Saturday, March 24, 2012

Why I Knit...

There isn't a lot of money in knitting, in case you were wondering. I pretty much make enough money to support my addiction to buying yarn. Here are some reasons why I'm addicted to fiber. 


1. The feel of yarn in my fingers. 
If I had a lot of money, it would probably all go to luxurious silk, organic cotton, and lamb's wool handpsun yarn (and diapers, too, but that's another story). I'm obsessed with squishing large skeins of freshly purchased yarn between my fingers. Even acrylic yarn can be incredibly soft, so it's almost like clutching the poofiest of kittens whenever you want for however long but it won't bite you. Oh, and if it's wool...I smell it too. I love the smell of sheep hair in the morning, Gah!  What is wrong with me?!


I need this.


2. Making something out of practically nothing. 
With just one circular needle and a ball of yarn, I can make pants. What's that? The baby needs a new sweater? Oh, ok let me just KNIT A FREAKIN SWEATER with some yarn I found for $1 at the thrift store. You can even make a bunch of something from a bunch of yarn and use the leftovers from each color to make a whole other beautiful stripey something. Oh, and the possibilities are endless...they can range from the most practical to the most useless waste of your time. But hey, that's your prerogative. 
The work of an NYC "gang" called Knitta Please.






3. Instant sense of accomplishment.
I'm a forever newb. I have a lot of trouble committing to anything if I don't get some results relatively quickly. That being said, I get a hell of a lot of results from knitting. You see, when you first learn to knit, you start with something basic and rather small. Usually a scarf. First time might take you a few days, but you will have something to show for your hard work when you're done! You will become vastly better at knitting after completing just one piece. So, you move on to something a little harder, learning more techniques and before you know it...BAM. You are cranking out fancy stuff and conquering the challenges of Short Rows and Intarsia. 


4. My sanity. 



5. My Olive.
Gosh, there is just nothing more rewarding than seeing someone wear my knitty things. To make it even better, imagine seeing the squishy little Pride and Joy crawling around in them. Melts my heart! 
My Olive modeling the first hat I ever made. She made that ugly hat look good!


 That's all I can think of, for now. I will leave you with a glimpse of my hopefully not-future...


Don't worry, this is not my arm.