The Knitter on the Bus or Travels with my Knitting

Forgive me for being away so long! I began this blog around a year ago full of good intentions and even as recently as this January I resolved to post at least monthly. Well here we are in April and I finally find a moment to put fingers to keyboard.

This post has been titled the nutter knitter (either could apply to me) on the bus or travels with my knitting. Who knows - perhaps it will lead to a spin-off website "Women who craft on the tube", but for now it contains only selfies of my crafty capers on public transport around the country. I knit, crochet, cross stitch and sew while commuting on a daily basis (often out of necessity to keep up with customer demand) and I wanted to share some of the experiences and conversations I have had while crafting in public.

Most commuters will only watch (and I like to think admire) from a distance, but many will pass comment on "how lovely" my creation looks etc etc. Watching someone knit or sew can be a great distraction as well - as I discovered once travelling to Bournemouth on a train, while doing some blackwork. When the guard came along to inspect the tickets he began to ask what I was doing and became so engrossed in the conversation (especially when the elderly gentleman sitting next to me joined in) that he completely forgot to check our tickets and moved on.

While most encounters have been positive I do recall one incident that happened some time ago - back in the days of the old-style slam door trains - that was a bit bizarre to say the least. I had joined the train at Waterloo (nothing unusual about that I hear you say) and sat in a compartment with 6 seats - you know the ones with the corridor running along the length of the carriage outside - and it gradually began to fill with other commuters. Having sat there for a few minutes watching me knit one man left and moved to the adjoining compartment, but before he sat down I could hear him asking the women already in the carriage "You're not going to start knitting are you?" How could anyone find knitting that offensive???

Of all the conversations though, the ones with children have made me smile the most and I would like to share three of these with you now. The first involved a little girl (approx 4 years old) who was sitting with her mother opposite from me on a train. I was knitting - no surprise there! Having watched for a few minutes, staring intently at the movement of the needles, she turned to her mother and asked in a loud whisper "What's that lady doing?" Her mother replied "She's knitting." "Oh." said the girl. A few minutes of more intense observation later she whispered to her mother again, asking "What's she making?" "I don't know" answered her mother. At this point I pretended to look at the pattern, making sure that the image on the front was displayed for the girl and she announced for all to hear "Oooo, it's a cardigan!"

On another occasion a boy of around 10 or 11 years asked me what I was doing. I told him I was knitting and asked him if his mother knitted. "No" he replied "she is only 35!" Perhaps he has been watching too many Shreddies adverts!

More recently a family (mother and 3 children) joined a bus I was travelling on in London and the eldest boy (approx 9-10 years old) sat next to me. He soon began watching and asked what I was doing. When I told him he wanted to know "Is it easy?" and "Can I learn how to do this?"

It's a shame that so many children have never seen anyone knitting and the skill isn't being handed down in every family like it used to. Even more reason to keep being the Knitter on the bus!

A passion for crafting: Nature or nurture?

Mum's cross stitch

I come from a long line of crafty women. Three generations back a great, great aunt was expert at tatting, my grandmother was an avid knitter, and my mother knits, crochets and cross stitches. Always keen to learn a new skill my mother has now taken up quilling as well. Sometimes things just happen by accident - the quilling is just one such example - in this case literally!

A nasty shoulder injury meant that she was unable to get up to her usual crafty capers, but after attending a workshop at a local craft group, and finding herself at a loose end, quilling became a bit of a life-saver. Now we all receive beautiful quilled birthday cards, even though Mum has gone back to her other crafts as well.

I was taught to knit at the age of 5 years and have been knitting at every opportunity ever since. Crochet was the next craft I learnt and I very soon developed a love of all things wooly!

Our two rough collies used to sleep on my granny square blankets at the foot of the stairs...

My dolls were dressed in hand knitted outfits that I had knitted and I will never forget the comments my Dad made in his speech as father of the bride. He began by relating things I had brought to my family - all the usual stuff: happiness, joy etc etc...

"... but most of all, she's brought us wool!"

He then went on to relate an anecdote about how our local wool shop had rung me to see if I had a particular yarn in stock!

So I got to wondering whether my love of all things crafty was the result of all those crafty genes or the environment I was brought up in.... is crafting a question of nature or nurture? My husband would probably say I was doomed either way!

I see no hexagons!

I took up quilting in 2001 and have made everything from cushions (see above tessellation English paper pieced cushion) to a 10 foot square bed quilt (below) for my brother and his new bride as a wedding present!

I have tried just about every patchwork and quilting technique going and once again have decided that I prefer the traditional approaches - I love the idea of using the same techniques that generations of women before have used - quilting by gas light! I will tell you all more of  my current quilting projects in future.

The journey begins!

Hello! Thank you so much for visiting my new Blog, it's lovely to see you. I am Susie and I'm a career woman with three teenage children, four hens, one husband, a love of all things crafty and a desire to share this passion with like minded individuals! We live in Epsom, in leafy Surrey, and when I am not working I spend my days knitting, crocheting, quilting, cross-stitching, baking, crafting and gardening. For the last 40+ years I have been following other peoples' patterns, but have now decided to embark on a journey to become a designer and teacher myself and I would like to welcome you along! 

I guess you could say I am a traditionalist and I have been focusing on cable designs and aran knitting over the last 6 months. Having experimented with different cable designs I noticed a plaited cable on one of my husbands jumpers. Having seen it there I kept seeing it everywhere - mostly on other peoples' woolly hats on my commute to work - and I knew I had to incorporate this particular cable into one of my designs. Then there was a cushion! 

My first cushion design!

I am also quite taken with cables that form a chain and have had a play with something on a baby jacket and hat design. This set was made from one of my favourite yarns - Debbie Bliss Rialto aran - made from the finest and softest 100% merino wool ever! 

I think I am going to enjoy this designing lark - what a fabulous excuse to try out some new yarns!