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Knitting Poetry – Winding Wool

by

Winding Wool

 

by Robert Service

 

She’d bring to me a skein of wool

And beg me to hold out my hands;

so on my pipe I cease to pull

And watch her twine the shining strands

Into a ball so snug and neat,

Perchance a pair of socks to knit

To comfort my unworthy feet,

Or pullover my girth to fit.

 

As to the winding I would sway,

A poem in my head would sing,

And I would watch in dreamy way

The bright yarn swiftly slendering.

The best I liked were coloured strands

I let my pensive pipe grow cool . . .

Two active and two passive hands,

So busy winding shining wool.

 

Alas! Two of those hands are cold,

And in these days of wrath and wrong,

I am so wearyful and old,

I wonder if I’ve lived too long.

So in my loneliness I sit

And dream of sweet domestic rule . . .

When gentle women used to knit,

And men were happy winding wool.

Source 

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Comments

  1. “Winding Wool” made me homesick and left a tear on my cheek. There is no reason for that still, simple, lifestyle to be gone. A path way has to exist, to have Robert Service’s words not to be lost in living rooms and kitchens; for us to enter again. Knitting is peaceful and loving. Keeping the family warm, home cooked suppers, the kids asleep, and husband and wife love and respect each other; their house is in order and their values are straight.
    In the poem, so plain, yet so perfect are wise words. “Winding Wool” is a yearning for days gone by and people that have passed. A beautiful tribute to wool and knitting. I really was touched and I want that time back, once more.
    Thank-you, Robert

  2. I can remember my mom and dad both talking about doing this back in the days before “pull skeins”. They’d sit on my mom’s front porch and dad would hold out his hands with the yarn wrapped around them and mom would wind away. Of course, if it were a Sunday and Mom’s grandmother came walking up the hill, they’d have to stash the yarn and needles under the cushions on the swing. There was absolutely no knitting, crocheting or sewing on Sundays.

    Mom and Dad are both gone now ~ Mom before Dad. But this little poem brought back some fond memories and gave me a few tears.

    Thank you for posting this.

  3. I just love this site , I have learned a lot from it!
    It’s so interesting and full of ideas ! Keep them coming please !!!!

    whoknits

Have you read?

Knit a Garter Stitch Blanket with a Twist

When I first started knitting again after a long absence from the craft (which has now been almost 25 years ago!) I really didn’t like garter stitch that much. I found it super boring, somehow even more boring than knitting stockinette stitch in the round, even though it’s exactly the same thing.

Over the years I’ve softened my opinion, and even grown to like garter stitch. There’s nothing wrong with being plain, and actually the texture of garter stitch is more interesting than stockinette.

Also there are fun things you can do with garter stitch to make it more interesting if you want to, such as adding stripes, working on the bias, or doing fun effects to change the look.

That’s the way with the Bernat Twist My Way Garter Knit Blanket. Using combinations of casting on and binding off creates what they call a Swiss cheese effect along two sides of the blanket. This is a lot of fun in the self-striping ombre yarn they chose for the pattern, but it would also be fun in a solid color or making your own stripes.

Despite the dramatic effect, this pattern is rated easy. It’s worked from side to side (if you consider the “cheesy” edges the top and bottom) and has an eight-row repeat that involves binding off and then casting on again to make the holes. They’re kind of like giant buttonholes.

Once you get the hang of it it’s a pretty easy repeat to remember, and it will be smooth knitting as big as you want to make it.

You can download this pattern from the Yarnspirations website for free, or you can buy a kit direct from them that includes the yarn you need (and knitting needles if you need those, too). Bernat Sport Ombre Twist, which is what is used in the pattern, comes in 12 self patterning colors and is a DK weight acrylic yarn.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]