Knitting and Crochet Blog Week - Day 1 : Starting out!

I'm so excited to participate to the KCBW! Today, the topic is : Starting out... how did this whole passion about knitting started?

I think that my story is relatively classic. I mean that, my mother taught me when I was younger. I knitted a scarf or a dishcloth, and that's it. I played music and painted and drew a lot when I was younger, but knitting wasn't a part of my creative development.

I just remember as I'm writting that I was absolutely fascinated by a crocheted granny squared blanket my grandmother made. It was big enough to fit on a queen size bed! The cream, brown and redish colors reminded my of the 60's. I used to dream that one day, I was going to be able to make a blanket and give it to my grandchild.

I also remember my mother, making small baby booties for my little nieces... and I just couldn't imagine how she could manage to make the knitting "turn" a 90 degres angle, or make it smaller or wider. I thought it looked sooo complicated!

So, deep inside, even if I wasn't knitting or crocheting, I was already attracted to fiber work.

Several years later, and after 2 or 3 moves inside Montréal, I found, in a cardboard box, some old acrylic yarn and a pair of 6mm needles. I remember that I wanted my mother to make me a scarf with this yarn, but she screwed up the pattern, frogged it and gave it to me.

At that point, I couldn't remember how to cast on, or knit or purl! I decided to give it a try, but I had forgotten everything. So I sat at my desk, turned on my computer and browsed the web. In a matter of minutes, everything came back to me. I knew how to cast on and knit!

With that old acrylic yarn, I made my boyfriend a 1x1 rib scarf (that he doesn't wear). I was really proud of myself, but I wanted more. I learn to make yarnovers, k2tog and k3tog (!!!), I made several scarves for my friends and collegue, I learned to do cables, hats, mittens, and then sweaters, lace... I just kept on knitting. I bought needles, yarn, I looked for harder and harder patterns... I discovered that acrylic isn't the only knittable fiber and that I absolutely LOVE alpaca. I remember the first "pricy" yarn I bought : some soft lime green Alpaca from Misti Alpaca. I made myself a earflap hat out of it, and I still wear it a lot!

Today, I couldn't imagine myself without knitting. It gave me so much! It really keeps me sane, even if I have 540 sts with laceweight yarn on my needles. I just can't stop knitting! It's been a 3 years passionated relationship, and I can't see the end of it. And it was a enjoyable experience to bring back to life the beginning!