Easier Than You Thought

30 copies are available at Amazon.com

I was at the used book store yesterday and came upon this old book from 1981. It uses the same concept that I learned when I began knitting my own designs in 1962 at age 15. So simple even a miserably bored teenager can do it.
Here's the background to this story: At 15, I was lucky to be able to take my first solo airplane trip to visit my girlfriend Barbara Nielsen (where are you Barbara?) in Erie PA. I stayed with her for maybe 2 weeks, and we spent almost everyday at Beach 6 on Lake Erie, across from the Hammermill paper factory, spewing foamy pollution into our swimming waters. This was before anyone was monitoring the ecology. Anyway, all the kids were there every day and I had my first two piece swimsuit (!) and was enjoying being the exotic out of town girl. At the end of my visit we all went to a dance and there was where I fell hard for Joel Tuczinski (where are you Joel?) and had to leave him and return home to IL for summer cheerleader practice.
I was miserable and bored (see above) and drove my mother crazy. In her frustration she decided to teach me to knit. I remind you that we didn't have cell phones, a family car, or friends in neighborhood, so when I say miserably bored, you can well imagine, and I didn't even mention the daily sobbing "I miss him" business.
I digress.
I picked up the needles and got it. Really got it. I made my first sweater, an Aran fisherman's sweater, I kid you not, from peach colored wool. And then washed it and it felted. I have hated felt ever since. But undeterred, I made a second sweater and pretty soon got over following a pattern. Whatever I did seemed to work or was fixable until it did work. Amazing! I felt the power of the craft.
My mother and aunt were knitters and I felt I was so grown up knitting along with them and showing off what I had learned. In those days we had The Ladies Home Journal of Needlework and Crafts and there were designs for ski sweaters in there that intrigued me. Mostly the shapes were simple blocks of plain brightly colored knitting like this photo.
One started at the bottom with ribbing, and then switched to larger needles and knit plain for a long time, up to the armholes. Simple!
I discovered one could talk, or watch TV or sit outside and do this and still be accomplishing something with one's day.


I have read a lot of your comments about my knitting posts over the last few months and I think it may be time to do a knit along tutorial to get you over the hump/fear/confusion/whatever it is that holds  you back from enjoying the process and achieving the product. I have chosen this simple pullover, in garter stitch, which means knitting every row, and is super stretchy and forgiving. The yarn will be worsted weight and the needles will be size 8, 24" circular. I'll give you time to run out and buy 800 yards of something inexpensive and easy to knit, like Stitch Nation Washable Ewe, which is available at Joann's Fabric. Only four skeins will be needed (183 yds per skein) for most sizes.

I have another project on the needles at the moment, but I am putting it aside to jump right into this pattern, and will have sizes and stitch count ready for the KAL.
I'm excited to cast on!