Knitting Groups are the New Secret Societies

This past Wednesday, a friend invited me to a knitting group. I think it was the best thing I've ever done in a long time. When we arrived, we were welcomed kindly and sought out chairs in the busy library based group. Everyone was knitting away. Some were learning, others were just knitting along or crocheting or looming. Everyone asked what we were making and how it was going and Bernie, the proclaimed Knitting God, took a look at my knitting. I've started the front part of the bag and it's going quite well. He loved it and said it was really good and that my tension was perfect!

After being praised by the Knitting God, the rest of the night went by great. I made some new friends and got to chat knitting the whole time. My advice? Search one out. They're worth it. You get a lot of knitting done and it's nice to feel not so alone especially when you have people that will critize your knitting. (saying you're like an old lady...no i'm not. I just knit.) Some people don't understand so find those that do and that share your passion. They can give you some of the best advice and company a young or old knitter can find!

Why Ripping Out Stitches is No Fun

I was knitting away on the beginning of the front (68 stitches, all in stockinette for 11 inches plus 1 inch in garter) when suddenly, I realized that I had messed up. Without a way to fix it in sight and having just gotten my new longer needles, I ripped it all out. Unbinding stitch by stitch was painful. I lost so much of my hard work (about 3 complete rows of purl 1 row, knit 1 row). Sighing and becoming a disgruntled knitter, I picked up the new needles and began again, casting on 68 stitches once more with the hope that maybe this time would be better.

I've gotten about 2 complete rows of stockinette finished again and I'll admit, it's looking good. Let's hope it stays this way this time!!

Knitting Projects Come and Go, but Friends are Forever

As I was sitting in bed last night putting the final touches on my pocket for my bag, I took in the fact that I finished this accomplishment in one night. Only a few simple hours of my life was spent on creating part of a piece of art. I had never before finished a knitting project in one night. I really can knit and I can knit fast.

Today, while in a rehearsal for my class' senior class play, I was asked by a fellow techie to knit him a scarf. And I thought for a second. This kid isn't someone at all who I would want to spend the amount of time knitting a scarf for. It's just plain not worth it at all. There are so many other people that I'd rather knit for; my best friend or sister or mom or even my dad or brother. So, as I ignored his pleas and blocked him out as I knit away at my bag in the cement tech booth as the play's director tried to get everyone organized, I realized something. Never knit something for someone who plainly does not appreciate the amount of time it takes to knit such a thing. Or the amount of skill and trying patience that when you drop a stitch and have to go back and fix it all and rip it out. It just plain wasn't worth it. Knitting projects can come and go, but the real friends, those true friends who would appreciate all those beads of sweat knitting up the final rows on your scarf, will be around forever. <3

The Adventure of Purl

Finally finished the gusset! :D Pretty big achievement. Now working on the pocket in the CC. Such a pretty color, but now I have the great adventure of learning how to purl (I already knew, but I kinda somewhat forgot.) and doing the stockinette stitch. yay. <3

The Dreaded Measuring!

So as I was knitting away on the gusset, I was measuring it as I went. Don't want to go past those 39"! I took one measurement, 37.5". Success!! Continued to knit. Measured it again, only 35". Did i measure wrong or did this thing just shrink? Laid it down on a flat surface and measured. Definitely 35". Now at 36". Can't wait to get those last 3 stubborn inches!!!! Then going to start on the pocket. The adventure continues...

History of my Knitting

I learned when I was 13 from my grandmother. A talent possessed solely by my dad's side of the family and my sister and I, knitting became a passion. Sometimes I would start a project and put it down for awhile, only to find it later and work on it bit by bit. I got into the habit of making scarves.

A few days ago, I finished off a scarf I had been working on for easily a year because of no motivation. I finally bound it off and was proud of my achievement. My sister had given me a book, Stitch n' Bitch that was my savior to my knitting. I found a new project inside its wonderful pages and found that I had the needles and yarn to achieve it. It was called Zeeby's Bag and it is going quite well.

The pattern can be found through Stitch n' Bitch and I'm knitting it with size 8 bamboo needles and Lt. Country Blue Caron Simply Soft (MC) and Dk. Country Blue Caron Simply Soft (CC).

For two days straight I've been knitting the gusset. A 10 stitch by 39" swatch, I've already finished 29" of it. I started with the gusset simply because now, I need to pick up longer needles! What my luck...