Traditional style tattoo of a blue and red ball of yarn pierced by two knitting needles, with banners reading KNIT FAST and DIE WARM, on a back.

Ball of yarn with knitting needles and banners

Traditional · Back · Mixed · Photo

A ball of blue, red and orange yarn sits in the centre, pierced by two knitting needles, with a banner above reading KNIT FAST and a banner below reading DIE WARM. The design uses bold black outlines and flat fills, with the yarn strands shaded in lighter and darker tones of blue and red. The composition is centred and symmetrical, with the needles extending beyond the yarn to frame the lettering.

Traditional Lettering Back Yarn Knitting needle Banner Lettering

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A story inspired by this tattoo · fiction

Dear Marguerite,

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The ovens went on at half three, as you always insisted, and by four the back room smelled like the inside of a loaf. Tomas has the racks out already and is swearing at the proving cabinet in Polish, which I think means it is broken again. I have your needles in my apron pocket, the two long ones with the brass tips worn dark, because you left them on the shelf above the flour bins and I could not bear to see them go in the rubbish with the sacks.

The blue wool is still in the box under the till. Mrs Okafor from the flat above came down yesterday asking if anyone had seen a ball of it rolling about the stairs, and I said I would look, and then I sat on the flour sacks and looked at the thing for a long time. Half a scarf is on the needles, the stitches tight and even the way only you could manage. Knit fast, die warm, you used to say, though you never told me whether you meant the jumpers, the bread or yourself.

Tomas found the scarf this morning and wrapped it round his neck without asking, which is the sort of thing you would have scolded him for. He said it smelt of your hand cream. I did not correct him. He will find out about the singed bottom shelf of the proving cabinet soon enough.

The window has gone from black to the grey of your blue wool now. Two lads from the depot are already pressing their faces to the glass, waiting for the first tray. I am going to unlock the door and let the warm out to them, and I will work the next row before the sun is properly up. I promise you that.