Hobby or a Way of Life?

Knitting is a lifestyle, rather than a hobby, really. By the time you acquire the tools and develop the skills to a high degree, you've probably spent thousands of dollars, and thousands of hours to get that first, never-exactly-the-way-you-wanted-it, piece of wearable art you were aiming towards.

Your friends and family get used to you trailing a tote bag, strings and tails of yarns in all colors, the furrowed brow, the hunching over half-finished sweater pieces of blankie squares ... Sound familiar? I'd love to hear from you- what's your knitting quirk?

Please share, and I'll share mine, soon!

Reasons to Start Knitting?

Knitting is one of those activities that you take up, that can be, at once soothing and useful. The rhythmic clicking of the needles (pins to the European readers), the repetitive motion of throwing the yarn, the back-and-forth of working rows or rounds - one can get into the 'zone', and it's not unlike meditation or yoga in the calming and centering effect it can have. And - COOLNESS! - unlike meditation, one ends the effort with a one-of-a-kind piece of wearable art.

So, I can think of a lot of reasons anyone who can, should learn how to knit. Let me start with the reasons why I started and how my passion evolved. My hope is, that in this story, you'll find something that may appeal to you and get you started!

I am buxom, zaftig, top-heavy: and sweaters that fit in one place bagged like a potato sack in others when I bought. Frustrating. In addition, I'd been sewing my own clothes since the age of 9, and am an accomplished seamstress, so I wasn't altogether sure why, other than the fact that I'm left-handed, I had had a terrible time learning my way around a pair of knitting needles.

Then I found a friend to knit with, and knitting became a social activity as well as a learning experience for us both - Saturday morning coffee runs with my knitting buddy became my guilty little pleasure. In return, I got sweaters that fit my non-standard body well, and looked well on me. We added a third to our group with her fiance taking up knitting and joining us, and my boyfriend, who wasn't interested, was good enough to tag along and eat. We gradually attracted other novices and knitting veterans, and became a knitting club.

The truth is, you meet interesting people while knitting. People you don't know, want to see what you're doing, want to talk about it, then they want to try it!. I've used knitting in public to reach out to children, the mentally disabled, little old ladies in purple (!), and have even had 'big, strong, manly men' come up and want to give the needles a try. In fact, the last knitting group I was with, in upstate New York, had two gentleman members - one came with his fiance. He was, by far and away, the better knitter.

The other gentleman in our group confessed he started knitting as a gimmick to meet women, and then HE got hooked. PAY ATTENTION, GUYS: he designs and makes his own sweaters, and makes shawls and shrugs to gift the women he dates they LOVE IT and they love him. He's very popular. He confesses that he's using knitting as a 'chick magnet' still, but he's really doing it for the love of the craft, or so he says.

As for me, I started knitting in earnest in graduate school. Graduate school made knitting look VERY attractive: I began knitting in self-defense, to keep from plotting the assassination of my thesis advisor. I'm NOT kidding, either.

I was freezing my tushie off in South Bend: I had moved to the land of 'ice and snow'. So during that first LONG LONG winter, I started my first project with Lopi yarn, thinking, 'Ski Sweater' (following a Vogue Pattern), then I made a vest, and found my passion. Now for those of you who don't know, LOPI yarn is a thick wool fiber that knits up on big needles (2-3 sts to the inch). The yarn is slightly less than 1/2 inch in diameter. Knitting became stress relief for me, during this period. I had a deal with my lab mate: he would teach me Tai Chi, and I taught him how to 'KNIT 1, PURL 1'. He went home and taught his wife. She made him socks, and a layette for their new baby.

As I got better at knitting, I discovered that there were blankets to be made and shared with friends and family (CHRISTMAS-BIRTHDAY-SPECIAL OCCASION), and that many charities were begging for assistance. The first charity knitting group I joined was knitting caps, scarves, and sweaters for kids, as part of the "Coats for Kids" initiative - I bought coats at Good Will, repaired them and knitted matching scarves and caps, and gave them away. Then, I joined a group that was supplying chemo caps for cancer patients. That morphed into knitting baby sweaters, buntings, baptism layettes, baby blankets, and pouches.

So here's another reason to start knitting: knitting is a skill you can share with others and propagate by teaching young children how to do. I have taught children as young as three to knit, as well as girl- and boy-scout troups wherever I've lived. My youngest niece knits as well, now, as I did at 25. I started her at three (she's 15), because she REFUSED to stay out of my yarn basket. I got her some short, stubby plastic needles, and found an old Mattel Knitting machine for her and she entertained herself for hours. I helped her assemble her projects, and she still wears one of two, once in a while.

