Becoming a Knitter

I've been knitting for about 2½ years. I like it. My kids are in love with their blankets that I made, and my daughter still wears the hideously crooked homespun garter-stitch scarf that was the very first item I ever knitted. (Is it knitted? Or knit? Whatever.)

In 2006, I made a 2x2 ribbed scarf and a basic, fold-up brim hat for my grandma, using yarn that was god-knows-how-old from my mom's stash. My mom is a crocheter, and crocheting uses about 30% more yarn per project than knitting. My mom pretty much only makes afghans and baby blankets, so you can imagine the size of her "leftover" stash. Unfortunately, my mom loves her some bargain acrylic.

But I digress. For the first time in my adult life, my grandma thanked me for a gift, rather than figuring out a way to give it back to me! She has worn that silly little hat and scarf every winter since. Learning from that experience, I gave her knitted cotton dishcloths for Christmas last year.

So, I've been knitting along in spurts for the past 2+ years. I knit more in the winter, less in the summer. Acrylic/wool blended blankets are warm sitting on your lap in the summer while you knit!

Then, something happened.

I don't know exactly when or why, but I started reading blogs. Primarily blogs of people I "knew" from BabyCenter. A few people had more than one blog, even! Who knew?

I found myself at Kelly's blog and kept coming back. I stared at her pictures of socks. I assumed I'd never know how to do that--but how PRETTY!

Then I found myself out of town with a delayed flight and no book to read. Thinking of Kelly's blog, I googled and found a LYS, where I bought the yarn for my first pair of socks.

I've since finished a second pair of socks, and have found a LYS in my area. I've taken classes, and gone nearly broke buying "real" yarn. I realized that "sometimes you get what you pay for" and have been using quality fiber and quality tools.

Somewhere along the way, I became a Knitter. I no longer drive to work, because I can knit on the train. I bring my knitting bag everywhere I go. I knit while getting a pedicure, and skip the mani because I can't knit while my nails are drying.

I like being a Knitter. I'm finding it much more gratifying than being a knitter. I now seek out time to knit every day. It calms me, it centers me. I feel so proud of my ability to follow-through and complete a project--especially socks!

I may be obsessed...

I just ordered two new sock books.

They can join the three sock books I just bought a month ago!

I did it!!!

I finished my first pair of socks!



I've been determined to make my niece a miniature pair of socks with the leftover yarn, but I've knitted and frogged the same damn sock at least 5 times already!

Teeny little socks are harder than they seem, at least to a novice sock-knitter like myself.

My first adventure

I have a long history of unfinished craft projects.

When I was pregnant with S in 1998, I cross-stitched three Sesame Street pictures to decorate the nursery. I finished all 3 pictures, but they're still unframed, in my cross-stitch box. Do you think my 9-year old would still like them?

About 2½ years ago, my office had a baby shower for 2 expecting moms. A friend of mine got all of the "oohs and aahs" when her gifts were opened: 2 knitted baby blankets.

After all of the commotion, she offered to teach anyone who was interested to knit. So, I went to JoAnn Fabrics, and purchased a pair of US 10 needles and 2 skeins of yarn. My first scarf was rather hideous, extremely loose on one end and tight on the other--it barely qualified as a rectangle!

I gave it to my then-6-year-old daughter who adored it! It was warm and soft and her mommy made it for her.

I was so delighted in the fact that I finished something, that I went on a knitting frenzy! I knitted S a hat to match her scarf. I knitted a hat & scarf for A. I knitted J 2 scarves (because he didn't like the first one.)

I made myself a hat and scarf; and for Christmas I knitted both my and J's grandmas a hat and scarf.

**Do you see the theme here yet?**

Eventually, I tired of all the scarves. I then moved on to blankets. S got one, and her dolls got a matching mini-blanket with the leftovers. I made one for my cousin's son for his 1st birthday. Then I started A's. I ran out of yarn, and was having trouble finding the color I needed to finish it.

I finally finished it last fall, and it's almost big enough to cover his twin-sized bed!

This past Christmas, I made dishclothes for my grandma. Homemade items are the only gifts she won't give back to you!

My latest knittng adventure will be in my next post...