Wednesday 7 August 2019

A blind knitter

needs some help - help to join in.
There is a Shetland Lace group I belong to. Some members of it are doing a "KAL" - or "knit-along". It means they are all making the same pattern and supporting each other as they go.
I don't knit other people's patterns but I am happy to help where I can. Yesterday a message came up from someone in the group. She asked to be taken off the list because everyone else was using a chart for this one and she can't see the charts. She relies on written instructions.
And the wonderful thing is that there was an almost instant outcry of "Don't leave!" and "We'll help!"
And there are ways of helping. Years ago now, before there was any such thing as a computer program for knitters, a totally blind woman wanted to knit a pattern I had written. The pattern is for a "peace blanket". It has the word for "peace" in twenty different languages and the Blissymbol for "peace" in rows in between the words. It isn't an easy knit but R.... wanted to make it. 
I have never met R... and I am not likely to but we corresponded and I put out a request for help on an old knitting group. Yes, people would help. We "translated" the pattern into words for her - and she made the blanket. I didn't see it but then someone else contacted me if R... had made did I think P.... could do it too? She needed a bit of help but she finished it. It was a gift to her very young nephew. He's about twenty now and the blanket went with him when he began  university this year even though it is more lap rug size. 
Now there is a computer program, probably more than one, which will automatically produce the written instructions as you make the chart. We should, with the pattern owner's permission, be able to make the charts again and automatically produce the charts for the blind knitter. I have sent messages off and am awaiting the outcome.
Extra work for other people? Yes. "She shouldn't have said anything and just accepted she couldn't do it?" NO! 
I will shortly be writing another pattern. I will be including the written instructions. The blind knitter has as much right as others to try the pattern and every right to join in.
 

1 comment:

Kate Lace said...

I saw the original post and the glorious response from the other knitters. There are so many nice kind generous people in the world. If only everyone would focus on them and not the (very) few so-and-sos with guns or bigoted opinions or vile attitudes who make the headlines.