I was a little worried how the world would react to my “film debut” – Thank you so much for the positive reaction- I am rather relieved 😀
I shared the film with a few of the chaps at work too – they were also positive (I chose my audience though!!)
Broadly, there have been around five surprising responses to the film depending on gender and if the viewer was a knitter 😯
1. “Oh my God! Your stash is enormous! All those boxes of yarn!”
This was a universal response. Knitter and non-knitter, male and female. It appears I have done my knitterly sistren a favor because now though if challenged re their stash, they simply point to mine and say, “look how bad I could be! This is nothing”!!!! I really must find time to blog more about my burgeoning stash.
2.”Oh my God! Ben’s man-cave is great! Never mind the knitting, can I come and live in Ben’s room?”
A LOT of the geeky guys at work blurted this one out, quite a lot of the women too… I think Sergey could have another film there too if he wanted!
3. What a well made, professional video! If that had been on the BBC I wouldn’t have batted an eyelid!
I can take no credit for that – Sergey has done a fabulous job of making me look great and editing out all the inane rubbish I must have been spouting during that interview 🙂 Thanks Sergey!
4.”Your house is so tidy! Would you please come round and tidy my house?”
This too was universal! I have to share with you – my home is not usually quite that serene and tidy. It’s just like that but with board games on the dining room table, cat toys all over the floor, balls of yarn and bags of knitting projects all over the sofa and the detritus of everyday life all over the place. Seriously, if you were going to have a camera in your house recording for all the world to see, wouldn’t you have a manic clearing up session? I am still opening cupboards and finding the random “crap” shoved out of sight 😳
5. “Wow! You really don’t look when you’re knitting, do you?”
What can I say – errm – No! When it’s straightforward stocking stitch I’m on auto pilot. I do remember being fascinated watching my Mum knit so quickly and without looking when I was little – I’m kinda gratified that I’m starting to approach that same level of expertise 🙂 It seems to have touched that same nerve in a few other people too 🙂 (I should add that the project was carefully chosen to be easy to knit – if that had been a lace project, there would have been an LOT of beeping out the swear words in that film, I can tell you!)
So glad you all enjoyed it and thank you again for all the comments and positivity – now off to write about that grey thing I was knitting (without looking) all the way through the film!!
Susan, I also would love to say that you and your work aren’t just great on camera therefore this made my job much easier)) however I thought the film will be 5 minutes long maximum but I just couldn’t let so much of interesting content of your story to be left out.
It’s been real pleasure meeting you both and your lovely cats Ziggy and Kitty. Big thank you for allowing me to explore your “Knitting World”.
Ben…I don’t know what to say…your story just has to be told; this is just another fascinating world. I hope we will do something about it one day.
Best wishes,
Sergey.
Hi Susan!
Aunt Judie sent me the video and I really loved watching it (although I do not have the patience for knitting, you made me ALMOST want to try it again). While I did forget just how big your “stash” is, I did not forget Ben’s massive room and I was hoping it was going to be displayed as well. When I come back to the UK, tell my Aunt she’ll be able to find me holed up in the video game room! 🙂
But, in all seriousness, you were a natural on camera and the editing was wonderful. I do agree, I could seriously see this on the BBC.
And now I have you blog bookmarked so I can check in from time to time on the amazing things you’re knitting. I’m going to have commission my sister (or Aunt Judie if I’m lucky) to knit me that fabulous Camilla Hat now.
Take care!
Great responses… love the man-cave ones 🙂
It was beautifully filmed.. Really took me into your world. What worries me though is that your stash looked perfectly normal to me, and I’ve only been knitting a year. A question for Sergey, Are there going to be more in the ‘knitting’ series?
Reply to Dolly, thank you for your “beautifully filmed” comment. Yes i will be definitely making more of these series. At the moment I’m in process of trying to get commissioned/sponsored for these series so i can produce them on regular basis telling the stories ideally from different parts of the world and on different topics of “The Knitting World”. So for all the knitters out there if you have any ideas or advise on that please let me know. I do really would love to take it further and really excited about it all, I hope it wont be long before the next one of the series is produced.
Hi Susan
I watched the video over the weekend and loved it – you are such a natural in front of the camera. Am going to show my husband your stash and then he’ll realise mine is nothing in comparison!!!
Hi Susan
Your stash IS enormous! Thanks for the inspiration, I’m off to buy more yarn…
Hi Susan, I’ve been catching up with your blog for a long time and I’m a lurker rather than a commentor but I just wanted to say how brilliant the video is. I look forward to seeing your updates on the items you knit and I love the summary you give for each piece. The garments you make for yourself are always something a bit special and are never just run of the mill. I recognise the items you have made from your blog but to see them in real life, as it were, on the video is amazing. They are beautiful and you are very talented.
GREAT video, more of them please, and would you tell me the pattern and yarn you are knitting during the film? Also what is the pattern and yarn for cardi you are wearing? Well done loved it
What hit me first when I watched the video was the different way of knitting (which I knew about but never saw before) in comparison to the style I was taught in Germany (mainly by my grandmother). I just can’t imagine getting anything right holding my needle like a pen and keeping my yarn in my right hand – maybe it would be interesting to compare the Continental style to the British, in case of another video? Also, I’m very much in awe of the historical knitting research which Kate Davies is doing, particularly concerning the various regions of Scotland. It would be great to make a video about her (www.katedaviesdesigns.com) and it would make a completely different story.