by Lauren Poole
You know you’re getting on in years when one day you glance down at the knitting needles in your lap and realize you’ve traded mosh pits for posh mitts. I vividly remember the specific pair of mitts in question: they remain the poshest I’ve ever seen, a pair of glorious colorwork mittens decorated with cameo profiles of Elizabeth and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Reader, words cannot express how ardently I admired and gloved this woolly duo from the moment I scrolled past the pattern on Ravelry. Unfortunately, at the time my knitting skills were still on the slow course of advancement from making a rectangle without too many holes to creating a hat that would fit perfectly on a honeydew melon. Advanced colorwork was not on my list of skills. Still, like a plucky Austen protagonist hoping to secure a gentleman with ten thousand pounds a year, I was determined to claim my prize, and an encouraging knitter friend urged me to give it a try. Months later, having made all the wrong yarn choices, ignored important knitting concepts such as gauge and tension, and having skimmed over the part of the pattern where it tells you to knit a cuff, I miraculously produced two lumpy mittens that, charitably, might evoke the “and Zombies” iteration of Pride & Prejudice if you squint. I still wear them while shoveling snow–they’re not pretty, but they’re extraordinarily warm! Eight years later, I’m a much better knitter, and sometimes I think about making a new pair with a little more finesse. But it’s hard to find time, because there are so many other excellent knitting patterns out there. Which brings me to my next point: new fiber craft books here at the library!
Autumn is the perfect time to cozily peruse a stack of pattern books and get started on a new project. Just picture yourself relaxing in buffalo plaid pajamas while the family watches some feel-good seasonal favorite, hot apple cider by your side, as you mutter angrily at the tangled pile of yarn you’re trying to force into the shape of a charming hat. With any luck, you’ll have a finished project in time for winter (even if it ends up being the winter of 2028). If my tale of lumpy zombie mittens teaches you anything, I hope it’s this: you don’t have to be an expert to try out a new craft. You can do it wrong in order to figure out how to eventually do it right!
By the way, in addition to copious amounts of fiber arts books, Beebe has other ways of helping you untangle your crafting challenges. Every Friday at 11AM, there’s a casual crafting group that meets in the Lecture Hall, and there are sure to be expert knitters there who can help you figure out what you did wrong and how to fix it. If you can’t come to the Crafty Crochet & Knitting Group, you can always try stopping at the Reference Desk and asking for Lauren. I might be able to get you back on the right track if you chose the wrong yarn or your tension is off, and I will definitely give you some encouragement about trying an advanced pattern whether you’re ready for it or not! What could be more punk rock than that?
