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The World of Illusion Knitting

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PICKING UP THREADS

This was written in
2007
so is now very dated

Again the timing was perfect. In the intervening time was to be our week in Genoa. Flights were booked and arrangements made. We were to run three 5-hour sessions and the only stumbling block was that the organisers really wanted participants to go away with a finished item. We had intended to run the workshop in a similar way to those we had done with WI in the past. We were sure that, even with the language barrier, the Italian ladies would be equally excited when they made ‘a row of houses’. However, we were happy to try to provide what they asked for. The smallest item we could think of was a hat. We knew none of them would be able to finish in the time but we could give them enough information to be able to complete the hat at home.

Trying to organise the materials we would need proved a little tricky. Luciana was not a knitter so our requests did not make much sense to her but it wasn’t long before she was able to assure us that she had procured all that we needed. She also assured us that she had found the ideal Science Simultaneous Translator though this didn’t really quell our fears.

We already had several hats, made on the same mathematical principles as most of our other work. These had been made many years before when they evolved from the work we were doing with octagons. We called them Octohats and they had popped up in many forms over the years, including a little book called Let it go to your Head. We unearthed all those hats and then set about making as many different variations of style and yarn as we could. There were lurex beaded versions, a helmet with ear flaps, a Russian-style mohair version with attached scarf and everything we could think of in between. We had more than 20 versions to take with us.

I also decided I needed to take something to wear that was typically our style. The fashion of the moment was the poncho and nothing could have been easier for us to apply our methods. A poncho is merely a blanket with a hole for the head. It had to be quick to make but look dramatic. I decided on The Best of Both Whirls, partly because the spirals would be so effective and it could also be adapted to make a matching hat, which made it relevant to the workshop and not just pure exhibitionism.

A bigger problem was what I was going to wear on my hands! They need to be covered from the light whilst still allowing me to knit. I had now been wearing fingerless gloves all day, every day, for quite some time. These were mostly the Steptoe knitted versions but I also had a pair of cycling gloves and some sailing gloves. In addition to looking good the gloves had to be smooth, comfortable and easy to get on and off, to avoid further damage to my skin. The cycling gloves were by far the most comfortable to wear for long periods of time but didn’t create quite the right image for this particular occasion. I tried and tried to find something more suitable, without much success. As a starting point I searched the internet for ‘fingerless lycra gloves’. I found a few sites with bridal wear but white satin wasn’t what I was looking for. I was amazed to discover that, on most of the other sites I came across, gloves formed a part of some very exotic costumes – definitely inappropriate.

This story started with an idea generated by an Internet list. The lists came to the rescue now. I posed my problem on all the lists I belong to. Suggestions came thick and fast from all round the world. Many suggested therapeutic craft gloves but I had tried them before and they weren’t what I was after. There were many other suggestions with varying degrees of appeal. It is always difficult to know exactly what items are like when you have to rely on a photograph and brief description. I settled on three possibilities: clowns’ gloves from US, sun-block gloves from Australia and leather gloves supplied to American marching bands. I decided to try them all.

I ordered six pairs of clown gloves. They were white and one-size. The colour wasn’t a problem as I intended to dye them but, as I have small hands, they didn’t fit snugly enough to look smart. I have since dyed some of them – in tea! It produced a reasonable nondescript colour so I often wear them on a day-to-day basis. The Australian gloves were made from a special fabric with the express purpose of helping to protect the wearer from light damage. This is a particular problem in Australia as there is a much higher incidence of skin cancer, than we have here, due to the hole in the ozone layer in that area. They were advertised particularly to be used for sports or gardening.

For something that seemed to be so scientifically based the design had not been well thought out. The backs were soft and smooth, the palms were leather and they fastened with Velcro at the wrist. The palms gripped well and caused no problems but the fabric on the back snagged very easily. I could imagine that anyone using them for gardening would soon have very raggy gloves. Worst of all was the band at the wrist. I have particular problems as anything pressing against my skin will cause it to bruise instantly but I don’t think any more normal person would find them comfortable. The hard Velcro fastening lies on the bone that sticks out at the side of the wrist. This causes pressure on the bone and also makes the band protrude in a very inconvenient way. Sleeves get stuck as there is too much bulk to allow them to slide past. To add to all this, because its edges poked out, the Velcro got itself attached to anything that came near. I constantly had my wrist attached to my sweater and trying to put on a coat that had Velcro fastenings was nigh on impossible.

I was beginning to despair when the marching bands gloves appeared. They were perfect. I had ordered two pairs in black and was so impressed I immediately ordered two pairs in tan. They were intended to be functional and look good and they did exactly that. They came in a range of sizes and I had chosen the smallest. They were made of beautiful leather with a large stretch panel on the back which made them a good fit. The fastening, which was again Velcro, was sleek and on the flat part of the wrist. I couldn’t have asked for more. I have many more pairs of gloves now, many of which I have made myself, but these are still my favourite for smart occasions. Another problem was solved.

Click here to see more about Octohats

25c. ADDING MORE STRANDS continued