I never know when inspiration will hit!

This past weekend, I spent time in the garden mowing the lawn, and pulling weeds. Little did I know it would lead me to a great adventure in knitting, , ,with grass!

I feel like its been forever since I've worked in my garden. Weekends have been so busy, that all's we've been able to do is mow the grass. But this past holiday weekend, I spent four glorious days piddling around in the garden. 

​I loved it, my manicurist didn't!

I've been thinking of knitting with grass for a while. Those long, tall stalks of beautiful green grass seem like it would make the perfect material to work with. Each time I would see grasses along the side of the road, I always wanted to stop and pick some, just to try it out. 

​But I never did. 

So after I mowed the lawn, I started pulling weeds by hand, and I realized that my tall stalks of grass would be the perfect material to practice with!

My friends, Marty and Diane Growdon, found some yarn for me recently and it was still sitting by the front door, so I grabbed my needles and the ball of yarn, sat down on the swing under our tall cedar tree, and played. 

I knew I needed to cast on with yarn, it's the portion with the hardest bends, and I wasn't sure how the grass will react to  such twists and turns. 

I really had no idea what I was doing, but that's when the most creative moments happen for me.

​After a couple of rows with yarn, I knit two rows using the grass. I wasn't sure how I was going to create a continuous strand of grass, so for each stitch, I grabbed a new clump of grass.

Knit one row
​Purl one row. 

I realized that I was taking too large of bunches of grass. It was difficult to hold, and difficult to purl with. After a couple of rows using the yarn, I tried it again, this time taking half the amount of stalks as the first try. 

It seemed easier much easier to knit with!

I'm really pleased with how it turned out! I love the contrast between the grass and the colorful yarn from Marty and Dianne. I love how the grass hangs down from the bottom of the piece!

Fun, messy, but yet orderly, I can see the stitch definitions in the grass. ​

Since our grass "grows like weeds" I know I'll have more material to try it again, with a few adjustments. I think I'll hold a green yarn while knitting with the grass. It might help hold the grass rows together a little more. and I think I'll use larger needles. I used 10's for this piece, but I think the grass would like 13's!

It's so much fun knitting with "weird stuff!" I get so excited using alternative materials while knitting! It feeds my creative soul!