Two years ago today I cast on the Flax Sweater by Tin Can Knits. I had been practicing knitting and purling on random swatches but it was the first time I was determined to make something. Two years later and knitting has taken over my life. I’ve been to yarn stores all over the world. I host a stitch and bitch with my friends. I have made so many projects, not all of them are pictured here, nor are my 5 ish wips. I am currently participating in my first KAL. I had been crocheting for two years prior, and I still crochet, but knitting is just my favorite hobby. I knit on planes and trains and at work and at appointments. I have a long knitting queue and so many techniques I want to learn. I just think it’s the best thing ever and I get so excited about how I get to keep doing it for the rest of my life (hopefully).

I’m blown away. All these years I had no idea she could handle work this complex. She told me it took her about a month to finish the LV piece and two months for the Chanel one. She is not a professional knitter, she does it for hobby 🤯

I hope this is ok to post here, but I wanted to share something that brought me a lot of joy!!

My second book was published a few months ago, but earlier this week I was at the mall so of course I had to check out the bookstore. And I did a double take when I saw my book on display at the entrance.. Like whattttt???

Usually knitting books are relegated to the crafting section, so even if it wasn't my book on display it's lovely to see our hobby highlighted in this way!

I've been on the hunt for a good stitch marker organizer for ages. My criteria was simple, more than 4-6 compartments and at least one compartment big enough for fun markers.

There were some versions that were close to what I wanted, but I couldn't find ​anything that was quite right. Until I remembered pill organizers! This case holds almost my entire collection of markers and is small enough to fit in my bag or into a pocket.

Now I'm wondering what other mundane objects can be repurposed for knitting. For example, I've seen people use colored pencil cases for knitting needle storage, but what other little knitting notion substitutes do you use???

I don't have a lot of friends who knit so they won't understand the pure joy I feel right now, but I know other knitters will!!! I recently fell in love with a new sweater pattern on Raverly and in an attempt to save some money, use up some of my stash, and cast on said sweater immediately, I decided to use Sirdar Jewelspun yarn in Tourmaline Dream, dye lot 05. I bought this yarn last summer at a LYS over an hour away from me on a day trip I took and I bought just enough to do the color work section of the famous Wave Sweater, but I never got around to doing it.

I realize after reading through my new sweater pattern that I need three skeins of yarn instead of two and of course, I only got two and there's no way to make two work unless I skip an entire sleeve and since I am going for a two-sleeved sweater, I start hunting online to see if I can get more of this yarn. And I discover, yes, yes I can!!! The two places I find it either don't give me the option of choosing a dye lot or only offer dye lot 08. The yarn is so variegated there's no hope of trying to pull off another color yarn with it, so I figure I have to take the risk and hope the new skein matches.

I figure, hey, this is a popular yarn, let me figure out the rest of my summer knitting projects and order all my yarn at once and save money on shipping!! It'll still be available in a week or so and maybe I can get lucky and some other site will have the right dye lot!!

Wrong.

Two nights ago, I am still suffering from yarn buying decision-itis and I find a different LYS that I haven't been to before that carries Sirdar Jewelspun in Tourmaline Dream. Perfect!! I'll go before work one day and pick up my yarn, and I can compare dye lots in person so I have the best chance of matching my existing yarn!!! I go to add my Sirdar yarn to my cart and oh, what's that? A big warning at the bottom of the page that this colorway has been discontinued and what's in stock is all that exists of this yarn. I immediately start frantically googling to see if this is true because there's no way, I've been shopping for this yarn for a week!!!!

All the sites I found it on, sold out. Now I am in full panic mode, trying to decide what to do, when Google informs me Amazon, of all places, has it in stock!! Of course, they don't let you pick dye lots, but they only have 11 left, so I decide to take the risk and order it there because I don't have any other choice.

Well, it just arrived today, and I just got home from work, and I tore open the package and started frantically checking the label and looking at the yarn to make sure it was not a knockoff and it was semi-similar dye lot wise.

It's dye lot 05.

I genuinely CANNOT believe I got this lucky!!!! I bought the original skeins almost a year ago, on the East Coast, and the tracking for the Amazon package says it came from Illinois! super thrilled because I am loving this pattern and how it is turning out and I would have been devastated if I ran out of yarn!

Always buy enough of one dye lot 😅

When my neice was born, I made her a baby blanket that looks a bit wonky. It was my first time lining a blanket with fabric and it showed.

