One of the hobbies I have (though I’m less active in it at the moment) is knitting - mainly by hand though I’ve done a tiny bit of machine knitting when I had access to one. I first learned by hand in the late 80s or early 90s from my maternal grandmother. I didn’t have much staying power though, so never made anything larger than swatches or practice sqaures at that time.
Around 2006 I had a housemate who knitted and she encouraged me to start up again. So I did, and I’ve since made all sorts of things: hats, gloves, scarves and socks. A pair of socks is my favourite thing, though I’ve made several hats too.
A pair of socks that I’ve made
On the tech side of things, around 15 years ago I came across KnitML, an XML DTD to describe knitting patterns than could then be rendered into prose (in English or any other human language) and even simulated into graphics form to assist with resizing existing patterns and design of new ones. Unfortunately that project is no longer active but it was fun to read from afar whilst it was still in existence.
In recent years I’ve run a handful of workshops where I’ve taught knitting. As with any skills, people’s ability and speed with which they learn can vary tremendously but it’s hugely fulfilling when someone takes to it and enjoys it.
To the crafters who come across this post, do you know about the site Ravelry, for knitters, crocheters and fibre makers?
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