Non Knitting Odyssey
In September last year, I injured my right hand, while Neil and I were walking the dogs. My mum’s adorable pooch has a lot more strength (husky x collie) than I realised. She reacted differently to a savagely barking dog than I expected and I ended up with 2 fractured fingers and a central slip tendon injury. I had my final OT session in April. The fractures healed pretty quickly whereas, the central slip will be an ongoing problem for me.
I spent a couple of months unable to knit at all, eating ready meals, and feeling very irritable! Until then, I hadn’t realised just how important knitting is to me. I just love it. Knitting is all encompassing, if I’m not knitting, I’m reading about it, browsing magazines, watching podcasts, squishing yarn and planning my next projects… I’m not a monogamous knitter and started to find all the bags of WIPs a bit depressing.
The Joy of Knitting
Inspiration struck while I was watching an Arne & Carlos podcast on their Youtube channel, where they showed how to knit in the Norwegian style. This technique uses the left hand in a continental style of knitting. I am a thrower and use my right hand mainly when knitting. Enthusiastically, I decided to try this method of knitting and chose the Drachenfels Shawl by Melanie Berg because it is mainly garter stitch apart from a few slip stitch rows. I’d knit the shawl before and knew it’s an absolute joy to work on. My tension was far from perfect but I was having so much fun knitting again and the merino yak yarn was fuzzy and forgiving. The shawl was beautiful when it was finished and I gave it to my mum who spent much of the winter snuggled in it.
My New Year Resolution for 2019 was to go through all the languishing WIPs and try to finish them. Some were larger sweater projects that I’d been knitting before my hand injury, others had been started by my mum and nieces. This was a good decision for me as there is nothing quite as motivating as casting off a project that has been on the needles for a very long time and seeing the pile of finished garments grow. I love being able to knit again but I cannot crochet. My crochet blanket remains unfinished and it is now a year since I injured my hand and trying to hold a crochet hook is extremely painful so I’ve been wondering if I could finish using garter stitch or a textural stitch. Have you tried combining knitting and crochet in a blanket? Was it successful?
March arrived and I cast on the newly released and very popular Soldotna designed by Caitlin Hunter. I was knitting this sweater using Debbie Bliss Rialto DK when we went on holiday to Northumberland. And, thanks to my New Year resolution, I also had a lovely selection of newly finished sweaters to photograph while we were there.
Northumberland is idyllic. Beautiful gently rolling hills. Ancient castles. You’ll see more of Northumberland as I start posting again mixed with retrospective projects that were finished and photographed over the last couple of years…
The people we met were friendly and the beaches long and golden!
The Knitting Squirrel blog, has been a journal of my knitting, since I published my first sock post in November 2012 and I am looking forward to the future and many more gorgeous knitting projects!
I came across your blog recently and have really enjoyed your explanation of techniques and the language of knitting. Knitt8ng is such a vital part of my life. I can’t imagine how tough it must have been to be recuperating from your injury and unable to knit. I find knitting meditative, fun and creative. Thank you all th3 tips you give. I’m glad info7nd you4 information. Also, I love your pictures of knitted items and area of Ireland. I hope to go there some day.
Hello Nicolette
I have been looking through your website pages with great interest. I really love your enthusiasm and generosity in sharing your skills, and your work and photographs, and having a great looking shop.
I shall be doing some test pieces for a mitred blanket, which is something I have always wanted to have, and then hopefully getting some new yarns.
Can I just ask you about the current availability of the Crazy Zauberball yarn. At present there seem to be many of the colours not in stock. Will you be expecting more any time soon? No hassle, just wondering! For a blanket I think that weight might be a bit too light, would you say so, but the colours are so beautiful it is tempting to have some of it tucked away for a future project.
I read about your hand injury, that was really tough for you, and I hope you will get full use again in time.
With best wishes,
Rosey
Hello Rosey
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. Yes, I shall be ordering more Crazy Zauberball although it is not going to be arriving imminently. Were you wanting to use one colour for the whole blanket or using different colour ways? Happy knitting, Nicolette
Lovely to have you back again. Can’t wait to see more of your finished projects. 👏🧶😁
Hi Alison, Thank you so much! I’ve quite a few finished projects to show you… Nikki
Glad to see that you’re back on the blog. We’ve missed you!. We’ve been inspired by all your past knitting projects, especially the socks, handwarmers, and shawls.
Thank you… I have lots of projects to share with you! 🙂