Learning to knit

My knitting stash and knitting needles.

One of the lovely things about first coming to your simple life is that you make your day-to-day living interesting by doing chores differently or mindfully, you change the way you look at yourself and your home and you start to learn a number of skills that some might think of as "old-fashioned". Pfffffffffft The reason you learn these skills is that you will stop buying a variety of things just because they're cheap and easy, and start to move closer to sustainability.

How easy is it to buy a pack of Chux, sponges or some other cleaning cloth. When they're dirty, you throw them "away", although by now we all know that "away" actually means moving your rubbish to a larger rubbish pile that sits for years before (if) it decomposes. Apart from the economics of buying those cleaning wipes (I just checked online and a pack of Chux now costs $3.49 = over $40 a year), they are made, packaged and delivered to your supermarket using oil. Enter the homemade dishcloth.

The pile of dishcloths I'm adding to each week.

She is a simple girl, made of pure cotton, quite easy to knit or crochet and will last many washes. I have homemade dishcloths here that are in their third or fourth year and are still as good as the day they were made. They're efficient, absorbent, hygienic and lovely to use - a constant reminder as you wipe your benches that you are now living a simple life.

If you don't know how to knit or crochet, this is one of those skills I was talking about. Knitting used to be taught to small children by their mothers and grandmas, and it is simple enough in the early stages to teach yourself. Patons has a good guide to knitting, there is a learn to knit video here, Lions knitting guide is here and there is a guide to knitting pattern abbreviations here. There is a very good video on learning to knit here. Or you may have a friend or mum who can teach you.

The dishcloth I knit most is Debbie's (Homespun Living) waffle weave pattern. You can find the pattern here. It is just plain and purl, so teach yourself to cast on, then a plain stitch, then a purl stitch and you're on your way. For Debbie's dishcloth you will need to cast on 38 stitches. But you don't have to do Debbie's pattern, you can easily do a border of six stitches with 30 purl, plain or a mixture of both as the body of your cloth. You decide what is easiest for you and go for it.

You will need a pair of knitting needles, about size 5 or 6. I like to knit with aluminium needles because the stitches slip easily off the needle. I have a few sets of the English Queen Bee needles and find them to be very good and easy to use.

Find some 100% cotton yarn that is about 4, 6 or 8 ply. I love using Lions yarn. It comes in a large variety of colours and it knits well. I have been lucky enough to have dishcloths sent to me from America, made with Peaches and Cream yarn. That also makes a perfectly lovely dishcloth - you can buy it on eBay if your local store doesn't stock it. For those of you in Australia, Spotlight usually have Lion cotton. I think our English and European ladies will have access to both Peaches and Cream and Lion cotton.

When you have your needles and cotton, all you need is a comfy spot. If you're like me, you'll find knitting to be a bit like meditating - it's relaxing and allows you to think or talk while you work. One of the many reasons I love knitting is that it allows me to be productive while resting. It is truly a gentle art.

Knitting dishcloths is a wonderful way to learn how to knit, to develop your technique and knit faster. Once you've done a few dishcloths, you will probably feel confident enough to go on to scarves, socks, mittens, hats and maybe even jumpers (sweaters) and cardigans.

This is another gift my sister Tricia gave me on my 60th birthday. It's a 1940s sewing basket which now sits beside 'my' chair in the lounge room and holds my current projects.

When you first start knitting you'll probably be all fingers and thumbs and feel awkward. You'll drop stitches, and needles, but it's just a matter of persevering and doing it. You CAN do this, it just requires of you to slow down enough to concentrate, look at the instructions and give yourself time to practice. As you go through the instructions and build up your rows, you'll see your dishcloth materialise from that long piece of cotton. Once you get the hang of it, you'll knit a dishcloth in a couple of hours - but be patient, when you start, you'll take a few days to do your first.

Take your own sweet time to do it. You are learning a skill that will stand you in good stead all the days of your life. If you enjoy knitting, it is something you will still be capable of doing when you're 90 years old. I have written here about how knitting and sewing fits into my life. I see knitting and sewing as being part of my housework instead of a craft that I need to make time for. I knit and sew because it gives me some of the things I need in my home, not because it is enjoyable, even though it is.

Here are two projects I'm working on now - both are experiments. The large brown one is a strange scarf I have in mind, made in two pieces. I'm using Lions organic cotton which is soft and woolly and feels lovely next to my skin. The red - actually it's burnt orange that looks red in the flash light - is a dishcloth done on smaller needles. It's taking too long and I won't use smaller needles on a dishcloth again.

If you don't knit now, I hope you take the opportunity to learn. It is a valuable part of a simple home and a will enable you to make useful items and clothing for your home and family. And don't worry about the awkwardness of beginning, we all have that and it passes in a flash. If you have problems when you start, just make a comment and I'm sure one of our generous and kind ladies will help out. I wonder if there are some ladies who are willing to mentor the younger and more inexperienced girls in email. If you have some time, and the experience to help someone knit, let me know in the comments and we might be able to pair up mentors with new knitters. Sharon, I'll email you soon but is this something you could organise if we get a few people? What would I do without you, Sharon. =:- ()

Dave, Abby and Kate, I'll get to your email on the weekend.