Today, I thought I might follow the lead of the lovely Curlypops and have a
giveaway
to
celebrate the halfway mark!!
Yep, we're halfway through October, which is sort of exciting and sort of scary too....
I'm still struggling with the fact that it's October!
Sooo...
to celebrate the halfway mark I'm going to give away a selection of my patterns to be chosen by the winner. The winner can choose 10 patterns of their liking to receive in pdf form.
These pdf patterns will be emailed to you, or added to your Ravelry library if you are on Ravelry.
You can even choose to gift some of the patterns if you wish!
sweet, hey!
So how do you enter?
All you need to do is leave a comment and tell me a short knitting story of yours.
It could be about your favourite FO,
it could be your greatest disaster,
it could even be about how you learnt how to knit.
You decide.
I'm going to leave this giveaway open until the end of October
and draw the prize on November 1st
using my snazzy random number generator app.
Make sure that you have your email address enabled on your ID
or include your Ravelry name in your comment ;)
;That will make it easy for me to contact you.
Not sure what my patterns look like?
Here's a few photos of the my favourites.
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| Suzanne |
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| bloom |
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| elizabeth |
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| milo |
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| miss jane |
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| ziggy |
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| sorello |
Or you can see them all here!
COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED!
Hiya! Thank you for this opportunity! I'm actually only a beginning knitter, inspired by you, who I found through Foxs Lane. I love crochet, but have always wanted to knit. Twice I have bought needles, tried, become frustrated and given them away to charity! Finally,though I am so determined to eventually create one of the beautiful cardies you have designed, for my daughter, that I am hanging in there and have nearly finished my first scarf!! I feel confident I will make it this time, even if it takes a while!
ReplyDeleteI love your patterns, so I'm in! Here's my story.
ReplyDeleteThere is one project on my UFO-stash, that I just don't seem to be able to finish. It is one of the most gorgeous knitting patterns I know of (Butterfly from Rowan, a lace dress), and the yarn is a beautiful handpainted lace wool yarn. The problem is that I started knitting right before I became pregnant with my second child. Morning sickness wasn't one of my pregnancy problems, but everything that involved thread or yarn made me really nauseous, which is rather a shame when you're usually addicted to sewing, knitting and crocheting.
My daughter is almost six years old now but I still haven't touched that specific knitting project again, because it keeps giving me a slight feeling of nausea. Maybe I should just abandon the project and re-use the yarn for something more rewarding...
What a generous giveaway!! My favorite knitting story lately is my son's birthday last weekend, when he turned three - he spied a soft and squishy package among the presents, and got giddy right away. "It's going to be a sweater! A sweater that Mama knitted for me!" He ripped open the wrapping and had to put the sweater on immediately, and didn't take it off, even to sleep, for at least four days! That's the kind of appreciation that keeps a knitting mama going. :) (It was a hotshot hooded vest with a digger embellishment, perfect for a busy diggerman sort of a three year old!) I'm sarahglor on rav.
ReplyDeleteMy knitting story is very similar to the one above. I learned how to knit from a LYS and the first project I started was a hot pink garter stitch scarf for my then one year old. However, this scarf was repeatedly put aside for other (more exciting) projects. It ended up taking me a year to finish which is a ridiculous period of time. But it was so worth it as my daughter loved it and told everyone that "mama made." Appreciated knitting is the best.
ReplyDeleteI would adore your patterns to make for my little girl. There are so many excellent patterns she would adore.
Oh a generous giveaway of your beautiful patterns!
ReplyDeleteWhen my daughter was a couple of months old I was knitting her a jumper in about a 6 month size. I had started it before she was born but for various reasons hadn't completed it. I was working on getting it done when I developed an (undiagnosed!) pain in my hand/wrist. It ran from my thumb joint down through my wrist and became increasing worse when I was knitting and eventually I had to put the needles down for about 18 months until it healed. I don't know how it started but I have very tight tension and I wonder if that's part of it. I have to consciously try to knit loosely! I have since finished that jumper, well past the time she could have worn it, but I can not bring myself to give it away. It will always be hers :)
(ps. you can find me on Ravelry as 'Annwen'
DeleteAbout 3 years ago I picked up the crochet hook to hook something for my infant daughter. I always thought that crochet was cool and knitting was daggy. Then I saw a pattern that I really wanted to make for my child and *shock horror* it was a knitting one. So I bought it and thought I'd make the effort to knit if I had to. 3 years later, I am addicted to knitting, have a wool stash pushing my fabric stash out the door and am bereft if I am not click-clacking every day. I picked up a crochet hook on a recent holiday and while it was nice, it just wasn't knitting.
ReplyDeleteAnd I never have knitted up that pattern that I bought which started my obsession...
PS I am Taswege on Rav :)
DeleteMum always knitted during the winter and I always begged her to teach me. We had a lot of false starts (I'm not sure why she ever thought 3 ply wool on 2.75mm needles was a good idea for a first project, especially since there were no babies due in the family). I always got discouraged by my wonky gauge. Then it all clicked and over the course of year 12 I knitted a scarf to take to England with me over New Year. It was 1x1 rib, easily 40cm wide and 5'10" long. Then I added tassels. Oh, and it was bright purple mohair with magenta flecks through it. Now I wonder how people do the Doctor Who scarves, then remember the awesome hairy purple thing in my cupboard. Still, it's perfect for cold weather, and I still love it!
ReplyDeleteI tried on multiple occasions to knit my mother a scarf from yarn that reminded me of the bows she put in pigtails as a child. I think I must have started and ripped out a dozen times before starting again this time with different yarn...not only did I finish but I put a ruffle at each end of the scarf! We live in Kentucky and my mom calls the alpaca scarf her "winter coat!"
