Back to Basics

 (Originally posted on WP 10/16/21.)

Back to Basics

We all come to appreciate certain things, in our own, sweet, sometimes slow, time!  Which brings me to – I've never been enamored of garter stitch. There, I've said it.

When I began to knit, circularly, that is, after reading a couple chapters of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s ‘Knitting Workshop’, I dove head-first into Fair Isle, stranding, cables, and lace.  Of course, I noticed that EZ used garter stitch, and quite often, but, it just seemed to lack sophistication and knitterly skill.  When I want to do something, I always do it big.  I don't take baby steps, I fearlessly dive in head first.  So, I never knit anything in garter stitch.

Maybe it's age…although blaming things on ‘age’ irks me, as it sounds like an excuse.
What it really is is a too-busy Life for my energy resources – too much to think about and take care of every day, so that when I go to knit, I don’t want (and my brain doesn’t need) anything strenuous, complicated, or fast-paced.

The stage is finally set – a confluence of variables, where, suddenly, my hands are enjoying this simple stitch.  They never did before, though.  I used to wonder how knitters could find garter stitch to be easy.  Yes, it's just knit, knit, knit, but, those purl bumps don't *want* to be knit into.  Ya gotta push past the bump to knit each stitch.  Eh.  

To me, these bumps always want to be purled into, which was, and still is, fine with me.  I have no qualms about purling, even in Fair Isle or stranded color work.  I love stranded knitting.

I do tend to knit, not quite *all* the time, as EZ did, but until the recent health snafu, on most late afternoons into evenings, with just short detours to eat, shower, get all the evening pills and paraphernalia, and tend to hubby’s meal and coffee needs, so I can plop my backside back down, and not have to jump up for anything, until bedtime.

And what do I usually knit?  Socks.  Piles and piles of socks.

Been knitting socks since the beginning of my knitting life, as my feet have always been cold.  I used to buy men's wool hunting socks.  Naturally, they were too large for my feet, but there wasn't (and likely still isn't) anyone making thick wool socks for women's feet.  

Now, why is that?

Don't they know that women can tend to be cold? (Well, at least until menopause!)  Aren't we the ones always inching up the thermostat, hoping the husband doesn't notice?  And, of course he does, making a big fuss, gagging and choking on the heat, as if he was about the melt, whilst making a beeline for the thermostat, muttering to himself, just loudly enough for the wife to hear: "Now who put the heat up?"  When he knows darn well, who put it
up.

But, all of a sudden, as I finished up another pair of socks, to be hand washed and added to the bulging sock drawer, I suddenly dreaded casting on another pair of socks.

Aaack!  What's up with that?  I've never NOT wanted to knit socks, not in 3 decades. Now, I had been knitting up stash.  And my stash, as a designer, never mind as a knitter, has been quite humble, as discretionary income hasn't been a burden for most of those 3 decades.  But, I've been in a clearing-out-the-house frame of mind for a long time.  And, that means yarn, too.  

I also recently purchased the luxury of a new pair of LL Bean sheepskin slippers.

I had a pair many years ago, which lasted 3-4 years with daily wear for 9 months of every year!  Now, that's quality. Then the price went up, and I was back to knitting thick wool socks, instead.  But, sheepskin really can't be beat to warm up feet on cold floors, and didn't I have enough Life Stresses to deal with?  Yup.  So, I deleted from the list having to deal with cold feet!  And they have outdoor soles, so I can get the mail and sweep the leaves off the deck without needing to change shoes.

But, back to knitting and garter stitch. So, with not wanting to knit socks, but needing something to work on every evening (as I cannot just be a couch potato, like men seem so capable of!), I turned to the household – what does it need?  

I have a pile of things I need to sew up on the machine, but that’s day work. But hubby had been needing a new afghan – longer than the ones I’ve knit. So began the 3 week journey of knitting bulky knit garter stitch squares for this afghan, now seamed and I-corded, but it hasn’t yet had it’s bath, I mean, wet blocking. 

 

I don’t consider anything I knit or weave as finished until it’s had a bath, been hung or laid flat to dry, then pressed, if needed, as wovens tend to need.  So, please forgive any lumpiness you see – stitches becomes much more cohesive and smooth with a bath. Washing large afghans and blankets is so much easier once it’s warm enough outside, so they can be draped over the line.

The afghan has been done for months now, but the need for more easy knits still reigned.  So, what else does the house need?  Hmm, could use some pretty, and decorative (though not just decorative!) face/bath cloths.  

We may decide to rent the entire house out next summer (as this IS Cape Cod), or, perhaps list it for sale before then, and although I am working towards unifying color and design through the entire house to exude a coastal farmhouse style (a large enough project!), I also want the house to exude personality and not look sterile, like a stager has been here.  

This means showcasing hand-crafted textiles throughout – from the bathroom to the kitchen and bedrooms.  Bits of color, pattern, and texture, so, either guests or prospective buyers will remember the house as looking expectedly coastal, but with unique, handmade touches that say it’s a home, not a showroom. I can never imagine myself living in those stripped down to almost nothing houses - it’s as bad as trying to imagine living in an empty house.

When I need design inspiration, or my knitting mojo has temporarily lost its oomph, I often turn to other textiles – needlepoint, sewing, and quilting books, like these 1980’s vintage quilting books, the spine of one long ago split the book into two.  Quilting was one of my first ventures into the making of textiles.

Simple (and some not very simple) geometric quilting patterns translate well into knitting and especially into garter stitch.  There ya go – next knitting pattern decided.

Here are the face/bath cloth samples I’ve knit thus far, though to be honest I think these are more than enough for a written pattern!

I worked to present quilt blocks in a knittable way.  Some blocks would require far too many color changes, and hence, ends to weave in afterwards, but if I really like a particular block, I play with it’s size or repeat to achieve a pleasing and easily-workable interpretation.  

I also look at each quilt block or repeat of blocks to consider the best construction method – should it be knit in one direction or from varying directions? Totally seamed later on, or picked up and knit as you go?

You can see from the photos above, that just as in hubby’s buffalo plaid afghan squares, I prefer the textural interest which comes from changing knitting direction on each afghan square and each segment of the garter stitch face/bath cloths.

They make for pleasant, easy knitting, even in the 100% cotton yarn I used. I was never fond of knitting cotton, but this cotton (Knitpicks Dishie) is really lovely, soft, and smooth.  The blocks could also easily be knit in varying weights of wool yarns, to become an afghan or blanket, which I may get to one day. Although, on the To-Make list, for many years now, has also been the knitting of a queen-sized wool counterpane – LOL, once I find enough patience to want to knit the same square over and over!

As I am currently detoured into spinning and knitting up winter/holiday items for sale, the pattern for these face/bath cloths may take a few months yet. And, who knows, I may find yet more quilt blocks I really want to knit up!

Onward!