When the weather is cooler, knitters knit.

The weather at the moment is wet and grey and even though I have knitted my way through spring and summer, the cooler weather, with rain falling constantly, is made for knitting.  I was at work yesterday and each time I looked out the window at the sodden gardens and water running down pathways, I wished I had brought my knitting with me.  I think it's something like the instinct to nest - when the weather is cooler, knitters knit.

These are Tricia's gloves.  It's simply a rectangle of stocking stitch knitting, with rib stitch at both ends.  I have lined this pair with flannel for extra warmth.  If you can knit and purl, you can make these.  When the rectangle is complete, you stitch the side up, leaving a space for the thumb.

The last thing off my needles was a pair of fingerless gloves for my sister Tricia. I'm lining them with a flannel fabric for extra warmth because Tricia lives in the Blue Mountains, not quite on the snow line, but where the winters are frosty and hands get cold.  I love the idea of fingerless gloves/mittens because they allow you to work while covering your hands.  Quite a number of times during winter, I can be seen here, at my computer, typing away with my fingerless gloves on.  The pair I made for Tricia are longer than usual so she will be assured of complete coverage between hand and arm. They are just a long tube, knitted in rib - K2, P2, top and bottom.  The bulk of the knitting is stocking stitch, which is knit one row and purl one row, then keep repeating those rows.  Honestly, this is very basic knitting and even if you're a new knitter, you'll get good results if you watch your tension and take it slow.  These basic projects are great after you've mastered the dishcloth, you've supplied yourself and almost everyone you know with dishcloths and you want to move on to something else. ; - )   For Tricia's mittens I used a machine washable 8 ply pure wool on US size 6 needles.

They aren't worn with the cuff  flipped over, that is just to show the lining.

There is a lovely fingerless glove pattern for experienced knitters here.  I also like these arm warmers.  A simple pattern for self striping mittens here.  A pattern for beginners is here, but I would recommend you make them much longer than these.  The ones I made have 7½ inches/19 cm of stocking stitch between both ends of rib stitch.

The beginnings of Hanno's jumper/sweater.  This will be my main project now until it's finished.

I'm now going to concentrate on getting Hanno's jumper/sweater ready for winter.  Again I'm using an 8ply Superwash pure wool that will make the jumper warm and cosy but also easy to keep clean.  I've only done about one third of the back so far but as that's the largest part of the jumper, I feel I'm making progress.  I have my knitting set up in a 1940s vintage knitting basket Tricia gave me for my 60th birthday.  It's full of various knitting projects, there is always a dishcloth on needles in there somewhere, as well as tiny scissors, darning and wool needles, needle gauges and little bits of paper that I've written certain patterns on.  

I have fond memories of my mother knitting by the fire in my childhood home and maybe that is where my feelings of being nurtured come from when I'm knitting. On those nights when mum would check our spelling for school the next day, dad made up a tray full of bread to be toasted by the fire, tomatoes and roast lamb leftover from that day's Sunday lunch, with black coffee for mum, tea for himself and milky tea for Tricia and I.  We would have had an early bath and be firmly wrapped up in our flannel PJs and woollen dressing gowns, sitting by the fire on the floor while mum clicked away with her needles, our spelling books on her lap, asking us to spell this word and that.  We would hear dad preparing the tray in the kitchen, then the door would open and in he walked, proudly, with that tray laden with good simple food.  I don't want to mythologise my childhood, the truth is times were tough, but those nights with food on a tray, a fire crackling in the open fireplace and mum clicking away with her knitting needles prepared me in many ways for this life I live now, and I am sure ignited the knitting flame within me.

What or who brought knitting into your life?