ReplyDeleteMy knitting story is about my first ever shawl. I knit it in handspun and beaded it. I'd done barely any lace before that and never beaded knitting and I think that was what made the ladies at the guild so interested in it. The beading especially fascinated them and many times I had to stop to show how I was getting the beads on. I still wear that shawl and love it; it was a Aoelian.
ReplyDeleteAfter a number of years of trying to knit (abandoned scarf attempts), I had my firstborn, and wanted to make something for him....and luckily found Milo! So, yay, Georgie, you helped me succesfully complete my first knitted item! Thanks. (snail on Rav)
ReplyDeleteYou are so generous! What a fantastic opportunity you have given us all!
ReplyDeleteMum taught me to knit, near on 30 years ago now. Since having found Rav and YouTube, I have learned lots of new tricks and now refuse to knit on anything but circulars! I have had an obsession with yarns for as long as I can remember. 3 (ish) months ago, my passion for all things yarny paid off and I landed a job at my LYS! I am thrilled and love every second of being at work, and customers tell me all the time how obvious my love for knitting and crochet is :)
I am "IrisRaine" on Ravelry.
OOhhh, how exciting!!!!
ReplyDeleteI learnt to knit when I was a little girl. My mum and I lived with my grandparents for a while and I used to watch my nanna with great interest. I taught myself to knit by watching her and I believe this is why I knit with the yarn in my right hand. I used to knit things on a whim when I got the bug for it over my early years. My real mojo kicked in when I was having my eldest daughter and I started to learn more techniques and now its a daily habit. I am SeaStar on Rav too
I learnt to knit as a child but never actually made anything just knitted. Once I had a baby I decided that I would take up knitting again and with the help of You Tube I managed to teach myself how to knit some patterns. I seem to always make a few mistakes but improving which is the main thing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for such a great giveaway. My sad story is about cardigan I made my then 2yr old daughter - new techniques, 4ply yarn and much tinking. One short day of wear and the cardy had two holes in it. I never got around to fixing the holes and she has long grown out of it now anyway! Thankfully it hasn't put me off and I knit more than ever now.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for such a generous prize! I started teaching myself to knit last year and decided this year would b the year of the sock. I now have two hibernating items- one is too big, the other too small and am trying to find my goldilocks sock- one that is just right! Hopefully the current one fits that bill!
ReplyDeleteFifikins
Wow--would love to win this!
ReplyDeleteI've gone full circle with knitting. I started knitting when I was 8 making doll clothes. I put it aside as a teen and picked it back up as a newlywed, making several sweaters for my husband and myself. Knitting got put aside while my children were young (I never seemed to finish a project in time). I few years ago I found the world of "Sasha" dolls and have started knitting for them. I like to take children's patterns and knit them on finer yarns so that the pattern is only changed in gauge.
The other knitting story of mine is from last Halloween. I knit my daughter a Gryffindor scarf. It wasn't until I'd knit about 1/4th of it that I realized it would be more knitting than an adult sweater. Many late nights happened then.
My comment is a confession. I started knitting a sweater for my oldest daughter last November. She was 12 (now 13) and she chose the pattern. It is knit in pieces and will need to be seamed together (I loathe seaming, which is why I LOVE your patterns). The sweater is almost done, I only have to knit the sleeves, they come to the elbow so they are not long, do the dreaded seaming and it will be done. It has been sitting for months and I haven't touched it. It is looming over me like a shadow lately because if I don't finish it soon it may not fit her anymore as she is growing in all those ways that teenage girls do. Maybe, just maybe making this confession is just the motivation I need to finish it up..... (my ravelry name is ambersparks)
ReplyDeleteEarlier this year I fell in love with Bloom and prommptly purchased it, even though I had no one to make it for. I love the practicality for growth and yet so pretty. Well yet-to-be-born-girls have been popping everywhere. And yet I still never made it. DD3 informed me she was pregnant, and no I did not make it. No jinxing. Within 2 days (I was very ill the first day) of finding out a little girl is in development, I had almost completed the pattern - and totally love it!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteRav name - Aussiemaria
My first ever knitted item was a Milo (HCsMum on Rav) and that was followed by an Oriental Lily I'd never knit anything on circulars, or past a plain garter stitch scarf, so I felt a bit of pride and accomplishment haha. What I love about these patterns and others since that I have knit, is that they all teach me a new technique and challenge me on my knitting journey. So thank you!
ReplyDeleteWhat treat and how generous of you! I'm "nicpo6" on Ravelry.
ReplyDeleteThe first big thing I knitted was a short sleeved cardigan for me. I was quite proficient at baby beanies for friends. Bravely I went to the local knitting store and spoke to the lady about being a tight knitter. She measured me, suggested I knit a particular size and go up a needle size. I did all she suggested and many months later finished a too small cardigan. After whinging a bit I learnt that magic term swatching!
My cousin is pregnant with twins, so I made them little chaussons, my first baby sock... and then I realized my other nephew might be jealous, so he got a hat. The hat fits, the twins are coming shortly, and knitting made everyone happy.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was only 3 or 4 years old I stayed with my grandma part time while my parents dealt with whatever it is parents sometimes need to deal with. My strongest memory of this time is spending Saturday evenings sitting on the brown tweed couch, tucked up under a granny square rug beside her while she sipped her cup of tea, watched The Bill and knit up slippers and sweaters for all our family.
ReplyDeleteBeside that couch was a plastic tub filled with the half balls of yarn left over from these items and its with these scraps that I learned to knit.
