Dear LPG

I want to say a few words to all those grandmothers, grandaunts and anyone with the knowledge, know-how and skill to manipulate a couple of knitting needles and some wool.  The big question has to be, ‘When was the last time you got your knitting needles clicking?’

If your fingers will still allow you a row here and there, producing that finished piece of work can be rewarding. Most knitters will agree that there is something extraordinary about casting off that last stitch, although casting on for the first part of the garment can be a challenge.     

There is also the fact that, as we get older, our hands and fingers can do fewer rows in one session.  A row here and there is a good idea, although I know that even if you know how, getting started can be a daunting prospect.  There is also the financial aspect to be considered.  I know just how many would-be jumpers I have started over the years.  I have at least four half-finished garments, still on the needles in a carrier bag that started disintegrating when I last opened it to investigate the contents.

I often need to do something woolly, but I am increasingly aware of how many rows it takes to make a garment.  When I learned about the imminent arrival of my first granddaughter, I invested in the materials to produce something small. Still, I must admit that that has been in the disintegrating bag for a while now.

More recently, even though I have gone to a lot of trouble to knit for the smallest people I can think of, I had to label myself a starter and never a finisher until, in an effort to get my hand in again, I have found a new approach that perhaps might help a few of my more reluctant fellow knitters. 

I have added my knitting to my daily routine and found that challenging myself to produce four new rows daily is a way forward.   So, each evening, while in front of the television, I manage to get them done, and the little and often method allows my hands and fingers a little exercise without too much repetitive strain.     

And I am now aiming for small.  My granddaughter’s Barbie doll has a lot of knitted clothes (mainly because, even if you are using four-ply, the rows are guaranteed to have less than 50 stitches each, and she is pretty short, so there won’t be many rows in any one garment).  I have even got a pair of short needles in the hope that I can offer a little instruction sometime soon, although they are still in the packaging at the moment.

Grandmas, I even found some patterns online in case there is a granddaughter whose doll’s young owner would appreciate a new birthday outfit… 

VH, Forest Hill

VH offers some tiny knitting projects…

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