Friday 13 September 2019

Remember those giant knitting needles?

Yes, the knitting needles we had at the Show which belong to one of the Convenors in the Handicrafts area?
A... is a friend as well and we were chatting about them and I said,
    "I'd like the Senior Cat to make me a pair but I am not sure he could now. I might ask my brother. They'd be good to have on display, for people to try at other crafty events."
And I asked A... to ask her husband to get the dowelling from which they are made. I need to explain here that their family business is timber of all sorts. They have one of those magical warehouses filled with magnificent timber. (I love timber almost as much as I love wool and other yarns - almost, not quite.) 
I also made it very plain that I was going to pay for it. I knew it would not be hugely expensive but it is  important to pay for such things.
Yes, she could do it. She would even deliver it. (I was planning on getting Middle Cat to pick it up when she was out and about.) 
    "I just want two short bits - enough to make a pair," I told her.
Yesterday A... turned up with three long pieces - and wouldn't let me pay for them. Wail! I was more than happy to pay for them! The Senior Cat eyed them off. We agreed he couldn't possibly do the job himself but my brother will be able to do it when he arrives in November...if I do the necessary preparation. I'll source some ends for the dowels and get Middle Cat to make the pattern for the copy lathe. 
And late yesterday, after I had helped someone with information to write the eulogy for P...'s funeral on Saturday, I did something happy instead. I went on line and found something I know A... will love to have. I have ordered it. When I return her knitting needle I can give that to her as a "thank you".
It's important to thank people and I really do feel grateful and privileged to have friends who do things like that so I want to thank them too.

1 comment:

Jodiebodie said...

That's a lovely way to thank your friend and then she cannot refuse you because you have already gone through with it!

I am keen to know what you will use for the ends of the dowels.

I made some tricot hooks from dowelling and my workshop helper used a little plastic chairleg foot (not sure of the proper name - the little round 'buttons' that screw into the bottom of chair legs to prevent scratches on the floor.) On another tricot hook, I used an offcut of a thicker dowel as a stopper on the end of a thinner dowel. The former is more practical because the stopper is wider around the dowel but the latter looks nicer and is a more pleasing material that can be etched or labelled more easily.

Have fun creating your knitting needles! I'm glad you had some well-deserved 'Cat-time'.