Last week I stopped in at my local op-shop and sitting right there at the entrance was the a tub identical to the one that sat beside her couch! I snapped up that tub, paid the $4 asked and raced home to put it beside my own couch where I will hopefully one day use it to teach my future grandchild to knit :)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/charmwhite/8052705412
oh, and i'm Charm on rav :)
DeleteWhat a generous prize.
ReplyDeleteWhen my 5 year old was about 3 he desperately wanted a pair of rainbow longies. He had other longies but he 'needed' rainbow. My stash was a lot smaller then, but I happened to have some rainbowish yarn. So I busily knitted them up for him. When I finally finished he was so excited. This year I had to extend the legs for him because he still wears them and when I suggested giving them away he told me we had to keep them because he wants his children to have them.
MGlatte on Rav
What a lovely giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteI learnt to knit after I decided that I really would 'get it' this time. So I bought decent yarn (no acrylic) and some circular needles and thankfully it all worked out without all the extra or missing stitches I had on all my previous attempts. I have been hooked ever since :)
Hi tiKKi! Great giveaway :-)
ReplyDeleteI originally learned to knit as a child but didn't continue with it. I then took it up again after my dh and I were married so that I would have something in common with my mil - something to talk about..
After awhile, even though she'd been knitting for decades, I was starting to teach her new techniques and show her things she'd never seen before like the long tail cast on... thanks to the internet, lol. She thought I was pretty amazing...
apwool on Rav, thanks x
What a fantastic give away
ReplyDeleteMY STORY:
I took Amelia for her four year old needles at the local neighbourhood centre. It was packed full of people and the nurse made small talk to Amelia and commented on her dress (It was the Bloom)
Nurse: Did your Nan knit this for you?
Amelia: No
Nurse: Your Grandma?
Amelia: [puzzled look and shaking of head]
Nurse: Who knitted you this lovely dress?
Amelia: My Mum
The Nurse then gave me a puzzled look and then walked away. Still to this day I wonder if she was calling me a Nanna.
mumsbusycrafting on Rav
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI just love your patterns! Since having two new babes, I have a new addiction to knitting! Baby and kids stuff is so fun and quick to knit! I learned to knit about 10 years ago. My mom taught me, which is strange only because she has barely taught me anything in life. But I thank her for teaching me to knit!
Would love to win a few of your patterns!!
Thanks!
Oh, fun! My favorite knitting story is pretty recent. I was knitting something and kept marveling at how my 3.5 mm needles felt SO BIG. I kept thinking, these feel like 4.5 mm needles! I even mentioned it to my husband, who grunted something but didn't look up from what he was doing. I finished knitting and went to put away my needles and look! They were 4.5 mm needles! I was torn between being proud of my hands knowing that the mm size was wrong and irritated with myself for not double checking the needles I was using! :)
ReplyDeleteI was trying to teach my then 5 year old how to knit, but I am not the most patient teacher. My husband saw me instruct her once and had it. He then took the project from me and started trying to show her how it was done (he is a much better teacher). I was amazed at how fast he got it... my little girl, still hasn't taken to it...yet.
ReplyDeleteMy grandma taught me to knit when I was 8 years old. What fun!
ReplyDeleteI was taught by my lovely sister Anna when i was stuck on bed rest whilst pregnant with my son Joe.
ReplyDeleteMy first EVER attempt at knitting was a milo, she told me to choose your patterns as they are so easy to understand for a newbie. Anna was so kind to cast on for me, join in the round and she even gave me the wool so i could get started. So between phone conversations (we are 7 hours away from eachother) and lots and lots of utube videos I knitted my first Milo in woolganics grapefruit moon! (I even managed to do the cable!)
She started my love/obsession for knitting and yummy soft wool!
Bec (threelittlegrubs on Rav)
Lovely giveaway! My first attempt at knitting was actually a Milo vest. During my googling on 'how to knit' I stumbled across Ravelry - back in the day when you had to request to join. Once I was accepted (I wasn't even sure what I'd signed up for) I saw the pattern for the Milo vest on the front page and instantly knew *had* to knit it! It may have taken about 3 months and several disatrous restarts but I managed to knit that Milo for my then 18 month old boy and I was soooo proud (even if it was in yucky acrylic - I didn't know any better then!).
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately that Milo didn't survive childcare but I've knit plenty more since then to make up for it!
Oh and Tikki I blame you for my obsession with proper delicious yarn :0P
Ooops I'm Jessibellbell on Rav!
DeleteCurrently my favourite personal knitting story is not just pulling, but yanking on my heartstrings right now.
ReplyDeleteOver a year ago now, a colleague was diagnosed with cancer. I emailed him a message of support and offered to knit him any accessories should they help to provided him some comfort. As he was a keen fisherman, I jokingly threatened to knit him a Dead or Alive Fish Hat. His reply indicated he was quite taken with the pattern. So I knitted him a Fish Hat, and he loved it. He sent me occassional messages about the travels of the fish hat as he visited relatives and went on fishing trips between treatments.
Alas, we got news that his treatment would be ongoing due to secondary tumours appearing. So I sent him an email with my best wishes and an offer to make any knitted accessories his heart desired. He replied that his little girl would love a fish hat, and so would his best fishing buddy. But if possible, he wanted different colour schemes, as he loved how unique his hat was. So I made a rainbow fish hat for his little girl, and eventually a fish hat for his friend.
When the fish hat for his friend was delivered, he joked about how hard it was to give up, and so I offered to make him a back up hat. He requested a Coral Trout themed hat, which I whipped off and sent to him. He was so thrilled with it!
