Little did I know

Little did I know I would get such a kick out of knitting! In March of 2010 some of my girlfriends were planning to get together for dinner and “knitting.” I told them I wanted to learn to knit. So they told me all I needed was #7 knitting needles and yarn. A couple days before we were to get together I went to the craft store and bought my yarn and needles. While there I came across a knitting instruction book, Learning to Knit in Just One Day by Jean Leinhauser. g g g I couldn’t wait. I was so curious, excited just to try. Stitch by stitch I learned first to cast on. Stitch by stitch I learned then to knit. And stitch by stitch I moved on to purl. What a riot. It was so fun to see the rows taking shape. At dinner my girlfriends taught me their tricks and encouraged me. g g g I then discovered Knitting Tips by Judy YouTube videos. She is a great teacher! Check her out for any stitches you want to learn or need to clarify. I was amused as I learned more and my husband would genuinely pat me on the back every time (yes, every time) I played “show and tell” with my new projects. g g g So, thank you to my teachers, my friends and my husband for sharing this joy with me.

g g “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” – Father James Keller g g

Monday, September 17, 2012

Cowls for Christmas

Many of my family members live in cold weather climates during the winter months.  (I don't, but I try not to remind them of this fact :) A couple of years ago I thought cowls would make nice Christmas gifts for my sister and her three daughters.  I started knitting in October and was done in time to get them in the mail for the holiday.  

 The pattern below is the Colwick Cowl by Lion Brand.  I love lionbrand.com.  They have thousands of free patterns and you will see that I reference them often throughout my blog.  This pattern introduced me to knitting in the round with a circular needle (size 10, 24 in. long).  I've since learned that circular needs are great for knitting many projects, not just those in the round.  

 I will mention that, because I wanted to make sure the cowls were going to be warm enough to withstand Nebraska snow storms and Chicago wind, I made them a bit "tighter" by casting on 68 stitches, instead of the 80 stitches in the pattern.  The original pattern will make a cowl that has more of a drape.  These are made from Lion Brand Homespun yarn -so soft and the girls say they are really warm.



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