Again

Post Thesis submission I begin my blog again. I am now in knitter's hell or heaven, looking at it from whichever perspective. I have time and lots of freedom to knit what ever I want ( Heavenly). The temperature here are always at the hotter end so I can wear or knit stuff for myself! ( OH Hell!)
 so you are likely to see other crafting activities like cross stitches etc or do smaller stuff like bags and purses.

Since I do visit Bangalore for holidays its time to make that knitting meet happen. May be Christmas- new year week?

 I am completing my Aran knit sweater for my husband this year, it is the PhD of knitting and I will be glad to finish it too, its dragged on for 4 years....

Double yarn for bulk or colour!

Just finished another muffler. Stopped knitting to move house and now I am ready.

Most of us in India get really good wool but mostly acrylic and mostly single strand. You can find patterns that say hold "two starnds together" and they look nice. In the US, I found wool that was already made of two wool strands together, and so was wound up like a single wool.

Here are some tips~

To create some patterns that we find on the net we need to hold two woolen yarns together and knit. Try needle number 4 or 5 uk and knit loose.try a cap or a muffler first till you get familiar with holding the yarn. If you use contrast colours it looks really nice, like an unusual wool.

The most common mistake is to forget you have to knit two strands together. Practice with different coloured wool as you know you have a strand of each colour in each stitch. Also don't knit three stitches together. The mistake can cost us by creating extra stitches or decreasing our count.

It also helps to count more often, not a job to do while listening to someone talk!!!

Dont try to roll a ball with two strands it gets confusing. Instead roll two balls and join the yarn as you knit along. Take a Look at the photos.

Its a good idea to knot the two strand ends loosely to gether and pull the woolen strands taut together. If one wool is loose and the other tight it creates problems. Try using similar wool of different colours in the beginning.

Before you try a pattern do take time to knit a tension swatch. Even if you are the most expert knitter you cannot estimate wool-use across countries. Most of the patterns as we know come off the net or from Books from US or UK. The double wool that I bought for example suddenly thinned into a thin brown line and patchy pattern, unlike the pretty lion brand scarf I was seeing on the net.

For the expert and the resourceful:

http://www.knittersreview.com/article_how_to.asp?article=/review/profile/010830_a.asp

unless anyone else got the new wool from vardaman knits, its hard to achieve texture, so Indian knitters try the colour and the bulk hints.

Thanks to all those who are writing in. I will put up pictures double knitted pink/ purple scarf asap.

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!

Knitting chronicles 2

I talked to the pony industries sales person, I found the number on the net! “Do you think you could get me the rosewood needles or the 6mm plastic needles or give me the name of an agent who could sell them to me....blah blah” I asked.
No, madam. They are for export only, how can we sell them locally?
Could you please sell me some?
I will pay in dollars if you want
No madam how can we sell for export needles in India?
Please I will buy a dozen. (Loosing it)
No madam, why don’t you try the Bangalore office, if they order then maybe…
Okay give me their number and address.

Tring...tring, Is this Bangalore Pony office?
Yes madam, what can I do for you?
“Do you….. blah blah” I asked.
Well madam the person in charge is on leave.
Huh? Could you tell me if you will get my needles for me?
Difficult madam, cant say! Why don’t you write an email and also to the head office saying what you want?
6 mm needles?
That? That is for export only!
…….

Well, the needle story continues. In commercial street I found a shop that had wool! Including the vardhaman special funfur type you see in the picture. I got my needles 4mm and 4.5 mm.and the cable needles! I decided to work in the limits and

1. asked my cousin to buy a gift set of needles from the US. I am importing Indian needles from the US!! ( what a large ecological footprint that is!!!)
2. asked my fellow Phd students to get me a size 6mm and 5mm needles
3. am asking my brother to make them
4. written a letter of reprimand to pony company
5. Bribe an employee of the industry to get a pair out ( STEAL?!?)
6. More next time, I have decided to go to chikpet!!
   
   By the way I designed stitch markers using cheap 10rs earring pairs I picked at a fair. I wound the hook around a plastic coated paperclip and bent the sharp edge in and voila! Stitch markers are ready.

