[eva60]

I practice knitting therapy regularly. I love balls and balls of colorful yarn. My yarn stash is staggering and I am thoroughly addicted to producing finished products. When my needles are clicking I am a happy woman. All the crap that swirls around in my head seems to disappear when I knit. It's soothing and comforting. I keep my pretty yarn on display in my living room above a large armoire that holds all of our DVD's. Everytime I see it when I enter that room it puts me in a good mood. I will knit for anything with a pulse (and some things without). I knit sweaters for my Vermont Teddy Bear so he is always in style for the seasons. I want to knit a doggie sweater for my sons little fluff ball thing that he calls Brady. This dog wieghs only 7lbs. So far my son has forbidden me to knit Brady a sweater. He doesn't want his 7lb dog to look like a pampered pocket book dog....Mmmmm, which makes me wonder why he didn't get a German Shepherd. Anyway, Brady is still going to get a sweater for Christmas. I am sure my son would think it rude to refuse a gift from his doggies grandma! I have recently become obsessed with knitting fingerless gloves. They are ridiculously cute and knit up quickly. It's a pretty inexpensive hobby, it's portable and when I am upset or really pissed off, I knit like the wind!! I love how it calms me down and gives me a sense of accomplishment!

[splitimage]

Hi Eva60,

Welcome to PC. I too love knitting & find it very therapeutic. When I was last in the hospital, I knit 3 scarves. I'm no where near as good as you are, all I can knit currently is basically scarves, but I'm taking a course in Nov. to learn how to knit mittens.

--splitimage

[lynn P.]

Reading your post reminded me fondly of my now deceased mom - she was a talented knitter and crochet crafter as well. I regret not learning it myself - I'm left handed and she was right handed and she told it would be hard to teach me.

Have you thought about knitting a bunch of doggie jackets and set up a stand somewhere. You could even do baby sets as well. Thank you for sharing your love of knitting - I enjoyed reading it.

[Beholden]

Welcome eva60.

Knitting as therapy! I know what you mean. Love love love to knit.

So glad to know there are others out there that still do hand made items.

IMHO, a 7 pound doggie needs a sweater to keep warm. Even if he only wears it when you are around.

[eva60]

Thanks for your replies girls!! I knew I'd find other ppl that love knitting. There are free websites that show people how to knit with video's. I cannot post the link yet because I am under the 10 post rule. (so many rules making my bi-polar brain swim)!
Check it out, they have to have left handed instructors! I'm married to a lefty and although he claims to be smarter because he uses both sides of his brain I often wonder why he can't seem to find the clothes hamper??

[Princess_Obsidian]

Greeetings,

It is good to have a hobbie, such as knitting, to help you relax, not to mention, heal.

Have a good one.

[Sabrina]

Hi Eva and welcome to PC

You speak of your hobby with such passion. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post and am somewhat envious that I don't have a hobby to be so passionate about.

Thanks for sharing.

[snowgoose]

I love to knit too. My mother taught me to knit and we actually used to knit on the same sweater. It is very unusual for two people to knit with the same tension so I think that is pretty cool. I have many fond memories of knitting with her.

[Beholden]

About the husband and clothes hamper:

smart does not eqate common sense/curtisy/kindness/reasonable housework knowledge. etc... 43 years of hoping that would become automatic has not yet worked. LOL

So many knitters is a "good thing" as Martha would say! But I think you do have much more passion Eva60

click click click

[cocoa58]

Hi there,
I'm both a knitter and crocheter - have half a knitted poncho done right now. Its great therapy and I think it also promotes more patience! LOL

[snowgoose]

How goes the knitting? Knitting is mostly a winter thing for me. Outdoor activities usually monopolize my time during the other season. And of course Christmas time is good reason to knit too.

I have been doing a lot of 'knit felting' lately. Mostly slippers and booties but some hats and bags too. I really like the excitment of not knowing for sure how it will turn out at the end of the felting process. It is fast and easy and a whole new twist on knitting. It also opens the opportunity for some additional needle felting. Something new and fun with endless possibilities.

Happy knitting. Let the therapy continue.

[radio_flyer]

Wow! Lots of knitters here... I am "new" to knitting. Started about a month ago and am loving it.. Guess what is confusing is all the types of yarns. Any suggestions as to what kind of yarn, "brand name" I could use that would make a nice, soft and fluffy scarf and fingerless gloves? I get overwhelmed when I see walls of all kinds of yarn and I have no idea what yarn to buy.

I love to knit too, I just made a bunch of fingerless gloves for Christmas presents, some with cables, some plain. They are quick and great when my attention span is low.

I love to felt too.

When I am manic look out!! Glad to see so many knitters on board!

[advena]

I don't know how to knit but I love to crochet. I made scarves for Christmas but what I truly love, love to do is make doilies. I find that making them takes concentration but is mindless at the same time, if that makes any sense. Crocheting is very therapeutic for my anxiety. I also like sewing and like to dye my own textiles. I just love all fiber arts.

[snowgoose]

I used to crochet doilies with my grandmother as well as table clothes... which seemed to take forever to make. I loved the feel of the thin cotton strands and the rythm of the stitching. My eyesight isn't what it was back then but I do a few doilies now and then. I feel her presence when ever I pick up the thread and hooks. I have been eyeing a runner I have on a table and thinking I should make something to go with it one of these days.

