Into the knitting

Hi!

As you might have noticed for the last couple of weeks I have been into the knitting quite a bit! I am even thinking of taking a step down from all the quilting for the moment and do this for a while. I have been quilting for years and I might need a small break from it before I get totally fed up with it...hmmm strange huh..never thought those words would come out of my mouth..but it did.

Here are some rambling about why it might be a good thing for me to start knitting ( Or maybe I am just trying to talk myself in believing these very good reasons so I can do some yarn stash building and buy other goodies as well :-))) )

The "how much more do you need" reasson
I have been looking in my house and I have ...14 self-made bags, 12 finished quilts and 14 tops waiting to get finished. At the moment a lott of them are just hanging on quiltracks and look pretty...And that is just everything in my house...this is not including gifts for others.

The " a lott of money just laying around" reason
The European quilters who read this will recognize this one. Quilting in Europe is expensive. We pay about 30 dollars a yard for quilting fabric. Tops are always quite OK to make, but when you add the batting and backing fabrics it can get expensive. Sometimes when I see the 14 bags in my closet and all the quilts just hanging I muse about all the money I spent on it....just laying around. I had the most fun making it though!

The " it would be very use-full" reason
The ones of you who know me in person and have seen pictures of me know: I am a scarf and cardigan person. I always have been and think that will never change. Since I wear socks as well (yes really!) I might make my own things. I will have something to do and something to wear...a two for one deal. (to be able to use as great sales pitch for my dh as well)

The "gifty" reason
Most of the quilts I have made have been given to others. I think most quilters do the same. The thought of being able to make a bit more "less expensive" presents really appeal to me. Just one boll of yarn can make a lovely pair of socks or a beautiful scarf.

The "portable" reason
Knitting is very portable, maybe even a bit more so then quilting

The "change" reason
Maybe it would be fun just to change for the sake of change. Learn some new things, meet some new people, do something else...

This of-course doesn't mean I will give up on my first love, quilting, still so much to sew, but maybe just give it a rest. Ofcourse a knitting-bag will need to be made..and a needle-holder and a...maybe I won't ever give up on the sewing...*lol*

Enough ramblings..some pictures:

I have always wanted to make socks, but the whole 4 needles thing scared me off. But I thought I would give it a try. I went on the Internet and found this lovely link to a mini-sock instruction. A mini-sock to learn about the anatomy of a sock without having to knit for ages. Here is my sweet cat showing of the latest fashion:

I have now started on a new sock. It has some imperfections but I don't care. It is just a first try and as long as it fits over my feet and it doesn't unravel in the wash I am happy!

If you would like to learn how to knit socks have a look here.

Cathi has send me some Denise circular needles by post from when she was in the US. She is the best friend ever! So as soon as I get them I am going to continue on my shawl. Since I am getting so many stitches I can't see how big it really is getting and so on. But this is how it looks now:

Okay a very long post for just one day...back to the knitting!

Comments

[Juul :o)]

pssst...
*zwaait met een (kaneel)stok vanachter de deur*
...als je haasquilt maar af is op 1 juni, anders *zwaait* er wat...
*Ü* *Ü*

Knappe breierd!
:o)

[sarah]

I love knitting, i always have something on the go, but i would love to be able to make quilts.
Sarah x

[Karen]

It's funny because I have been feeling the same way except I have been thinking about taking a little break from knitting and try quilting for a while. I could never stop knitting totally, but a change of pace would be nice. Have fun with your knitting!

[Tracy]

Your knitting looks great, Barbara! The shawl is coming along so nicely--I do love the wool. But how did you get your cat to model that sock?! I hope to try sock knitting later this year, though I've knitted for some time, I've not tried socks yet. I so understand what you're saying about quilting and the expense especially. Anything that requires fabric is expensive to make here in Europe. Fabric/cloth is notoriously expensive. I live in Norway, and the price of even half a meter of fabric is astonishingly high. When visiting my family & friends in America I try to bring back some fabric bits & pieces as the prices are so much cheaper other there. So in many ways by comparison, knitting has the potential to be a lesser-expensive hobby. And sometimes it's just good to have a change of pace, try something else for a little while. It keeps the mind fresh and generates new ideas. That's a good thing! So enjoy your knitting...the quilting will wait for you when you need to play with fabric again. Happy Days ((HUGS))