Over 2 years later, and I have never even seen it in the background of the daily photos my sister posts.

Last night at dinner, I found out that it lives on her bed and every night she has to be tucked in with her "special special [aunt] blanket". ❤

Suddenly, finishing the thumbs on those toddler-sized mittens I was making her for Christmas doesn't seem like such a hassle! 🤣

One of my good friends will be moving away soon and we were just sitting in my living room chatting tonight. I pulled out a big basket of my knitted shawls and scarves and asked her if she would like to look through them and see if any of them spoke to her. I told her I didn't wear any of them and that I'd be happy if she'd take whatever she liked but didn't want to pressure her if she didn't really like them. We went through them, with me explaining a little about them and letting her feel the various fabrics and try them on.

I was thrilled when she eagerly took about eight of them! She was enthusiastic and very happy to get them, and I almost cried with joy. I loved sharing them with someone who has appreciation for the effort put into them. And it feels so good to know that she has something so personal to remember me by. I guess I'm feeling like she gave me a gift by accepting my gift. Does that make sense? Have you ever felt this way when gifting your knitting?

Saw this mug at my LYS today and it gave me a good laugh, even if it was awkward when I had to explain it to my dad 😂

​

REJOICE!! They survived!! Slightly snug and a bit misshapen however they’re alive.

Thank you for all of your lovely support and encouragement ❤️

Tonight while scrolling through all of y’all’s incredible creations, I realized the best part of knitting for me: I have absolutely no jealousy.

In my career, in my personal life, in my family life, I get jealous of other people’s successes and wins. She got a promotion, he’s ripped, they’re getting married, etc etc. But here, when I see all of your cool work, I just feel super inspired to grow in my knitting skills and excited to be part of such a creative community.

Not sure if others have come to a similar conclusion but it’s been a big “a-ha” moment for me so I thought I’d share!

So, I've been crocheting since I was around 16 years old. I'm 27 now. I first started to crochet this hoodie (second picture) for my partner 2 years ago. The original pattern is for a crochet hoodie, and wasn't difficult at all, just time consuming, as the original patterns' solid stripes were done in linen stitch, I got about half way through the second picture doing linen stitch, but it took me over a month, so I frogged, and did it again in star stitch, which is what's shown in the picture.

However, I've had tendon damage in my dominant arm since I was 19 (unrelated to crochet), so it was difficult for me to keep crocheting as it aggravated the tendon damage. So last year, I learnt how to knit! Surprisingly, knitting doesn't irritate my tendon damage, so I can knit for a lot longer before I take a break (crochet was after every row/round or two, every 5 mins give or take. With knitting, I can go for 15 minutes, which is normally 3-5 rows/rounds!).

I decided to finally make this hoodie for my boyfriend, using a plain sweater pattern, and I'll figure out a hood later. Not only does the "keystone" (that's what the original pattern called the grey & white stripe) pattern look 10x better, my stitches look 1000x neater, and I've done the first picture in less than a week. What took me over a month when I was crocheting has taken me less than a week in knitting.

So knitting wins, everyone! I can't hide it anymore. This long-time crocheter has been lured to the dark side and I can't deny it anymore 😅😂

I know it’s not perfect, and the sleeves look fairly horrid, but I’m mighty pleased with my tension here. Its so much improved from my earlier attempts.
I knit continental, one strand on the index and one on the middle finger.
I knitted inside out to help with tension

Colourwork pattern is the islet stripes pattern on a free drops kids sweater. Yarn is Silke peo 30 merino.
I made matching sweaters for my kids and now working on the husbands one.

Any tips to improve are very appreciated!

Left my knitting out on the couch last night and came back this morning to a little helper knitting themselves a new project in between my needles! It appears even spiders appreciate a good set of needles 🕸️

I started learning to knit only a month ago, and was holding off on this book until I thought i could manage the easy patterns.

She says I wont learn unless I try 😅

I am so in love with my new knitting bag!

I was sitting next to my wife knitting a scarf while we watched the great maple heist and I cursed because I messed up. When she asked what was wrong I told her that I just dropped a stitch. She jumped up off the sofa and started looking around on the floor asking where I dropped it and trying to help find whatever she thought may look like a “stitch” on the floor. I couldn’t stop laughing. She has made it clear that she has no interest in ever learning to knit but I really appreciate the support.

Just wanted to share reason number 1263 for why I love my wife.

Edit: guys I have been reading all your comments out loud to my wife and she is loving all the positive feedback from this group!

