cowgrl_fic: (Ianto)
cowgrl_fic ([personal profile] cowgrl_fic) wrote2008-05-19 08:12 pm

Fic: "Taking Up Knitting"

Title: Taking Up Knitting
Characters: Torchwood Team, Myfanwy
Pairing: Jack/Ianto (hinted at)
Rating: G
Genre: Fluff
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. I'm just playing with them.
Summary: Ianto is teaching Toshiko to knit.
Thank you to [livejournal.com profile] resourceress for all her fabulous feedback regarding knitting, and other suggestions and corrections. Thank you also to [livejournal.com profile] denicemarcell for general feedback which was very helpful.


When Gwen arrived at the hub one morning she found Ianto and Tosh sitting on a couch together, both of them holding knitting needles and yarn, and apparently deep in concentration. She bounded over to them.

“Oh, how sweet! You’re teaching Ianto how to knit.”

Tosh peered up at her through her reading glasses. “Oh no, you’ve got it backwards! I’m rubbish with yarn. Ianto’s been trying to teach me.”

“She’s doing quite well, actually,” Ianto said, then turned his attention back to Tosh. “You’re putting the needle in the wrong loop of yarn.” His voice was calm and steady. “Just pull those last few stitches out.”

Tosh let out an exasperated sigh as she pulled on the yarn. “I thought this would be so easy,” she said to Gwen. “Anyone can knit, right? I want to make a scarf to send to my mother for her birthday. A home-made gift.”

“I’m sure you can do it,” Gwen assured her. “But right now I need coffee.”

“Already made,” Ianto said as Gwen headed across the room to the coffee machine. When she got there, Owen was just pouring himself a cup, and acknowledged her with a rather sleepy hello.

Gwen and Owen had barely settled in at their desks with their coffee when they heard an outburst from across the room.

“Arghh! I’m smart enough to hack into any computer network in the world! I refuse to let two sticks and some sheep fur get the best of me!” Frustrated, Tosh threw the knitting needles and skein. And then, seemingly out of nowhere, one pterodactyl swooped down and grabbed the whole bundle, needles, yarn and all.

“Oi! Come back with that!” Tosh shouted, immediately on her feet.

“Myfanwy!” Ianto yelled toward the creature, who was now circling high overhead.

Gwen and Owen both came running over.

“Torchwood, where even the pterodactyl takes up knitting,” Owen quipped. It took a moment but they all groaned at the joke, though Tosh looked at him adoringly.

“Well, do something,” Owen continued, looking at Ianto. “She’s your pet. And I may be a doctor but I have no intention of pulling yarn out a pterodactyl’s arse.”

Shaking his head, Ianto went looking for pterodactyl treats. Meanwhile, Jack, having heard the commotion, came down from his office to investigate.

“Ianto was teaching me to knit,” Tosh explained. “But I got frustrated and threw the yarn and now Myfanwy has it,” she said pointing upward.

As they all looked up at the prehistoric bird, Ianto made a small whistling noise. He’d trained Myfanwy to know there would be a treat when she heard that noise. Sure enough, she flew down. As he put a few gummy worms on the floor in front of her, he realized his latest pterodactyl treat was probably why she’d gone for the yarn, since Tosh was working with mostly yellow and green wool and the gummy worms were the same colors. Fortunately for him, Myfanwy took the bait and he was able to grab the two knitting needles and the yarn, which unfortunately looked a bit tattered now.

The excitement over, the others went back to their normal morning tasks while Jack pulled Ianto aside.

“I didn’t know you could knit,” Jack said in a low voice, standing just inches away from Ianto.

“I can knit,” Ianto said, stating the obvious.

“Then why haven’t you ever knitted anything for me?” Jack continued, his arms crossed, but a slight twinkle in his eyes.

“You never asked.”

Jack merely raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll get right on it, sir.” Ianto played along.

They were interrupted by the sound of an alarm from one of Tosh’s monitors. “There’s been a sharp spike in rift activity,” Tosh announced, looking at her hand-held device as she walked toward the machine emitting the noise. “It’s right in Cardiff city center, near the castle.”

“Tosh, you stay here and keep monitoring the equipment,” Jack said. “The rest of you, with me.”

As the team hurried to leave the hub, Ianto muttered under his breath: “Today’s agenda: 1. Save the world. 2. Knit Jack a pair of socks.” He rolled his eyes, then hurried toward the visitor center exit. If he got to the SUV first and into the driver‘s seat, maybe Jack would let him drive.

***

A few hours later, having saved the world yet again, Jack, Owen, Gwen, and Ianto returned to the hub looking disheveled but clearly relieved to have successfully completed their mission.

