For the Love of Textiles

On monday-evening I was so fed up knitting big items such as my Daniel (the weather is too nice to knit warm and wooly items) that I decided to go back to one of my favourite items to knit which are.... socks. Found my lovely Pale Bleu and Green bamboo/wool yarn from Easy Knits in my stash (bought it last year at the IKnit show in London)and with his pattern the Diamond Geezer off I went. They come out nice and I immediatly ordered the Rhubarb colour which hopefully arrives this week. I love to knit socks and my husband has now a big collection of my handknitted socks in the most amazing colours. My own collection is (so sad) partly eaten up by some moths (due to an old sheepskin somewhere laying behind: partytime overthere for all moths living in our house) and the rest I have to mend (Make do and Mend as mentioned in the wonderfull podcast from Brenday Dayne: Cast on ). But those new ones will be worn proudly this spring and summer. Knitting socks is such a technical way of kni...

My knitting-adventure started years ago in the late 70's when I was studying Social Studies.I was 19 at that time, living on my own in a very small room and very alternative in a way. It seems to me that almost everyone was knitting at that time and we even knitted during our lessons sociology and patterns were shared with everyone. I was a very crafty boy when I was young. No matter as it was drawing, painting, handicrafts with old boxes, ceramics,macrame (O, those plant hangers were everywhere and I was very into big walldecorations knotted with thick hemp yarn and handmade big beads from raw clay) I loved everything. So one day I asked my mum to teach me how to knit after I had learned to crochet from an aunt of me. She was a very good knitter; not really difficult items but she was very precise. We went to the departmentstore called HEMA and there we bought needles and dark brown 100 wool yarn. I still have those needles. They are made from yellow plastic, size 5. We also boug...

After many hours of thinking I decided to start a blog.Don't know yet if I publish regulary but.. let's give it a try and share som e moments and thoughts with you all in cyberspace. The main theme is ofcourse: Knitting because for many years now that is my real adiction. I usually knit everyday which sometimes feels like meditating. But after following a course of Mindfullness I have started meditating which something New to me. Usually I meditate before going to bed and since the moment I have started I have the idea that I sleep better. But.. I think I have to start by telling something personal about myself. Name:Jan ter Heide, 50 years of age (can't believe I am that old ;-). Living in Deventer (NL). Married to Bram after being together for almost 25 years, proud grandfather from grandson Jim. Profession: teacher fashiondesign at a high and medium level Fashion college in Enschede. Artist together with artist in crime : Evelien Verkerk ( www.werkvanterheideverkerk.n...