small things

Yarn Along (special guest post)

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

Yarn Along

Hello Ladies.  Jonny here.  That’s right.  Now it makes sense doesn’t it?  When you first looked at the picture you were thinking, “Wow, Ginny’s knitting sure is a little frumpy this week”.  But, now you’re thinking, “Wow, that sure is some nice knitting for a really handsome, tough, sensitive, creative, brave and smart man”.  And, you would be right.  It is some nice knitting.

So, I’ve started knitting.  I’ve tried it before.  I once tried to knit a dishcloth with some peaches and cream (I know that you know what I’m talking about…but, I really want to add that it’s a cotton yarn although Ginny has assured me that it would be frivolous).   Anyway, I hated it.  I wanted to throw it at some point because my stiches were so uneven.  Some were loose, some were tight.  It was a horrible scene all around.  But, throwing it wouldn’t have even given me the satisfaction I was looking for.  Yarn doesn’t make a big loud noise when it hits the wall.  The needles may have made a small “tink”, but that would have hardly been worth the effort.  So, I frogged that mutha!  All the way back to nothing.  And it felt so right.

Fast forward to now.  I’ve been convinced by a rather extraordinary woman to pick it up again.  Truthfully, I want to do it so that she’ll think I’m cute.  But, I won’t tell her that.  I’ll let her think I’m doing it because there’s nothing better than the feel of a good worsted weight yarn (Ginny here.  He’s knitting with Blue Sky Alpacas organic cotton) on the needles.  So, for the past week I’ve been knitting.  And let me tell you something.  I’m quite the knitter now.  After trying many different ways to hold the string in my right hand, I’ve come up with a way to wrap it around my “tall man” finger two times that gives me the feel of control I need so I can apply proper tension to get consistent stiches.  My first project was cast on by the aforementioned extraordinary woman and handed over to me.  I battled with the knit stich and conquered it.  The extraordinary woman taught me how to bind off.  I battled with it some more.  I couldn’t really figure out how to use my left hand differently than when doing the knit stich.   But, I persevered, and I ended up with a really nice edge.  My first Finished Object!

I now have another dishcloth on the needles.  Keats taught me how to cast on.  So, I’ll be working on that one now.  I guess I’ll need to start a Ravelry page soon….

I’ve been reading the same book for a while, Confessions of a Bad Beekeeper.  This guy seems to be an English version of myself; it’s easy to be a moron.  Although, I haven’t been stung on the ear just yet.

So, because I’m totally dying to know, what are you peeps reading and knitting?

 

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Below is a linky list if you’d like to link up and join the Yarn Along.
(1) Make sure the link you submit is to the URL of your blog post or your specific Flickr photo and not your main blog URL or Flickr Photostream. Please be sure and link to your current Yarn Along post, and not a Yarn Along post from a previous week.
(2) Include a link back to this post in your blog post or on your flickr photo page so that others who may want to join the Yarn Along can find us!
(3) If you have any trouble linking up, just email me and I will help you!
You can also join the Flickr Yarn Along group to share your knitting and reading photos anytime!

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Inspired and hilarious! My husband and I make stitch markers and jewelry together – I design and he puts them together. Using tools – which makes him feel manly!

  5. Hilarious post, Jonny! My husband dabbles in crochet–always fun when the guys join us in our crafty endeavors. Good luck with the current dishcloth–it’s looking fabulous already. Hmmmm, now that I think about it . . . now that you are a competent dishcloth knitter, Ginny may never have to knit one again, leaving her more time for shawls, scarves, and sweaters–brilliant!

  6. That last photo is priceless. You guys should be cover men on a knitting magazine! Cute. Remember that real men can knit!

  7. I need to show this post to my husband… (Also, Jonny – you are a riot. I adore your wife, but you should totally guest post more often!) xo

  10. Oh my! If I could only pry the computer from my husbands grasp perhaps I could get him to pick up the needles… One can dream. Great looking knitting, Jonny!

  11. Oh my!!!!! I literally squealed at this post…. And we are on holiday so my big manly husband was laying by my side as it read the post on my iPad…. I’m secretly hoping he may have been inspired!

    Thanks for making my day:)

  12. Dude! Your dishcloth is really epic! Very cool that you can knit. I love that you called the Blue Sky Alpacas organic cotton ‘string’ and that the Extraordinary Woman didn’t edit you. Knit on, man, knit on!

  13. Completely awesome post! I’ve been trying to convince my husband for years to take up knitting (I believe it was invented by men in the first place, so clearly knitting is inherently manly). I’m gonna have to show him this.

  14. Way to stick with the knitting! I’m going to have to recommend that book to my mom. She started keeping bees last year and enjoys the humor of her errors.

  16. this made my day! forwarding to my husband who read yarn harlot’s top 10 things not to tell a knitter while dying of laughter for example you shouldn’t say “that’s such a cute hobby!”
    I think you will find it just as funny Johnny because Ginny is such a prolific knitter!

  17. What a great post! Love that picture of the two of you knitting….and yeah way different type of yarn and that helps..

