Bethpage knitter Mary Burke was born and raised on a family farm in Kenmare county Kerry in Ireland, one of the westernmost places in Ireland, 'next stop Boston'. Her father was a deep sea fisherman in the scallop and lobster seasons and carpenter when not at sea. In the true spirit of self-reliance, the family made most of the things right on the farm. One of seven siblings, Mary remembers fondly some of her tasks - making butter and cheese, collecting and washing eggs for the market, even making fishing nets.
Baby sweater by Mary Burke Photo by Ewa Rumprecht
Mary was six years old when her grandmother plucked two quills from a turkey, stripped them of feather, and gave the quill needles to Mary to start knitting; there was only one pair of metal knitting needles in the house and grandma was not willing to part with it. Also, grandma was dubious that Mary, who was left-handed, could master the craft. Just to prove her wrong Mary learned to knit, right-handed, and continues knitting to this day.
Shawl by Mary Burke Photo by Ewa Rumprecht
Since commercial patterns were beyond her means, Mary relied on the word of mouth and on her observation and common sense to pick up stitches and patterns. It worked quite well for her. She learned from her family, friends, and colleagues. She returned her accumulated knowledge in equal measure to countless novice and experienced knitters.
At Think Long Island First we carry her baby sweaters, baby hats and headbands, and scarves for adults - a very small sample of the vast number of items she had made since the first sweaters she knitted to supplement her modest school wardrobe. She knitted out of necessity, out of curiosity, and out of the generosity of spirit.
Baby knits by Mary Burke Photo by Ewa Rumprecht
Far removed from her first turkey quill needles, Mary now prefers bamboo needles - they are noiseless and more calming. She likes working with wool as it has a natural stretch to it. She finds cotton too rigid and does not use it at all.
Mary favors knitting over crocheting and other fiber arts, because, as she jokingly puts it: 'I can look at other things and gossip'. She exercises this merry employment every Monday when she joins a group of senior knitters at her clubhouse; 14 ladies get together to make clothes for premature babies from underprivileged families, clothes are distributed to local hospitals - a wonderful way to give back.
We are gearing toward another event - Knitting Circle - Potluck Lunch which takes place at the store on Saturday, November 5th, between 11 am - 2 pm.
A group of novice and expert knitters, weavers, fiber artists, and spinners meets at the store for a few hours of swapping patterns, exchanging ideas, and just pure fun.
We held a similar event last year to a great success. In addition to knitting and crocheting we got a chance to try our hands at spinning and weaving - Donna Lee Trunk brought her portable loom, Carrie Wood set up her spinning wheel.
It's a potluck event so please bring a small dish (really small) to share with other guests. We will have limited storage and heating abilities so make is something uncomplicated.
We have celebrated our One Year Anniversary last Saturday with a gathering of artists and guests at the store. As always, it was a pleasure to meet the many talented Long Island artists, craftspeople, authors, and chefs and to welcome guests who appreciated their skill and creativity.
It was a beautiful day complemented by the generosity of our visitors - a local pantry benefits from the food items brought to the event. It is much appreciated.
Let us take this opportunity to express our gratitude to All who worked with us and supported us in the last year - from the artist community and the public to the members of our families. Many thanks!
