Thursday, January 5, 2006

A Family that Knits Together....


Two nights ago Chris announced that he was ready to learn how to knit. So after doing a series of backflips & cartwheels I dug up some Lion Brand wool-ease (the practice/scratch paper yarn) & taught him to cast on. Within 10 minutes he was one casting-on mother trucker. Next I showed him how to make the knit stitch. He was naturally a little fumbly at first. Remember when you were first learning & you just couldn't figure how in the hell to get the yarn wrapped around your fingers so that it flowed while you spastically stabbed into the cast on stitches??!! You probably looked like a deaf crack addict trying to sign (i.e. sign language) the Declaration of Independence. He fumbled & grumbled a bit, BUT he kept on truckin... He got a little frustrated & tensed up from time to time, but he was getting it, and more importantly, he was hooked! HA HA He spent about an hour knitting, ripping out, casting on, knitting, ripping out....

While I slept in til 11 the next morning (a major rarity for me), Chris was knitting his cute little butt off. He proudly held up a garter stitch swatch about 6" wide by 4" long. He had started over a whole new swatch that morning & just knit, knit, knit!! I nearly wept with pride! Sure there were a couple of holes, unintentional yo's, a dropped stitch or two, but my guy is a natch. Maybe he got it from me. Maybe he got it from his Ma. But wow, he really "gets it"! He worked on that swatch all day. Later that day he announced, "Okay, I'm ready to purl now!!". And purled we did. An hour later he was working in stockinette stitch.

Today we went down to the shop and he picked out some yarn to make his Ma a scarf. He went back & forth between Noro Silver Thaw in a really gorgeous purpley/greeney/fuschia-y colorway & Malabrigo in Hollyhock, another really gorgeous yarn. He went with the Malabrigo, like myself, he is unable to resist that buttery soft goodness. I offered to treat him to lunch, he said that he really wanted to get home & start knitting. Now I know for sure that he REALLY "gets it"!!

My Malabrigo color of choice is currently Frank Ochre. Though I do LOVE the Hollyhock cozied up to good ole Frank, they are not destined to be together at this time. I have decided that I want to make the leaf lace sweater from loop-de-loop in Frank Ochre. I only have 2 skeins now, so I will have to wait until we get more in at the shop. Tempting to start it now.... But I will wait.

Final news... I am still waiting for my delivery, so that I can finish Chris's slippers. In the meantime... I am starting mine. Lamb's Pride in colors; Seafoam, Spruce, Bronze Patina, & Rosado Rose.

13 comments:

  1. Oh! I am so jealous! Cute "bust picture," too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. YAY YAY YAY!! Way to go you guys!! I cracked up about the crack addict/declaration of idependence thing. . .you're so funny!

    ReplyDelete
  3. great pics! my hubby teases me that one day he will learn to knit and will grow a better stash than mine! :) he's just kidding, for now.

    ReplyDelete
  4. That is AWSOME! I taught hubby to knit (per his request), but he quickly got bored with it and asked,'when does this get fun?' Guess I won't have to share my yarn and needles... drat

    oh, I love the picture of Chrissy with the yarn boobs, and uh-um "skien"..... tee hee

    sweet!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely yarn porn. I'm drooling.

    I see the hubby knows what "parts" he needs to start knitting!

    ReplyDelete
  6. LUCKY!! I wish I could get my guy to knit. At least he helps me out when I get everything tangled up. I love the yarns both of you picked out, Im obsessed with malabrigo. Now where did you find a pink and blue lambs pride skein? or did you wind two hanks together?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ah, Chris - you're such a metrosexual! :O)

    Dh has been learning but he keeps saying his hands hurt so he may be too much of a wimp for the sport that is knitting.

    Glad to see you posting again!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. woah..... you got a boy to knit. i am so happy when i hear of new people learning how to knit, and even more when they're guys!! i hope everyone can get the knitting bug and learn.

    ReplyDelete
  9. That will never never ever happen in my house. He's happy I do it, but those words,"Will you teach me to knit" will not be heard by my ears...maybe a good thing tough.

    That's awesome he wants to do it...he's such a cutie. What fun the two of you will have. Now he will totally get why you have to have so much yarn.

    ReplyDelete
  10. i'm so happy that you have a partner in knitting crime!! it'll be a cold day in hell before david asks me to teach him to knit... but i guess i can keep dreaming. i missed you in the shop today.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I've been waiting for my dh to ask to knit...ahhh one day he will. I love your Ozark Handspun btw!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow... I know my man will never give in. But he does like watching me knit... I guess that's something.

    ReplyDelete