Unfortunately, in the last week my manager approached me to tell me that my colleague had sent an email to let them know things were not looking good, and he was going to be moving to palliative care. I got back to my desk and the email was there, but with a whole paragraph added about how much he loved his hats.
We have now found out that he hasn't got much longer with us. He was too tired for visitors other than close friends and family, but emails were appreciated, as his wife reads the messages to him.
Yesterday I sent an email to let him know that I was thinking of him and his wife, and sharing a few memories. His wife replied, saying how much those fish hats meant to her husband and his daughter. *Sob*!
Ooops - so carried away with my story, I forgot to add my details - I'm Kimzboyz on Rav.
ReplyDeleteOK, here is my story, kind of a sad story actually. My niece and nephew are 2 and 3 years old, they come from a very difficult home. Their mom is currently in jail awaiting sentencing for drug charges, and their dad is incapable of taking care of them. They have been staying with their grandparents and we have taken them on weekends. My sweet niece Natalie, (3 years old) is enamoured with my knitting, last weekend when they were staying with us (and wow I've forgotten quickly how much work 2 and 3 year olds are!) every time I sat to knit she would watch me intently, and try to take my yarn and make it her own. She found a needle and wrapped the yarn around and around and said 'Look I do it too!' After I weaved in the ends on my project she stuffed her pockets full of my scraps to take home. She keeps asking for me to make her something, so I am searching for the perfect something to make her, I think maybe a little knit toy as most of her toys are gone since her move to grandma and grandpas. I am hoping that as she grows up I can positively influence her little life and hopefully teacher her to knit someday too.
ReplyDeleteI am alligatorknits on rav :)
What a great giveaway Tikki.
ReplyDeleteI have been kitting for nearly 60 years..... Wow has it been that long? We were taught at school in those days and I remember lining up in a queue to have it checked. My firt knitted article (baby booties) from a pattern was when I was around 11 years for my soon to be baby brother. I have knitted on and off most of my life. I think the rainbow dress was my first garment knitted in the round and how I love the new seamless designs with no sewing up. My grandaughter is following on the tradition with knitting from patterns since she was 10. Hope it goes on for many more generations.
I am Louisson on Rav;
I am so excited about this giveaway! Your patterns are always my favorite and I have yet to tackle most of them as I have only created a few. It's been super fun to read everybody's knitting stories. I learned to knit via the internet 8 years ago when I was on bedrest waiting for my daughter to be born. This was back before Youtube and many other video tutorials were available, so I relied on pictures and drawings. It was a challenging task, but one I had plenty of time for. I started by just making small items like baby hats and scarves. Since then, I have ventured off to make pretty much anything that has inspired me and have even written a few simple patterns myself. Now, 8 years later after struggling for quite a while to have more children, we are pregnant with girl number 2, which is quite a miracle! I have about 3.5 months left and am praying and hoping I don't have to go on bedrest again, but this time, I will have plenty of knitting projects to keep me occupied. Crossing my fingers that I win! :) My ravelry name is KirstenSpitzer
ReplyDeleteA Tikki Giveway Wow. I've been knitting for 50 years or so. I love it. It's gotten me through life's rough patches like nothing else. I only discovered your patterns recently. You write patterns for the way I love to knit. Top down, in the round ,and easy to magic loop. I've bought quite a few of your patts already but I have my eye on a few new ones, hope I'm lucky. I'm Spudnik on ravelry
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to enter this for days, but I keep getting distracted.
ReplyDeleteI knit everywhere - in the car, in the park, at home and at work. I am never without a project within easy reach. The girls I work with joke that I don't work nightshift anymore, I do "knitshift". Recently though, I've been teaching my little girl to knit because although she is very young, she has been surrounded her whole life by my knitting and she desperately wants to be able to snuggle up next to me and knit along. She has a dream of knitting a blanket with me - we start in the middle and both knit out to the edge - her on one side and me on the other. I think this is a smashing idea, and so as soon as she can master the needles, we will create our blanket together :)
My mother taught me to knit as a kid, but it wasn't until I was pregnant with my daughter that I really took up the needles with a passion. I cannot say how much I love the fact that the baby who brought me back to knitting now wants to be knitting with me. She is my yarnie babe and I will forever associate my love for knitting with her :)
Oh, and you know me as "Scruffie" on rav
DeleteI can't remember learning to knit but it was when I was a child and mostly from my mum. I started 'practicing' as an adult (19yo) not ever making anything, just knitting. When I was pregnant with my first child at 21, I made my first things including a garter stitch cardigan and a lace sweater for the baby (which I wish I still had as I was proud of that one). My MIL helped me when I was unsure about techniques such as picking up and knitting stitches. I have gone to learn how to crochet which I had wanted to learn for a long time. I am grateful for youtube and Ravelry (mychildrensmother on Rav) as they have helped me to learn even more about knitting and inspired me.
ReplyDeleteI learnt to knit when I was 6 - it was an elective at primary school, and a lot of lovely women volunteered to come in and teach us. I still remember my finished object very clearly - it turned into a scarf, and it had holes where there shouldn't have been holes, but I was so proud of what I had done.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of last year I started knitting again when I realised how many first birthday parties I would have that year! I wanted to create something cute yet cost effective for the babies that was a little more personal than a store bought gift.
I had just come out of a mother/baby unit where I had been treated for anxiety and post natal depression, and it was great to have a project that I could focus on. It was amazing that what had started as just a little idea for gifts turned into a form of therapy! I saw this link last year, and it explained it beautifully - "It's about yarn to thing. It's about order to chaos. It's about creation. It's about control".
http://hivemindedness.com/kindsofblue/knitting_therapy/
Alison.