  19. That’s awesome!! I can’t even get my kids interested in knitting, let alone my hubby…. I think I need to show them this post.

  21. My boys got such a kick out of seeing the “guys” knitting. They have wanted to learn to knit but didn’t want to lose their man card hee hee. I think we will have some new knitters joining us girls this week. Thanks for sharing.

  23. Adorable! Though my husband has not shown an interest in knitting, he did go through a cross stitch phase. Being the tough Army guy he is, his stitches were the tightest, most uniform stitches I have ever seen! Thanks for making me laugh and reminding me of happy days gone by.

  24. Hi Johnny 🙂 Nice to ‘meet’ you. My husband asked me to teach him to knit. He has tension issues, too, though when he knits he bends my needles!!! Maybe I should give him circular needles?

    I love that knitting has become a family activity in your house. I look forward to seeing your creations on your Ravelry page 🙂

  25. Yes! A man with kids, knitting needles and a brown scapular! That reads “sexy” in my book. In Germany, were I grew up, I would see men occasionally pull out their knitting on the S-Bahn (the train) on their commute home. Male knitters were not such a rarity as here.

    Love your writing style, Jonny. I really needed to smile this morning, and you did it. Thanks!

  26. ok, I’m definitely saving this post because my future husband needs to see this! SOOO CUTE! 🙂 Love it! 🙂

  27. Swoon! lol
    I wish my guy would just try knitting/crochet/spinning at least. Maybe if I get my son on side (when he’s old enough), then it’ll be peer pressure, lol.
    Great blog post.

  28. awesome post, big man!!! My hubby (PapaGeek) used to do counted cross stitch (out of boredom–you certainly don’t get much useful stuff from counted cross stitch); sure wish he’d learn to knit, too. I’ve got a stash big enough for both of us.

  30. Love this and such a great picture of the two of you knitting. Not sure I could get my hubby to give it a try, but he will be reading this 🙂

  31. precious!! i keep telling my husband to give it a try!! it would help him stay awake instead of falling asleep at 9:30. a dishcloth is the perfect start!

  32. Boys rock!
    Love the father and son knitting photo, you are sooo lucky to have Keats and the extraordinary woman as your teachers. And they are lucky to have such a tough yet creative man about the place.
    This really tickled me today, thanks guys ; )

  34. Love it! Great work Johnny!

    I have suggested knitting to my husband before, but he assures me it is my hobby, just as golf is his. However, he is always suitably impressed whenever I knit cables, and if he learnt to knit he may realise how easy they are and hold me in less regard!

    I don’t know that I would share my stash and needles too happily either, if his messy tool bench is anything to go by. 🙂

  36. Good job Johnny! Congrats on your first finished project. I’ll be looking for your Ravelry page 🙂 Once you master knitting you’ll have to try spinning. Spinning is very fun and relaxing and your family can knit the yarn you make. I’ve made my own drop spindles which is always fun to do. But I also have a traditional spinning wheel. Also a shout out to Keats for teaching you to cast on.

  37. Johnny, smashing job! I may have to show my husband and I am sure he’ll cast a weary eye at me while thinking, “knitting is not on the honey-do list”.

  38. Love this post…it’s good to meet you on Yarn Along. I’m going to get my husband to read it and then maybe we can have peaches and cream dates too…
    Happy knitting..

  39. Yay for knitting! What will be especially nice? Having Ginny see you use that wonderful new dishcloth too. Knitting in action. Now I need to teach my husband knitting…

  40. Thanks for hosting this week’s Yarn Along. I was waiting for it! As I told several of male friends of mein that I love crochet and knitting, they all told me how much they suffered from school time, when they HAD to crochet or knit something for the class. My husband asked for help from his Aunt. I guess I will be the Aunt, to whom now the kids would turn when they HAVE to hand in the teacher something they crochet…:)

  41. Jonny, I’ve tried convincing my husband to post on my blog for years now. Maybe if he reads this…he just might.
    Now knitting is another story.

    🙂

    enjoyed this all the way!

  42. Funny post! 🙂
    Now I’m reading “respect the spindle” by Abby Franquemont (why not try spinning?) and knitting some stuffed toys for welcoming babies. Good job with your knitting, I guess it will be easy with such great teachers!

  43. Wonderful post!! My son has toyed with learning to knit over the years but now wont go near it as it’s a “girl” thing. I wish more men spoke/wrote about their knitting experiences!

    This week I’ve been learning some new skills including different ways to cast on and bind off.

  44. So I frogged that mutha! is going into the lexicon today 🙂
    Well done, sir.
    Though I don’t know if I could share a hobby with my husband (I bet he’d try to steal my needles all the time).

  46. Great dishcloth!! I did lol at the thrown knitting not making enough noise as it hits the wall, it also tangles awfully!

  48. My husband has knit way back when we had THREE channels on the television, boredom drove him to it. His stitches were so tight that they squeaked on the needles. Your post is refreshing and I bet Ginny will use your washcloths in the kitchen.

  49. Welcome Johnny! It doesn’t look wonky at all. I do like that book title though. The knitting store near me (alexandria) has a mens knit night – perhaps you could make the drive.