baby blanket for a sweet baby girl

I got this pattern from an awesome site:  the Purl bee.  I couldn’t afford their super-wash wool, so I substituted yarn, and my 6 year old helped me choose the colors.  Super cute and machine washable.

requested: yellow and purple purse with red handles

how did my 5 year old know this season is all about color blocking?

Have accepted the fact that with children and a move…straight knitting is as complicated as I can get…and the results are quite lovely.

stuff I knit

Fabulous Scarf

This is SUPER easy.  If you can do a knit stitch you can make this scarf.

Scrap bag almost done

If I’m not going to be eating while watching tv – I might as well knit.  So, this bag is made from leftovers (Pun not intended.)  I have to finish the handles, maybe some pockets – and felt the thing.

Could be cool.

what am I gonna do with the scratchy wool?

Knit a tote. There’s a ton of scraps in my stash…It’s time to make good use of them.  I’ve made a couple of these bags.  Felted wool – they usually come out pretty cool, and the felted wool is so strong…I could carry a bowling ball in one of these babies and it would barely lose it’s shape.

After this is done, I swear, I’m gonna knit that super cool long sweater vest thing from Norah Gaughan.

I swear.

why i knit

There are tons of reasons why people knit.  If you go on-line you will discover hundreds/thousands of blogs devoted to why, where, and what people are knitting.  You can find everything from your classic sweater to adorable comfy baby blankets to political statements to knitted graffiti.

My knitting story began when my grandmother tried to teach me.  I knit a washcloth.  I was probably 9 or 10 years old.  I wasn’t interested, so I didn’t pick up any needles again until I was about 30.  I wish I hadn’t dismissed it at first – I could have learned a lot from my grandma.  So, the person who actually taught me how to knit was a friend and neighbor.  He (yes, he) brought a baby blanket he had knit on the bus one day.  I saw it and asked if he could teach me.  He started a stitch n’ bitch group and I have been knitting ever since.  I asked him once how I could repay him – he just asked me to teach others.  So I did, and I do.  In fact, it’s one of my favorite things to do.  If you know how to do something – you should share it.

My knitting has ebbed and flowed through the years.  When I was single I had tons of time to knit.  Being a mom has given me less time, but made it more rewarding.  I know how much that baby blanket can mean to a child.  I also know that giving, and receiving a gift that has been handmade is very special.  In a fast-paced, high tech world, slowing down and creating something with my hands is incredibly meditative and meaningful.

My teacher told me that there are 2 kinds of knitters.  Process knitters and product knitters.  I still haven’t decided which one I am.  My husband thinks I’m definitely a process knitter, because I  have no problem ripping out a whole sweater and starting over.

I’ve had many people describe to me what knitting means to them.  I had a shop owner tell me once, very definitively, that knitting is a craft, not art.  He took a very pragmatic view.  I had another shop owner tell me that knitting is self expression and indeed art.  She was an exceptionally talented artist and knitter.  I have met knitters who knit to multitask, to express worry, to heal, and to share.

It means so many things to so many people, but most importantly, I think knitting connects people – to each other and to themselves.  I like to think of knitting groups like quilting bees, a time to get together, to create and to share.

So, why do I knit?  I like creating things.  It gives me a way to express something to another person.  It’s fun.  Looking at beautiful colors, feeling smooth yarn, and watching a pattern reveal itself is incredibly rewarding.  There are many reasons to knit.  More importantly, I can’t seem to think of a reason not to.