Knitting teaches important life skills

Hey Everyone!

Today I want to talk a bit about how knitting (or crocheting) teaches important life skills. 

It teaches you how to work with your hands, how to see projects through to completion, how to be a self starter, how to put colors together, how to create patterns and to challenge yourself to try new things and harder projects. 

I learned how to knit when I was 10 years old, and for the next 12 years I knit primarily sweaters for kids in need. After I graduated from university, my love for knitting and trying harder, more challenging projects took off. If I had not stuck with it even when I was super busy in school, I would not be where I am today, constantly trying new projects and constantly pushing myself to try harder things.

I totally get that Knitting (or crocheting) isn’t for everyone, but the lessons that can be learned from picking it up, or doing other things like sewing, carpentry, and much more are pretty much the same. Learning a craft and using your hands to be productive teaches valuable skills that much of the youth these days (my generation included) lacks. 

I am one of those who also believes that if I can make it myself (without wanting to rip out my hair trying), why should I buy something? Especially if it is of a lesser quality that I would make and costs more than it would me to make it. 

Here a few years ago I had purchased a flimsy little machine knit hat at a department store for like $12 or $13. After wearing it once, I was like “this is nuts, I know how to knit, I am going to figure out how to make a hat that will fit my head, and find a good yarn and do it myself.” I had bought fishermen’s wool, which I love by the way, and make a hat and scarf out of once skein, which even at regular price is $11, so I got a hat AND scarf for less than it cost of a hat of subpar quality. 

Knitting Lace is Fun

Hey Everyone!

I have spent as much free time as I could could come up with the past few days working on my teal falling leaves wrap. I finally got halfway done. I use two skeins of Patons Lace Yarn for each wrap. When I completed a knit row and purl row and don’t have enough yarn to knit across and purl back on what is left of the first skein is what I consider to be my half way mark. To finish the wrap out on the second skein, I go until I don’t have enough yarn to complete another 16 rows (which is a pattern repeat), and cast off, is when I cast off the wrap and complete the project. 

Here late last year/early this year I had made one for my mom in the same color, but she wanted a knit border around the edges which I did for her. That is how I can tell hers and mine apart, as I didn’t want the border on mine. 

Leaf Lace is a fairly simple lace to learn how to knit. It has taken me some practice but I am getting it, and I love it. It is so dainty, delicate and feminine, and when using a heavier lace weight yarn, sturdier than some other laces.