Never not knitting



I have knitting on the brain

Photo courtesy of  HappyDoodleLand

My obsession has reached feverish proportions, though thankfully, in a much more pleasant form than most other kinds of obsessions. I hope.

When I started all those years ago it was out of desperation. Canberra (where I was for 4 years) can be a mind numbingly dull place at times and especially during the two extreme seasons of winter (when everyone hides indoors because of the cold) and summer (when it's so hot/nice out that people empty the city to venture to more exciting places like Sydney or Melbourne). I had even pooh-pooh-ed the idea of picking up knitting at a friend's suggestion - much to his disappointment because he thought "I might be quite good at it". Whatever gave him that impression(!). I was going through a self-discovery phase at the time and there wasn't a chance that knitting was to feature in my new cooler persona. I was 21, what did I know?

But during a night out at the local coffee joint, my friend plonked himself on a worn out armchair nearest to the fireplace and whipped out his knitting. As I watched him skillfully weave his hands in and out, a beautifully textured lengthy fabric started to emerge. At that point, I started to become a little bit curious. Many false starts, an extremely patient knitting circle, countless old fashioned rom-coms during hot summer nights later, I found myself something of a keen dabbler.

  

At the time I didn't believe that it would last beyond the summer but I was wrong. It has followed me home to Malaysia and stayed with me throughout these years. At first it was pure fun making knitted somethings for purely no reason but eventually, it evolved into a kind of therapy - one that I would turn to after work having brought home with me all the stress and burden the day has wrought. It's become a solace where for a few minutes in a day my mind would empty, my fingers would work, and I could forget my troubles.



As a craft, knitting is not difficult. It's the easiest, in fact, to pick up given you don't need to lug about heavy machinery nor do you need to learn an entirely different language (well, yes you do, but it's minimal at best). But if I had to pinpoint one thing that I like about it, it would be the gifting aspect. Knitting for other people is what satisfies me. Giving the people I care about something that they cannot buy at the shops, or order online, makes me feel like I'm giving them some small part of me. And hopefully they may find that some of my love for them has also been woven alongside those complicated knits. 



At the start of the year I drew up a long list of people for whom I was going to knit for this year. It's very ambitious to say the least but I am determined. So far I have completed two projects this year and currently have two ongoing. Somewhere on my messy living room coffee table you may be able to locate 0.75 pair of socks - I am halfway through the second sock, yay! (update since this post began: socks are finished and ready to presented to new owner!) - and half an iPod Touch cosy, which I started late last night against my better judgement. (Update: I have un-furled the iPod Touch cosy because the pattern was just too mad. Will now furiously look for another pattern to accomodate my need of tiny knitting). At all times, you will find that I have knitting on the brain. At work I might steal a minute or two to Google for new patterns or download pattern e-books. At home I'm constantly going through my ever growing stash of gorgeous yarn to work out which best to use or really just to admire the lovely colours and textures of the fine wool yarns that are slowly but surely overtaking my extra bedroom floor space.



Completed pair of socks for one of my closest girlfriends so
she can keep the paws warm! 



Last week a new shipment of yarn has arrived from Australia. This bunch of 12 balls natural fibre yarns are for my mother's birthday vest. I am excited as I have never attempted major clothing articles before!

New yarn - new possibilities!

Yarn from Woolbaa

So with that, I am creating a new tag: knitting, to indulge in my favourite of all favourites pastimes. Keep reading and I do hope you'll enjoy creating with me :)