Knitting.

One would think that with a title including the word, I'd have talked about it by now. Honestly, I haven't had much time to knit. Normally, I'd knit during class, but seeing as I'm working this semester, it really cuts back on my yarn time.

Knitting is one of my Time Wasters. Those wonderful little things you do that make life worth living. Time Wasters are some of the most important things in life--without them, where would we be? Not all of us are blessed with a job that we love--I'm certainly not. But knitting--and really, creating things in general--makes it all worth it.

I've been knitting on some level for about 15 years. I started by knitting tiny little scarves for my dolls when I was 5--must have drove my mother mad, all these little rectangles everywhere--and over the years, got better at it. It probably wasn't until high school that I actually realized what someone could do with the skill of knitting. By that time I'd perfected the technique, but had no idea what to do with it. It was over those four years that I came to develop and research patterns, and started to make things I could use.

Now, the only thing that really stops me from knitting whatever I want is willpower. Its tough to do big projects! Lots of work! Not to mention, I have a strange stiffness in my left index finger that flares up when I knit big projects. Well, if I do them quickly. Know your limits! Don't push yourself too much, or you'll never finish anything.

I would advise new knitters to pick a project that isn't too outrageous. Most people I've met start with the old standby scarf--a great start! Its not complicated, only has one type of stitch; you can use big needles to make it go faster, and its functioning! It also fixes the knit into your muscle memory, which to me is very important. It lets you watch how tension affects your knitting. Overall, the ubiquitous scarf is a fantastic first project.

For medium knitters, I suggest socks. Socks open up the world of double-pointed needles, which once I mastered, let me do almost anything. Socks are great projects because they are very easy to customize and there is a multitude of websites with advice, how-to's, general patterns... Youtube is a great place for that. And I will probably mention this again at some point, but I love this website. Probably one of the most useful things ever. 

Expert knitters... I couldn't advise you on that. I wouldn't call myself an expert knitter in the least bit. The only advice I could give is to make things that you like, or that challenge you. Otherwise, you'll get bored and stop knitting!

There are all sorts of knitting clubs and things, although I've never been in one. This is the best way I can share my knitting. However, knitting with people is a great way to bond--and if you have questions, you can ask each other! Friends make everything better.

There are thousands of free patterns online. You can join Ravelry and get even more.. I'll post patterns/where I get my patterns from whenever I post a project. Always give credit where credit is due! And at the same time, always feel free to eyeball something and make it on the fly. The great thing about knitting is that you can always unravel and start over. Be creative! You can make almost anything by knitting.

I'll post small Knitter's Guide in a separate post later. 

Happy Knitting!