Knit Today

Many years ago, while still a teenager at school in Bristol, I found out about the joys and intrigues that some yarn and some sticks could give. The yarn was then mostly wool and the sticks were called knitting needles. Since then I have marvelled at the genius of men and women who have, over the centuries, invented patterns and stitches that resemble computer programmes. They committed these to memory and worked them exquisitely. They were very clever people who happened to choose knitting as an outlet for their inventiveness. Knitting can be easy; so can piano playing. But it can also be a supreme form of art – the equivalent of playing a Mozart Concerto. Fortunately for us, there are many stages in between and knitting offers all of us numerous opportunities, from pure relaxation right through to major challenge. So it is that I chose to take a look at dropping stitches – on purpose. This is, like so many techniques, full of surprises. The width achieved by a ladder when just one stitch is dropped is amazing. Accommodating the ladders into designs is the challenge and decorating them further full of possibilities. Drawing on our ancestors’ work is something we should all do. Taking further steps to create new patterns is fun and rewarding. Whatever your reason for knitting – practicality, relaxation or creativeness – enjoy those hours spent. You too can add to the treasure house of patterns and designs.

See Knit Today issue 42 to read Mary’s masterclass on dropping stitches