N for Needles

It all started when my cousin’s wife from the US of A presented my aunt, her mom- in law with a magnificent shawl. My knitting roots were awakened. My grandma on my father’s side was called by me as wool-wool pati, a tribute to her knitting excellence. I had knitted on many a wintry day during my stay in the Himalayas. I quickly decided to start and recover my rusty skills. I found I could read philosophy and knit at the same time. It’s ideal to knit when you are an academic as you get a lot of listening and reading done. A small search for pattern books, websites and supplies informed me that the knitting world patterns from UK had moved to USA. The Needle and Yarn had got thicker and quicker. No problem, I still remembered Cable-work and the names of the stitches. I just also happen to know to adjust my tension. And know the expansions for PSSO is - pass slipped stitch over. Then after about three books and five patterns later, I set out to buy my supplies. I given way my old needles long time ago and needed to restock all the tools. I live in Bangalore and there would be many shops. Yarn was easy; knitting needles I knew would definitely be available in Chickpet but I did not want to try there first. I just had to go locally to what we call a ‘Fancy store’ selling bangles, cosmetics and cosmetic jewelry and toys. The odds and end stores were still around, and were not displaced by the many supermarket. Pony & Jyothi, the companies that made needles were in South India . So far it was my personal project. As I began to look for the needles, my wanderings became the story of my city, Bangalore! I did not expect find knitting needles in Koramangala, but I knew the more traditional areas such as Jayanagar, Basavangudi or Malleswaram would definitely have needles. Then begins my search in Bangalore for knitting needles size 8, ( 4mm) 6 (5mm) and 5 ( 5.5 mm). And circular needles. My friends in Calcutta could walk down the road and buy them easily .But here in hi-tech city, the art of knitting was dying. The famous 8th cross shop where my mother got all her knitting supplies was no more selling knitting needles. They were very kind and brought out a dusty card board box with the leftover supplies and even gave me a pair free! Indian sizes 10 and 12 are common for baby knits and so these were plentiful in supply. I got the various lengths and the circular needle number 10 but no stitch holders or wool- sewing needles. And no cable needle! Cable needles are small double pointed and essential to making knitting into a more complex art work. Needle number 8 ( UK Size) and 6 , I found in the next shop that also had some acrylic yarn. I decided to try other shops. No. no and illa. And then I found that my local fancy store was changed. There were more cosmetics, gizmo and toys and art items. I walked into one shop. Two young boys – almost invariably with pencil thin mustaches and a gold bead earring, staring at me . Pushing through women buying bangles and children brawling for toys, I raised my voice and I asked “Knitting needle idiya?” Huh? “Kya oon ka sililayiwala dandi hai?” (In Hindi – do you have the sticks that one uses with wool?) The assistant looks at the senior assistant and mumbles in what I think is Marwari. He points to a draw in the shelf. I eagerly push forward and find him taking out wool crochet needles. My face falls. I never learned to crochet properly. Knitting was my strength. Nahi ye nahi. Doosra. Aur lambi dandi. The assistant looks at me as if I am ignoramus “ Yahi behenji oon ka hai. Aapko teek patha hai?” ( these sister are for wool do you know properly?) My three, paneled cable sweaters with three cable patterns an bobbles, knitted in one year, flashed before my eyes and I couldn't’t even speak. With a retort “ isse sweater thodi banthe hain?” (Do these things make sweaters or what?) I walked out.“Sweater dookan se le lo didi!” he call after me! ( buy sweaters in the shop, sister) Numerous repeats of this events and conversation occurred in Sanjaynagar, Rajajinagar, BEL road, Gandhi bazaar, Indiranagar with minor variations. In Gandhi bazaar I walked into a shop that had some Kannada speaking locals running it. They looked like old timers. May be I thought, just maybe…. “We don’t keep things like that,” he said, spitting out ‘like that’ at me with disdain. I felt like I had insulted him. A next shop owner was kinder. “NR colony.” he said. “G’s shop keeps needles and all such craft items.” I wrote to my cousin from the US. Bring me needles I said. Next week I go to Chickpet. My search for needles will continue. I am going to use this search as an excuse to walk through this city’s markets and blog my journey. I invite you to join me every month on the knitting journal.