Wednesday, December 31, 2008

It's Cheaper Than Therapy

A friend of mine once asked me what my hobbies are. I struggled to come up with an answer. I don't really collect anything. I sew and quilt occasionally. Crochet frustrates me more than calms me down. And I wouldn't say I am a prolific scrapbooker by any means. Well, now I have an answer for my friend.
As you may know, I have started up knitting recently. It has actually become more than just a hobby for me ... it is therapy. I have struggled with depression, Fibromyalgia, and the stress of being a stay-at-home mom to two kids all while trying to run a graphic design business. One day I just decided I needed to learn how to knit. I have to say I am a bit of a natural at it - I think it has to do with already knowing how to crochet - and the designer in me is wanting to come out through knitting. I still have a lot to learn, but I am determined to branch out and try different things.
I LOVE to go in to a yarn store and feel the yarn. I love to think about color as I plan a project. I love the clacking of the needles as I knit and purl. And what I probably love the most - and this is something that I didn't realize until very recently - is that I am actually creating fabric! My latest project is a sweater vest and I am really seeing how I am making something that I have seen in the store a million times. It is actually looking like a vest and I can feel the weight of the garment as I knit from one needle to the other.
I know you may be thinking that a vest seems a little advanced for someone who has only knit scarves before. I considered this as I was looking for a new project. But the vest doesn't have any unfamiliar stitches in it and I felt delightfully challenged at the idea of making something I can wear.

I loved the yarn in this picture so much that I am using it on my vest!

This is what I have finished so far. I started the vest on Sunday night and this is the front.

On another note, I thought I would post photos of a scarf that I made for my sister for Christmas this year. I made this before my red basket weave scarf.

This was knitted using 100% merino wool, Jasper by Berroco in Black Galaxy. My sister appreciates the "grunge rock" look of it.

4 comments:

Towanda said...

Hi Kelly!

I was just paying a reciprocal visit to your blog (which is an excellent creative endeavor by the way - you are good at blogging) and I descover you are a knitter too!

I love to knit; I have arthritis and other joint problems in my hands, and I am still able to knit and it keeps my hands and fingers limber, so it is like therapy for me too.

I made a bunch of scarves for Christmas gifts, and now I am looking for my next project. In the meantime, I am working on a sweater for the Knit for Kids charity project. I like to work on them while I sit and watch TV in the evening.

Your vest looks lovely -- I like the color, and I see you are doing very good work for someone new to knitting.

Thanks for visiting my blog! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Towanda (Sharon)

Kelly said...

Thank you for the comment Sharon. I love comments!

I was looking at other blogs where people listed knitting as their hobby and that is how I first discovered your blog. I saw the scarves you made and they look like they turned out really well! I too like to work on something while I watch TV; it makes me feel productive. I plan to post photos of my vest when it is finished ... that is if I like the way it turned out :)

Happy New Year to you too. Celebrate by having a nice sopaipilla with honey for me!

Journeying Five said...

love the vest and the scarf...i do really love merino wool, i have used noro kureyon...i also knit my daughter in SWS soy and that turned out so good, i am trying a scarf....keep up the knitting and the blogging

Anna said...

I loooove this vest you chose! What pattern is it? You've inspired me to move beyond hats and scarves, myself.