Knittin'

Yet another reason I should have been born a hundred years ago is my irrational love of and appreciation for knitting. Part of that love, I'm sure, comes from the fact that I can choose whether or not to do it and it is not a matter of necessity for the warmth of myself and my family. But I do somehow feel the otherwise intangible connection with the past every time I grab a pair of needles and some yarn and proceed to make the same stitches women (and men!) everywhere have made for generations upon generations. It's a great feeling to make something practical and beautiful from such humble raw materials, and the very act of knitting is soothing and meditative (once you get past the initial frustration of learning a new craft). I love that when I give someone something I've knit, I'm also passing along hopes and prayers that have been added to each stitch, thoughts of the person who will be wearing it and of course the love that goes into thing made by hand. Not to mention a sermon or two as I find knitting at church or Bible study actually helps me concentrate better :)

Here are some photos of my finished "Olympic" sweater:
From this:
to this (in two weeks!):

I set up the camera on a tripod and used a timer to take some pictures and of course the girls had to get in on the action:
Here's a scarf I made for spring - after so much knitting at Christmas it was nice to do some "selfish knitting"


I have a hard time making hats that fit because I get so excited to wear them that they turn out too short! My kids' heads are well-covered, though!

The thing I love more than the knitting itself is sharing it with others, so if you want to learn I'd love to teach you (or attempt to, as I have no real teaching prowess. But we'd have fun trying!)

What crafty/arty things do you love to do?? I am always amazed at the talents my friends and family possess, and would love to see more - it's so inspiring!