My personal knitting journey

In this article I will share my personal knitting journey. When did I start knitting? Who taught me the basics? What do I like most about knitting? Where do I get my inspiration? And much more. You can read my personal story here.

My grandmother

The first one to teach me something about knitting, was my grandma Elisabeth. She knitted here whole life. Here children (my mother and aunt and uncle) would always wear knitwear.

I look a lot like my grandmother, in many ways. Also with regard to our hobbies. She loved knitting and history, and for me that’s the same.

So I’m really happy that she taught me the real basics. Like how to hold the needle, the knit and purl stitch. I remember making a simple scarf, I think I was 8 years old. And it was crooked in every sense. I kept, unintentionally, adding more stitches, so it was the weirdest scarf ever.

Unfortunately she passed away before I was old enough to really teach me.

YouTube

The second time I started knitting, I was a bit older. I think I was around 30, so 9 years ago now. I just started my own business and it was a real dream come true. Making content all day, my hobby was now my work. But I also felt that I needed a new hobby. Something creative that doesn’t need a laptop of phone. Immediately I thought of knitting. Little did I know that I would spend hours on my phone to watch YouTube tutorials. But YouTube is a really great place to start.

My first knitting project

The first thing I knitted was, again, a scarf. A very simple project and the purl and knit stitch were fairly easy. But then I needed to cast off and it took me ages to figure out how to do this.

So this project laid on the couch for a very long time before I finally had the courage to finish it. And when I finally did, I didn’t like the colour I chose. Eventually I would never wear this first knitting project.

Spending some money on knitting kits

The second step for me was to buy a knitting kit. I bought a sweater knitting kit from We Are Knitters. And I have to say: the instructions were very clear and the yarn is of great quality. The sweater I knitted back then is still in my wardrobe and I actually wear it.

Tip: do you also want to start knitting with a kit from We Are Knitters? If you use this link, you will get 10% off your purchase.

Searching for patterns

After a few knitting kits, I thought it would be time for me to search for a knitting pattern online and buy the yarn myself. I really like browsing online and look at inspirational pattern makers.

My favorite knit designers are o’malica, Lily Kate makes and Sari Nordlund. I believe their patterns are well written, creative and original.

Tip: follow me on Pinterest. I have multiple boards where I post my personal inspiration for knitwear.

Buying the yarn

My first yarn I would buy online. But soon I found a really large store nearby (40 minutes drive). When it comes to yarn, I want to feel it. And when you see it online, the colour is always different than on a screen.

Off course I would buy the wrong yarn at first. I didn’t know the difference between the different yarn types and would just buy yarn that I liked.

When I figured this out, I would buy the yarn that was prescribed in the pattern. That way the project turned out more like the pattern maker intended.

What I like about knitting

Why do I like knitting so much? For me it’s a way to be creative. To create something. And that you can wear it after it’s finished is a nice bonus. That’s why I also like knitting for other people. It’s more about the process and the creation than the actual knitwear. Well, I still love having a wardrobe full of exclusive knitwear.

What part of knitting is not my favorite

I think I’m not the only knitter to say that putting the final touches are not my favorite. Putting the front, back and sleeves together is definitely not my favorite part. Or weaving in the ends. What’s your least favorite part of knitting?

What do I knit

The projects that I knit most are clothes: sweaters and tops. Most of them are for myself. But lately I feel confident enough to knit for other people, like my husband and friends.

What I don’t knit? That is socks. Don’t feel like it. They are small and fidgety. Funny fact: I told this to my mother and she responded that my grandmother also hated knitting socks and never did it. So I look even more like her than I thought.

When do I knit

I knit almost every day. In the evening, after work and sports, me and my husband wind down and he prefers to do that watching television. In the meantime I knit. I can watch tv and knit at the same time. As long as it’s not a complicated Scandinavian crime series, I’m good.

How about your personal knitting journey

I’m so curious about your personal knitting journey! Where did you learn the basics? What was a your first project? Please let me know in one of the comments.