Knitting

Dear @Eve7 and @Gwynn, As I was just saying, Part of the reason I have survived terrible trauma is because, as a textile designer,I can write knitting and crochet patterns. I remember that when I was in high school I used to teach crochet to my school friends at lunch time. My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was six years old. I never dreamed at the age of six that I would go on to study graphic design, painting, knitwear design and fashion and soft furnishing design, or that I would study textile design at university, and then go on to become a high school art teacher. My great aunt even passed on our family's cultural heritage, a style of rug making that is beginning to die out in England. I have been using my textile skills to make beautiful pamper packs for adults and kids who are destitute during COVID. Members of the public have given me some valuable materials and fillers, such as sunscreen 50+, small cosmetics, and new tea towels. I am finding the generosity of others extremely humbling and positive. Even though I am currently living through profound trauma, this project is helping me keep going. It is scientifically proven that one great way of surviving major disaster is to use your skills to help someone who is even worse off than you are. This is so in my case. LONG LIVE KNITTING, CROCHET AND SEWING!!!!

What things do you make?

Best wishes during COVID to you.

You have a wonderful heritage @Ripples

I remember my grandmother laying me on the SMH and cutting out a pattern then sending me home with a new blouse, shorts and skirt. My grandchildren won’t remember that!!!

I knit scarves, beanies, blanket squares and the occasional baby outfit.

Dear @Eve7, I am working to set up three major trauma recovery centre between Helensburgh and Eden. I was thinking that I could do a little bit of teaching people with significant mental health injuries to knit and crochet through those centres once they are set up, or, if I can't, get someone else to do so.

As far as I know, even today, war veterans are still being taught how to knit as a part of their recovery. During WW2 my great uncle was badly shot up at Kokoda, New Guinea. All of the men in his ward were taught how to knit by the nurses as part of their physical and mental health recovery. He had PTSD for the rest of his life but he partially controlled it by knitting. He knitted up until he died. This is special because he knitted my dad's sister's christening set in 1 to 2 ply yarn, with a complicated lace pattern - the most beautiful christening outfit ever! Thinking of him gives me warm thoughts. I am so proud.

Anyway, it is great to see you make such wonderful things. I bet that you have knitted wonderful things for everyone around you and I bet that you are greatly loved by lots of people.

Hi @Ripples @Gwynn @Eve7 @BlueBay @Daisydreamer and all knitters here! Nice to meet you @Ripples 👋

I've been working on knitting some beanies for the charity I knit for as they need beanies so that's great to hear as I love knitting them! So easy and such a great pattern to remember! See below for some beanies I've just finished. I've also been working on a blanket for a male recipient for the same charity but that's taking a lot longer as there's 220 stitches on the 4mm needles and I have to allow time to do this.

I really enjoy seeing all of your work that you post on here as I find each of you to be inspiring and very creative. Well done forumites!

Enjoy your knitting!

Judi9877☺️🧶

Hi @Gwynn

I do know that there are some hand exertyoy can do to help with knitting such as stretches, etc, as I've seen them posted on some knitting Facebook pages that I follow. My best advice would be to Google some and go from there. I know that tennis elbow and carpel tunnel syndrome can occur if you aren't careful along with repetitive strain injury and I can tell you that tennis elbow isn't fun from someone that has been there before. I couldn't knit for several weeks and I wasn't happy at all! Also, take regular breaks away from your knitting and don't knit for too many hours at a time as that may cause an issue to happen.

I hope this helps!

Judi9877☺️🧶

@Judi9877 I keep meaning to come back to this but I'm kinda stuck in a perfectionist loop. So far, I've found out that the muscles we use for working the computer are the same as the muscles we use for knitting, so it's natural that we can't be using the computer all day and then go straight into our knitting of an evening. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynVH3K-tyhA This video is the best I've found so far. I've finally finished my brother's scarf, and my mum bought me a pattern for a shrug!!!

Hi @Gwynn @Ripples @Eve7 @BlueBay @Daisydreamer @outlander and all forumite knitters here. What's on your knitting needles forum friends?

Below is my knitted toy I did for charity. It's meant to be a bear - I found the pattern on the Red Cross page under Trauma Teddies- but I'm going to donate it to a charity I knit for. I just hope some special person loves it as I had fun making it. I know it's not perfect but it's my first time knitting this pattern so I guess I at least points for trying!

I look forward to seeing each of your wonderful creations!

For those of you currently in lockdown in NSW, I found that I got a lot of knitting done, in the form of starting to knit squares for blankets and getting lots of beanies knitted for charity. I found that this helped me deal with all the stress of restrictions and being locked down here in Melbourne. I am thinking of each of you so please take care of yourself🥰

Enjoy your knitting!

Judi9877☺️🧶🌸

I finished my gauge swatch for my shrug and my knitting is too tight! 😞 Can I fix this by going up from 10.00 mm needles to a 12 or 15 mm needle size?

Hi @Gwynn I noticed you're still on, so thought I's pop in to help in case you're waiting on an answer to start another swatch.

Yes, you can use a larger sized needle (or hook for crochet) to get your work to meet gauge.

Depending on how much smaller than gauge the swatch you have completed is, you might be able to work out which size to use instead of making multiple swatches with multiple sized needles.

Our gauge can also change depending on how stressed we are when working on something - so that's something to be aware of when doing large items or pieces that have to match, it can get both laughingly funny and awfully frustrating.

I hope this has been helpful. Craft, no matter what it is, is so much help.