I’m so focused on looking ahead to summer and making stuff for the camp that Easter has snuck up on me and I didn’t even take out my old decorations, let alone make anything new this year. I’m in the middle of making another quilt (this one is for our bed at the camp), and cushions for all the porch furniture.
And I decided to learn how to knit, after spending way too much time analyzing it. On one hand, do I really need more hobbies? And won’t it be expensive? And what would I even make? Scarves are always handy for New Hampshire winters… but I can’t really see myself making sweaters. I love some of the knitted stuffed animals I’ve seen, but Parker is getting older, and I don’t have a ton of toddlers on my gift list.
On the other hand, I am envisioning evenings at the camp, with no TV (not a big deal since we don’t have TV at home), no computer and no sewing machine. So knitting seemed like the perfect hobby to while away those hours … (My husband, by the way, has decided to teach himself wood carving/whittling so HE can have a camp hobby as well. You’d think we were 80 years old, rather than not-yet 40.)
My fellow crafting buddy Annmarie and I both signed up for Stephanie Japel’s Knit Lab class at Craftsy.com. (When I created an account, I got a welcome email that included any class for $25). So far, I really like her teaching style, and I think I’m starting to get the hang of it. But if anyone has any tips for beginners, I’d love to hear them. Particularly on yarn… is there a good, not-too-expensive yarn you really like? I really don’t want to spend a fortune.
Here are my Easter projects from past years, in case you need a last-minute project! (click on the pictures to go to the posts)
Love that little chick silhouette on the egg!
I tried knitting a couple times, never got the hang of it. I like crochet, though – and for that I really like the cotton Lily sugar n cream yarns. I’m not a fan of acrylic, even though it’s incredibly popular at the moment.
I love to knit and have had a project on the needles since the mid 90s. Synthetic yarns are cheaper than natural fibers, but projects never seem to look as nice or wear as well in acrylic. If you’re looking for nicer quality natural fibers, try knitpicks.com or the house brands at elann.com or yarn.com, and once you’re addicted to natural fibers, branch out from there.