WIP: "knittin'"

On Twitter, I follow several journalists. While some journalists Tweet only notable items, others post information of a more personal nature. I like that I get to know a bit of the personalities of the people I choose to trust or question with my news.

I often wonder what it is like to have that kind of celebrity and what benefits and drawbacks the profession might have. We all see the extremes of that life; those stories make the news.

Lisa Laco, host of CBC's Superior Morning, is one of the journalists I follow. From the information on her Twitter profile, I learned that she is an avid knitter. Yet, I would never know that from the few radio broadcasts I hear from her. Now, on those odd occasions that I listen to her radio broadcast, I think of her as a knitter, mom, and spouse first... and as a journalist second.

Knitting is not the first textile art I seek out when I feel the need for creativity... but I enjoy it. Usually, I see something that I really like, buy the pattern and yarn, and follow the directions. Or, I'll find some great yarn and knit a simple scarf. I wear scarves daily for the winter months (we have a lot of those in Winnipeg) and like the variety. As well, our homeless shelters are seemingly always asking for donations of warm winter wear, so I often knit for charity. 

This spring, while doing a bit of travelling, I saw a stunning shawl at The Yarn Bank in Taylors Falls, Minnesota.  It was the "yarn" that caught my eye and the ladies in the store that caught my ear with the entertaining banter of their "stitch and bitch" session. The pattern is simple. Cast on 100 stitches, knit each row, and cast off with the end metre or so of the yarn. Stitch it together. The finished shawl (click to see the photo) is simple; the yarn makes a statement.

work in progress

I'm almost finished Lily, my art bra. When I need a mental break, or when I need to think about a next step, I pick up the knitting and stitch a row. This shawl is one of my new WIPs. 

I'm posting to TN&TN's WIP Wednesday link-up today. It is open to all Canadian textile art bloggers: please post a link if you are one. If not, please check out the projects of other Canadian artists.