As an addict of both knitting and tattoos, I have wanted a knitting tattoo for years. But it took a very long time for something to hit me with that lightning bolt surety that a tattoo demands. No offense to the "Knit Fast / Die Warm" crowd, but I really wanted something unique, that had special meaning to me, that wasn't just some ball of yarn. I wanted the graphics to be strong, but not look cartoonish. I didn't want any text, but I didn't want any cutesy pictures either. I wanted something that a vintage sailor would sport, but that also a vintage grandmother would recognize. And I definitely didn't want it to be too literal. That's a tall order when it comes to knitting and tattoos.
It wasn't until I really got into collecting vintage knitting needle gauges that my lightning bolt hit. Thanks to The History of Knitting Pin Gauges by Sheila Williams (I highly recommend this book, as it contains a wealth of historical information in a rather slim volume), I was able to identify all the gauges in my collection and find the perfect graphics for my tattoos!
First, Abel Morrall's Griffin:
...and the Griffin tattoo!
Now Patons and Baldwins Beehive:
...and the Beehive tattoo!
I can't write this post without many thanks to Isaac Velasco at Iron Quill Tattoo. I can't state enough how warm and professional Isaac and Iron Quill are. Outstanding work, and so meaningful to me.
If you want a knitting tattoo but don't know what to get, definitely wait as long as you need to find the right inspiration. Explore vintage, international, cross-hobbies... You can still Knit Fast and Die Warm, but consider its implicit, as I did with Griffin and Beehive.
-X.B.
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