Monday, June 29, 2009

A Piece Of Mind

When my niece, Josie, was born a year ago this week, I had quit knitting. As much as I wanted to be a knitter, I didn’t have the stamina to follow through on any of the projects I had started, and would deep-six half-knitted sweaters into plastic tubs.
Then I discovered some great knitting blogs, and my desire to knit rekindled. Via blogging, I found the Interweave Knits magazine web site, which features a lot of free patterns. I found a Cabled Raglan Baby sweater pattern about four months ago, and I had to make it for Josie. I actually finished it in time for her first birthday this Thursday.
Even though the sweater has a ton of mistakes, I’m still proud of it. I got comfortable with some techniques I had never done before, like knitting in the front and back of a stitch to make an increase, and using double-pointed needles to knit the sleeves.
While accomplishing those techniques kept me motivated, what really got me to finish this sweater was the peace of mind I felt while knitting. Even when I sat in car outside Ethan’s karate studio with a cranky 4-year-old, once I started knitting I could forget all my worries and relax.
So there will be more baby sweaters in my future, and not just because my sister-in-law is due with a baby girl in October!

10 comments:

Cookie said...

It looks beautiful! I'm so jealous. I never learned how to knit.

jabblog said...

Well done you! That is such a pretty colour, too. I stopped knitting a few years ago as I'd got to the stage of knitting things and never getting around to sewing them up. I like crochet too, but haven't done any of that for a while either!

hokgardner said...

Congratulations! That is a beautiful sweater.

Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings said...

I have no patience for anything like this so I admire you for even making the effort. It looks great to me!

Tanya @ TeenAutism said...

I certainly don't see any mistakes! It's so lovely - I'm sure it will look darling on your niece!

betty said...

what a beautiful sweater; such a pretty color!!! I used to knit baby blankets years ago but got out of the habit with it when kids came along; it is soothing and relaxing isn't it??

good for you for keeping up with it

congrats to all for the new addition due in October

betty

Janice said...

It's adorable! Yay you!

Jannie Funster said...

Mistakes? What mistakes? It looks just gorgeous. And soft too.

Well done!

I've never been a kinitter but it may well have calmed me when Kelly was a cranky 1,2,3,4 and 5 year old.

Kathleen W. said...

That is beautiful! And I don't see any mistakes....but the knitter always knows.

I love Interweave Knits magazine, and their website is great too. I haven't knit anything in so long, but I keep seeing things that I'd like to try. Blame it on the computer, but somehow the blog has usurped my knitting time.

Rebecca said...

That little sweater is amazing! I can't knit anything but scarves.

I have a friend with a knitting blog: http://octopusknitting.blogspot.com/. My stepmother is a professional machine knitter and was very impressed with my friend's blog. Apparently her stitches are very controlled and even. As a non-knitter, I was just impressed with some of the designs she came up with.