The art of knitting and crochet

My earliest memories of knitting go back to a Knitting Nancy I had as a child. They were easily made, an empty wooden spool of thread and four nails would do.

It was my mother who actually taught me to knit and crochet. Not that we were particularly accomplished, just the basics, pearl, plain, chain and so on. I think a lot of people who knit and crochet were taught by their mothers or grandmothers. It’s one of those handed down, particularly feminine skills. Like folklore, the art has been passed down through generations.

Knitting and crochet is the art of creating a textile. In my case I use 100% pure yarns, wool, alpaca and recycled sari silk, for example. The textile created is warm and pliable, making it a great winter fabric and fun to work with.

There is something very zen about the repetitive motion of knitting and crocheting. Similar to weaving, yarn is looped in and out of itself to form a textile using knitting needles or a crochet hook. I especially love intertwining different coloured yarns or using speciality yarns that unravel with colour as you go. But yarn itself is a whole other story…