"I don't think that being a strong person is about ignoring your emotions and fighting your feelings. Putting on a brave face doesn't mean you're a brave person. That's why everybody in my life knows everything that I'm going through. I can't hide anything from them. People need to realise that being open isn't the same as being weak."

- Taylor Swift

Thursday, August 18, 2011

BAH!

I hate knitting.

The obvious response to this is 'don't knit, then'. But I can't. I've started. I've got to finish it. That's that.

Its frustrating, because I'm not naturally good at things with my hands or things that don't have backspace buttons. The wool splits. The stitches, that took so much painstaking care, slip off the infernal knitting needles. I hate knitting needles. Why are they so goddamn slippery!?

We're knitting blankets for charity, but this is the fifth time I've attempted to knit my stupid square. Every time something goes wrong. The wool splits, but I don't notice until I attempt my first row. I just really can't stand it.

To be honest, I underestimated knitting. When my friend first told me about this thing (now there are a good many year 10/11s doing it) I thought 'Grannies do it. I can do anything! I'm a Modernista!'

It's seriously the hardest thing. I don't know how grannies manage it, because you need the eyesight of a pilot and the patience of a mountain. The only thing stopping me from throwing the whole lot into the toaster and setting it on fire is that it's borrowed needles and borrowed wool.

Bah. My heart. My stitches. My stiches!

1 comment:

Adelaide Dupont said...

Ah, Lady Solitaire!

My grandmother and a few of my cousins are also knitting blankets and scarves for charity and other purposes.

And they have a few ways to do it.

I take your point about the "eyesight of a pilot".

Now I had never recognised split wool as much of a problem. My compassion.

And there is a really good story about "Missing Knitting Needles".

(Crocheting is one thing to think about, and so is broderie. I do think I could work well with silk. Crocheting is especially good with bathtowels, as you work to an edge).

As to why needles are slippery? I only seemed to know the old wooden ones. As well, there are plastic ones in a big transparent container in the typing room.

When the wool slips off, there is friction and electricity.

(Computers and crosstitch appear to be a marriage made in heaven, but there is a bit of crosspatchery involved).

Make sure the ply is sound. 1 or 2 ply is more likely to split than perhaps a 4, 6 or 8 ply.

Bah!

Love your spirit. Persevere!