I am also into fibre art, textile design and sewing. Felting is my latest interest along with painting and dying fabrics. I mostly dye using things like tea, coffee, berries... stuff like that. I don't have much money for materials so I recycle stuff I pick up at thrift shops. Sometimes I will unravel a whole sweater to knit something else with the yarn.

Years and years ago I made my brother an icelandic sweater that he never wore. It was to itchy he says. I took it back and it has been sitting in a drawer ever since. It is made of beautiful icelandic wool in 3 colours. I am debating to either unravel it or shirk felt it down. I am pretty sure I will unravel it but I just can't get myself to do it yet because it took so long to make and it really is a beautiful sweater. It would be nice to have that wool to work into something else though.

[snowgoose]

I have been knitting for decades and it is all pretty automatic for me. But since I have picked up the needles again this last month or so I seem to get these brain freezes when I can't even think how to wrap the wool through my fingers that control the tension. I will struggle for the longest time trying to figure out what I am doing wrong. It was always so automatic that I didn't have to think about it. It is very frustrating. Actually kind of upsetting when it happens. I can usually get back on track if I distract myself with something else, like something on TV and not think about how to do it but let it try to happen automatically again. Sometimes it works other times I just have to put it down and wait to try again another time.

I was just wondering if anyone else has had that experience. Maybe it is the meds. Maybe old age. It has never happened to me before so it kinda cuts into the calming therapeutic benefits of knitting sometimes.

I had something else I came back to say but I forget what it was already. oh well. It may come to me another time.

[snowgoose]

OH.... I remember. I wanted to share something I do while I am knitting or whatever. I pray for the person I am making something for. Even if I don't know who that person is who is going to receive it. Every stitch is a prayer.

It is really interesting because even though I don't know who I am knitting for I will know when I see the person. I love it when that happens. It just happened the other day actually. I had knit a scarf and put it aside wondering who I might give it to. My SIL dropped in and I immediately went to get the scarf to give to her. What was even more fun was that she told me it was exactly what she was looking for to match her new coat. Go figure hey.

[Beholden]

Snowgoose, that is a wonderful idea. Praying while knitting. Wehn I get the hankering to do a project again, I'll remember that one.

Hey radiofyer.....types of wools for snuzzly fingerless gloves...hmm...Lion Brand has some really good ones.....more often than not; I go down that aisle and feel each type of yarn.......

Then, today, I went to a Thrift Store and bought them outta all the nice cheap stuff.....got lots of nice colors..........used to make lots of "fun fur" scarves via crochet with a big crochet hook and a strand of regular wool in with the "fun fur"...
Make great gifts for kids for "dress up" (use an aphgan stitch--goes rapidly)

There's a brand they sell in large bags--spelled with a "c"--by Red Heart......
Very soft..not "wool"-- also, Bernat wools are really cuddley~~~~~ oh, I join all here who knit and pray...I've always done that...very soothing~~~~knit two, ! purl three!

Got a great "Mock Cable" stitch if anyone wants it...very pretty~~~~Knit on!!!~~theo

Gotta give it to ya!! Mock Cable

# 8 needles is best.
Cast on 32 stitches
first row: purl 2, pull one over, knit two, now put the first stitch you pulled over over the 2~~~~~~~go to end of row like this P2,1stitch over, K2, pull the one stitch over...you will end up with purl 2 and 26 stitches

second row: K2, P1, yo (add a stitch here) P1...go to the end in repeats, end K2
Now you have your 32 stitches back.

third row: P2, K3~~~~~to end=P2

fourth row K2, P3 to end of row~~~~~~~~~end K2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Repeat from first row...love this pattern!!

[snowgoose]

Thanks for that theodora.

Another thing I do sometimes is to knit while I am out for a walk or an easy hike. I put the yarn in my pocket and off I go. It is very meditative. Of course it works best for basic knitting projects like scarves.

[splitimage]

My knitting skills have expanded by leaps and bounds since I last posted a year ago. I've been taking a bunch of classes, and have learned to knit hats, mitts, fingerless gloves, cowls, and shawls. I just love it. Everyone is getting a knitted present from me this Christmas.

My next challenge is to tackle lace. A friend of mine gave me a book called the compassionate knitter, and it has some really pretty lace wristwarmers in it, that I want to try, and the pattern looks easy enough to follow. So that's probably my next project after I finish my Christmas knitting.

I just love it.

splitimage

[radio_flyer]

Thanks theo.... Can't wait till I can get to the store to get some yarn.. Will make a note of your suggestions to take with me... Now that I have the yarn solved, guess I need to pick colors.. lol.......... the scarf, my first scarf, well I don't like it.. Wasn't until the scarf was 14 inches long that I realized I didn't like it.. Was good practice tho..

I have found it truly amazing..Knitting needles; on a crowded subway or bus, I used to knit standing; made sweaters just on subways..ha--and if someone tried to get too close (back in the 70's; they did a lot of that stuff)..I'd use my needles to make them "move away?" hmm

Hilarious that on a plane, they will take away your toothpaste if it's more than 3 oz--any pens, etc~~~~~ha ha! Then they let ya through with knitting needles?? Am I stupid or is that really nutty? I was shocked!!!

Power to the knitters of the world! Unite!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~K2 P3~~~theo

[tohelpafriend]

I a knitting lover too; anyone ever tried to use a knitting machine? I had a dream about one; it could be a way to earn some extra cash, no?