It's 1969. You decide to make your husband a V neck pullover. What do you pull out? Your handy Raglan Sweater Wheel! Why it's what you use to make baby sweaters, cardigans for yourself, sweaters for your children of all ages! My neighbor found this when she cleaned out a closet a few days ago. A fellow knitter, she came running over to show me and we sat in awe, honoring the knitter before us, so resourceful to create such a tool. Copyright 1969, Bea Freeman, Bryn Mawr, PA.
Working with this thing is quite an adventure. You start with "Read First" - which basically gives gauge instructions for fingering, sport and worsted weight. All the knitting instructions are in the color sections, back, front and sleeve. Then you SPIN SPIN SPIN until you find your size - baby, children, sub-teen, boy's teen, juniors on one side, flip to the othe side for misses, women's, men's. Small bits of text give all the neck pick-up instructions, button-holes, etc. It's all there!
What isn't there are color photographs or mention of yarn, except for gauge. Are we all so spoiled by what we have at our fingertips today? Beautiful magazines, patterns, yarns, access to the internet all give us endless sources of inspiration. Did these women knit for self expression? Perhaps they did. By only having the bare essentials - the sweater wheel and some decent wool, they were left to their own devices to make the design their own and to make the actual knitting more interesting. Maybe they added stripes. Or Fair Isle patterns. I wonder what sort of magic was created from the Raglan Sweater Wheel.
Well, it's the year 2004. We have our templates, too, complete with beautiful photos, suggested yarns, and expanded to include hats, mittens, scarves, etc. Still, there is something beautiful in the simplicity of the Wheel. Even though it belongs to my neighbor, I feel secure in knowing it is near-by, just in case I get the overwhelming urge to knit up a V-neck raglan pull-over for my husband or children.
Wow. We've come a loooooong way, Baby! We are completely spoiled by having everything at our fingertips. But there is beauty in simplicity and that wheel says it all. Hey, a sock wheel would come in handy . . . :)
Posted by: Kerstin | May 01, 2004 at 05:43 AM
Guilty on being spoiled. My grandmother would turn over in her grave if she saw how much I spent on yarn, needles and storage towers! :)
That raglan wheel is a cool find! And how lucky are you to have a knitting neighbor!!
Sock wheel would be great! so would a dinner wheel, cleaning wheel and how to manage my time better wheel. :)
xoxo
Posted by: sandy | May 01, 2004 at 08:50 AM
What a handy dandy little wheel! A great idea. I imagine that the knitter would allow her creativity to show in the patterns she chose, either fair isle, cables, etc. How great of your neighbor to share with you.
I am going to have to get that book of patterns as well. That looks pretty handy dandy too.
**When I saw your title, I flashed back to my favorite show "Bewitched". How much did I want to be Samantha?!? What was the daughter's name? Tabatha, or was that the mean aunt? Gosh, I've completely forgotten all "Bewitched" facts....
Posted by: annie | May 01, 2004 at 10:12 AM
I have no idea why, but the wheel made me think of Bewitched. Who did you like better - the first Darren or the second one? Remember "Dr. Bombay, Dr. Bombay, come right away!" And how she would say "Moth-errr!" :)
Posted by: Mary Beth | May 01, 2004 at 10:56 AM
I loved Dr. Bombay! Hmmm...which Darren. I think the first one?
And, didn't you love "I Dream of Jeannie" too? I wanted a bottle like hers!
Posted by: annie | May 01, 2004 at 12:41 PM
Definitely the first Darren!!
Posted by: Sharon | May 01, 2004 at 01:40 PM
First Darren! What did the Jeannie used to call "him" - the captain? sir? I can't remember.
Posted by: Mary Beth | May 01, 2004 at 03:43 PM
First darren for sure! MB, you've got your bewitched and I dream of jeannie mixed up! come on girl! Get with the 70's!!
Bewitched was my favorite show! Now you know! I even made lyrics to the song. Someday, I'll even tell you! :)
Posted by: sandy | May 01, 2004 at 09:23 PM
Women of a certain age, waxing nostalgic over Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie. By the way, Jeannie called him "Master." Seriously. 'Course, that was back when Larry Hagman was cute.
I liked the old Darren because he was over-the-top. The new Darren was too self-righteous. And I loved all the side characters--Maurice, Endora, Serena, Dr. Bombay (!), and, of course, Tabitha and, was it, Aunt Helen?
MB, I love to read your blog. If I miss reading blogs for a few days yours is one of the first I catch-up on. That Blueberry Borscht is stunning.
Glad to see you in the Clog-Along!
Posted by: Laurie | May 02, 2004 at 10:49 AM
I love this post. The wheel, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie...wow. I've found my Tribe. sigh. Met a lot of Tribal Women at MSWF...my first time there...Next year I want to stay the whole weekend. maybe if I twitch my nose.
Posted by: greta | May 03, 2004 at 06:38 AM
First Darren..of coarse!!! Oh dear, I think I remember this wheel and other like it. Thank goodness for books like Ann Budd's and Nancie Wiseman's. It makes us more capable of being 'super knitters' (not to be confused with wonder knitter aka wonder woman..now that was a show!-NOT)
Posted by: margene | May 03, 2004 at 03:45 PM