Knitting Chronicles # 3

Knitting has now become a way of life. Its crept into unchartered areas of my life - during boring lectures, long bus or taxi rides and TV commercial breaks. Knitting mufflers and large  garments in simple knit and pearl  is easy in the TV breaks. My ruana ( see previous blog) is a TV break project while the mufflers owe thier beingness to the temporal nature of " wednesday morning talks" at our institute.

 

 I actually found that Hill stations may have these small knitting supply stores. In Conoor I found one shop with a whole wall filled with wool yarns in colours.  In the amazing old style bazaar, there was a button shop who had 5mm needles. Considering that I passed Pony industries on the way from Ooty to Conoor, I had a good mind to get off and ask them a few searching patriotic questions about knitting needles in India. But then I was knitting in the bus and felt very distant from all the fury of the early days. Also very smug with my bamboo needles from the US!

 All along the journey, instead of sleeping I knit. and my golden needles attracted a lot of attention from young girls who watched me . a little girl simply wanted the knitting needles. I quickly knit her a ring: k5, K5 , k1- k2tog-k2,k4, k2- makeone-k2,k5, close ( like a buttonhole) then she stopped her tantrum!

There are a few experiments I thought  I should share about:

I tore an old silk saree into tapes and have knitted a duppata/stole with it. Looks like a manish malhotra design if you ask me.

I have also become smarter at holding yarns together to knit. Holding two yrands from two balls together gives a very nice effect and also thickens the wool. 

I am wondering if we can knit our jute strings into bags.

 and  I am asking searching questions about crocheting!

 My ongoing projects:

 Cable vest, mufflers for brother and sis- in Law, a knitted hoodie, beret and a pullover!

Wool in Conoor

Conoor is  a small hill town in the southern hills of India called nilgiris. More about this place is in my regular blog. I found some fancy wool that is locally made - from ludhiana called  " Rosy wool." I just got a bit yarn mad and did pick up lots of colors too. ( I seem to be in a purple mood, I confess)

I am knitting a muffler for my sister in law from Europe. 

Along  a curving path, on the way to Lamb's rock 

lies a needle craft homeshop. 

Hand towels hand embroidered 

with and very prettyIndian themes .

(Do ignore the dates on the photos, I just did not set it right)