this knitter is thankful
5 knitterly things I am thankful for:
1) Wool. I've knit with many fibers, but when it comes right down to it, plain old wool is my favorite. It's warm and breathable, elastic, easy on my hands (unlike, say, cotton), affordable, versatile, and when well-cared-for, will last a long, long time.
2) Happy recipients. I give away a lot of what I knit, and it's so very satisfying to know that what I've made is used and appreciated. Of all the people I've knit for, my immediate family is at the top of the list; Daniel, for example, loves to wear socks I've made him, so he gets hand knit socks from mama on a fairly regular basis (also, those little feet grow fast.) I've learned that when you knit for others, you need to make things they actually want to wear, not what you want to knit. (Might I add that I've learned this the hard way? Poor Stuart once received a well-knit wool sweater from me featuring fair isle along the top...and he bravely wore it at least twice. Just too colorful for him. He is long overdue for another sweater from me, but for him to like it enough to wear, I'll have to log in hours of stockinette stitch in gray, and I'm just not ready for that yet!)
3) Designers. I consider myself a creative person, and when it comes to hats and socks and mittens, more often than not I knit by the seat of my pants or make up my own pattern for the fun of it...but really, I'm glad that other, more talented people than I have come up with so many fabulous patterns so I don't have to! My problem now is that I own so many books and have so many pdfs that I don't know what to cast on next a lot of the time. This may explain why I just started on my 4th pair of plain ribbed socks this year...anyway, some of my favorite designers at the moment are: Jared Flood, Cecily Glowik-McDonald, Elinor Brown, Gudrun Johnson, Laura Chau, Wendy Bernard...okay, that's enough for now.
4) Knitting friends. Not to get mushy, but I have met some great people and made good friends, with whom it turns out I have a lot more in common than knitting...but knitting is how it started. I don't know what I'd do without them!
5) Knitting. Well, duh. But really, since Daniel was born nearly 5 (!!!) years ago, knitting has been a large part of what has kept me balanced and productive as a full-time parent. Knitting doesn't earn me money (quite the opposite!), but it gives my hands something to do, and I have something tangible to show for the way I spend my time.
So Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! May your wool keep you warm!
1) Wool. I've knit with many fibers, but when it comes right down to it, plain old wool is my favorite. It's warm and breathable, elastic, easy on my hands (unlike, say, cotton), affordable, versatile, and when well-cared-for, will last a long, long time.
2) Happy recipients. I give away a lot of what I knit, and it's so very satisfying to know that what I've made is used and appreciated. Of all the people I've knit for, my immediate family is at the top of the list; Daniel, for example, loves to wear socks I've made him, so he gets hand knit socks from mama on a fairly regular basis (also, those little feet grow fast.) I've learned that when you knit for others, you need to make things they actually want to wear, not what you want to knit. (Might I add that I've learned this the hard way? Poor Stuart once received a well-knit wool sweater from me featuring fair isle along the top...and he bravely wore it at least twice. Just too colorful for him. He is long overdue for another sweater from me, but for him to like it enough to wear, I'll have to log in hours of stockinette stitch in gray, and I'm just not ready for that yet!)
3) Designers. I consider myself a creative person, and when it comes to hats and socks and mittens, more often than not I knit by the seat of my pants or make up my own pattern for the fun of it...but really, I'm glad that other, more talented people than I have come up with so many fabulous patterns so I don't have to! My problem now is that I own so many books and have so many pdfs that I don't know what to cast on next a lot of the time. This may explain why I just started on my 4th pair of plain ribbed socks this year...anyway, some of my favorite designers at the moment are: Jared Flood, Cecily Glowik-McDonald, Elinor Brown, Gudrun Johnson, Laura Chau, Wendy Bernard...okay, that's enough for now.
4) Knitting friends. Not to get mushy, but I have met some great people and made good friends, with whom it turns out I have a lot more in common than knitting...but knitting is how it started. I don't know what I'd do without them!
5) Knitting. Well, duh. But really, since Daniel was born nearly 5 (!!!) years ago, knitting has been a large part of what has kept me balanced and productive as a full-time parent. Knitting doesn't earn me money (quite the opposite!), but it gives my hands something to do, and I have something tangible to show for the way I spend my time.
So Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! May your wool keep you warm!
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