Walkabout: PI
Happenings in the Star City
By Paula Brewer
Spinning a good yarn
Confession: Yarn is a bit of an obsession with me. Knitting, crocheting, it’s all good — keeps the hands going, the mind flowing, and I like the challenge of taking a ball of yarn and two needles or a hook and creating something.
It began when I was 4, learning from both my grandmothers — one left-handed, the other right-handed. The first thing I ever tried to make was a bright red scarf with navy blue on the end. My stitches were so tight I could barely move them, let alone get the other needle through them. Knitting was a jumble of motions that perplexed me; I dropped it for crocheting.
A dozen or so years ago, I picked up the needles again in earnest, determined to overcome the challenge. I still have the first mitten I knit that winter. It would have fit Bigfoot. I mean, it would have fit his foot. I swear I can hear my grandmothers laughing.
The open, lacy stitches created by arm knitting serve as a frame for some of the activity Thursday evening at the Wintergreen Arts Center in Presque Isle. Instructor Trisha House and several others were on hand to teach the technique.
(Staff Photo/Paula Brewer)
But time and practice heal many things, and I carry on. I just recently went big-time: size 50 knitting needles, which are an inch in diameter, using yarn the thickness of a pen. That was interesting and produced an intriguing lacy effect. So why not go bigger still?
This past Thursday, the Wintergreen Arts Center offered a “Ladies’ Night Out” craft session on arm knitting. That’s right: you use your hands and arms — no needles at all, just you and your yarn.
Of course I had to try it.
Apparently 40-plus other women thought it was a great idea, too — the space was full. There’s something both comforting and energizing about getting that many people in a room, some who know one another and some who don’t, gathered in large and small circles, all creating, conversing, learning and laughing.
There’s a lesson, too: in the midst of our hectic lives, in a world often filled with busy-ness and technology, here we were using just our hands and voices to blend together into a community.
The actual mechanics took several tries to get through my head. It’s true, once you learn it, it’s wickedly easy — you just need practice to fine-tune the technique. But starting out there were many moments of twisting yarn around fingers, brow furrowed, hands stalled as I tried to remember what was next.
This is where it is beneficial to be in a large circle of people all doing the same thing. You watch each other, learn, and feel oddly comforted when your neighbor looks as confused as you feel.
“I’m clueless,” said one woman as I examined her beautifully cast-on stitches. “Now what do I do with this loop?” I asked, my hands lost in the twists of yarn. “I don’t remember,” she laughed.
Thanks to instructor Trisha House and other helpers, who between them visited everyone to instruct one-on-one, we got there. Finally, the loops and curls began to make sense and the long swatch hanging from my arm actually resembled knitting. By the end of the session everyone was adorned with a lacy, intricate-looking scarf — and had a new skill to take home.
So, if working with small needles isn’t your thing or you’re in the mood for something different, you might want to give this a try. House advised checking out YouTube for additional help, and I found a “how-to” with nicely detailed photographs of each step. Just search for “arm knitting.”
Wintergreen Arts hosts Ladies’ Night Out on the third Thursday of each month, during which someone comes to share an artistic skill in a fun and informal setting. Sessions are free and women of all ages are welcome. Call 762-3576 or visit wintergreenarts.org for further information.
When I got home Thursday night, I looked at my leftover yarn. “I’ve got to do this again,” I thought, “to make sure I remember how.”
I think my grandmothers are smiling.
Celebrating rarity
Monday is, of course, that rarest day in the calendar: Feb. 29. The day is special for many reasons; some born on that day can actually celebrate their birthdays, and the fact that it only occurs once in four years seems to make it cause for celebration.
But several Maine entities will come together for another kind of rarity. Rare Diseases Day is marked globally as a time of unity and education for those with diseases, their families and those who care for them. The group Maine Rare is spearheading the state effort.
A celebration is planned Monday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Statehouse Hall of Flags in Augusta. Joining Maine Rare will be the Hemophilia Alliance of Maine, the Jackson Laboratory, the Maine Parent Federation and others affected by rare diseases.
Jill Packard, programs and public policy manager for the Hemophilia Alliance, said 1 in 10 Maine people have a rare disease. This includes her son, who has severe hemophilia.
Maine Rare described Rare Disease Day as an effort to raise awareness of the impact that rare diseases have on the lives of patients and those who care for them. This year’s theme is “Patient Voice,” emphasizing the importance of patients being able to voice their needs to instigate change for themselves and their families.
For further information, contact the alliance at mainehemophilia.org or visit the Maine Rare community on Facebook.
