Live Performances

Every Tuesday in October!! (10/7, 14, 21, 28) 6-9 PM solo at The Taos Inn, Taos NM

Sunday October 19 6-9 PM The Serpent Herders at The Taos Inn, Taos NM

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Musings – On Knitting

When I was a kid, I had a tendency to get obsessed with things: the solar system, dinosaurs, ghosts, rocks, horses…I would get every book I could find on the subject matter of my current passion at the library, beg my parents to buy me physical representations of said passion (a plastic T. Rex, a planetary mobile, Breyer horses, a pre-made rock collection), go to museums and events that were centered around my current subject, and in general immerse myself as completely as possible.

Like many adolescent girls, my obsessions turned to things our culture said I *should* care about: friends, romance, clothes (all things I never particularly excelled at). I stopped doing deep dives into what I see now were fascinating things. Then adulthood came, with all the responsibilities and distractions that keep a lot of us occupied, going through the motions and taking care of business.

And then came knitting.

I am obsessed with/passionate about/addicted to knitting. If you’re an avid knitter, you don’t need to read the rest of this because you already know how it goes, even if the details of our stories are different. If you’re not a knitter, you probably don’t need to read the rest of it because you could think of a zillion ways you’d rather spend your time than reading about someone’s knit addiction. But I’m going to write a little about it anyway.

I tried knitting a couple of times in my younger years, but never got much further than an unfinished potholder. Then I moved to the Taos area and started hustling up as many music gigs as I could. One of those gigs was at the now defunct Taos Wool Festival, which happened the first weekend of every October. I loved it…the smells of the animals, the fleece, the feeling of the first days of autumn. People decked out in sweaters and shawls and hats that I now realize they made themselves. The beautiful colors of hand-dyed yarn, sample sweaters made in that yarn…I decided I needed to be a part of all that, not just a spectator.

My mom knew how to knit, so I asked her to teach me. She gave me the basics and I made myself a very sad scarf, followed by a few more sad scarfs, a dishcloth, and probably a few other square-ish things. Then one night at the Taos Inn I was talking to my friend and fellow musician Laura Melanie Collins, and somehow the subject of knitting came up. She told me she was an avid knitter and offered to help me with my first sweater. It is no exaggeration to say that offer changed my life. She helped me pick out a pattern and yarn and all the other tools I’d need, and she walked me through every step. I remember showing up at her workplace during her lunch hour frustrated and close to tears more than once asking for help, and she was such a good teacher. If you’re thinking of getting into knitting, I highly recommend finding a mentor.

I was so proud of that first sweater, and it threw the doors of knitting wide open for me. I don’t think I’ve been without a project on my needles since. I’ve knitted many sweaters, hats, shawls, and gloves. I’m about to try my hand at socks. I belong to a couple of knitting groups which I love (surprising to me, considering my extreme introverted tendencies). Knitting can be relaxing and meditative or technical and challenging. There are countless studies about the benefits of knitting on mental health. I love learning about different kinds of yarn and new techniques. I dream about what my next project will be.

And no, I will not knit you a sweater.

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miscellaney

~if you are interested in fiber arts and happen to find yourself in Espanola you should check out this place (and they sell donated yarn for $6/lb!!!!!!!!)

~recent reads – Orbital by Samantha Harvey, North Woods by Daniel Mason, I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, Educated by Tara Westover, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, Our Moon by Rebecca Boyle, The Antidote by Karen Russell

~hot off the needles –

Hitofude Cardigan by Hiroko Fukatsu

Pathway Tee by Kirsten Joel

Thank you as always for taking a little time out of your day to read my ramblings! And stay tuned, I’m in the early planning stages of a new album…recording starts in January!!!