First Knits

Gabes at SweetP Knits made me cast my mind back to where my knitting journey all began. I don't have pictures of the first thing I knitted but I can vividly remember it was a garter stitch blanket for my teddy done in leftover yarn from my splendid orange toggled hoodie. My little sister had a cream and brown one from memory. I think you can get the era of my childhood from the colour of our knits;-)

There followed a large number of teddy and dolly clothes made of two garter stitch rectangles sewn together. I still have my first wee teddy wearing his ensemble sitting on my bedroom drawers!

I knitted myself a couple of garments in my teens - a grey v-neck vest and a brightly coloured garter stitch boat neck sweater. I put the needles down until my early '20s when I knitted my boyfriend a sweater. My grandmother was horrified. You never give a man a sweater until he puts a ring on your finger. Thankfully, the Sweater Curse didn't work and we've been married for 14 years. The needles were retired again and didn't really come out in full force until my second daughter was in cloth nappies and I started knitting soakers and longies for her. I'm so excited I can do grown-up stuff again - I recently finished an Hourglass Sweater and have cast on a February Lady Sweater. I'm lucky that I have my super-knitting mother to keep the kids in knits so I can selfishly do stuff for me now;-) What a gift she gave me teaching me to knit and I'm thankful I've been able to teach my eldest daughter as well.