flinging the occasional word of encouragement in their direction.
We were much more at home amongst the animals: the Toddler Twinnage are very used to farm animals. Except for the llama: he was mean. Knittable he might have been in theory, but he was damned if he was going to let me anywhere near his fleece without a dirty fight. See how this photo is slightly shaky? That’s because I was worried he was about to spit. Do you reckon he could tell that I was coveting his tummy-fluff?
Next time I’m tempted to moan about how my job is so hard, please remind me that there are people out there whose livelihood depends on shaving llamas. Yes llamas, those grumble-tempered beasts who find amusement in gobbing at your eyes. Nice.
Anyway, I backed slowly away from the llamas, waved from a distance at the alpacas (whilst fantasising about their yarn), tried but failed to snatch an angora rabbit from an innocent child’s arms, and found some sheep. “Sheep!” I called, “What do you think of my knitting? Ta for the wool, by the way.” These sheep thought my knitting was baaaaaaaad.
Miserable blighters.
Back to the sleeve. Look at this ribbing! Instead of normal 1×1 rib, it’s K1 tbl, P1. Neat, huh?
So thanks to all this knitting-in-public, we have something that’s beginning to resemble a sleeve for the Thermal jumper. Look!
But in case you think that the jumper is going a little too well after its 18-month hiatus, it was only when I got home that I realized I’d got muddled in my waffle stitch, and would have to frog back. Here are the needles inserted lower down, ready for the frogging. And if the photo looks crappy and badly-lit, that’s pretty much how I was feeling. *Sigh*
Oh no! Having to reknit what you’ve already knit wrongly once can be so discouraging. I’ve never seen your technique of putting needles in lower down. It seems to me like it would be so much less risky than sliding needles out and unravelling, then trying to pick up all the stitches.
That was the plan. Just ripping down without a safety blanket seems too scary by far.
Llamas. Never feel ashamed to flaunt your hobby. I once used to carry around whatever book I was reading and a pocket Dictionary and Thesaurus. It was all, “haha you are weird” until someone needed my Thesaurus — then it was all sheepish requests.
I agree with joyfulwriter – I’m always learning new tricks from you. [Thank you kindly!] And the ribbing k1 tbl, p1 – genius. If there ever is a time when I need to rib again I shall try it! I have just undone my latest creation a whimsical and delightful ‘Stevie Nicks Vest’ crocheted as a great huge circle, because I finally realised if I was going to get something that went across my middle it would hit the floor and trail behind me like the train of Kate’s wedding dress! Sigh! All I want a nice crochet vest pattern and it seems I have to invent one myself!
That llama is definitely warning you off from his tummy fluff. Mind you, with all those lovely yarn-bearing creatures there, I’m surprised the place hasn’t been raided by the local knitting club 🙂
(wearing knitted balaclavas, of course)
If I needed a psychologist (and I probably do) I would love her/him to be knitting when I walked in. And I would even enjoy being offered some knitting needles and yarn, although I am not an ardent knitter.
I like the picture of your partial sleeve. I was thinking how cute that cuff would be on a jean jacket. Good luck with your repairs and the sheep picture is so funny! As always thanks for the laugh, if we all knitted anywhere the world wouldcbe so much calmer and kinder. Can you just see world leaders at a conference knitting away discussing the matters of the day.
That llama certainly looks like he could spit – alpacas are much prettier, better-natured and all in all their fiber is wonderful. Quite a few alpaca farms in Michigan. I’m really trying to tempt you to come on over!
I love the k1 tbl and p1 look. I did the k3 tbl and p1 ribbing on my last pair of socks and I am hooked. I like how the knit stitch pops.
Oh dear, at least you didn’t have to frog very far 🙂 That ribbing looks pretty nice, the cardigan I’m making uses k1tbl p1tbl, which is just painful…
I crochet in the train, I love that. Or I read. Most peple nowadays have their eyes stuck to their mobile phone.
Love that colour, btw!
Corine
LOL as always! Mr llama looks worried! My friend has three alpacas and he says they’re very sweet animals…
Clever idea! I too tend to knit everywhere, even on planes, with a safe circular needle, don’t think security would allow long ones :/ and if I were your patient I’d also like you to knit 🙂
Heehee The picture of the sleeve did make me chuckle – it floated up like a disembodied limb as I scrolled down the post. Now I’ve looked at it again, it reminds me of one of those Escher drawings where the two hands are drawing each other.
Agh! You’ve started something… You’re right about the Escher, so now I’ve had to start knitting the other sleeve and then spend all afternoon posing for a more Escher-like photo. This. Is. Entirely. Your. Fault. 🙂
This is one of those rare occasions when I’m perfectly happy, even delighted, to be at fault! 🙂
It’s horrible when you have to rip back. There have been times when I thought I was wrong, ripped back and then discovered I had been right. My mother used to do her rib like that – it works up really nicely. I had forgotten about doing it like that so I will try to remember now. I knit or crochet just about anywhere!
It sounds like your life is busy busy.
I like them yarn bearing critters. It’s funny how they look like that on the hoof and yet produce wool/fur/hair for magnificent yarns.
Good luck on your unraveling, I hope it goes smoothly. I look forward to seeing your finished jumper.
All those needles at once looks terrifying to me!!! I crochet in public all the time now! xx
You didn’t perhaps have the needles…or shears…in your hand as you approached the llama, did you?
I also knit in public, I figure wherever it’s polite to use your mobile it’s fine to knit. If you’re on your own it’s even more acceptable.
The sheep look as though they’re heckling you. Maybe they knew you’d have to redo that sleeve??
Loved this post. Yes, llamas are a bit touchy, but alpacas are sweet tempered. I always knit in public. I never step out of the house without knitting in my bag. From a psychological stand point, I guess you’d call knitting my safety blanket. I have the same sweater pattern as you are working on. I never started it because I knew, once I read through the instructions, how badly I was going to mess it up.
I knit on all types of public transit–it can’t be beat! Hang in there with that sleeve. I’m sure you’ll get your sweater done!
Maybe if you show the beautiful things you knit the llama would understand! 😉
I don’t knit but I do envy you the portability of knitting. I see people all over the place, attending meetings, waiting for the doctor or for a plane, knitting happily. I can’t see doing that with a loom . . . And you do know how to tell a great story!
I hate doing a re-knit, I have cried at times doing it. this was a great piece
You are such a fun writer. Thanks for the smiles.
I read the first paragraph of your post to my ‘stoic spouse’, I felt it was an important lesson for him to learn that he is not alone in having a wife who is not complete without a woolly project of some kind about her person.
Oh BUGGER on the frogging! :(. It looks lovely from the photos but I guess you can see what you did and we can’t (the value of social media, you only show what you want to be shown otherwise I would have been committed or drummed out of town LONG ago…). Those sheep are ingrates. They would all be roasted legs on plates if it wasn’t for you and your ilk’s generous spending of your children’s inheritances in order to furtively purchase the curls from their ungrateful backs! Keep up the good work Ms Twisted, you are doing very well…
I must admit I have knitted in the presence of clients, particularly teenaged girls who are ambivalent about being in my office. Of course you can’t really focus on your knitting, even though you may look as though you are focusing on your knitting so that your client won’t feel so WATCHED while she expounds on life. After a few rows, when the client is launched on her story I slowly set the knitting down and say, “Really. He said THAT?”