Knitting

I started knitting when I was 9 years old. I was taught how to crochet by my grandmother, but knitting I picked up on my own. I found a book on tape at the library that offered step by step detailed visual instructions on how to cast on, knit, and purl.

I remember making my first granny square, and then I made another… I eventually pieced 20 of them together to create my first scarf. It was whimsical, and many different colors. By all means did it look like amateur work, but it was mine.

This new craft became addictive, as I started asking for skeins of yarn and knitting needles.

As aspiring as a new hobby was, it hardly held my interest for very long because eventually I forgot about it. I put all of this away on the back burner in my teens and 20’s almost like I’ve never learned this skill. Other things became more important like sewing, and painting.

Then much later on my stepmom picked up a pair of knitting needles. She told me that she was getting bored of the same old crochet patterns and wanted to try something new. I watched her grow in her new hobby, and learn new techniques. I watched as she discovered ways of accomplishing things that I haven’t learned to do yet, and it drove me insane.

So I went out and bought more yarn, knitting needles, and watched a few tutorials til I was able to cast on again.

I worked on small projects, and things I knew I would finish quicker. Yet, there was so much more in my world I wanted to explore.

Then my stepmom and I decided to take part in this hobby together as she learned how to knit socks and she’s a pro! We created this hobby to bond together, and now we spend our days shopping in cute little yarn shops, and obsessing over the soft woolen fibers that we work with.

Now I’m working on shawls and scarves. Though they take longer, I love the compliments that I receive from complete strangers when I’m finished. My stepmom is trying to knit laced and cable knit.

The world became a brighter place, as we’ve both become healthier mentally and physically, and we’ve bonded over annual trips to sheep and wool festivals. Our families have started to expect knitted goodies for Christmas, as we’ve worked on projects year round.

It takes me longer to work on a single project if it’s more detailed, but I feel a sense of accomplishment when it’s finished. I usually veg out with my knitting in hand and the television on as background noise, and it makes the bad day go away.

I learned that projects could be any texture and any color that I wanted them to be. Knitting needles don’t always have to be the same size, and my projects can travel when I travel, unravel when I want them to unravel, and change.

I believe that it’s evident that I have a passion in my craft, I feel accomplished when strangers walk up to me and ask me what I’m working on. Like, it’s some detailed story of my current time.

What makes knitting de-escalating when I feel tired or upset is the repetition in counting, and the flow of the pattern. I just sit and let the yarn flow through my fingers and onto the needles.

My current project? Oh, I’m so glad you asked! The shawl that I want to wear on my wedding day.

If you want to, or desire to explore the world of knitting. The internet is loaded with tutorials, and free patterns. We’re living in a time when learning a beautiful new skill is as easy as typing in a key word on a google search bar.