In which I discover Ravelry...

Today, my friends, I've discovered the most amazing ( in my opinion) knitting website - Ravelry. On the website you can find me as nifftyknitter33. So the first thing I see is that cute, colorful sign in page. I had to stifle a giggle as I saw all the yarn fiber animal in yarn. Is there anything more ironic and funny? Then I get all signed up and make my profile and explore the site. I have a feeling that it'll take me a while to get used to everything there.

I really made some progress on my knitted bag today. Also, after seeing my dad go out into this crazy Chicago blizzard of 2011 I vowed to make him a hat. And not just a plain-cheapo-buy-at-Walmart-for-a-dollar-hat, I'm talking about a warm ribbed wool hat and a big thick scarf. Hopefully, this will prevent him from looking like a man from the ice age when he comes in from shoveling.

In other new, school starts for me tomorrow. Gone are the care free days of being snowed in and knitting all day. Just like them good olden days! Hmmm.... I wonder if they would let me bring my knitting to school? Would that be fun or what? Half of the teachers just let us have a 'study period' while they correct papers. Or I could make a knitted book bag! That might be fun. Recently, though, it seems like I've been trying to tackle WAY too many projects. But it seems like I work better when I'm overwhelmed!

In which I get a snow (knitting) day!

For the first time in since 1999 my school had a snow day! That's TWELVE years! I also found out we get the day off tomorrow, too. But they would've been crazy not to give us a day off after all the snow we got here in Chicago. The wind got up to 70mph and it snowed over 12 inches, but in some parts it was taller because of all the snow drifts. On the positive side, I got to knit, knit, and knit some more!

I still consider myself a newbie so I started and easy project. It's a great big bag- 12x12 in- with a cute little pocket. I promise to post a picture once I get it done!

Well, happy knitting!

eat, sleep, knit, repeat

What is so magical about holding two sticks and a piece of string? How does creating fabric and inricate designs out nothing seem to soothe the soul? And why does the rhythmic clicking of needles transport you to a different world?

I've been asking myself those questions since I started kniting last year. I had an old how to knit set that included needles and yarn, but little else. I got frusterated at the diagrams and the dry and complicated instructions, and didn't get pass the slip knot. A few years later I saw a friend of mine knitting and was as fascinated by the knitting as a moth is of light. I searched my unorganized closet for the long-abandoned knitting set with the hopes of making gorgeous hand knit items. I dusted off the cheap plastic needles and stickly acrylic yarn and did a quick web search of how to knit. Slowly and painfully, I learned how knit!

Now I can't stop trying to learn the ways of the yarn and adding to my knitting collection. But, alas, I've encountered very few knitters on my knitted "journey". My family just rolls their eyes as I tell them about the new stitch pattern I've learned, or about that great new yarn brand.

I hope you'll stick with me on my knitted adventure.