(JazzBaby on Rav)
What a super generous give away!
ReplyDeleteI remember sitting as a young girl watching my mum, nana and gran knitting. I asked mum to teach me how to knit and after a few disasters both mum and I decided knitting 'wasn't for me'. But, I remained enamoured by the craft and bought myself a "How to Knit" book with my pocket money when I was 8 or so years old. Through sheer determination, I studied the book intently and taught myself how to knit and crochet! My poor dolls ended up with acrylic knitted outfits!!! As a teenager, I stopped knitting as other interests came to the fore, namely boys ha ha.
When I became pregnant with my eldest, I took up knitting again a few months before he was born and I knit for each child thereafter, mainly 4 ply layettes.
Then I found Ravelry, and designers like yourself who knew my hatred of seaming :D :D and I began knitting in earnest. Now my two daughters and one of my sons sit beside me knitting after taking it up this year at various times. My youngest daughter loves to look at yarn and patterns with me (and it scares me that she'll point to a yarn and say "That one mum" and nine times out of ten, it's the most expensive yarn!). It provides special parent/child time, and there's nothing like the smile of a child when you give them a finished item.
Now, the tides have turned with my mum, she's asking me for knitting advice. She's now a fan of circular, seamless knitting and just last night, I introduced her to the russian join.
Knitting is a way of bringing families together, sharing love, quiet time and creativity.
Holly
(mamma5 on Rav)
What a generous giveaway. So far I only have a couple of your patterns but would love to try more. My favourite FO would have to be your Rainbow dresses - I've lost count of how many I have made but each one I make just brings me so much joy - it's one of my 'go to' patterns for baby shower gifts.
ReplyDeleteI learnt to knit as a child and as I grew older, gave it away for awhile. When I gave up smoking, almost 13 years ago, I needed something to do with my hands so took up knitting again. At the same time a friend was pregnant and I finished my first ever cabled cardigan - it was just a baby one!
Rav. screen name - Nataliem3
email : aunynatsknits@gmail.com
What an amazing giveaway! I've only been knitting for two years, so I don't have many knitting stories yet, but I just finished my first real sweater, and it was kind of an adventure. ;) I wanted to make a little cardigan for my 1 year old daughter. The construction and knitting were going great, and I knew my gauge was a little off, but I figured the extra growing room would be good. Well, I got down to the bottom, and bound off.... and it fit my 4 year old. Oops. ;) So I frogged the whole thing, dropped two needle sizes, and ended up (finally) with a nice toddler cardigan. :)
ReplyDeleteJordan (Pseudopods on Ravelry)
10 patterns?! That would be amazing! I love them all so much. Your designs were some of the first I tried when I learned to knit when my daughter was a baby. No looking back now! Thanks for all the inspiration! Deidre (dm12345 on ravelry)
ReplyDeleteI remember my grandma trying to teach me to knit when I was a little kid. It didn't go far because I only saw her twice a year. I learned to knit when a friend recommended it when I was in university - I still don't know why she made that recommendation, because she doesn't knit, but I learned from the internet and have been enjoying it since. (NicoleS on Ravelry)
ReplyDeleteHmm I first learned to knit as a child and knew the basics; how to cast on, knit, purl and bind off. I never knit anything other than scarves. In fact I don't think I ever finished a scarf. I studied textiles at Uni and took up spinning and crocheting but still never went back to knitting until many years later. I interviewed a young lady for an article I was writing, turns out we had studied fashion design at the same college and had never crossed paths. She majored in knitwear which I had zero interest in at the time. I was all about dying and printing. So we became friends and I loved her simple organic hand knits and asked her about her patterns and how did she write them and she confessed to knitting everything on instinct. She never uses a pattern, in fact she doesn't even know how to read a knitting pattern! My thought was, "well, I could do that! I can't read a pattern, but I CAN knit" I promptly went to spotlight and spent a small fortune on the nicest yarn I could find and went home and knit a shrug that night followed by a lap blanket knit on the bias. From that moment I was hooked on knitting and sought out every bit of information and technique I could find. That was 5 or 6 years ago and in that time I have learned SO MUCH! My friends grannies ring me up for advice on their knitting now and I love it. I love a challenge and I'm not afraid to try anything, even steeking :-)
ReplyDeleteOn a side note; the first pattern I ever read and knit was your rainbow dress. At the time it was on your blog as a free pattern and I still have the original copy I printed out covered in my scrawling notes for alterations and modifications. Even from day one I was useless at following a pattern without changing something! I have loved your patterns ever since.
RestlessKnitter on Rav
Thanks for the great giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI once knitted a sweater (probably 25 years ago) that called for worsted weight yarn but I decided to do it in chunky yarn. It was huge.
Maryknits7 on ravelry.
I taught myself how to knit from a book when my oldest daughter was one because I saw how many cute patterns there were. Now I have 3 girls and can't stop kintting.
ReplyDeleteejsufka on rav
I'm still a beginner knitter, but like to challenge myself with more complicated patterns. I like to think I do a pretty good job of it. I seem to have a massive list of things to do, which I'm almost scared to put into Ravelry or on paper anywhere as I think it'll put me off! So it's all in my head. And that includes many of your lovely patterns. I almost wish my daughter wasn't growing so fast so I had more chance to make her all the pretties available!
ReplyDeleteI'm tanya2007 on Ravelry.
DeleteI learned knitting in school. I remember knitting lots and lots of squares. and the teacher tried to show me how to knit a jersey when all the pieces were then knitted together. well I didn't like that idea so gave up! about 2 years ago I decided to not only reteach myself to knit but to go straight into knitting in the round!
