First Post: Voices From Abroad

Our first Knitstory comes from Ashley, an ex-patriot living in Japan.  She also maintains a blog, Whirling Woman: Excuse Me While I Dirty My Rice, about her life in Japan.

I learned from my Nana many years ago, though I don’t remember my age, I still remember it was with ugly olive green wool on gray plastic needles. It started out as a narrow scarf and quickly morphed to three times it’s initial size due to my knack of finding extra stitches along the row. A few other unfinished scarves came into my life though knitting never really stuck with me.


Until I moved to Japan. I heard that there was a SnB group, about once a month we’d travel to a cafe near someone, stitch, bitch and eat cake . Nothing is better for ex-pats living abroad than a regular social meet-up. I joined up as soon as I could. I vaguely remembered how to knit and then I learned how to cast on, and purl! Then cast-off! This was compelling stuff.


I got ambitious, I had visions of a big blanket made of ribbed squares in contrasting colours. I got the yarn and with no thought was so ever to gauge, needle size (they make a difference?) I set out.


Then culture shock hit that fall. Living abroad takes a lot of energy out of you. Even buying salt or picking up dry cleaning is more complicated and I hated everything. I resented being stared at, I resented that I needed help determining what was fabirc softener and what was detergent at the store, I resented being babied and what I felt was patronized for my ability to use chopsticks - Hey! I was a university graduate - I’m a grownup!


For many weeks I shut myself up in my apartment and I knit on my squares. I could finish one in an evening or two now I was getting pretty good at casting on and casting off. Japan has no central heating and when they were pieced together my squares became a very cozy lap blanket to keep my knees warm, and then my feet warm too. While I was knitting I felt like I was accomplishing something, not going quite insane yet, keeping calm.


The squares became a rather impressive blanket I feel. It’s on my bed now. I’ve got a few more projects and skills undermy belt as well. to say nothing of slices of cake from out knitting parties.


A new blanket in progress is lying on my lap now as I type this. Lovely with cables on thick chunky yarn. I’m still in Japan too. I still go to Stitch n Bitches and I enjoy teaching new comers how to knit and help them pick out projects.


It can be really isolating living abroad, but knitting, and our monthly meets help us keep together.

 You can also find Ashley on Ravelry, under the name WhirlingWoman.