Menokreatikul; Final Friday Feature

Yes, at last, it's here! I hadn't intended to draw out the production, but, well, you know, life, lurgy, loitering... I had said last week the intention was to tie it in with my late mum's birthday on the 24th. Why? Well, she was the yarn queen. She was the one who could take a sheep, shear it, wash the wool, card it, spin it, dye it, work it... and win ribbons at the country shows with it. She lived and breathed wool.

To remind those who've travelled with me a while and advise newer readers, we are from generations of shepherding smallholders on mother's side of the family. Well, the holdings only came latterly with her father; his father and two further generations before that (perhaps more, but that's as far as can be documented) were true shepherds, moving where the flocks went, though centred on lands in the west. When grandad married granny, a decision was made to settle in one spot and not just shepherd but also grow sheep for meat, as well as some small cash crops and a few cattle.

But sheep, the connection with sheep is the strong connector. Granny Shiel was never a spinner, but she was an excellent knitter and made sure her three daughters became so. The two elders to mum were very good at the fancy, frilly stuff required for babies and children. Mum too, but she liked big projects. And she was determined to do the whole from-back-to-show thing. Then again, mum always made sure to see things through. She didn't just want to sew us our wee dresses; she wanted to become a qualified seamstress. Not to earn from it, but 'just because'. A bit of a perfectionist on such things. 

Which made it difficult for those of us who showed no particular interest! I love yarn, and I did learn to knit (there was no avoiding it), but it just never set me on fire. 

However, when Granny MacLean, dad's mother, decided I needed  to be kept occupied one summer holiday when I was about seven or eight, she put a hook in my hand and a ball of yarn and showed me how to make chains. Then squares. Then fancy stitches... and I was in love! This was brilliant. I could work with yarn and make things, and because mum didn't crochet, there could be little or no criticism of the finished product. Bonus!!!

For the 50+ years I have worked in this craft, I have produced blankets, cushion covers, shawls, scarves, hats, gloves, and foot coverings. Only once do I recall ever making myself a garment - a cardigan, which I loved and wore till it frayed. I don't know why this lack. It could be because mum kept knitting me sweaters and cardis; thus, there was no requirement. As you have become very aware by now, I am changing that! So here is the photographic reveal of the first jumper made via the online tutorials at Domestika.

 

It may not be immediately apparent to untrained eyes, but these two shots are not identical; look again! Yes, I made this a fully reversible item. Recall I showed closeups of the stitching a while back. Not only did I vary the stitch from the original pattern, but the neckline and the contrast colour worked. Call me a rebel. The crochet is worked from side to side - so what you perceive as up-and-down ribbing here is the work turned sideways. It is pretty straightforward, but the challenge came in sizing - especially as I was using a less robust yarn, a smaller hook, and needed a larger size than the large (size 3) on the pattern. But it is not difficult as long as one keeps count and makes good use of stitch markers. At this juncture, I will give you the link to the pattern on my Google Drive. (There is also a cardigan version. If anyone would prefer that, just let me know, and I'll upload that too!)

Outside stitch view

Reverse side stitch view.

Outside

Reverse

Anyway, that is another project completed. I had two more garment projects on the list and have since added another amigurumi project to tackle. 

On Sunday, I sat and watched the first three tutorials of the cardigan with different stitching that I had selected... only to discover, with considerable disappointment, that the pattern provided was only available in Spanish. Given the other two Spanish teachers had provided English translations for their work, I felt let down. This ought to have been made clear at the time of booking - and have left words to that effect. I will still watch all the tutorials (with subtitles), and I may be able to work something from that but am not going to press on with that just now.

Instead, I moved on to the last of the original selections, another garment that has no pattern at all! The initial tutorials filled me with confidence, though, as the explanation of the top-down approach and how to work the arithmetic of measurement was clear. I am now looking forward to getting started on that... watch this space!!!

Now, what have you all got to offer this Final Friday???

POST-SCRIPT TO ENVIRONMENTAL LETTER WRITING; on Wednesday, a letter signed by over 700 scientists was sent to the UK government decrying its appalling record on working for "net zero" emissions. Seems my idea is sound, and I shall be adding this link to that draft letter before I send it!