Inheritance and The Future

I wanted to post a little about my knitting collection. I picked up a set of needles and some cheap ass DK yarn for less than £5 around six years ago, and taught myself using www.knittinghelp.com and www.youtube.com, and thought I was soon to become an expert knitter. You cast on, knit, purl, cast off! Simple! But then along came the more intriguing patterns requiring stitch holders, different size needles, circular needles, and the collection can quickly mount. And I suppose it could be quite expensive.

I was lucky enough to inherit my gran’s collection when she passed away. She had been a knitter for many years, but as her eyes and joints started to deteriorate, she gave it up. Her collection came to me in two bags. One contained all her needles, a huge amount in a variety of sizes and styles. Some of them:

The other bag contained some odd bits and pieces of yarn used for baby gifts. The bag also contained some buttons, some old patterns (including one for a Dandy jumper, very cool…!) and plastic pattern bags, that she’d use to keep her yarn separated and dust free. I was very appreciative to have inherited all this, and it allowed me to experiment a bit more with the craft.

A few years later I was to inherit some more needles. My lovely fiancee’s gran, who also suffers from joint pain passed her collection of needles on to me. They came in an organised collection – very neat and tidy! I’ve collected needles from magazines too.

In 2010, I plan on buying myself some new needles. A complete set of circular needles, as the ones I inherited from gran are of weird sizes! I haven’t researched this entirely, and may have to buy two sets so I have a complete collection for Magic Loop knitting, hmm!

I’ve collected a lot of yarn in the past few years too. Mostly cheap DK that I used for hats, scarves, blankets and Amigurumi. But as I become a more ‘skilled’ (I use the term loosely, there is so much I don’t know about the craft!) knitter, I appreciate better quality yarns, and like to experiment with types and textures. So 2010 will also bring different yarn experiences for me too. I am determined not to buy yarn based on the fact that it’s cheap. If I want a project to look right, to feel right and to last, I have to think about the type of yarn being used! So I will have to use the ‘Net to educate me more!

Wow, I really should type up a list of these resolutions for 2010.