Dear Ann,
You can’t make a person into a knitter by a direct route. Making knitters is a circuitous process requiring a mix of patience, hope and indifference. Once you’ve picked your target, don’t get up in their grill and say things like, “You should try knitting! I love knitting! You will love it too!” Take a more subtle route; avoid exclamation points. In my view, it can never hurt to knit for the person. I don’t subscribe to the Old Testament-style notion that if you knit for people, you will make them into coddled non-knitters who expect the world to serve them up handknits on a silver platter. Receiving handknits can lead, over time, to appreciating handknits, to wondering how they are made, to enjoying the tactile and visual qualities of good yarn, and to wanting to have a go oneself.
Take niece Kristin, for example. When Kristin was a child, she took a slight interest in knitting. In 2003, she “knit” a big-stitch patchwork blanket, by which I mean that Kristin knit a few rows over a few days, and I knit many rows at night while she was asleep. It was a triumphant moment, after which she didn’t knit again for a decade or so. This was when I had to call upon the patience, hope and indifference. For 10 years.
Then, slowly, slowly, Kristin took up the needles again. She started out wanting to make a Honey Cowl (although she already had a Honey Cowl–she is related to me, therefore by natural law, she had a Honey Cowl). She made a couple of those, in one-skein versions. Then she wanted to learn how to knit a Ballband Dishcloth. She started churning those out in quantity. I helped her out, but I didn’t act too excited about it. You knit, you don’t knit, what do I care, kid? (Meanwhile slipping her balls of Peaches & Creme and Size 6 needles. Go ahead and take them, fine by me, this is not my excited face.)
Last winter, coming home from the coffee shop one afternoon, I asked Kristin if she’d mind if I stopped in at my local, Knitty City, for a minute. My hand to Kaffe, Ann, I really needed to pick up some Lopi I’d ordered. I had no intention of luring Kristin further down the rabbit hole. While we were in there, she asked if I thought she could knit a sweater. The earth moved under my feet (it may have been the 2/3 express train).
What followed was a brief exploration of the kind of sweater Kristin wanted to knit. She’s sporty. She likes to keep it simple, fashion-wise. She has a what-I-call waist. She was intrigued by the colorwork on her lopapeysa, but wanted a yarn weight and sweater style that was more….indoorsy. After a little Ravel-ing amongst my favorite sweater designers, Kristin chose her first sweater pattern: Sambuca, by Thea Colman aka Baby Cocktails. I helped her get started on the neck, and she started knitting away. She took it back with her to Nebraska with the sleeves on stitchholders, and in short order she reported that she had knitted the whole body, including the color work, without further intervention or assistance. By this time, spring was springing, and Kristin first employed the knitterly technique of allowing those sleeve stitches to marinate in a plastic bag for a few months.
Last week, I got a text: Kristin was knitting the sleeves. Then another text: she was blocking her Sambuca. (“Wow, Ann is right about the blocking!”) And finally, a few days ago, these pictures came over the MomPhone2000.
Kristin’s Sambuca, in Cascade 220 superwash.
Kristin claims to like her sleeves on the long side.
(The hat is a Regular Guy Beanie by Chuck Wright, made with Cascade 220 left over from the colorwork.)
My work here is done.
Love,
Kay
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Well done, both the sweater (and hat, which indicates a real feeling for knitting) and the guidance involved in choosing the appropriate pattern and yarn.
Cascade 220 super wash is an excellent gateway drug.
Kristen, welcome to the world of knitters!
Man! I wish my first sweater looked that good! It was some mohair number from Knitty and I never wore it out of the house.
I know right? Maybe in 20 years this sweater will look silly in the rear view mirror, but I don’t think so.
I am in complete awe. Colorwork in a FIRST SWEATER?? Amazing! (I am using the patient, don’t say too much, technique with my 8 year old granddaughter. It’s working, so far).
I think she did a bang up job! You taught her well!!
You sneaky Tom Sawyer like thing.
She also whitewashes fences. Like literally. I’m not kidding. She’s really handy with a paintabrush.
Niece Kristen,
You go girl! Color work on the first sweater, and a hat to boot! Woo Hoo! You look great in your lovely new handknits, and bring joy to our knitterly hearts, a tear to our knitterly eyes.
Welcome to the fold. With young ones like you around, the future of knitting is assured.
Brava!
LoveDiane
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You did it! Kristin looks so fantastic in that sweater–and really, it is a beautiful piece of knitting. I am not surprised that she just sat down and cranked out what is NOT a typical first sweater for a knitter. Kristin’s kind of that way.
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Beautiful sweater, Kristin! My first knit sweater was with a questionable YARN, not wool, and I knit it so tight it could have stood up by itself. The second sweater was much better, though not the best wool, and lasted and was worn for well over 20 years by the recipient. Well done, Kay. I wonder what Kristin’s next project will be, and I wonder who is in your sights to be gently led to this wonderful world of wool. Knit On!
You have done a fine job! My god daughter knits now. Nothing that fancy, but she did tell me she figured out how to read and knit and the same time because she didn’t want to give up on reading in order to knit. Next generation of knitters! (Sorry for the exclamation point, but among knitters it seemed safe.)
Oh, I’m so jealous of that first sweater! My first sweater came out bigger than a dress and when I tried to “shrink” it, it felted smaller than my now-two-year-old’s clothes. Sigh.
That first sweater is fantastic–wearable, and everything!
