Knitting and Crochet Blog Week: Day 1, Starting Out

Starting Out
How and when did you begin knitting/crocheting? was it a skill passed down through generations of your family, or something you learned from Knitting For Dummies? What or who made you pick up the needles/hook for the first time? Was it the celebrity knitting ‘trend’ or your great aunt Hilda?

I started as an artist. Not a professional one, mind you, but I've always been good at drawing, crafting, painting and making things. My main focus was drawing and watercolors. I took art classes in high school and college, but never with the intent to make art a career. I'm not really sure why. I think I was afraid that I'd not make any money, and I was afraid of putting myself out there. My friends and family saw my pictures and encouraged me, but I never thought of myself as "good enough." My favorite person in the world, my Aunt Maria, was an artist, and I wanted so much to be like her. In many ways, I am, but she had so much more courage than me. She was never afraid to take a risk. I wish I could say Maria taught me how to knit, but that was not the case. I learned on my own; but she indeed had a huge impact on why I was interested in the craft in the first place.

My mom did some crafting too, at least, when I was little. She made and sold dolls as a side job. She sewed them, added textured hair and had pose-able arms and legs. I remember the soft flannel "skin" and curly yarn hair "set" in the oven. She made all the doll clothes too. She made our clothes as well!! I had reversible vests, and skirts, corduroy pants and blouses all sewn by my mom. Sometimes I would sit with her and practice using the machine with the scraps of fabric, or made mini dresses for my Barbies. I know that my mom knew how to crochet as well. I remember the hooks in the sewing drawers and I think she even tried to teach me, but all I remember doing was making long chains of yarn. I never really learned what to do what them.

It was years later, in college, while browsing in Michael's that I bought one of those "learn to knit" kits. My first yarn purchase was a skein of country blue Caron acrylic. I started a long ribbed scarf, which I never finished. I wanted it to be super long. I didn't know anything about dyelots, so when my yarn ran out and it was not long enough, I bought another skein, and another, and years later, when I decided to finish it, the yarn had been discontinued. Once while visiting my aunt, I brought the scarf project with me. She was knitting too, and she took me to my first LYS. I had never been in a place like that before. I loved it, but I don't think I really "got" the idea of quality yarn. My aunt lived in a town of my dreams, and I thought places like that were only in her area, and it never occurred to me that I could find a LYS near me, so I continued to shop at places like Michael's and Jo-Anns.

Knitting was fairly easy for me. I learned how to make a cable right away, on a swatch, but I didn't venture out more than scarves. I was relatively cut-off from the knitting community and had no idea what was out there or available. I only knit every now and then. Drawing and painting was still my real passion and I didn't take knitting very seriously. It was really crochet that opened the doors for me.
Once, about 4 years ago, I was surfing online and came across some amigurumi dolls.  I really wanted to make one, so I decided I better learn how to crochet. I bought more cheap Caron yarn and some hooks and found a website online and made a bunny. My stitches were not tight enough, and you can see the stuffing in between.

Curious about crochet, I went to the bookstore and bought the Happy Hooker. I saw the Short and Sweet cardigan and knew I wanted to make it. I really had no idea how to read charts or make all those stitches, but Debbie Stoller had all the instructions in her book, so I figured I'd give it a go. Well, lo and behold, it did not turn out too bad! It was at this point that I decided to give knitting another shot. I had realized that if I could make something that seemed complicated, but really wasn't, then maybe I could learn more about knitting and
try something new.

I learned how to knit socks.

Granted, I used cotton because I didn't know any better, but it was cotton purchased at a local yarn store. I also discovered Ravelry and my Stitch and Bitch group that year, and things just sort of took off from there.
Now, I'm at a point where if there's something I don't know how to do, I just do it. I'm not afraid to try anything in knitting and I don't think there's anything I can't do.


I really wish I could show Maria how far I've come, but I'm sure she's watching anyway.