KNITSTER

I gave up knitting two years ago because of problems I was having in my neck, which translated into near disability of my hands. Pinched nerves, degenerative spinal arthritis, the beginnings of a hunchback–I was profoundly upset by all of it. So I gave up knitting, spent a lot of time in physical therapy and chiropractic care, and about 8 months later all was well.

But I didn’t return to knitting. I was, honestly, scared to; a lot of the ergonomic issues I had addressed to keep working didn’t seem to translate into knitting (raising my monitor being numero uno–i couldn’t raise up my knitting!)

But upon finding out I was pregnant at the end of the winter, I decided I needed to be able to knit for the baby–and for all the babies friends of mine are having. So the first thing I did was haul out a feather and fan scarf I’d started in May of 2007, the last project I started among several that have languished unfinished during my hiatus. I finished it last week, and the variegated green from a hand-dyed wool, the name of which brand I have forgotten in the intervening years, makes for a lovely, almost lizard-skin pattern with the feather-and-fan lacework in it. It’s lovely; I’ll get pictures up soon.

Now, having a baby to knit for is a great way to get back into practice with knitting — booties, little hats, even little sweaters! But NO, I have to go bite off the most insane project I’ve ever undertaken, even though it’s just plain stockinette for the most part: This plaid baby afghan from Yana Knits, which has me juggling 18 bobbins while knitting!

I’m making it in worsted instead of sport-weight, partly because winter will be ahead of us when the baby comes, partly because it will make a good-sized floor mat, and partly because my mom made me a knitted afghan in worsted (with bunnies) when I was a baby that lasted me until I was 6 or so.

But what really amazes me is how consistent my stitches are now. I had only knitted for three years when I had to give it up–not even that, really–but even though I completely blanked on how to cast on (and forgot my knitster password, to boot), it all comes back so quickly. Riding a bike, my mom would say.

Anyhow, I’m only on row five of the blanket body so far after knitting the border and winding all the bobbins, and doing this with light blue as the main color and tan and brown as the plaid colors. In the meantime, I’ll also start working on some smaller pieces to give to my fellow 2009 moms as gifts.

Posted on June 25th, 2009 by Helen
Filed under: Projects