National African-American Knitting Month

Not really, but it IS African-American History month, and I am knitting so, what the heck! Unfortunately, I am not a whit African, except through association.

My husband's da was an anthropologist who specialized in Carneval (he travelled the world going to BIG parties and then got paid for the research) and dragged his wife and 3 kids around the world with him, including Africa where they lived for several years in various countries including the Belgian Congo after having my husband, then when BC blew up, they fled to what was then Tanganyika where my sister in law was born, and then later Dan led the Study Abroad program in Lagos, Ghana. So there is an affinity there for Africa.

I came into the picture via Dan's African Art History course, and thus came to meet the father of my children and the man who shares my bed, who loves African art with any love that he has left after loving me. He also loves anything ethnic, and despises white suburban culture, and typically wears patterned sweaters, which quite frankly look fabuloso on him.

Okay, stay with me....

So Marianne Isager publishes her book Knitting in Africa which is just the type of book that I love. You have patterns, new techniques, great photos of the inspiration pieces. What more could an unconventional combined knitter desire?

Weeeellll, naturally to knit some of said sweaters in actual yarn that will actually fit my husband, who in my mind will absolutely love the sweater because they are African and his style, but best of all, knit by his lovely wife, who was wearing a Kente cloth on the evening that he met her. Really he would have to be absolutely nuts to wear anything else on my body.

Please, allow me my delusions and celebrate African American Knitting Month with me, dear reader, and whip up a few African sweaters with me!