Flashback

I wanted to document this part of my life, so here is Part 1.
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I started knitting six years ago (around 24 I think) after I graduated from college. My boyfriend (now hubby) had a few more years to go with school and I found myself with free time I wasn't used to having. I've always had an artsy side and sometimes I would wander around craft stores for fun. One day I found myself in the yarn aisle and a peppermint skein of yarn spoke to me. Sounds funny but it's true. I ended up buying it to knit a scarf for my roommate, but I first decided to on a scarf kit that came with all the tools I'd need to get started. I was clueless about knitting but knew then that I had to learn. Over Christmas I asked my sister to show me how to knit since she had dabbled in it. But, she quickly got frustrated teaching me and said my needles were too big to learn on :-) Michael came to the rescue the next day. He taught himself and then taught me, all within a matter of a few minutes. Dang engineers.

I started knitting my bulky cream scarf in simple garter stitch. I was so facinated by it and took it everywhere with me. On New Years Eve my friends saw me knitting this huge scarf and asked me to teach them too. We came up with the idea to organize a knit day on Superbowl Sunday. We socialized, ate brunch, and knit together. It was so fun that a few of us decided to start meeting once a week. The rest is history. Really! So much has happened since then. Maybe you are wondering what happened to my first scarf? I sent it to my dear friend Patria, who was living in Manhattan at the time getting her masters and she doesn't do well in cold weather. She and I have always sent fun gifts back and forth to eachother through the years and it was fun to be able to send her something I had made myself. I wonder now if she even has it anymore. She lives in Hawaii, not the best place to wear bulky scarves :-)

Our initial knitting group began with 3. Debbie Stoller's Stitch n' Bitch Handbook had just come out and it was a big deal at the time. I loved the idea of a SnB so I started a formal one where people could find us online. We tried out different coffeehouses and landed at Naked Lounge, a hip little coffeehouse. Looking back now, those were truly awesome years for me. In a way, I feel like a huge part of me opened up at this time. Growing up, I was always pretty shy and I only had a few close friends. Once I went to college and then becoming involved in this, I became a different person. I never knew how social I was and I found I loved to organize and gather people together.

I couldn't wait for knitting nights to come. It meant knitting of course, but more importantly, seeing old friends and meeting new ones.

Our group had such a presence that people passing by couldn't help but say something. Guys stopped and stared. They shared stories of their grandmas knitting and couldn't believe that a bunch of young women were knitting together. We even had a guy join our group for awhile. It was exciting to be part of something that was coming back into popularity, which was obvious when our group was contacted by the media a few times for magazine pieces and a TV spot. We eventually outgrew our space at Naked Lounge and started coffee shop hopping again. After a couple tries, we landed at Tupelo Coffeehouse, Naked Lounge's newer sibling in East Sac. This is where the Sacramento SnB resides today.When the knitting group began, many of us were single, dating, renting, in college, or new working professionals. Now it's a different story for many of us. Things really started changing when one of us became pregnant. We slowly started becoming mommies one by one.With Regina's daughter Maya being born, we started a tradition by gathering together in secret before the arrival of the new babe and knitting a blanket. Since then, each mom that has come to the group regularly has recieved a unique blanket of their own. The blankets have become more sophisticated through the years.

When I joined mommyhood last year, I recieved a beautiful "nature-inspired" blanket from the group. I was just commenting at my knitting group last night, as I made some repairs to Maggie's well-loved blanket, how I didn't expect to even get one after she was born! It never crossed my mind, I guess I was too wrapped up in everything else going on. Maggie's blanket was designed by one of the Sacramento knitters who recently became a published designer. Maggie's blanket design is for sale through Knitpicks.

As a few of us have moved further away from downtown, the need for another knit nite arose, so we started a group in Folsom. What I have always loved about the knitting groups is that they are free and open to all. They are one night during the week where I can go to decompress after a long day, share thoughts and experiences, indulge in a treat, and reconnect with friends.

When Ravelry came on the scene, it changed knitting as we knew it. I'm seriously addicted. Ravelry is a website where you can document your projects, yarn/fiber stash, browse projects and patterns, buy/sell goods, and join/chat in groups. Our groups are both on here. The Sacramento group has a following of 300+ members and the Folsom group has a following of 70+ members.

Many people have come and go and there have been times when I haven't gone to knit group for awhile. But I love to knit through and through. It makes me happy and excited about something for the future or just in the moment. I knit to have "me" time, stay connected, learn new things, see and touch beautiful, colorful fibers, and to be involved in something special. I am so thankful to have found this craft when I did. I didn't realize until after things got going how much I needed something like this in my life and I am glad it stuck.

I could write more and post more pictures from years past, but that's it for now. Hopefully more down the road.

Love to all my dear knitters!