“Look,” Tosh said as they approached. She held up her knitting -- with about three inches of scarf already done, the yellows and greens exactly where they needed to be.

“Well done!” Ianto exclaimed. Tosh beamed proudly.

Way overhead, a pterodactyl circled with several strands of yellow and green yarn in her beak.

*end*

[identity profile] adafrog.livejournal.com 2008-05-20 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
Very cute, thanks.

[identity profile] cowgrl-fic.livejournal.com 2008-05-20 01:11 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm glad you liked it! :-)

[identity profile] cherishthepast.livejournal.com 2008-05-20 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
I have ALWAYS had Ianto pegged as a knitter. Glad I'm not the only one!

[identity profile] cowgrl-fic.livejournal.com 2008-05-20 01:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Yay! Yeah, about a month ago I just had this image in my mind of Ianto knitting. Eventually I decided to create a small story around it. :-)
contrarywise: Glowing green trees along a road (happy geek!tosh)

[personal profile] contrarywise 2008-05-20 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
Congrats on the new fic journal, and on completing the fic. Yay for you on both counts! I'm glad I could be of help. :)

[identity profile] cowgrl-fic.livejournal.com 2008-05-20 01:13 pm (UTC)(link)
You were a HUGE help! :-)

[identity profile] pecos.livejournal.com 2008-05-20 06:37 am (UTC)(link)
WONDERFUL! Gummy worm treats for you, darling!

[identity profile] cowgrl-fic.livejournal.com 2008-05-20 01:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you! LOL

[identity profile] misswinterhill.livejournal.com 2008-05-20 08:37 am (UTC)(link)
Very cute! **worries** so long as the curse of the boyfriend sweater doesn't get them...

[identity profile] cowgrl-fic.livejournal.com 2008-05-20 01:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh dear! I was hoping as long as he doesn't knit a sweater he'd be ok. Perhaps Ianto might never quite get around to knitting those socks? :-)

[identity profile] geordie-star.livejournal.com 2008-05-20 12:36 pm (UTC)(link)
HaHa! Very cute!

[identity profile] cowgrl-fic.livejournal.com 2008-05-20 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Yay! I'm glad you liked it. Considering how much I've enjoyed your fic, this means a lot to me. :-)

[identity profile] kensieg.livejournal.com 2008-05-21 12:51 am (UTC)(link)
I knew Myfanwy would be a good knitter. M knitted the scarf right? Cute!

[identity profile] cowgrl-fic.livejournal.com 2008-05-21 02:21 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a little-known fact that pterodactyls actually invented knitting, millions of years ago. No need for knitting needles, though - they just used their beaks! :-)

[identity profile] kensieg.livejournal.com 2008-05-21 02:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I'd sooner believe that M did it than that Tosh did it! Knitting is hard!

[identity profile] cowgrl-fic.livejournal.com 2008-05-21 03:14 pm (UTC)(link)
I know! I've tried twice to learn to knit, and gave up both times. :(

[identity profile] capra124.livejournal.com 2008-05-21 04:00 am (UTC)(link)
This is cute. I can see Ianto knitting and I can see not only Tosh, but Gwen having difficulty learning. It's tough to figure out, despite looking easy. I know....I'm a knitter, and it took me years to figure it out well enough to try and make anything!

[identity profile] cowgrl-fic.livejournal.com 2008-05-21 02:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Ianto has many hidden talents so of course he can knit. :-)

I've tried twice! and failed to learn to knit so I truly understand Tosh's frustration. During my last attempt I made a hat that was truly pathetic. :-)

[identity profile] alba17.livejournal.com 2008-05-22 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
I can't believe I've actually witnessed the intersection of two of my obsessions: Torchwood and knitting. Clever story. Having recently tried to knit around 2 kittens (never a good idea), I empathized with Tosh when the pteradactyl stole her knitting.

[identity profile] cowgrl-fic.livejournal.com 2008-05-22 02:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Yarn is definitely a cat toy so I can see how knitting around kittens would be a problem. Apparently it's a pterodactyl toy too, at least in my warped universe. :-) I'm glad you liked the story!

Great icon, btw!

[identity profile] alanhamilton.livejournal.com 2008-05-22 02:35 pm (UTC)(link)
I love it. Thanks for a truly delightful and entertaining story!

[identity profile] cowgrl-fic.livejournal.com 2008-05-22 03:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Hi Alan! I'm really glad you liked the story. :-)
ext_3970: (Torchwood - Jack & Ianto)

[identity profile] pinkfairy727.livejournal.com 2008-05-23 01:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Hehe! Mint :c)