The Knitter

I knit to keep death away

For hame will dae me.

On a day like this the fine mist

Is a dropped stitch across the sky.



I knit to hold a good yarn

For stories bide with me

On a night like this, by the peat fire;

I like a story with a herringbone twist.



But a yarn aye slips through your fingers.

And my small heart has shrunk with years.

I couldn’t measure the gravits, the gloves, the mittens,

The jerseys, the cuffs, the hose, the caps,



The cowls, the cravats, the cardigans,

The hems and facings over the years.

Beyond the sea wall, the waves unfurl.

I knitted through the wee stitched hours.



I knitted till my eyes filled with tears,

Till the dark sky filled with colour.

Every spare moment. Time was a ball of wool.

I knitted to keep my croft; knitted to save my life.



When my man was out at sea; I knitted the fishbone.

Three to the door, three to the fire.

The more I could knit; the more we could eat.

I knitted to mend my broken heart



When the sea took my man away, and by day

I knitted to keep the memories at bay.

I knitted my borders by the light of the fire

When the full moon in the sky was a fresh ball of yarn.



I knitted to begin again: Lay on, sweerie geng.

Takkin my makkin everywhere I gang.

Een and een. Twin pins. My good head.

A whole life of casting on, casting off



Like the North sea. I watch wave after wave,

plain and purl, casting on, casting off.

I watch the ferries coming back, going away.

Time is a loop stitch. I knit to keep death away.

By Jackie Kay

New York State Sheep and Wool Festival on this weekend

Putting a new spin on vandalism as guerrilla knitters weave havoc

Published Date: 14 September 2009
By CLAIRE GARDNER
HERE'S a good yarn from Inverness. A pair of "guerrilla knitters" have covered landmarks around the city in bright red wool.
Now giant pompoms hang from lampposts, crocheted spider webs have been strung across alleyways and tombstones in the city's ancient graveyard adorned with cosies.



Organisers hope the fun-filled scheme, also called "yarnbombing", will entice visitors and shoppers to the city centre.

The project, which used 45 miles of red wool, has been set up to transform Inverness city centre as part of a £300,000 taxpayer-funded project.

The installation, organised by Inverness Old Town Art (Iota),

forms part of a project to celebrate the regeneration of the city's Old Town.

Annie Marrs and Jennifer Cantwell are the two artists behind the art group's latest scheme in Inverness.

Previous projects include Inverness in Pants, when large papier-mache briefs were strung up across the city's Church Street.

The pair spent three months knitting the woolly street furniture and insist the public money is going to good use.

Ms Marrs said: "The idea is to create something which is quite feminine, tactile and craft-based and bring it into a concreted, brick world.

"We deliberately chose to use blood red and the idea is that we are connecting spaces like an arterial line through the town.

"Our work is about love and bringing a nurturing feeling back to the city."

The artists began their prank at 5:30am last Monday and were granted permission from the city's Old High Church to place the woollen decorations on the historic tombstones.

However, critics have branded the scheme a waste of taxpayers' money claiming the cash could have been better spent on improving local services.

But a spokesperson for Iota said: "Focusing on costs of events may mean the actual social and promotional benefits to the area and arts community are overlooked."

There has been mixed reaction to the woollen stunt.

Mary Scanlon, the Conservative Highlands MSP, was less than impressed. She said: "I am far from convinced that giant pompoms are the best way to promote the city. Art is meant to be challenging, but I do think it is disrespectful to cover gravestones in wool."

However, Claire Barnes, 20, a receptionist at the Ramada Jarvis Hotel in Church Street insisted they had made a positive impact on the city centre.

She said: "I think the red balls look really attractive, they brighten up the place."

STITCH IN TIME

THE 21st century has seen a resurgence of knitting.

Celebrities including Julia Roberts, Winona Ryder, Cameron Diaz and Russell Crowe have all been seen knitting and have helped to popularise the revival of the craft.

The internet has also created a thriving online knitting community allowing knitters to connect, share interests and learn from each other.

Blogging and tweeting have also helped fuel the development of an international knitting community.