Thanks in part to Ted, I can take great pride in stating that I am a knitter. Understanding all the knowledge, skill and creativity that goes into it.

Say It With Me – I Am A Knitter

If you’re reading this blog, the fact that I knit is no surprise to you. Most of you also understand just what it takes to be an accomplished knitter.

But when I’m with muggles who don’t understand what it means, it sometimes feels weird to state that I knit. Obsessively.

So, when Ted Myatt suggested the idea of a men’s knitting retreat 15 years ago, I knew I had to make this happen. Being among people who truly appreciate what I do seemed like an amazing thing to me. Neither Ted nor I thought it would be very popular outside a small group of guys (we were both wrong). But it became clear the first time a group of guys came together as fiber/fibre artists. We were people looking for a community. People needing a community more than any of us realized.

As I knit the simplest of garments these days, it occurs to me all that goes into this skill.

Yes, I have to know how to cast on, join in-the-round, knit, purl, decrease and bind off.

Gauge, yarn weight and needle size are such basic concepts, that they aren’t even considered consciously by me any more.

Choosing a colorway of yarn that makes a hat easy-to-make and yet still beautiful is a bit more nuanced of a skill perhaps. Knowing that I prefer to cast on with double-pointed needles, knit with a 16″ cable circular needle and then switch back to double-points when I start decreasing at the crown is a personal preference. But it’s also a way for me to be most efficient when making lots of these hats for sale. Understanding that this yarn goes thick and thin, but it’s all part of the look of the knitted fabric only comes with experience and patience that a garment won’t look the same when it’s finished as it does only 2 inches into it. Add to that that I tighten up the ribbing with European combination knit stitches at the brim and understanding how to finish the hat so it’s secure and hides ends.

And on and on and on…

Yes, I’m proud of my vast library of knowledge from 35 years of knitting. And yes, I’m proud of my huge collection of tools that make my knitting easier. Most importantly, I’m grateful for a community of people who understand me in ways that non-fiber/fibre people can’t.

Readers’ Comments/Questions

Thank you to all for your kind words about Ted both on the blog and on social media. They all reminded me of the legacy Ted left with us and for that I will be forever thankful.

Current Knitting

Adding a “Current Knitting” section to the blog entry this past Wednesday seemed a bit too jarring. But I had finished two additional West Coast Watch Caps and I’ve finished three more since.

That makes a total of nine hats with at least three more to go for next weekend’s craft show. That shouldn’t be too challenging.