The Journey Begins

My first blog, so I shall begin at the beginning. When did I learn to knit? What inspired me to learn?



Despite the fact that my mother was a talented knitter, her crafty knitting style did not inspire me to pick up the needles. Instead, my inspiration came as I rode the train between Paris and Lyon during the summer of 1980. Backpacking around France as a poor college student, I spent a great deal of time that summer on the trains. Over and over I would see French women knitting with gorgeous designer yarns that were nothing like the yarns in my mother's stash. I returned home and begged Mom to teach me to knit. (Which, of course, she didn't do, because she was left handed and I am right handed . . . but that is another story.)

Fast forward to August of 2000. Some knitting friends and I started to meet at a local bookstore cafe. Our group quickly grew from 4 to 14. My circle of friends expanded, and existing friendships deepened. We continue to knit together, every Monday night. Our knitting group is regularly approached by women who say they used to knit, or that they would like to learn. When I was knitting at home, no one ever asked me to knit. In the first year that our knitting group gathered,five people asked me to teach them to knit, and I have taught many more since. Like everyone these days, I'm very busy with work and family, and I don't have much time to knit. I find the time by taking my knitting with me everywhere. I knit in public wherever I can. My favorite place to knit is at an outdoor cafe. Preferably, when I am on vacation somewhere. I hope to inspire new knitters around the world!