General Chat

Just finished knitting an Aran jacket, and had loads of wool left. So, I had the brainwave to knit a pair of gloves - on four needles. Well, just finished the first glove, and wow, the work that went into that.
It rather reminded me of those ladies who in the wars, knitted socks for the troops, because it is purely a labour of love, and I would not do them for anyone else, money or not.
MEMO TO SELF - stop having these stupid b***well brainwaves.
Julia in Derbyshire

Island darlink, halfway up the second cuff already. I won't let it deter me. I have been knitting almost 60 years, (no,not the same piece of work), and I can't remember doing this kind of work before, but I must have done, as it did not strike me to knit them any other way. Memory must be going with old age. Problem is, I am still going to have alot of yarn left. Think I'll just stick it in a drawer for now, and maybe make somebodies baby, a cuddly toy sometime. Hats and me, do not go together LOLOL
Julia in Derbyshire

Island, I am tempted with those wooly socks for the winter, but have a crochet weskit on the go to keep me busy until my next foray to the wool shop. I dread the day, when the owner retires, as nowhere else to buy wool from locally. LOL
Rita, it is a pity you don't knit, as I am sure a pair of nice warm socks would go down a treat for those cold nights in Afganistan.
Julia in Derbyshire

Julia, I was wondering how my aran jumper is coming along - no rush mind you :)

Island, thank you for that information. I have never bought anything mail order before, but will perhaps have to do so, if my supplier retires. Have visions of going to that town one day, and the shop has closed. Lawdy,lawdy, the owner is actually old enough to be my father. Honestly.
There is a Hobbycraft place in Nottingham, but it is on an industrial site, on the other side of the city, according to the address, and about 15 miles away.
As you say, hardly any of the large department stores sell wool anymore.
Julia in Derbyshire

Edit to say, there is that young Piers me lad, not been on GR five mins., and already giving his cheek LOL

Like you Julia there always seemed to arran wool left over. Hats, scarves and mitts always followed on!! Used to have friend to send it from N. Ireland as could not buy pure arran wool in south and refused to knit with anything else.

It is nice to meet a lady with a good sense of humour Julia :)

Goodness is BSK still going. Back in the 60s early 70s I had a knitting machine and was an agent for BSK (sold like tupperware/Avon. I used to make things to order, mainly children's clothes and ponchos if I remember.

I don't knit these days, no time, but I do remember knitting aran sweaters and I do remember knitting on 4 needles. (not both at the same time.) I assume I must have made gloves, I seem to remember having trouble with the thumb!!!

Hi Julia another Arran knitter here :O) loved making sets for my children & grandchildren,they looked so smart.

If you have wool left, knit a hot water bottle cover (in Arran stitch) I've seen them for sale in the big stores and they're not cheap to buy.
Mau x

The art of knitting - I wonder if future generations will bother to knit at all?

Woolshops are very thin on the ground even here in NZ the home of woolly thinking, however I have a friend in USA who pops over here every couple of years and always stocks up and takes back a bag full of "yarn".

In WW1 women used to watch out their house windows at trains and they would identify those carrying weapons/military by using knitting as a forms of espionage.

Then there was many a happy hour wiled away knitting whilst sitting in the front row before the guillotine.

Persey ( I still have a hot-water bottle cover I knitted as a youngster)

Thanks all for your replies and ideas. Mau and Persy, hadn't thought about a waterbottle cover.
Island, don't know who this young whippersnapper is. Only noticed him over the weekend. He's getting worse than Merlin, that wants all me pickled shallots. Will have to keep an eye on him. LOLOL
Julia in Derbyshire

Julia , BSK do have a website, and a jolly good shop it is too. Lots of bargains in coned wool which you can also knit by hand, with fewer knots or loose ends. Try Googling it as i cant think of the web name at the moment.

I haven't used the company for a long time but I see they are still going strong online, for all sorts of needlecraft, knitting and rugs plus crafts

http://www.readicut.co.uk/default.asp

i used to buy embroidery silks from them.

I even have a couple of coat hangers with knitted covers. My mother (who knitted every day) had this knitting book with all these different ideas simmilar to a 101 ways to cook mince.
I started out doing embroidery which I loved when I was quite young and then took up knitting and my mum went hmmph you'll never knit. I surpassed her achieving all sorts of way out crafty tops.

Island in 1966 a certain double agent by the name of George Blake (a former British Spy) escaped from Wormwood Scrubs using a rope ladder made from Knitting needles.

Persey ....