Knit One, Purl Two....

My mother crocheted ....  all kinds of things... afghans, shawls, and I don't know what all.  When I was a little kid I learned to crochet an edging on handkerchiefs...  and I made them to give as gifts.  But I was never very interested in crocheting...  what I wanted to do was knit.  I didn't know anyone who knit and could teach me.

When my son was born in 1962, I was a stay-at-home Mom.  I decided to try again and if I remember correctly I bought a "how to" book at the local Woolworth's store.  I taught myself to knit and the first thing I made was a cardigan and shorts outfit for my son.  He was just a few months old, and somewhere I think there's a photo of him wearing those garments while sitting on a blanket....  he wasn't walking yet.

Probably because I had learned some about crocheting first, I hold the yarn in my left hand.  I've since learned that this is called the "Continental Style" of knitting.   Later, my former mother-in-law asked me to teach her to knit but was really unhappy to learn that I didn't "throw" the yarn over the needle with my right hand...  she decided to take classes that the local college had at night.

Slightly off track here...  my former father-in-law was a curious person... and he just had to learn to knit.  Wilma taught him and while he didn't really make anything, he had fun making on all kinds of stitches.  He and my former husband were construction workers...  back then they were all macho and proud of it.  One day Wilma put a pair of knitting needles with some project she'd started in Paul's lunchbox.  Not sure if he ever lived that down.

Back to my story...

I still have stacks of magazines I purchased back then...

This 1963 Vogue magazine cost all of 60 cents.

It contained patterns for over 50 knit projects...  mostly sweaters..

Some of the contents...

Look at the Jackie Kennedy influence in the lower right photo.

I look at the advertisements...  an entire kit containing yarn for a sweater AND wool cloth to make a skirt...  all for $8.98 (plus $1.50 for shipping and handling)...  you can barely buy a skein of yarn for that now.

Some of the styles in that 50 year old magazine are classic...

A Fisherman Knit sweater is as stylish today as it was back then.

In fact, I still wear the one I made nearly 45 years ago, and while it shows some wear, it's still as warm and cozy now as it was then.

Yep!  I still carry it around with me.

When my kids were little I knit garments for a yarn shop...  well-to-do ladies would commission me to make suits, sweaters, jackets... just anything....  in all kinds of styles and patterns.  I loved the challenge of using multi colors of yarn and intricate patterns.

I don't knit as much as I used to...  I kind of take spells and knit like crazy...  then go for long dry spells.  My daughter learned to crochet a couple of years ago and makes all kinds of items.  Not too long ago she learned to knit and really enjoys it.  I think making things for her granddaughter has really spurred her on.

Evie, my great-granddaughter, has revived my interest as well...

I just finished this sweater and cap a few days ago.  

(Yes, Donna...  it's in the mail... it should arrive sometime this week)

The hardest thing now for me is finding time to read, time for the computer stuff, time to enjoy the outdoors and still find time to knit. I recently ordered yarn to make a pair of socks... it's been years and years since I've knitted socks...  I'll let you know when/if I ever get them made.  

That's All For Today!