Knitting needles

are a more complex topic than would at first appear. It was with that in mind Middle Cat and I went off to talk to people at a yarn event yesterday. 

I was looking forward to it. After weeks of packing, unpacking, sorting, giving things away, throwing things out and living in the chaos of moving house this was going to be fun.

It was fun. It was hard work but it was fun too. Middle Cat was there to talk to people about hand issues, muscles, joints, wrists, shoulders, sitting positions and more. As a (retired) physiotherapist she knows about these things.

I was there to talk to people about the right needle for the knitting - the right tool for the job. No, not all knitting needles are the same. Not all people knit the same way. Not all needles suit all people. There are differences.

I had done a bit of research some years ago. I went back to it and reminded myself about early knitting needles and their development. We are so used to going into a shop or looking on line now that we forget they have to be manufactured and that there is a history to that.

The earliest needles were perhaps made by the users themselves. By mediaeval times they were often made by the local blacksmith. I can almost imagine myself going down to the forge and asking for him to make me some. They would have been steel of course. Right into the first part of the twentieth century most knitting needles were steel. It is one reason why so much fine wool and fine knitting took place. Steel needles were heavy. You simply could not make them too big or they were too heavy to handle.

It was not until Victorian times that knitting needles were commonly made with points or knobs on the ends of the straight variety. Now you can get a variety of points for different types of knitting - like the longer lace points I was using. They can make knitting easier and smoother and perhaps even faster.

We had a wonderful variety of needles to show people and get them to try. It was interesting to watch people and how they handled them. "Not for me,"someone said after trying a small circular needle with fine points. The woman next to her said, "Oh, I love those!"

There was a young man, early twenties perhaps, who came along with a ball of yarn he had bought to make a friend a small scarf. He tried several points on the yarn we had attached. He consulted me about the size he thought he should use. We discussed it for a bit and he went to the display of needles next to us and then to M... who spent the day acting as "the money man" for so many people. 

Yes, there were men around. Three stalls were run entirely by men. One of them dyes yarn in brilliant colours. I was too busy to talk to him but I saw someone almost staggering off with two large bags of his yarn. I would love to know what that person was intending to make.

There were the soft natural colours too and the wool from the various types of sheep. It always fascinates me how varied that can be. My friend K... was there. She worked as a laboratory chemist before she retired and she understands far better than most people how yarn will take up dyes. Her work is lovely and she always has a wonderful and very professional display. I saw it and others in my quick tour before the venue opened for visitors.

What is really good is that there were so many people there. Although money really is tight for many people they came along and they were buying the things which will hopefully give them hours of pleasure and something worthwhile at the other end. The physical and mental health benefits were obvious.  It is just a pity I did not see a single politician I recognised in the crowds there. Perhaps if they had come along money might get spent on encouraging more people to participate in such activities. It has to be better than passively watching sport on the telly.