I'mmm Back!

There have been a few things going on that seemed to have sucked the creativity out of me.  Mostly in the writing department...thus the lack of posts this month.  But that does not mean that I haven't been actively knitting and/or learning more about knitting.

We started the Sweater University this month.  I only got to attend the first meeting because of a visit from some family, but I am excited to see everyone tomorrow at Very Pink Headquarters.  I have made great progress on my Que Sera sweater!  I should be past shaping the armholes today!  Very exciting.  I love this pattern by Kristin Kaper of Through the Loops fame.  I've also just seen her newest design which will be released around my birthday!!  I may have to knit the new pattern as a birthday present to myself.

I attended a great class with Franklin Habit on Lace Knitting and its history.  He is a great instructor and I learned a lot.  I wish I could have stayed to be a part of his second class that day on lace borders, but family obligations kept me from attending.  I look forward to him coming back to Austin!!

I've had to back step a bit on my featherweight cardi. :(  I had knitted the arms using dpns and it just wasn't working out for me.  I've ordered some 9" circulars and will be giving it another go as soon as they arrive.  I can't wait because I really am happy with the way the rest of the sweater was going.  I think I will be knitting another one of these...perhaps in yellow to go with a new skirt.

I finished one knitted birthday present and began another.  After that project is completed I must turn my attention toward Christmas knitting.  I know many ladies who will be getting some French Press Slippers this year and a couple of guys who will get a Dwarven Battle Bonnet for a good laugh (and some good photos).  I'd rather get everything done early so that I can relax and knit something for myself for Christmas.

Finally, I just cast on for my first knit design!  I am very excited.  It has been bouncing around in my head for awhile now.  It is a hat and I will hopefully have the design written out soon.  I'll then have to have some other knitters look it over and make suggestions.

So while my writing has been slow, the knitting creative juices are flowing!!  I'll turn more attention to my post now too.

Going Back to School

I am very excited that the Knitting Nest's Sweater University begins tonight.  We will be meeting in their new store for the first time.  Starting this course got me thinking about my history with knitting...

Everyone comes to knitting in his or her own way.  Mine included an almost 25 year hiatus before I became obsessed with knitting.  I was around 16 when I expressed an interest in knitting to my mother.  She was encouraging and signed me up for a beginning class in my hometown.  Although she doesn’t knit, she is a crafty woman and always tried to encourage that in me.  Immediately after finishing the beginning course, I decided to knit a sweater as my first project.  Then I picked out some cotton yarn that screamed 80s.

I started out the project and it went ok for a bit, but I suffered from a syndrome that I now know often plagues new knitters…super tight knitting.  That, on top of the fact that I was using cotton yarn, which does not have the nice springy action of wool, made my hands and head ache.  I remember throwing the sweater down in frustration with just the neck completed.  I don’t think I ever picked up needles again until the fall of 2009.  Surprisingly, my mother still had the yarn from 25 years ago!

Once I was reintroduced to knitting, how I wished I had stuck it out as a teenager!  I could just imagine how skilled I would be now, but when I was honest with myself, I realized that even if I had picked an easier first project or some more friendly yarn, I just didn’t have the stick-to-it-ness needed to complete any project as a teen.  My closet was full of different craft projects I had started and never finished.  I think I had a lot of growing up to do to before I would get over that problem.

Now that I have rediscovered my love of knitting, I want to do what I can to encourage other new knitters out there or those who just can’t finish a project to give it a try!