Friday
Jan092009
Yarn whispering
Friday, January 9, 2009 at 4:13AM
I am a firm believer in yarn whispering, knitting serendipity, and listening to that leetle voice inside that's trying to tell you something.
You've heard of the Horse, Dog, and Baby Whisperers. Now it's time to learn to cultivate your inner Yarn Whisperer. We can all do it. Deep within all knitters is the ability to talk to yarn.
Yarn will tell you what it wants to be, if you're willing to listen. Yarn does not liked to be forced into things, it has a mind and a personality of its own. Too often I hear knitters say things like, "I just can't get gauge with this yarn! I don't know what's going on!" or, "I love this, but it just doesn't seem to fit with what I intended to make with it."
Totally discouraged with a project? Can't seem to knit another stitch? The yarn is trying to say something: "I don't want to be this!" or, "NO LIKE THIS PATTERN!" (Yes, sometimes yarn is an impossible child.) Make no mistake: it's not that the yarn is silent. It's that we're not listening.
A case study:
I received this stunning skein of handspun yarn from my friend Lisa of Selah. (If you're on Ravelry, you can see more of her handspun here. If you're not on Ravelry, you should be.) She dyed the roving in her Pan colorway and spun it just for moi because she knew I would like it. Because she's a lovely person who does things like that for her friends. It's a superwash merino that ranges from DK to super bulky weight. I heart it with all my heart.
Look at those colors. Greens and turquoises and browns. Love.
Does anyone else do this? Please tell me I'm not alone.
Untwisting the skein of yarn and wrapping it around my wrist gets me in touch with my inner knitter. It primes my yarn whispering abilities. It looks like a giant bangle bracelet.
Sometimes, when I'm feeling ... oh, what's the word I'm looking for... well-bred? Pedigreed? Elegant? Sometimes, when I'm feeling especially elegant, I will even keep my little pinky up while wrapping yarn around my wrist.
Have you noticed when I hold my cup, the saucer never moves?
And the way I keep my pinky up indubitably proves...
(10 points if you recognize the movie musical reference.)
I'll give you a teeny hint, but you'll have to find the answer yourself.
It's Hello, Dolly!
I immediately wound this skein into a ball and start swatching and whispering. Here's a snippet of the conversation I had with this yarn:
******************************************************
Me: OMG! U are so fab! When I saw you I just about died!
Yarn:
Me: It's so great meeting you, I've been admiring you for a long time, and I'm really eager to get started! Have you given any thought to what you'd like to be?
Yarn:
Me: That's OK, I know you just got off an airplane and you're trying to get used to the time difference. Would you like to take a nap?
Yarn:
Me: No? Well, let's just jump right in! I think you would look great knit up on size 9 needles, so I'm just going to do a little test swatch. This won't take too long. I know it's not your favorite thing, but it's very important.
Yarn: OWWWWWWWWWWWW!
Me: Size 9? No? No can do?
Yarn: GAWD, WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM? I MEAN, IT'S OBVIOUS YOU CAN'T KNIT ME ON NEEDLES THAT SMALL.
Me: Oh dear, I'm so sorry. Let me try a size 10.
Yarn:
Me: Is this better? Are you more comfortable?
Yarn: Sort of. Not really.
Me: OK, well, I'd be happy to go up to a 10.5. Let's do that.
Yarn:
Me: Well, I'm glad you're feeling better. Can I offer you anything? Coffee? Juice?
Yarn:
Me: Yarn, I love you so much, and I'm trying really hard here to make you happy and comfortable. I get the feeling you don't like me very much. Have I done something to offend you?
Yarn: Can we just get this over with?
Me: Sure. Here's what I was thinking: Fingerless gloves. 2x2 rib. Let's do it.
Yarn: Woo.
Me: Is there anything else you'd like to tell me before I cast on?
Yarn: No.
Me: [Two hours and one movie later] Look, a fingerless glove to keep my wrists warm this winter! Huzzah! Now I shall make your mate!
Yarn: Your arm looks like a tree branch in the forest.
Me: What?
Yarn: Your arm looks like a tree branch in the forest.
Me: What?
Yarn: YOUR ARM LOOKS--
Me: I heard what you said, but I don't believe it. This is a beautiful specimen of fingerless glove. I am going to wear it and love it, and I'm starting on the match right now.
Yarn: Fine, if you want everyone to to think you're really some kind of big talking tree Ent things from that Lord of the Rings movie.
********************************************************
I discovered that this skein was not some beautiful goddess who whispers golden words of wisdom while I gently knit her into something ethereal and breathtaking. Oh no.
