Last night I accidentally walked over to the tavern across the street from the truckstop. I was sitting in there knitting and a lady trucker came over to check it out.
She told me she does crochet but had never caught on to knitting. I showed here how to make the knit stitch as I was working on the alpaca vest.
She then asked if she could try to make a couple to “get a feel for it”. Now, I don’t mind helping somebody out and showing them something but there was no way I was going to let her possibly wreck the vest I have already put a lot of time and effort into.
I really couldn’t believe she even asked. I had to tell her no way was I gonna do that. It might have hurt her feelings a little but I wasn’t gonna risk my work that way.
I told her about KH and that she could learn a lot from here. That’s about the best I could do for her at the time.
Oh, I definitely know what you’re talking about. You put a lot of time and effort into your projects and someone could really screw it up by “trying” to knit on it.
Yesterday the DBF and I were waiting at the doctor’s office and I was knitting (of course). I was taking a bit of a break and had the knitting resting on my lap. He swooped it up and started “knitting” which involved wrapping the yarn around the needle many times and then sticking the needle through any way he liked. He thought he was being funny…It was funny the first time, but not the second. I told him to keep his mitts off my knitting after that!
Mason, you should consider keeping some extra needles and yarn with you. You seem to run into a lot of interested people and you could let them practice on the extra stuff instead of possibly ruining your hard work.
Mason, you should consider keeping some extra needles and yarn with you. You seem to run into a lot of interested people and you could let them practice on the extra stuff instead of possibly ruining your hard work.
Goodness no! If I am using any sort of natural fibre…there is no way I would let them into it…
I have no problems with showing ppl to knit…but I am a true believer in beginner projects being done on cheap wool…I don’t care who it is…gauge will always be changing and stitches will most likely be dropped on a first project…
I don’t blame you at all. I agree you should keep some extra needles and maybe some inexpensive yarn like Simply Soft with you. You could even cast on for a small baby blanket and let people add to it along your travels and donate it when it’s done.
Well, there are times to let people get near your knitting and times to figuratively (or literally, if necessarily) slap their hands.
My 6-year-old stepgrandaughter recently asked to help me with a log cabin blanket I’m working on, and oh, by the way, could I teach her how to knit while we were at it?
I said fine – I mean, it’s yards of Wool-Ease garter stitch; how much harm could she do? Turns out she is in the middle of learning the knit stitch at her Montessori school and has [I]very[/I] strong ideas about how it’s done. She did a good job of inserting the needle into the stitch and a hesitant job of wrapping, but couldn’t quite wrap her mind around pulling the stitch through and off. Instead, she invented an original way of finishing the stitch that resulted in a very interesting blob, and did almost a whole row of these. Wouldn’t hear of trying it any other way. Then she went off to watch a Little Mermaid DVD.
It would have taken five minutes to tink her work and redo it, but the blanket is a planned gift for her parents so I left Pippa’s blobby row in it for posterity. Family trumps perfection any day.
But let a stranger go near an alpaca Vest In Progress? No way.
I agree, keep a set of spare straights & a small ball of “extra” yarn.
You are becoming an ambassador of knitting… maybe we need to design a badge for you… you are awesome…
That was my first thought, too. I bet she was amazed by how smart you are to be able to knit and you how strong your hands must be. :teehee:
To be fair, though, not many people do handwork that is as sensitive as knitting. Looking back, I am amazed by how gracious my dad was to let me “help” sand and finish some of his woodworking projects. I am sure that he spent many hours resanding down the table I was determined to “perfect” for him.
About 2 months ago, my friend and I was in a little area with tables and chairs, and I was teaching her how to knit…
WELL… there was this lady… watching us… (no problem w/ this) then she came over and actually sat at our table with us (w/out asking- but, still ok) and there I am… teaching my friend HOW TO KNIT… and after about 5 minutes… of my friend’s first knitting attempts… the lady takes the needles out of my friend’s hand and starts trying to do what I had been showing my friend…
I agree on the knitting the blanket project that Jan recommended. The person gets to knit after they are done, you can tell them what they are knitting for. Other wise they may not want to try knitting. Oh I say go for it Mason. They traveling KAL, by Mason and all the wonderful trucking people that you meet.
you did exactly as i would have done! i quilt and used to do quite a bit of needlework–lots of things have been “helped” by my children–and each time i come across one…i smile and run my hand over it…good memories!
I’m with you, Mason - no way! I actually had an instructor of a knitting class take my project out of my hands and knit on MY project to ‘show me’ how to do something. I couldn’t believe it!
I then had to take the time to tink it because: 1. I’m not going to learn if I don’t do it myself, and 2. it isn’t going to match my knitting tension so it leaves a ‘funny’ looking spot.
That was a couple of years ago, but I’m braver now and don’t mind saying ‘no’!
:teehee:
