Wednesday, February 20, 2008 Rosee is dropping stitches...

I could knit before it was trendy. Of course, the fact I hadn’t bothered for nearly 20 years is neither here nor there – I knew what I was doing.

So, after getting back into the habit a few years ago when it hit the headlines (strictly scarves and bobble hats) I was excited about the prospect of knitting our baby some cute clothes. I love the idea of creating an ‘heirloom’ for our daughter. Something she can pass onto her own children.

Three months into my knitting project, I’m on my third cardigan and have about 30 balls of wool which I’ve picked up from ebay or in craft shop sales, waiting their turn to become a family masterpiece (hopefully).

Often as I sit on the sofa purling away, I get a kick or two in the tum. It’s a helpful reminder that there is a purpose to it all when I’m silently swearing about dropping stitches or trying to decipher a supposedly easy pattern. The pokes from Her Highness also help put into perspective the interminable monotony that descends when the piece I’m making is growing at a snail’s pace thanks to the tiny needles the baby patterns demand.

Of course, on the more frustrating commutes I have into work knitting saves my sanity by giving me something constructive to do when there are leaves on the line. And I’ve also joined a Stitch ‘n’ Bitch group at work - very helpful when I’m stuck on a pattern.

Still, I’ve got to be honest. Yes, handmade clothes are cute, and yes, knitting may be fashionable. But it’s also really really really really really really dull.