I have made wedding presents, and what I call 'Marriage Afghans' for family members and friends: they're big enough for two to snuggle under :). I am currently making squares for baby blankets to gift hospitals around the globe, and am making knitted accessories for the girls' Barbies.

I haven't said much about yarns and tools, because these are things you should explore for yourself as you evolve as a knitter. I have my preferences and can make recommendations, but the fact of the matter is, it depends on your tastes, and most projects, anymore, are very specific about what they want you to use. Even so, the vast selection of yarns, tools, and techniques, and discussing other peoples' experience and preferences, are another, important reason to learn to knit. Everyone's tastes and focus will be different, and there's information readily available on the web, to meet those tastes and focus. There are blogs, chat rooms, online magazines, pattern sites - the sky's the limit!

For example, I love yarns and textures, and 'designing' stitches and patterns, so I spend a lot of time grazing on the internet, hunting down vintage knitting mags for old stitches (I'm making new swatches and writing new directions for a how-to), and building my stash. There are a million knitting sites on the web with specialty yarns, to explore. There are sites out there that teach you how to tailor your knits if you don't already know how, and computer programs for push-button design.

If you're a beginner, you can get overwhelmed with all that's out there, so I suggest you stick with Hobby Lobby, A.C. Moore, Joann's Fabrics, or the like, to experiment until your skills and style develop. These all have a decent selection of fibers, both synthetic and natural (cotton, wool, linen, alpaca, banana, silk, soy silk, bamboo), and appropriate pattern selections for the yarns they have.

These also stock a broad selection of the basic tools. There are lots and lots of free patterns, and how-tos so that you can develop your design skills, and experiment in the stores, also. The fun of finding out what works for you, and developing your style, and talking over what you learn with your knitting peers, is a joy not to be missed, in my opinion.

Finally, knitting can save your life; it saved mine many years ago: I knit in bed (when I'm not reading in bed!), and some years ago, there was a robber-rapist operating in the area. I also had a dog who slept with me. One particular night, the dog woke me just before my front door was kicked in; the dog got him from behind and I defended myself with my knitting needles. He jumped out the bedroom window and ran screaming down the block, my dog in hot pursuit (didn't know she could jump!). The police picked the guy up, jabbering about demons and witches :). I understand he had about 20 puncture wounds in addition to the dog bites. Tee-Hee. Therefore, knitting and my Scottie saved me.

In conclusion, everyone SHOULD learn to knit it's good for the wardrobe and good for the soul. It can appeal to the social, the charitable and the practical impulses of anyone who decides to take it up, certainly, and you can knit for yourself, your dog (cats don't take well to sweaters), your family, your friends, your community, or the world. There's always someone who'll be grateful to get your extra projects. I personally find it a relaxing, and soul-nourishing activity. I hope you will, too give it a try.

Progress Report

Hi - it's late, and I'm knitting myself to sleep. I have a habit or working three projects at once - meaning all three take longer to complete than they would otherwise. I'd like to show off a couple of things I've already done from my own designs.- for example, the afghan above is my own design - I'm really proud of this afghan. I made it for the daughter of a friend of mine, for her 14th birthday. I also made an 'afghan for two' for my friend and her hubby - in jewel tones. I am sorry, now that I didn't take pics, but it's OK - I'll probably make another sometime. In lieu of that, stay tuned, I'll post patterns for both designs - soon.


So here's what I'm doing RIGHT Now:

I'm working MADLY away on a semi-fitted jacket, in Forest Green based on the Lion Brand Matinee Swing Jacket Pattern. I have the right front panel half done, also, and I've got this FABULOUS button to put on it - it's got faux rhinestones and pearls and it's two inches across. Sounds gaudy, I know, but wait til you see it! That's for a later post, though ...

I'm switching to working on my second project a scrap yarn sweater of my own design. I made my niece a 'marriage' afghan - big enough for her and her new hubby to curl up with, based on a 3x3 expansion of Lionbrand's Circle in a Square Throw (picture of the work in progress is attached in blues, golds, and purples, bottom left). I am using those leftovers, with Lionbrand in discontinued Country Green. My third project = well, perhaps I'll finish it this year. Yellow lace and cable cardi (cotton) - 3/4 sleeves.


Well, it's late - more later, when I have more progress to report - in fact, if the scrap sweater ends as well as it started, I'll be posting a pattern.