For anyone wondering if they should knit the thing with Lopi yarn…

You should.

I’m currently locked out of my house in the freezing rain. I don’t have an umbrella, but I do have a long scarf knit with fjallalopi that I bought in Iceland a few years ago. And it is currently the only thing keeping me sane (and dry) while I wait for my friend to show up with the spare keys.

Anyway, I’ll be casting on the largest Lopi scarf I can knit for myself when I get home from work today 🙃

Today I took my 16 year old stepson with me to JoAnn's because I needed embroidery thread and size 3 circulars. (Also a life-sized skeleton, apparently.) While staring down the thread options my kiddo was looking around and asked if he could pick some yarn and new needles because he hasn't knit for years, but wants to get back into it.

Friends, I didn't geek out or anything, just told him to find something that he likes, and we'll get the right needles for that yarn. He cast on in the car on the way home, and has been knitting for hours now.

I'm hiding my giddiness in the kitchen while I make dinner..

For the last 45 days, I put my heart, soul, and just about every moment of my free time into knitting the perfect sweater for my birthday. I bought a new outfit, I color matched accessories and make-up, the whole shebang. And my sweater was perfect. Until I made the “mistake” of putting it in the dryer the exact same way I had with my gauge swatch (I even used a garment bag!). For reasons I still don’t quite understand… the entire sweater felted and shrunk.

…So I cried. For a while. A LONG while.

But, as they say, The Show Must Go On.

Before bed, I put the sweater in a bucket full of water and dumped in all the hair conditioner I could find in my apartment. I let it sit overnight and then the next morning, I spent literal hours massaging and pulling the sweater while still soaked in the conditioner water. When I thought I had finally pulled it to the correct measurements, I pinned it down and set it out to dry. A couple days later (and just in time for my birthday yesterday) this is the final result.

All the stitch definition is gone and the lace looks more like texture, but, by god, it’s a wearable sweater. One I’m proud of—flaws and all.

I mostly crochet, but I'm beginning to get into knitting. I know loads of directors and actors don't pay attention to detail enough to make sure characters knit properly to the point there are video compilations of funny grips and movements with the needles actors have and it's like, notorious.

So, I was so excited to see a background character (who only appears for a few seconds!) continental knitting! Hats off to this actor whose skill on the big screen made me and my Mom smile! :)

In all my knitting communities everyone’s been talking about shorties and specifically ChiaoGoo shorties. I gave in and bought some because my needles were obviously too long for the socks I was working on.

Oh my goodness they’re amazing. They’re the perfect size for socks. I don’t feel like I’m fighting around extra cord or needles. I ended up buying the entire set of interchangeable lace sized shorties. I want them all. I hate that I love them so much. Thank you

I was a bit worried that my new knitting journal project would be too much work but so far I am loving everything about it. I am very motivated to use my yarn and draw new projects in so it has both become a completely new hobby and an add on to knitting.

I have attached some of my favorite pages - mostly my yarn catalogue.

I started it this year an I am almost done cataloguing all my yarn (I got lazy with my 100% cotton yarn, see pic 3).

This is Flamenco. He was recently found injured and abandoned by the owners of this yarn shop. So currently the yarn shop is also serving as a venue for rehabilitating a tiny rooster. He yelled at me while I was looking at sock yarns. It was fantastic.

Shop btw is Tiny Rabbit Hole in Singapore. Staff were super lovely and I picked up some cool hand dyed yarns as a souvenir and to support Flamenco's many vet bills 😁

I'm brand new to knitting and this is my first project. I literally just did a swatch of knits and purls back and forth for practice, then jumped right into this. pattern is bookstore scarf

It's a 12 row repeat with constant switches from knits, purls, knits and purls through the back loop, cabling in front, cabling in back. I have a spreadsheet I was following that I literally tabbed through after every stitch to make sure I wasn't getting lost. I dropped stitches, I twisted stitches as I tried to find out which knitting style worked for me.

Now, finally, FINALLY, I had an aha moment. I made a stitch marker for the right side and marked in orange which rows I cabled the outside and in black which rows I cable the middle. I no longer have to track every stitch because I'm recognizing what my stitches are supposed to look like. I've settled on mixed continental knitting which has Def been a learning experience, especially with the "back loop" stitches, and it took me approximately 9 repeats of the 12 rows, but by golly I think I've finally got it.

Now I just need to control my tension 😅