Congratulations, Kay, on hatching (however slowly) a new knitter. And congratulations, Kristen, on such a fantastic first sweater!
Congratulations, Dear Kay—the world ALWAYS needs another knitter!
Good job Kay! Congratulations!
Kay,
Good to know that you never give up on “knitters to be”!
Jane
NEVER!
You rock! So does your niece! She made a wonderful sweater that is stylish and fits her beautifully. It must be genetic, but sometimes skips people. My mother actually learned to knit but hated it. My grandmother and aunt were both knitters and crocheters, and my cousin and I both knit (but my stash is larger than hers….like astronomically). Keep up the good work. I like your style in the subversive way you got your niece knitting.
Well done, good and faithful servant. The knitting gods are happy. She really did a beautiful job. Great story, too!
In the back of my head I *sort of* knew that blanket hadn’t knitter itself.
Your first sweater is AWESOME! Congratulations.
I see that I may have to adhere to the Modern Daily method of making a knitter. I’ll let you know how it goes in 10 years 😉
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Knitting for the non knitter can pay off big for you when you are too old to do it anymore. My mother knit for me when I was a child and by the time I was eight I was so intrigued by what she had growing on her needles that I became a knitter. Now she is 94 and arthritis got to her hands. Nonetheless, she doesn’t lack for the new hand knits.
Kristin is already planning my old age, for sure. It’s a good feeling to know I will not lack for lap blankets.
Just dropping by.
“How to Make a Knitter” title-I was expecting pics of a little knitted doll holding “toothpick” needles. What a nice surprise to know it pays to never quit! I wish I had grown up with an auntie or uncle that knitted….Beautiful work Kristen:)
Wow, colorwork on her first sweater…and beautifully done. This is no small feat. And kudos to you, Kay, for nudging her to this point.
The two people who have asked me for knitting lessons, did not stick with it. In my husband’s case, it was painful to watch. A couple of rows on the airplane and that was it. He was done with knitting before we reached cruising altitude. Fine by me. 😉
Beautiful, and colorwork too!! Great work!
I did my best with my niece, but as you say, you can’t force these things, even though she is talented. I did score a huge hit with the Alabama Chanin T-shirt kits, however. After buying both of us a kit at VFKW, it did cross my mind that knitting would have been quite a bit easier on the pocketbook!
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Well done, both of you! I didn’t grow a knitter, per se, but I did launch 2 crocheters, and I’ll take that as a win! Why, you ask? Because with Daughter and Husband both crocheting, I, a) have more time to knit, and b) can now go into a yarn shop without feeling rushed because I know they are happily squeezing/smelling/browsing too! And yes, we all 3 now have our own stashes. Life is good!
Good gracious, that is a phenomenally excellent sweater, first or fifteenth! Style, fit, colors, all perfect. Well done, Kristin 🙂
(Telepathically repeating the whispered word:
socks, socks, socks…)
But the links! The patchwork blanket lo those 12 years old now: that entry does not show the blanket pics.
But love the idea of doing a little bit of the knitting…I think I will casually do that in plain view of my budding knitter…will see if she comes over and reclaims it. Hmm….
I know! I can see a thumbnail of the photo on the back end of the blog, but there is obviously something wrong with the photo link. Keep trying to get your girl knitting. Without seeming to try…..
The force is strong in your family.
(I know. But someone was going to say it eventually.)
To compensate for my geeky tendencies I recall that my first sweater had a fair isle design around the hip and cuffs and was knitted in Patons Fiona I think (that should date me). I doubt it was as impressive as Kristin’s sweater though, which is superb.
Wow, Look how great her tension is!
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The sweater is a marvel but what really impresses me is that hat. Good grief! She already knit a matching hat!
That’s her thrifty Gardiner DNA—a free hat was just sitting there in those leftovers.
Fabulous work! (By both of you…)
Beautiful sweater! My second sweater was knit with bulky wool on size 13 needles with cables. Not to gauge so it really grew! But I still have it. I was knitting my 3 year old granddaughter a hat this weekend and she became interested in the yarn (bright pink). I let her play with the skein and squish it and then cut off a few strands for her to play with. Have to show her ‘playing with yarn’ is fun!
It is clearly in her blood. It is perfect.
Wow! That is gorgeous! No puckering on the color work at all!
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Mazel Tov! I subscribe to the same methid of creating knitters. When I lived in the same building as a good friend & her toddler twins I knit for them and around them. By age 4 they wanted to learn how to knit! Alas we’ve lost touch over the years…
That is an amazing sweater. I can’t believe it was her first sweater. I’m guessing that she inherited/absorbed some knitterly wisdom through osmosis (or some other science-y term).
My first sweater was never finished–think miles and miles of blue stockinette stitch tunic. My second actual finished sweater is still in my closet. I will never wear it in public (it’s a pale pink cardigan) and I think it’s fair to say that the gauge is off a bit, but I keep it regardless.
My first sweater was a cardigan knit of (hand on heart, blushing face) sparkly white Sayelle acrylic with a little nylon (the sparkle). I still have it somewhere, because it was the start of something big, even if it is a little embarrassing. This first sweater is bragworthy — for both the knitter, and the enabler (encourager). Congratulations!
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One of us! One of us!
yay Kristin. Another Pround Auntie moment.
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Obviously your work here is done. Beautiful sweater!
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Oh, such Motherly patience! But the reward is great! Way to go!
I wish I’d found your blog and website earlier!