Kaffe Fassett

This is the book that changed my life

When Glorious Knitting was published I was 16;

I was an odd sort of teen - very creative in that I created lots of things, but constantly put off by there being a specific way that things should be done.  A specific way that I never seemed able to master. 

I had been chucked out of sewing classes, I wasn't allowed to take art as I couldn't draw, and every single thing that I made at school was a disaster.

But here was a knitting book that was cavalier about technique - that said it didn't really matter what the back looked like, that encouraged mixing it up, experimenting. 

I picked up knitting needles for the first time since Primary 5 (the disastrous brown acryllic teddy) and I don't think I have ever really stopped.

This is my favourite pattern in the book - persian poppies - where you make up two balls of wool from knotted lengths and then knit up 2 colour rows with beautiful combinations arising randomly with no effort.

In their early years my children lived in cardigans knitted in this pattern

I took to wearing jackets with 2 roomy pockets so that I could wander around knitting as I went - making up enormously exravagent coats and jackets.

Life gets in the way I suppose and I recently realised that I haven't knitted in ages.

A couple of weeks ago I was back at my parents' house for the weekend and ventured up to the room where my Mum stores the hundreds of cones of wool we acquired from the local mills before they closed down.  I grabbed a couple of dozen and made myself a couple of knotted balls . . . .

A full length mirror has convinced me that I need to grow at least another foot taller before I look good in the jackets but I do have lots of sofas . . . so cushions is the way I am going!

This is the first . . . . hopefully of many

But of course it isn't just in knitting that Kaffe Fassett changed my life - it is in the way he gave me confidence in my creativity; the beautiful knitting I was able to produce "the wrong way" allowed me to experiment with everything else. 

It is quite clear to me that had I not picked up that first copy of Glorious Knitting in the Library I would not have a business making things today.

 

Comments

[Sandiecraig]

..these colours are magnificent - I'm intrigued about the 'two ball' method and presuming it's the background - x

[snapdragon]

You have one ball for the background one for the foreground - each made from lengths of wool knotted together. Then you knit Fairisle fashion.
Very easy, all you have to remember to do is to knit in the ends.
J x

[5ladybirdlane.blogspot.com]

I'm not familiar with his knitting books, but his quilting/fabric based books where present when my Mum began to quilt (still on her book shelf now). This in turn inspired me to sew. Maybe I'll have a look at the library for the knitting books. Not sure I would be able to knit a jumper but the cushion you've done looks great. Sarah

[Spotsandstripes2.blogspot.com]

This book changed my life too!!! Wow, it was just so amazing to see that knitting could be more interesting, artistic and that wool could have much nicer colours too!! I also loved the poppies pattern and made a waistcote in it which I never wear as it is now a bit out of fashion, but I think I might turn it into a cushion now i've been inspired by you! Thank you