OTredtures Barbara K. fidamski the other presse Barbara K. Adamski Features Editor “Many little girls of eras past learned how to knit under the guidance of their mothers, In my case, it just couldn't be done. Learn-to- knit sessions were often accompanied by tears of frustration, and harsh words from a moth- er who just couldn't fathom the fact that her litle girl, unlike the little girls of her own generation, just couldnt grasp the idea, let alone a pair of pointed sHoitan tsi! - “You're always twisting your stitches,” she would snarl when I sheepishly asked her to cortect yet another tangled mess my clumsy eight-year-old fingers had created. Hence, | turned to more positive activities such as tossing a Frisbee, skateboarding, and loafing crane abandoning the aseret of knitting, catered a me of her desire to knie: years ago, | was both elated and frightened. Elated, because I wanted her to be able to create things for herself: She could already sew (something I have never been able to do), but knitting was more social, portable, I had visions of us sitting and chatting and knitting together, But then | remembered my own childhood experiences with knitting, and became frightened that it could have a very negative effect on our relationship. An aunt visiting from Scotland (not my blood relative—patience doesn’t run in my side of the family), got her started, but after the weeklong visit was over, my daughter had no one to turn to for support and guidance. Stitch 'N Bitch, Debbie Stoller’s guide to knitting, was a godsend. The book was a Christmas present to me from my cousin, but my daughter is so intrigued by the ideas and photos in the book that I find her flip- ping through it several times a day. The proj- ects featured are fun and funky, and many of them can be finished in a week or two. Gone are the days of having a half-finished sweater sit in the knitting basket for a year or two while interest wanes and the style becomes dated (Well, actually, those days aren't entire- ly gone. Thar half-finished sweater is still there, and fortunately or unfortunately, itsa classic—which means I'll never throw it out). Stoller’s book features 40 patterns for items such as a backpack, tank top, bikini (which Stoller suggests knitting in “something soft and fuzzy’ for indoor use, nudge, nudge), dog sweater, and cat bed. Simply and humorously written knitting tips range from the basic casting on and off of stitches to the more advanced felting and intarsia techniques. The book itself is a good read, giving insight into the history of knitting from a feminist perspective. Yes, Stoller, who hails from a long line of Dutch knitters, is a femi- nist. Chief editor of the magazine BUST e featureseditor@otherpress.ca and founder of the New: York City Stitch "N Bitch group where knic- 3 t January 14, 2004 {Basic Knitting Terminology ters and knitter wannabes get together fot, Yarn; A strand of twisted well, stitching and bitching, Stoller holds a: Ph.D. from Yale University in the psycholo- ¥ gy of women. And if you're wondering how a. feminist could have no qualms about practis- ing such a traditionally women’s craft, ; Stoller’s chapter “You Ain't Shit if You Don't | Knic” holds the answers. “By loudly reclaim- § ing old-fashioned skills,” writes Stoller, + “women are rebelling against a culture that § seems to reward only the sleek, the mass-pro- thread made of natural or synthetic fibres * Wool: A natural fibre spun from the fleece of sheep * Cast-on: The process of plac- ing the yarn on the needle forming the first row of loops * Bind-off: The process of removing the piece of knitted. fabric from the needles. duced, the male,” In addition, she notes that }* Gauge: The number of many previous feminists who viewed knitting ' as just another example of women’s servitude | to others, had forgotten one thing: “that } knitting served the knitter as well.” : And while I didn't need to hear that it was ¢ socially acceptable for me to knit, Stoller’s re- 4 creation of the sound of clicking needles and } squeaky yarn, and the feel of wool running § through fingers, makes me want to knit, j just § for the sake of knitting, and makes me want 3 to pass on the craft to my little girl, who is: now halfway through her first scarf. Hey, like Stoller says, “Knit happens.” a . Stitch ’N Bitch: the Knitters Handbook ¥ by Debbie Stoller ¢ Workman Publishing Company, Inc. : { stitches per inch (centimetre) a particular knitter will get with a certain type of yarn, using a certain size of needles »* Knit stitch: A type of stitch that gives the appearance of © the letter V * Purl stitch: A type of stitch that gives the appearance of a line (the back of a knit stitch looks like a purl stitch and vice versa) * Intarsia: An image or design in a colour of yarn different from the main colour Felting: The process of machine-washing the knitted item to created a heavier fab- ric that looks less homemade LIFT PASSE WINNERS WILL 1G OTHER PRESS SK/ PASS WING ENTRY. RECE/VE TWO FULL $ FOR HEMLOCK VALLEY SK/ RESORT. EMA/L YOUR ENTRY TO: hundredmedia@hotmail.com ees Page 16 e http://www.otherpress.ca THE OTHER PRESS IS HIRING!!!