(When my husband first took up knitting, our son-in-law, who worked with him at the time selling equipment to construction workers, told him...do not, under any circumstances, bring that knitting to the office. It's bad for business! Since then, BK has sold that business and gone back to work for himself as a land surveyor and he takes his knitting bag wherever he goes.)
Anyway, getting back to the original question. When people ask me this question, I tell them: BK took up knitting because he flunked yoga. And I use the term flunked loosely, because I don't think you can actually flunk yoga. It's more like he and yoga didn't hit it off.
BK is a type A personality. He has heart disease. And he needed to find a socially acceptable way to chill out. He tried yoga. He couldn't relax. He came out of the yoga classes more stressed than when he went in.
One stressful day, we were driving along and I was knitting, as I often do. He looked over and said..."I could do that". Well, as a nearly life long knitter I had two choices right then and there. I could have said, no way in h - e - double hockey sticks could you do that. Or I could have said, sure you could and lets go to the nearest yarn shop right this minute and get you some yarn.
Obviously, I said that! At the yarn shop came two other very distinct choices. I could have said, lets go to the bargain bin and get you some cheap synthetic yarn to start off with. Or I could have said, lets start you off with some nice wool, it will feel good on your fingers.
Obviously, I said that! Right from the start, BK wanted to knit big. I was thinking washcloths, he was thinking blankets. So we bought 1500 yards of a pretty brown/yellow variegated New Zealand wool and some circular needles and off we went. I taught him to do knit stitches. And I taught him how to make a big, big, very big, wool, garter stitch, on-the-bias, washcloth...and he did...and, voila! his first blanket.
I really don't have a frame of reference for knitting as relaxation. I do not relax when I knit (I think about the next project.) But BK is a true knitting zen type of person. For him, knitting is the new yoga.
And that's how a 50-something man takes up knitting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's some of our latest yarn acquisitions:
For Big Knitter, some new blanket yarn from our favorite lys. This will have to be a lap throw, the yarn's a bit too expensive, even for BK.
Anyway, getting back to the original question. When people ask me this question, I tell them: BK took up knitting because he flunked yoga. And I use the term flunked loosely, because I don't think you can actually flunk yoga. It's more like he and yoga didn't hit it off.
BK is a type A personality. He has heart disease. And he needed to find a socially acceptable way to chill out. He tried yoga. He couldn't relax. He came out of the yoga classes more stressed than when he went in.
One stressful day, we were driving along and I was knitting, as I often do. He looked over and said..."I could do that". Well, as a nearly life long knitter I had two choices right then and there. I could have said, no way in h - e - double hockey sticks could you do that. Or I could have said, sure you could and lets go to the nearest yarn shop right this minute and get you some yarn.
Obviously, I said that! At the yarn shop came two other very distinct choices. I could have said, lets go to the bargain bin and get you some cheap synthetic yarn to start off with. Or I could have said, lets start you off with some nice wool, it will feel good on your fingers.
Obviously, I said that! Right from the start, BK wanted to knit big. I was thinking washcloths, he was thinking blankets. So we bought 1500 yards of a pretty brown/yellow variegated New Zealand wool and some circular needles and off we went. I taught him to do knit stitches. And I taught him how to make a big, big, very big, wool, garter stitch, on-the-bias, washcloth...and he did...and, voila! his first blanket.
I really don't have a frame of reference for knitting as relaxation. I do not relax when I knit (I think about the next project.) But BK is a true knitting zen type of person. For him, knitting is the new yoga.
And that's how a 50-something man takes up knitting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's some of our latest yarn acquisitions:
For Big Knitter, some new blanket yarn from our favorite lys. This will have to be a lap throw, the yarn's a bit too expensive, even for BK.
It's Laines Du Nord Korall Fancy merino, seems to be between worsted and bulky weight. It's already on the needles.
And here's mine:
From Jane at The Yarn Grove, two colors of Duet sock yarn in Tiffany and Hip Chic. It's DK weight and ever so soft. It came with a free pattern and she also sent me a freebee row counter. Hmmm, should I start a new pair of socks??? It's calling me...
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