ReplyDeleteI first ever garment was a versa by shannon and to this day one of my favorite pieces! this also was the beginning of my circular knitting needle love! everything these days is now knitted on circulars... even scarfs!
my rav nick is Tastic
What a generous giveaway Georgie! Your pattern Milo, is what got me knitting again, after the early scarf and beanie efforts at school, as well as an ambitious (for me anyway) colourwork jumper I attempted back in the eighties. ( mohair mix!). That one never did get finished...I'm sure I still have it somewhere!
ReplyDeleteI love your patterns, and they are so well written and easy to follow, I need some more. ;)
Oh and gotta love the circular knitting, I never want to go back.
altaze on rav.
DeleteWow, you are generous Tikki!
ReplyDeleteMy mother taught me to knit as a child, I remember trying to knit peggy squares and even a plain ss scarf. Ha! None of them got finished!! I liked the idea of knitting but mum gave the 'scrap' yarns to use and never felt inspired by the bland patterns.
Cut to 2011, I stumbled upon a scarf patterned I liked and found a wonderful LYS. I fell into circular needles and Malabrigo yarn!
I finished that scarf in a month, using Y*u T*be clips for stitches I hadn't heard of. And loving knitting with beautiful yarn.
I've knit a couple of Milo's and planning on casting on a little butterflies for my wee DD. I love your patterns, and think that modern patterns are so much fun. I'm hoping to teach my mum to knit in the round now too. Flats are so last decade. hehe
janini on Rav
DeleteI'm not quite sure when I first learnt to knit, but it must have been primary school. My mom taught me. She has always been very crafty and good with her hands, and I grew up learning to sew, knit and bake.
ReplyDeleteI have vivid memories of knitting a large loose and baggy cardigan with two colours of acrylic held double on enormous needles with a friend of mine in our last year of school. A little mini KAL! We used to knit together at rehearsals for our school play (Camelot)!
I stopped after school and even thought at one point that I "hated" knitting. Got into cross stitch, and continued with my sewing.
When my second child was born and my son was still in (cloth) nappies/diapers (2007), I stumbled onto using woolies as nappy covers and discovered knitting in the round, kitchener stitch etc. I've never looked back, and now knitting is my craft of choice and I love it! I've even dabbled into the design end...my first pair of socks is due for release as soon as pattern testing is complete (mid-November).
My mom, who's had to stop knitting due to arthritis, has been so inspired by more modern knitting techniques, and is considering taking it up again, on circular needles, as it's not so heavy on her hands. She is a miniaturist and is wanting to get into miniature knitting on teeny tiny needles!
Loving your daily blog posts, Georgie! (My rav name is Joodel)
My knitting story... I had just started on anti-depressants and it was a pretty low point for me. I suspect it was a post-natal depression that went undiagnosed for a long time. My eldest child was learning to knit in his class at the Waldorf School and I thought I would give it a go. I purchased a learn to knit book off trademe- this became my bible over the coming months. What was strange though was that knitting my first swatch felt oddly familiar, like coming home. My hands seemed to have some memory of this movement, that I had no conscious recollection of. My first proper knit was a rainbow dress and people exclaimed in amazement that they could not believe it was my first. 2 and a bit years on and I knit all the time and have knitted countless garments for my kids and others. Knitting was a saviour for me too. It really helped to pull me out of the hole I had fallen in. If anything could convince me of past lives, this experience might- even the harder stitches I seem to be able to master with ease with no practise necessary. It really does seem like it is something I have done before. And what was also unexpected was how much I LOVE IT!!!! Deblas on ravelry.
ReplyDeleteKnitting has quite literally, saved my life.
ReplyDeleteAfter my second high-risk pregnancy, I fell into postpartum depression again. I was devastated. But I really wanted to cloth diaper - something I wanted with my son but did not do. I had one bad experience with a knitter knitting me longies and that was that. I went to my LYS and a lovely Russian-German woman taught me.
It was a struggle getting my hands to twist strands of yarn into beautiful garments, but now I cannot imagine my life without it.
Knitting gave me a purpose, a capability to produce something beautiful and keep me humble by giving hand-made gifts.
When I was in college, I learned to knit from the pastor's wife at the church I attended. They were from Wales, living here in the US. Years later, I was getting together with some of my friends' mothers to knit every week and I noticed they held their needles differently than me. I went back to visit the pastor's wife and asked about the way she holds her needles. She told me they knit continental style, but "we knit the way the queens knit." As if that was all the explanation needed... I guess it was because now I'm kind of snobby about it and even though I play with other knitting styles, I refuse to ever change over to continental style.
ReplyDeleteSorry, got too into daydreaming about my story and forgot to leave Ravelry name: Liberty5-3000
I taught myself to knit by using www.knittinghelp.com. I was on bed rest for 6 weeks during my second pregnancy (about 4 years ago) and nothing else to do and since I was a cloth nappy user I thought it a good idea to learn to knit. It just happened that my good friend and a designer was designing longies and wanted a beginner knitter to test. I'm loving knitting and my current fav pattern is tikki's Jane/miss Jane. I'm knitting my third miss Jane and I've nit one Jane so far with more planned. Mrsmov on rav :-)
ReplyDeleteMy husband's grandmother taught me to knit 18 years ago when I was prgnant with my third child. I have been happily knitting since then and it's a good thing because I am currently prgnant with my 15th child. That's a lot of people to knit for! momofthirteen on ravelry
ReplyDeleteMonique
One of my earliest memories is sitting and knitting with my Mum and Grandmother. I remember spending days when I was about 5 making a tiny scarf for my teddy and being so proud that I was knitting too. My Mum passed away just before my son's 2nd birthday and just before my daughter was born. I felt really alone until I rediscovered knitting and Rav and it somehow makes me feel closer to them. And the bonus is kids stuff is so much quicker to knit :) I'm lynleyg on Ravelry.
