My Nana taught me to knit when I was a little girl. I was always mesmerized by how fast she could make those needles fly, and loved exploring all the different colours and textures of wool she kept in her knitting basket. My mom is also an amazing knitter. I am so lucky to have some amazing pieces in my closet, all made with love by my mom.
While I had these amazing women as teachers right at my finger tips, I never seemed to progress past the “knit one, purl one” stage. Another scarf anyone?
While I never really spent a lot of time knitting, when I did I really enjoyed it, and found it incredibly calming. It also stirs up a feeling of happiness and comfort as I think of Nana, who passed away many years ago. Being in a condensed post-degree professional program during Covid-19 has been incredibly hard, borderline impossible at times. As I started to think about a topic for this inquiry project, I wanted to settle on something that was going to help my stress levels, not add to them. After tossing around a few ideas, I kept coming back to knitting. My family was full of amazing suggestions, but again, I found myself thinking about knitting, so I felt the decision had been made, knitting it was!
I knew I had some needles stashed somewhere in the house, so I went on a treasure hunt. I found the bag with a few sets of needles and a ball or two of yarn and had a giggle as I pulled out yet another half finished scarf. I ripped it all out, re-rolled the yarn, and sat down on the couch to see what I could remember. After a few minutes of starting at the needles and yarn in my lap, and some trial and error, it slowly came back to me. I was able to cast on, and within no time, I was off to the races, “knit one, purl one”.
My goal for this project is to move beyond “knit one, purl one”. I want to progress with my knitting and be able to attempt some projects that aren’t scarves! Who knows where this inquiry will take me, but I am excited to get started and see what I can create!
Photo by Margarida Afonso on Unsplash
January 20, 2021
This is super cool Leah. I have watched a number of family members knit like you did to your Nana, it’s pretty mesmerizing to see how fast people can manipulate the wool to create clothing and pieces of art. It has never been something that I have thought to learn but I can see it being relaxing and rewarding as your skills progress. I look forward to following your journey as you learn to move past “knit one, purl one”!
January 21, 2021
I love that you picked knitting for your inquiry and decided on something that would help with your stress levels rather than add to it. Growing up my grandma always had either a knitting or sewing needle in her hands. She made knitting look ‘easy’ which now amazes me. I have tried to learn a few times but, I struggled quite a bit and could never get past to the point where it became relaxing. I would love to one day knit again, so I am excited to learn more and watch you throughout your journey!