This skein of yarn is a teenage boy. It has attitude. It sulks. It refuses to speak to you half the time. It plays its music too loud and wears its pants too low and wants to do dangerous things like snowboarding and walking to the library by himself without a grown up present.
You would never guess that by looking at him, would you? He seems so innocent.
I have to tell you, I've been knitting long enough that I knew to listen to the yarn. A newer knitter might have said, "Whatever, Mr. Yarnpants, I made you into a fingerless glove and that's what you're going be." But then they would have entertained Ent thoughts every time they wore them. The yarn would whisper, "Told you so," until kingdom come.
I tried further discussion and knitting with the yarn.
***************************************************
Me: Please turn down your music, you're shaking the walls.
Me: AHEM.
Me: Would you like to be a hat?
Yarn: No.
Me: Would you like to be wristwarmers?
Yarn: Ha.
Me: Would you like to be a scarf?
Yarn: Go ahead and try.
*******************************************
I'll save you the play by play. The yarn does NOT want to be a scarf.
*******************************************
Me: Do you want to be a cowl?
Yarn: Maybe.
Me: A cowl?
Yarn: OK.
Me: Yes? Did you say yes?
Yarn: I said OK. Go ahead and try to find the right stitch pattern and shape. I dare you.
************************************************
Do not let anyone give you the impression that you're in control, that you just need to teach the yarn some discipline and take away its driving privileges and all will be well. Not with hand dyed yarn, and certainly not with handspun. Factory made Stepford yarn may be a bit more compliant, but then again, it doesn't look like this:
And don't feel bad if your yarn whispering occasionally turns into yarn yelling. That's just the nature of the beast.
I will let you know when Pan and I have come to some agreement.
You've heard of the Horse, Dog, and Baby Whisperers. Now it's time to learn to cultivate your inner Yarn Whisperer. We can all do it. Deep within all knitters is the ability to talk to yarn.
Yarn will tell you what it wants to be, if you're willing to listen. Yarn does not liked to be forced into things, it has a mind and a personality of its own. Too often I hear knitters say things like, "I just can't get gauge with this yarn! I don't know what's going on!" or, "I love this, but it just doesn't seem to fit with what I intended to make with it."
Totally discouraged with a project? Can't seem to knit another stitch? The yarn is trying to say something: "I don't want to be this!" or, "NO LIKE THIS PATTERN!" (Yes, sometimes yarn is an impossible child.) Make no mistake: it's not that the yarn is silent. It's that we're not listening.
A case study:
I received this stunning skein of handspun yarn from my friend Lisa of Selah. (If you're on Ravelry, you can see more of her handspun here. If you're not on Ravelry, you should be.) She dyed the roving in her Pan colorway and spun it just for moi because she knew I would like it. Because she's a lovely person who does things like that for her friends. It's a superwash merino that ranges from DK to super bulky weight. I heart it with all my heart.
Look at those colors. Greens and turquoises and browns. Love.
Does anyone else do this? Please tell me I'm not alone.
Untwisting the skein of yarn and wrapping it around my wrist gets me in touch with my inner knitter. It primes my yarn whispering abilities. It looks like a giant bangle bracelet.
Sometimes, when I'm feeling ... oh, what's the word I'm looking for... well-bred? Pedigreed? Elegant? Sometimes, when I'm feeling especially elegant, I will even keep my little pinky up while wrapping yarn around my wrist.
Have you noticed when I hold my cup, the saucer never moves?
And the way I keep my pinky up indubitably proves...
(10 points if you recognize the movie musical reference.)
I'll give you a teeny hint, but you'll have to find the answer yourself.
It's Hello, Dolly!
I immediately wound this skein into a ball and start swatching and whispering. Here's a snippet of the conversation I had with this yarn:
******************************************************
Me: OMG! U are so fab! When I saw you I just about died!
Yarn:
Me: It's so great meeting you, I've been admiring you for a long time, and I'm really eager to get started! Have you given any thought to what you'd like to be?
Yarn:
Me: That's OK, I know you just got off an airplane and you're trying to get used to the time difference. Would you like to take a nap?
Yarn:
Me: No? Well, let's just jump right in! I think you would look great knit up on size 9 needles, so I'm just going to do a little test swatch. This won't take too long. I know it's not your favorite thing, but it's very important.
Yarn: OWWWWWWWWWWWW!
Me: Size 9? No? No can do?
Yarn: GAWD, WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM? I MEAN, IT'S OBVIOUS YOU CAN'T KNIT ME ON NEEDLES THAT SMALL.
