Life can often get in the way of a good idea. As the deadline quickly approached for the story about my brand new knitting skills (see our January 2011 issue), I realized I had about seven weeks to learn how to knit and to craft an entire sweater. I needed help and I found it in the best teacher ever – Kate Atherley. Our first meeting was on a bright and beautiful mid-August Saturday morning at The Purple Purl, a cult knitting store on Queen Street East in Toronto's trendy Leslieville 'hood.
Inside The Purple Purl – like a candy store for knitting fans.
After I chose my wool (a gorgeous blue in a luxe baby alpaca) and my needles (12 inch, size 11 premium bamboo), we got right to the job at hand, spending the morning learning the basics of the craft.
Teachers don't come more patient than the great Kate!
Kate was warm, patient and positive. She took me through each step slowly and repetitively, explaining everything in a clear, maternal manner. As I got the hang of knitting, purling and casting off, we got down to the knitty gritty (pun intended!) specifics of my pattern. We referenced The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd and selected the pattern on page 74.
I quickly realized I loved knitting. It felt relaxing and somewhat meditative. While at work, I couldn't wait to get home to my cosy corner chair to lose myself in the smooth clicking of bamboo meeting alpaca. Being a very tactile type of person, I was glad Kate had encouraged me to go for a more premium wool my first time out.
Giving into the urge to knit at my desk.
Of course I wouldn't be totally truthful if I told you it was all wonderfully Zen. As the first side of the sweater grew longer, so did the glaring mistakes. There were areas where I caught myself on a purl row, lost track and began knitting (I called them scars), and the missed stitches that left holes big enough to stick my finger through hounded me. The perfectionist in me was lucky to have expert knitters at the office who got used to me arriving each morning and reaching into my knitting bag to beg for a correction session.
Beverley Renahan, CL's high priestess of knitting
Beverley Renahan (above) and Tina Anson Mine both deserve a special thank you for being so patient and positive and helping me by repeatedly casting on (the one skill I couldn't seem to master) and ripping out rows so I could "keep calm and knit on.”
"It takes a village to succeed" is a phrase that perfectly sums up my knitting experience. Without Kate I could not have reached my goal. One lesson took place at a downtown Tim Horton's to fit into our busy schedules.
Almost there: The final step in the process!
As late summer became fall and all those skeins of blue wool began to resemble an actual sweater, a final session with Kate was arranged to sew the sleeves and front and back together. I was so proud of my creation and even more of my new learned craft. Making something special with your own two hands is becoming a lost art. My learning this craft has become one of my greatest joys.
