Dusting Off My Knitting Needles And Rediscovering My Wool Stash
My Introduction To Knitting
We all know that knitting (for most of us, at least!) is a long-term project. Sewing is so much faster and, by comparison, more instantly gratifying. However, there something undeniably comforting and calming about the repetitive nature of knitting: that element of somehow being lost in the moment.
I had a surrogate aunt, Rene, who patiently taught me how to knit and crochet, when I was very young. I was, indeed, often the grateful recipient of her creations. My mother knitted occasionally, but I can only remember bizarre projects such as bottle covers in the shape of poodles. Yes, I know, you are asking: “why?!” Thankfully, the need to cover toilet rolls and other such objects has gone out of fashion!
Later in life, as a textile design student, I took up my knitting needles once again. I found that knitting calmed me: it was a form of meditation. After a long or difficult day, I could unwind and lose myself in knitting for hours on end. It almost felt like a bonus that I was rewarded with something to wear or use, at the end of each project.
Over the years, I have knitted a lot. It is something that you can pick up and put down, without any real issue. It is also portable, and so can pretty much go wherever you go.
That having been said, when I left my life in the U.K. in 2007, I left my knitting behind too. The temperatures and climate of Morocco did not really inspire or demand knitted items in my wardrobe. The mere idea knitting in temperatures of 30-54 degrees was not something I relished.
My Knitting Inspiration Today
Fast forward to March 2020, and suddenly everything changed with covid. This is why I decided to join the knitting revival.
I was not to know it, but the business that my husband and I had worked so hard to create was set to close for two whole years. Moreover, due to covid restrictions, I was about to spend eighteen months in complete isolation in Marrakech.
I suddenly had the luxury of time and decided to search out my stash of wool, knitting patterns and needles that had been in store for so long; and, very soon, I was hooked again!
Times have changed and we are now conscious of waste and re-cycling what we have. I have therefore set myself the challenge of working my way through my stash of wools, purchased all those years ago. I also plan to unravel sweaters no longer worn and create something new for today.
Due to the nature of knitting, this will be a slow process, of course; but I am full of hope that I will be able to create some beautiful things, and I ask you to join me on the journey!
Michele x