My first post -- How I started knitting

This is my first post to my blog. I am still unsure if I should keep this name. I like to do more than just knit, but I can definitely say that knitting is by far my most pressing current creative obsession. I really have only been knitting for a very short time. It all started in September 2007 on a family vacation with my in-laws to Crystal Lake, Michigan, which, by the way, is a beautiful lake in the northern part of the state.


Here are two pictures of the view of Crystal Lake from the cottage we rented.


I brought three little embroidery projects to work on during our week-long stay. Because of this, my mother-in-law took me to a yarn shop around the corner in the the town of Beulah. I had never picked up a set of knitting needles in my life; I thought knitting needles had curved little hooks at the end. (No Diana, that's crochet.) I just couldn't wrap my head around how one could make a fabric with straight needles. The little yarn shop in Beulah is called "The Yarn Market" and it had many pretty yarns, but what caught my eye was a book on knitting clothes, blankets and toys for babies called "Essential Baby" by Debbie Bliss. OMG! I had never seen something so cute. The little sweaters and socks were the sweetest things I had ever seen, but "No" I declared. I didn't need a new hobby. I had just started embroidery and I had enough to concentrate on. Well, I finished the three embroidery projects by the end of the week (which were by the way Christmas presents for my aunt, grandma and family friend) and I had a really good time doing them.

A week after getting home, I couldn't get the little baby book out of my head, so off to the bookstore I went and I bought it. My first project was to make the little crossover top for my darling niece, Erin. It was October, so I had three months to 1. Learn to Knit and 2. To Successfully finish the sweater by Christmas. I did it. With a little help from You Tube's instructional videos (I love that I learned to knit on You Tube!) and Debbie Bliss' "How to Knit." I think that you need to see someone make the stitches when you are first knitting. I can now read instructions and understand (most of the time) what they are talking about, but at first, you need someone to show you. If you have someone to help you in person, that would be ideal. Otherwise, here are some links to the You Tube videos that I found very helpful.

Helpul You Tube Videos

Casting On
The Knit Stitch
The Purl Stitch
Knitting Increase
Knitting Decrease
The Kitchener Stitch