Me: Oh dear, I'm so sorry. Let me try a size 10.
Yarn:
Me: Is this better? Are you more comfortable?
Yarn: Sort of. Not really.
Me: OK, well, I'd be happy to go up to a 10.5. Let's do that.
Yarn:
Me: Well, I'm glad you're feeling better. Can I offer you anything? Coffee? Juice?
Yarn:
Me: Yarn, I love you so much, and I'm trying really hard here to make you happy and comfortable. I get the feeling you don't like me very much. Have I done something to offend you?
Yarn: Can we just get this over with?
Me: Sure. Here's what I was thinking: Fingerless gloves. 2x2 rib. Let's do it.
Yarn: Woo.
Me: Is there anything else you'd like to tell me before I cast on?
Yarn: No.
Me: [Two hours and one movie later] Look, a fingerless glove to keep my wrists warm this winter! Huzzah! Now I shall make your mate!
Yarn: Your arm looks like a tree branch in the forest.
Me: What?
Yarn: Your arm looks like a tree branch in the forest.
Me: What?
Yarn: YOUR ARM LOOKS--
Me: I heard what you said, but I don't believe it. This is a beautiful specimen of fingerless glove. I am going to wear it and love it, and I'm starting on the match right now.
Yarn: Fine, if you want everyone to to think you're really some kind of big talking tree Ent things from that Lord of the Rings movie.
********************************************************
I discovered that this skein was not some beautiful goddess who whispers golden words of wisdom while I gently knit her into something ethereal and breathtaking. Oh no.
This skein of yarn is a teenage boy. It has attitude. It sulks. It refuses to speak to you half the time. It plays its music too loud and wears its pants too low and wants to do dangerous things like snowboarding and walking to the library by himself without a grown up present.
You would never guess that by looking at him, would you? He seems so innocent.
I have to tell you, I've been knitting long enough that I knew to listen to the yarn. A newer knitter might have said, "Whatever, Mr. Yarnpants, I made you into a fingerless glove and that's what you're going be." But then they would have entertained Ent thoughts every time they wore them. The yarn would whisper, "Told you so," until kingdom come.
I tried further discussion and knitting with the yarn.
***************************************************
Me: Please turn down your music, you're shaking the walls.
Me: AHEM.
Me: Would you like to be a hat?
Yarn: No.
Me: Would you like to be wristwarmers?
Yarn: Ha.
Me: Would you like to be a scarf?
Yarn: Go ahead and try.
*******************************************
I'll save you the play by play. The yarn does NOT want to be a scarf.
*******************************************
Me: Do you want to be a cowl?
Yarn: Maybe.
Me: A cowl?
Yarn: OK.
Me: Yes? Did you say yes?
Yarn: I said OK. Go ahead and try to find the right stitch pattern and shape. I dare you.
************************************************
Do not let anyone give you the impression that you're in control, that you just need to teach the yarn some discipline and take away its driving privileges and all will be well. Not with hand dyed yarn, and certainly not with handspun. Factory made Stepford yarn may be a bit more compliant, but then again, it doesn't look like this:
And don't feel bad if your yarn whispering occasionally turns into yarn yelling. That's just the nature of the beast.
I will let you know when Pan and I have come to some agreement.
in Chit Chat
Chit Chat 
Reader Comments (6)
i'd threaten to make him a diaper cover!
Histarical, and torturous!! Tell him I said to quit being so stubborn and speak up already, its safe now.
xoxoxoxo
Oh that is beautiful!!! I'm going to have to try some handspun,you've been tempting me with all your pretty handspun blog posts!! You HAVE TO show us a picture of the finished fingerless gloves! Please!!(here or on Ravelry :) I'd love to see your tree branch arms,lol
Hahaha, that's great. It is gorgeous yarn, hope you two come to an agreement sooner or later.
there is another one of me! Im not the only yarn whisperer in the world! *wipes sweat from forehead* you made me smile at 5:45 in the morning and I thankyou for it, Ive been sitting here grumbling that my 2 year old things this is when all people should be awake, hope you dont mind, after my morning cup of tea I will do a feature of this post on my blog, to prove to my readers that Im not crazy...Im just passionate.
stunning blog, I lust after a skeine of your wool, but the aussie dollar has has other ideas...one day..one day
in love and yarn
Courtney
OMG! I also have Pan. And Pan and I can't come to an agreement either. I've cast him on and frogged him FOUR times!!!
May we both come to agreements with our sulky sweetheart soon. :)