ReplyDeleteI've got quite a few of your dolly patterns in my Rav queue! I'd absolutely be thrilled to win some of your patterns, what a generous prize.
ReplyDeleteI'll tell you about my greatest knitting injury: I stepped on a 6", size 1 dpn, getting just about 5" of it up into my foot & into my ankle. The worst part? Was the hospital having to cut off my brand new, hand knit socks I just finished earlier that day.
Hiya I'm RobM on Rav :) Hmmm a knitting story...well I started knitting when pregnant with my first child waaay back in 1980!!! But I kept it real quiet...over the years the occaisional thing for my children or friends babies. Then my daughter had a baby and made the decision to use MCN's (Modern Cloth Nappies) and she wanted soakers and longies knitted!!! I found them on groups on Ravelry!!! BUT I also found...knitting in the round!!! LOVE it (hate the sewing bit of knitting), I found Indie dyed yarn, organic yarn, indie patterns,more yarn.....and now I am being asked for things by my gronup daughters who have always been a little ashamed of my knitting...oh and yes I also found socks...I mean you can never have to much sock yarn right????
ReplyDeleteYour patterns are lovely! I was taught to knit at the age of 8 by my grandma. I'm left handed, the only one in the family and my mum had been unable to teach me. My grandma managed, but I knit right handed.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely idea - it's so nice reading through others' stories, and what a generous give-away.
ReplyDeleteI learned to knit when I was 3 or 4 years old, taught by my grandmother - and I still hold the needles in a child-like grip! I still have that first project (OK, my kids have it, somewhere), a narrow garter stitch scarf for a teddy. I knit on and off through childhood, getting quite into it in grade 6 when we made finger puppets for charity with my Girl Guides group, followed by teddies the next year. My teddy is still around too (it's with the scarf I suspect).
I remember deciding to knit a blanket of squares with a friend in yr 8, sitting outside at recess knitting away and getting odd looks. Not much has changed in the last 20 years, I'm still proudly knitting in public and not giving a hoot about what others think of me. I rarely leave the house without a project these days - I'm found knitting in the Post Office queue, or on the tram, or in many a choir rehearsal. It keeps me calm when I'm frustrated or anxious or bored, and my family can tell if I haven't had enough knitting time recently because I'll be grumpy. Yarn is so much cheaper than therapy!
Oops, I'm pyrrha on Ravelry as well.
DeleteI have memories of my grandmother's sisters coming to visit and bringing their crochet projects and they would always lend us a hook and spare yarn to teach us. It never stuck since they only visited for short periods of time and no one else around me knew how to help me when I needed help. That was when I was 8 or so.
ReplyDeleteEighteen years later I bought a book and supplies to teach myself so I could make my daughter something. I continuously found patterns I LOVEd that were knit patterns. So A year after teaching myself crochet, I taught myself how to knit with another how-to book and a couple youtube videos to see others do it. I LOVE knitting so much more!
Hi! Thanks for the opportunity to win!
ReplyDeleteMy favourite knitting story would have to be my Wispy cardigan. I started knitting this as my Dad was undergoing Radiotherapy for melanoma cancer. I knitted this during his treatments, and managed to finish it before he passed away nearly 2 years ago (1 dec 2010). I wore this to his funeral. He was always so pleased and proud whenever I finished a garment.
To be honest, I haven't worn it since as it brings back memories. It is hanging lovingly in my wardrobe, waiting the day that I can put it on my shoulders and feel good about it being the last piece he saw.
I am Beee on Rav
xx
my mother in law taught me to knit when all she could do was sit and knit because she was weak from chemo. she shared with me that year (many now ago) my favorite pastime for keeping my own nerves relaxed and for creating things for the ones i love. i have taught a few friends since then and they (the closest of the lot) have all in turn become avid knitters and knit me something lovely in thanks. i love sharing the craft and am especially fond of your patterns since coming across the milo vest! i'd love to win more of your amazing patterns.
ReplyDeleteCool I would love to enter the giveaway too..... My son was the one that encouraged me to knit when he was 5 he saw someone knitting a scarf, and asked if he could try too, of course we set off to the shop to grab some needles and cheap yarn. I was taught to knit by my grandma when I was about 8 so it took a bit of remembering what to do!!! He learnt quickly too but impatiently as many kids do. So i finished off a scarf for him, not long after that I caught the "need" to knit and a friend introduced me to your patterns, 3 years later and I am knitting most nights and now dyeing my own wool, trying to keep up with all these awesome patterns! (rav: 2monkeysmum)
ReplyDeleteI had an interesting experience this week. I went on a two day Health and safety course for work (yawn) and the first thing we did was introduce ourselves to each other. This was done by turning to the person beside us and answering a series of questions which included what we did to relax.
ReplyDeleteFrom a group of 13 (6 males, 7 females) 3x women (including myself) said that they liked to knit to relax. I thought that was a pretty impressive ratio. I was tempted to take in my knitting on the second day .... much better than just sitting and listening but decided the tutor might not appreciate it.
I'm shortlette on rav.
