Participating...

...in a Partition.

The Get Knitted Knatterers group are a lovely group of knitters who meet in the rather beautiful yarn shop Get Knitted in Brislington. They create beautiful objects, swap skills, chat, sometimes resist purchasing yet more yarn and usually eat cake. I am eternally grateful to the group for reminding me how much I love yarn and for starting me on the journey into the wonderous world of hand spinning and  fibre related crafts.  They are a talented bunch and can boast quite a few published designers and craftswomen in their ranks.

April, aka MadameDafarge1 on Ravelry, has already had several knitting patterns published. She is in her final year of her degree and as part of the final show is creating what will become a fabric curtain, or partition on the theme of Participation. It will be made of squares of cream stocking stitch.  Each square will have the knitter's name embroidered on it. 

Here is my square.

It has to be said that before I started spinning the idea of a swatch was positively boring. I usually, but not always, got away with not doing a swatch. I think that is why I like Aran knitting as making up a swatch for an Aran garment is almost useless as the finished item either fits, or not, regardless of what the swatch predicted. My method was knit a garment then find a child who would grow into it, if fed enough. Now I am a spinner, I am addicted to swatches. I just want to see how the yarn behaves and then spin more yarn and then make another swatch and then...

Would I sound as if I knew what I was talking about if I told you that the yarn was created from a Kent fleece, spun in my approximation of English Long Draw, spun s wise and plied z wise? It was knitted on surprisingly large needles - 5.5 mm as the yarn knitted up too tightly on smaller needles.

I am looking forward to seeing the finished project and to see how many people are participating from all over the world. There is much to be said for knitters of the world uniting! I am sure that April's project will be a beautiful object when finished and will serve to prove that knitters are by nature and necessity, patient, tolerant, creative and supportive.