The Lure of Yarn (short story) by Leanne Dyck

I published (2006) The Lure of Yarn in the collection Novelty Yarn (audiobook). Recently, I revised it.

'knitting one of my first sweaters"

photo by a niece 

The Lure of Yarn

A friend taught me to cast on. I knit a scarf--just a scarf. But, oh... The feel of the yarn as it slipped through my fingers... The soothing repetitive movements... The singing of the needles... I knit another and another and another.

"Knitting is so relaxing," I said when people asked about my hobby--even when they didn't. "You should try it." I forced yarn and needles at them. Some of them walked away. Others ran.

All I wanted to do was knit. I couldn't stop myself. I wasn't myself. Something else had taken over.

Then came the hard stuff--intarsia, lacework, cables:  stitch after stitch, row after row.

"Let's go to a movie," my boyfriend said. "Dancing? To the art gallery?" There was a note of desperation in his voice. "To the ballet?"

"Wish I could but I have to work late." That was a lie. I snuck off to my local yarn shop where I bought yarn--more and more yarn. I hid it in every closet in my tiny apartment and under the bed--thank goodness it's king-size.

It's too late for me. I'm lost to the click, click, click. But you, my friend, there's hope for you. No, don't touch those needles. Stay away from that yarn. Listen to me:  Never cast on.

Next post:  Sunday, November 25 (approximately 5 PM PST)
Courting (short story) Jane Austin inspired historical romance

My Top Secret Christmas Knitting Project...

Once upon a time, a knitter got wrist pain and the experts said, "I recommend you take a year off from knitting."

The knitter did. But after a year the knitter still experienced pain after knitting. Year after year, the knitter couldn't knit. Until... until this year... 

Sunday, October 21 I cast on 88 stitches and worked first in 2 x 2 rib and then switched to Stockinette stitch.

2 x 2 rib (over even number of stitches)
row:  knit 2, purl 2--to end of row
repeat row for pattern

Stockinette stitch
row 1:  knit
row 2:  purl
repeat rows 1 and 2 for pattern