Knit by Nora
Compulsive ~ a strong, irresistible impulse to act (i.e., to knit) and Obsessive ~ to occupy the mind excessively (thus this blog)


Thursday, October 16, 2003  

Today’s Knitting News

The UPS man came this morning with my Amazon.com order, so I looked through Celebrity Scarves at lunch today. This is a book that has created a minor controversy. My comments may do the same. I have refrained from commenting because unless one reads a book, I do not think one should comment – although this book is more eye candy than content. (Note: I have in-laws who have condemned the Harry Potter books without having read a line. When I planned to purchase sets for nieces, I was thought of as “unchristian”. To me, book burning is a hate crime and criticism without substance is superficial.)

Most new knitters start with a scarf and many experienced knitters return to scarves for various reasons: to try new yarns or patterns, for a break from the complex, to complete a gift for someone who appreciates the effort and a hodge-podge of reason too numerous to recount.

Personally, I have made about 200 scarves in the last three years, about ¾ to sell and the others as gifts and for myself. About half were the same triangle pattern and the same yarn. I must say that nothing else evolved my rhythm and comfort with knitting like the repetition of these scarves. True they do not advance specific techniques like cables, increases/decreases, intarsia, etc., but scarves are like the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic! They set a foundation for learning.

During times of extreme stress at work, I cannot tackle the challenging and “retreat” to scarves. In the introduction, Isaac Mizrhi has a similar thought, “Let’s face it – there aren’t many who could unwind or focus while trying to figure out a complicated Fair Isle cardigan or even a cable-front crewneck.” I suspect that the basic garter stitch scarf will always be a safe knit to return to.

Celebrities, along with new knitters (or bloggers), should not be ridiculed for knitting scarves. Or for taking an expensive yarn, casting on and knitting away. After all to knit is “to make a (a fabric or garment) by intertwining yarn or thread in a series of connected loops.” And I would say each of the ladies in this book can knit (or crochet). On this webring, I have seen “experienced” knitter/designers take Colinette Point 5 and offer scarf patterns much like the Portia de Rossi and Jennie Garth scarves. Heck, I have made a Point 5 scarf myself (cast on and knit till end of yarn—no purling required). True I have not been photographed for a glossy book, but I are not mocked as much either…

In reading this book, none of represented themselves as any thing other than novice knitters. The reasons many of these celebrities knit are the same as ordinary people, because of a woman in the family, to feel creative or for relaxation. Knocking novice knitters, even “celebrities” is easy to do and just a bit arrogant.

What I am taking away from this book is a desire to knit more scarves -- for me, inspiration can come from anywhere as you know (see my last entry about mail-order mags being inspirational). I would love to try the yarn Sirdar/KFI in Snowflake Chunky cause it looks just like snow!! I have used Gedifra Techno Hair for a couple make-up bags, but might try it in a scarf or simple pullover sweater. I actually made a scarf like Laura Leighton (without the end accent yarn), which is a kit from Anny Blatt that I loved when I saw the scarf made up at a LYS in Princeton and later searched the web to purchase. I would like to try Trendsetter “Blossom.” Rowan’s Biggy Print is still really cool and I would not mind a scarf from it. And finally, I like the colors of Daryl’s scarf and the yarns, also. So go ahead and mock me for my simple tendencies.

posted by Nora | 3:48 PM
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