04/17/08

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME

     When I was young I would see someone doing some kind of needlework that interested me and immediately I would  find someone who knew how to do that and ask them to teach me. The first thing was knitting. Our neighbor lady down the street from us knew how to do that and so I hounded and pestered her until she told me to go buy some yarn and knitting needles and she would show me. The next step of course was to ask my mom and finally she took me to get the needed supplies. I was nine years old at the time. My first attempts were so tight that I couldn't get the stitches to move on the knitting needle but with time they improved and I was happy that I had learned. My mother was quite amused because she didn't think I would stick to it but I did and soon she was requesting things for me to make.
I saw crochet all my life but never saw a completed article until I was in Nurse's training and our Housemother crocheted all the time.. I asked her so many questions about it that she finally decided to teach me and shut me up. I loved it as it grew fast and I soon had a completed item but I still liked knitting the best.

     While we were in our psychiatric affiliation I had a class on what they called Physiotherapy and we learned basket weaving and loom weaving and I loved doing those.
 
     As a student nurse, when you aren't studying or working you have lots of spare time. One day while I was working on the Women's Acute ward I saw a patient tatting and yes, you guessed it, I wanted to learn how to do it and so I asked her to teach me. She said I would have to get the supplies and so I did and was very eager so as soon as I could I went to her and we set up a time for a lesson. The nuns in charge of the hospital thought that the patients and students shouldn't be too close and so I only learned how to make the stitches and that was where I stopped until about 1989 when I took an adult education class where a lady in town offered it. I was very happy that I finally learned to make things. I love Tatting as it is about the most portable type of needlework I've ever learned.

     In 1969 I bought my first Knitting Machine.  At the time I only knew how to get a Studio and then after that I found Brother's and at the same time the Garter Carriage which sold me on that type of machine.  I also own a ribber, a disk drive, a PPD, a Double Bed hook up and of course a lace carriage.  I have become proficient in most of these things and have tried them more than once.  I make afghans, sweaters and things for the home such as Dish cloths and face cloths.  I can weave placemats and am interested in weaving rugs which can also be done on the Knitting machine.  I have box after box of patterns so if anyone is looking for something in particular I can probably help them.

     I learned to do bobbin lace about five years ago but I never had the insatiable desire to learn it as I did with the other types of needlework. I do enjoy doing it from time to time though I am not real proficient at it the way I am with the things I am better at the other things because of my intense interest in them.
     I would be happy to help anyone with any questions that you have in any of these types of Needlework and any of the techniques involved.

 Clara