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Crochetqueen is Learning to Knit!

Of course in my crochet-friendly, fiber community at my LYS, I am exposed to many knitters who are doing marvelous projects that I greatly admire. For years I have been feeling like I "should" be able to knit. I even went so far as to buy the Debbie Bliss How to Knit book and I learned to knit-stitch from a student nurse when I was working at the hospital. I had a weekly crochet group there for our clients with dementia. Heck, I know how to do every other type of needlework and have tried them all, embroidery, cross stitch, needlepoint, quiltng, tatting, sewing.....Why not knitting? Somehow, though, the knitting book never came off the shelf and I never went any further than knit-stitch.
So, last week the day finally came when I woud receive some professional knittig lessons from Chris at Fuzz Wuzzy Yarns.

Chris owes me for crochting ashop model for her store-see "My Crochet Home" I am taking my pay in services and product rather than cold hard cash! She is providing me with hr standard beginner knit class: four 2-hour lessons, bamboo needles and a skein of yarn. She has also ordered the new Rowan Summer Crochet Book for me.

In the days preceding my first lesson, there was a lot of teasing and joking about the "Crochetqueen" learning to knit. Chris was acting like she was having a bit of trepidation about teachng the "Queen" to knit and the resulting pressure from having to do so. Secretly, I thnk she was pleased that I chose her as my teacher. There was little bit of "You'll never believe who's going to learn to knit" going around the shop.

Jenny he other knitting teacher in the store told Chris to teach me Continental style even though Christ knits American style and is a little awkward with Continental. Well, a couple of minutes into the lesson, Chris saw tht I already knew how to do knitting in Americn style so we made the exeutive decision to proceed in that method. It was smooth sailng from there. After learning to cast on and a little bit of practie knitting, we moved on to purling. Voila, I was knitting! Chris is a good teacher!

After an hour and a half, she was going to move on to whatever she teaches next to beginners, but I was exhausted and we decided I could take a break, practice this week and come back for more next Thursday. It was a lot of fun and I am proud!

Let's analyze....as I am wont to do! I have never bashed knitter and I have always insisted that we croheters in the CGOA as a group should never stoop to the ways of Eizabeth Zimmerman who influenced a generation and legions of knitters to look down upon crocheters. There is NO reason for such discrimination! She caused a lot of grief that lingers still today and I am outing her! I don't care how much knitters look up to their EZ!!!

I had begun to notice, though, when sittig at Fuzzy Wuzzy Fiber Nights that when they realized I was sitting there crocheting or Chris would tell them I am the "Crochetqueen", they would invariably ask "Do you knit also?" I would always answer, "I can knit a little, but dont know much." That's the truth. I would explain further that my "crochet to-do" list is just so long, that I don't get around to knitting." They'd except that, but I always had the feeling that somewhere in the reaches of their minds they were judging me and thinking that I am just not quite complete because I don't have two sticks in my tool belt.

I could be completely wrong. I could be paramoid from my MANY negative experiences in the
70s and 80s at crochet-UNfriendly LYSs! The times they are a-changin' and many shops like Chris' are doing much to promote their services to all of the fiber arts not just knitting. In my humble opinion, that is just smart business!!

I never want to put down anyone or any kind of needlework to elevate my own ego and I don't think there is any reason for it. All fiber lovers should be able to stitch happily together with the common goal of just enjoying the process and the outcome, whatever shape or form it takes. I'm happy I am learning to knit. I love knitted cables and I look forward to reaching the point of being able to be skillful enough to make them. What I really want to do it to make a project that envelopes the best of both knit and crochet together, so that the "sister stitches" can reside happily in one project!

Meanwhile, the Queen is on her way to becoming truly bi-stitural. Thanks, Chris! I feel no pressure to prove anything to knitters with my new skills; nor do I think that I will ever be able to dedicate as much energy to knitting as I do crochet because afterall, my "crochet to-do list" keeps growing and I will be lucky to finish it before I die!!

Comments

Jeff B. said…
I think it is wonderful that you would like to create something that combines knitting and crocheting - that should be an interesting adventure, indeed!
Laura said…
Good message there. Knowing how to knit, crochet and various other techniques (braiding, weaving etc.) I never felt that any one of these techniques were less worthy or sophisticated that the other.
If you ever get into the situation to teach children how to knit, I found it is irresistable to children to start the carft with very large needles, I use a pair of brightly pink plastic 25 mm needles, weighing next to nothing. The path of the yarn is so easy to follow and they can put the work down on a table or floor. Next I move to 15 mm (yellow) and then, for the advanced class, to 5-6 mm (blue). The majority of kids manage to knit a few stitches by the end of a 1 hour session and everyone of them is eager to move on. I use thick wool which is not slippery. The first item they do is a scarf, even cast-on is easy. By the way, I teach continental knitting, as it is easier to put the work down on the floor.
Looking forward to seeing your branching out into items combining knitting and crochet!
Best wishes
Laura

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