Bridging the cultural divide
I've been living in Europe for over a dozen years now and I still often find it difficult to navigate the cultural divide. Not growing up with the culture can mean a minefield of faux pas.
For example, take this little 2x2 ribbed cap, that I made my husband for christmas in 2002. I chose the yarn and a Rowan pattern. Back in 2002, I almost exclusively knitted Rowan and Jaeger. I selected Jaeger Extrafine merino dk in a manly olive shade. The yarn was neither too thin nor too thick. 2x2 ribbing meant a nice fit and since I worked on this in secret, I lost some sleep to get it done for Christmas. On Christmas day, the present was opened and husband was duly grateful and even wore it on Boxing day for the bracing walk that he's so fond of. I detected a bit of reservation but he assured me that he loved it, so I left it at that.
1 year later, he wore it to the annual Oxford-Cambridge Rugby match and told me that all his work buddies made fun of him and called him Benny because of his hat. I replied, what a coincidence .. the pattern is called Benny. He then explained, Benny was a character from Crossroads. A character that many considered to be the 'village idiot'. Oops...sorry dear, my intention was to keep you warm not to cast you in the role of village idiot!
Since then, the issue of hats has not often been broached, so naturally there was some curiousity when he saw me cast on for a hat.
This one, I is for my dad. It's in a manly shade of brown with slight hint of green. The yarn is Jaeger Chamonix, knitted on 4.5mm needles, with 96 stitches cast on. Chamonix is wonderfully soft and the angora makes it very warm. Now, before I give this to my dad, I need to now, are there any other village idiots that I ought to be aware of?
oh, and if you're in NY, Don't forget to take advantage of this. Good food at a discount, translates to more money for yarn.
I do the same thing with hats for my husband -- I never know which ones he's really going to wear and which I'll never see again. Chamonix always sounds so wonderful, I've got to try it.
Posted by: mrspilkington at January 23, 2005 11:41 AMOh Polly - that is priceless ! Now that I look at it, that is indeed a "Benny from Crossroads" hat. One to keep for holidays in other cold countries perhaps ???
Posted by: Heather at January 23, 2005 10:12 AMAnd here I was with you, thinking that a hat was a hat was a hat.
Posted by: Carol at January 22, 2005 03:52 PMPolly, be careful if you are taking pictures of bears in hats.
This made me think of the Monkee who always wore watch cap. Mike Nesmith? Nesbitt? Naismith? Anyhoo. He was also a bit of a village idiot......but then, you're probably too young to remember the Monkees.
Hey hey we're the Monkees! xoxo Kay (my favorite Monkee was Davy Jones, no doubt because of the accent)
Posted by: Kay at January 21, 2005 02:48 AMYep I know- I just do it the other way around! Tee he, its funny and surprising what I can get away with sometimes tho.
Posted by: Carol at January 20, 2005 11:53 PMSo funny, Polly! Probably why Rowan named the design Benny! I'm sure Benny's hat was scruffier and a chunky knit though!
http://www.crossroadsappreciationsociety.co.uk/paulhenry.htm
has a picture of benny (hadn't realised that he wore a green hat)
Loads of references to Benny of Crossroads if you google.
Dawn :)
Posted by: dawn at January 20, 2005 11:07 PMI don't think there's anything wrong with those hats - but then you know my taste in headgear!!
Posted by: Yvonne at January 20, 2005 10:35 PMIs this a pattern of your own or someone else's? I just wonder whether there is another name whose associations should be avoided. I knit a lot of last minute 'Benny's in Noro Transitions for Christmas gifts but none of the recipients seemed to mind. I didn't know they were Bennys when I knit them though!
Posted by: Kirstie at January 20, 2005 10:27 PMYou should see some of the flub ups I make in my languages, even spanish which is a mother tongue. At least they are entertaining...
oooh you said the magic word... chamonix, manly sure, chamonix drooling.
Posted by: stinkerbell at January 20, 2005 10:07 PMNeither of those are anywhere near as ratty as the ones worn by Compo Simmonite on "Last of the Summer Wine," about the only British TV show besides "Coupling" that I watch regularly.
You can see pictures of Compo here:
http://www.derbydeadpool.co.uk/deadpool1999/obits/owen.html
Am I right in thinking that "compo" is another slang term for a hobo?
Posted by: Heidi at January 20, 2005 09:50 PM