Left/Right

Today, I learned how to knit left-handed.

I've been teaching knitting lessons for a few months, now. I've had no fewer than 3 people ask for directions on how to knit left-handed (not holding yarn in left hand, which is knitting continental, but actually knitting from left to right instead of right to left) and now, finally, I've given in and learned to do it myself. I'm sick of being stumped by questions. And though I'm still figuring out a few of the kinks, I did it all by myself.

How will this help beyond helping other people to knit? If I can get proficient at it, I'll be able to replace purling entirely with simply knitting back the other direction. Pretty cool, if I do say so!

Ready, Set, Knit

It's amazing how children take up every bit of time without leaving a whole lot to say about it. My little boy is almost a year old. In the past weeks, he's learned to stand free of objects, cruises along the couch and chair and tables, will take a step (but only one step) before falling down to his knees. He's a truly amazing little man, and despite all the work involved, it's worth it to be staying home with him.

And I've been knitting, but not as much. Here's what's in the pipeline, though:



Clara is a shawlette worked from the center out, but can easily be sized up for a full shawl. She is named for the daughter I lost in March 2009 at 11 weeks gestation. Grief is a very long and personal process, and the design of this shawl mirrors the path of my recovery: the center is a soothing, repetitive garter stitch - the only thing I could bring myself to knit after losing her - while the border becomes more complex, as my grief changed over time. The shawl is designed in honor of the ladies of Ravelry’s Healing After Pregnancy Loss group: the strongest women I’ve ever met, and whom I have the great honor of calling friends.