Knitting Season Approaches!

I started knitting about ten years ago, when I was a graduate student. Every week, I would go to this tiny knitting shop where I'd sit with six other women and a man (which my boyfriend at the time called, "my coven") and we'd chat and learn to knit from a tiny, fascinatingly aggressive woman named Edyie (pronounced like the more traditionally-spelled "Edie"). I made my first scarf at that knitting shop, a scarf I still own, but can't wear (I'm incapable of wearing anything wool, no matter how soft or how low the wool content), and my first pair of socks, too. Edyie was patient with us, and boy, did I try her patience. As a left-handed knitter who does some things left-handed and some things right-handed, I confused the heck out of Edyie, but that woman could teach a girl to knit like nobody's business. In fact, Edyie taught me to make scarves, hats, and socks so well that I only made scarves, hats, and socks for years.

 

Edyie also introduced me to the the one book that has stayed in my knitting bag all these years: The Knitter's Companion. It's a small, spiral-bound reference book that has all of the basics of knitting spelled out with exceptional diagrams. I live and breathe by this book.

I only knit in the wintertime. I am incapable of knitting a single stitch when the weather is warm, and believe me, I've tried. I'll think, "Hey, I'm going to get a leg up on Christmas and make some stuff in the summertime," but it's literally impossible for me to pick up the needles. 

When the weather starts to cool, though, I'm a knitting fiend. In fact, I'm kind of obsessed. Of course, I still mostly make socks, hats, and scarves, but you can really only make so many of those as gifts before people think you're on your way to becoming one of those weird old ladies with a million cats who watches Judge Judy and eats Cheese-its all day while knitting. 

Last winter, I attempted my first sweater. I knitted it from a gorgeous, soft, wine-colored cotton yarn that came from Punta del Este, Uruguay, which seemed appropriate, since Leo and I took our first vacation there. But while the sweater came out perfectly, it had an unfortunate, unflattering, and ill-fitting shape, so this season I plan to unravel the whole thing and make myself a gorgeous sweater-hat-mitten combo instead. I think the problem stemmed from choosing a pattern that was easy, rather than one that was flattering, so I've chosen a pattern for this winter that I think will suit me better.

The Christmas socks I made last
year for My Sister The Dentist

In the meantime, I'm gearing up for another season of socks, which I always find relaxing and pleasant (and they always fit, no matter what). Leo can't get enough of the warm, sturdy wool socks I've made him, so I love making socks for him and for the kids (despite that all three of them share the same ridiculously long feet). 

 

Hopefully, it won't be too much longer before the yarn manufacturers come up with a wonderful sock yarn for those of us who can't wear wool. After all these years of making socks for other people, I have yet to make a pair for myself.