I was first a knitter. If I'm anything in this handcrafting world, I was first a knitter. I have a quilt from high school, a few dresses I made, three finished embroideries, and dozens of knitted items - scarfs, jumpers, shawls. It was also the one thing I sustained through my twenties and thirties. After high school I did very little sewing, absolutely no embroidery, but I continued to knit. In group houses, as I travelled the world, sitting in cold and damp Ireland I knitted jumpers that I left behind for my hosts by way of thank you. I have a sneeky suspicion that my jumpers, at this stage of my life, were a bit too 80's abstract for their rural Irish sensitivities - but I hope they thought "she means well". Even if they did harvest the wool or take them to St Vinnies after I returned to Australia.
Well I've been missing you, Alice. So in the immortal words of the great show tune Hello Dolly...
I said hello, dolly,......well, hello, dolly
It's so nice to have you back where you belong
You're lookin' swell, dolly.......i can tell, dolly
You're still glowin'...you're still crowin'...you're still goin' strong
I feel that room swayin'......while the band's playin'
One of your old favourite songs from way back when
So..... take her wrap, fellas.......find her an empty lap, fellas
Dolly'll never go away again
It was like picking up with an old friend and I wondered, what has taken me so long to come back to you?
She's had her ten hours and I'll move on to a tapestry, but as I pack her away I make a little satchmo promise that I wont take a 5 month break from her again.
Previous posts
Knitting through the Australian Open (February 2012)
Progress on the Oregon Vest - Alice Starmore (October 2011)
Alice Starmore - Oregon vest - a start (September 2011)
Alice Starmore - Oregon vest - swatch (June 2011)