Wednesday Are For Knitting

Progress on my projects is slow. I had to rip out quite a bit of the prayer shawl for my coworker so that has set me back. Then the skein of yarn became a tangled mess so I have spent the last 3 days untangling it and winding it into a ball. I have not touched Clark's blanket at all so there is no point in showing it again. So what to write about knitting when I have no knitting progress to show? I guess I will retell my knitting story.

I first became interested in knitting in the early 2000's reading a few now defunct blogs who were knitters. I do not know why it struck my interest so much. I was never a really crafty kid and up to then had no interest in crafting. I was newly married, living somewhere I knew no one other than my husband, working a job I really did not like. Maybe I was reaching out for something that would be comforting who knows. I bought a learn to knit kit and started to try teaching myself. I do not learn by looking at diagrams and You Tube was not a thing yet so I got very frustrated and gave up.

Eventually I signed up for a beginning knitting class at JoAnn's. I was the only student so I got the teacher's full attention. At first she was concerned because I am left handed but I am able to learn how to do things right handed pretty easily. In high school I threw shot put left handed but was taught to throw discus right handed. As I went through the lesson I quickly realized that I was knitting correctly when I was trying to teach myself but I would only knit a few stitches, think it looked wrong and rip it out. I finished the class though and went on my way.

I have gained so much from knitting. I went to knitting groups and made local friends. I joined social media and listened to and watched podcasts and made friends all over the world. I have learned patience and persistence. It has helped me keep my anxiety at bay sometimes. I am not sure what made me want to pick up the needles all those years ago but I sure am glad that I did.