Hi, my name is Jenelle (Rav: Nelly182). I come from a family of great knitters, especially my nana who passed away at the beginning of this year. My story is about her and how her love of knitting has inspired me. My nana had a generous heart and always loved to knit for others. When I was pregnant with my first child, she knit me the most beautiful baby blanket I had ever seen. It was my most treasured possession. About 5 years ago (when my son was 5) we had a house fire and lost everything. I was devastated but cried the most for my knitted baby blanket. By that time my nana was getting on in years and found it hard to knit with bad arthritis in her hands, but she lovingly knit me a baby blanket all over again even though my son was too old for one - just because she knew how much it meant to me :) I have come to love knitting just as much as she did and I keep her in mind everytime I cast on :)
ReplyDeleteMy knitting adventure started like many others. My mother taught me to know when I was a teenager. I made 1 rather awkward fitting pink cotton tank top and then didn't pick up needles until my daughter was born 5 years ago. My mother had knit Christmas stocking for myself and my siblings and I wanted to knit one for my daughter as well. That began my journey back to knitting and provides me with a soothing end to my rather hectic days. (sbert on Rav)
ReplyDeleteI NEED to get my hands on all of your girly patterns so im totally in!
ReplyDeleteI have to say that my story is about OTHERS knitting.
I cant tell you have humbled and proud i am that now FOUR of your pattern prototypes have been made using my yarn. ( Miss Jane and Olinda, plus granny's Favourite and What Big Eyes you Have). It is the biggest compliment EVER to have designers such as yourself, love and use my yarn.
xxx
Learning to knit, well my mum taught me originally but that's a pretty tense memory of tears and yelling! Mum's not much of a knitter (evidence: she started making a jumper for me when I was little and eventually abandoned it to a friend to finish. Ended up knitted in two very different gauges but I still wore it!) and all I seemed to be able to knit was triangles because I wasn't game to let stitches off the end of the needles! Later another family friend succeeded in teaching me to knit plain and purl squares when I was about ten, and then in university I decided I wanted to knit again and made myself a few jumpers, one with a complicated cable down the front. However, I barely ever wore that jumper because my sleeves were too short (though I'd followed the pattern exactly!). It wasn't until a couple of years ago I found ravelry and finally got into my own groove where knitting's concerned, now I can't imagine not having something on the go, what would you do while watching tv or sitting in doctor's waiting rooms?!
ReplyDelete(My ravelry name is askmissplum)
Wow, what a nice giveaway! I think I'll tell a bit of a sad knitting story: I've knit beautiful (to my eye) objects twice for two different fundraising auctions -- one for a semiprofessional chorus I sang in years ago and the other, last year, for my daughter's school. The first, a lacey pair of socks, got NO BIDS. I was devastated. It took me 10 yaers to knit for another auction. This time, I made a soft toy (a bird) in my daughter's school's main color, orange. It sold for $4.
ReplyDeleteI will never knit for another auction!
--dclulu on ravelry
My name is Violetta!
ReplyDeleteI learned knitting in my teenage years! As many of you, my grandmother teached me! I found recently a looong dress I knitted for myself then and I was very impressed! I couldn't believe that I actually knitted it and back then I didn't have patterns, I had just german magazines (I don't speak german) so I knitted just from the charts!
I started knitting again after my children was born! AND... it become obsession!
So, my name is Violetta and I'm knitoholiker! :)
My name on Raverly is ViolettaIvanova
My second ever knitted project was an large woman's cardigan! I taught myself to knit using a Paton's how to knit book and made a seamed beanie with a garter stitch brim. Then bang - cardigan! I figured that I wanted to knit what I wanted to knit and cardigans for myself were what motivated me. I made it in itchy 12ply Jet and it is warm enough to wear in a blizzard - hence I never wear it, but I was so proud of myself. I found the ribbing the most challenging as I couldn't read the stitches yet and pulled it out a number of times as I kept getting out of sync. But is was a fun way to start.
ReplyDeleteI'm claireemily on Ravelry.
Totally love your patterns and working on collecting them all. I have already printed out Miss Jane to work on during our time with no power due to Frankenstorm lol. I learned to k.it six years ago after the birth of my first child. Learning was a challenge as my teacher aka mom is left handed. After getting the basics from her I self taught myself lace, cables etc. I am now teaching my six year old how to knit and its such a joy to have this wonderful bonding time.
ReplyDeleteI knitted a scarf when I was 10 and nothing more, but when I was about 35 I used cloth diapers and wool covers, but custom made ones are expensive, so decided to learn how to knit and save money by knitting soakers myself, I learned with www.knittinghelp.com and I instead of saving money I started spending lots more on needles and wool.
ReplyDeleteI love your patterns and my ravelry name is mom2Twinks.
Wow... fab prize! Ok, my knitty story is.... I knit & crochet, I love to crochet, I can crochet in my sleep but knitting is my fall-back love. Knitting has always been there for me thru thick & thin. I can knit in the car, watching tv, in the garden. Knitting is a no-brainer, you don't have to think, you don't even have to look. When my crochet hook & I fight, it's my knitting that I turn too for comfort, I never fight with my knitting. Never ever. Well.....
ReplyDeleteBefore I discovered circular, seamless knitting I would procrastinate the sewing of seams on my knits. My worst case of this was a sweater I made my (then) 2yo. It was all sewn together except for the last sleeve that just needed to be attached to the body. And I hated setting in sleeves the most of all the sewing together!
ReplyDeleteThe sleeve did finally get sewn on.
By my mother-in-law.
About 4 years after I knit it!
When my baby brother was born when I was 11 (a very long time ago now), I decided to knit him a cute raglan cardigan. When it came to sewing it together I painstakingly stitched and stitched until I came to the last seam and it just didn't fit. My Mum laughed hysterically as I held it up for inspection to find a front, a sleeve, a sleeve, a back and a front! This is why I like top-down seamless knitting as you are unlikely to end up with a cardigan for a mutant.
ReplyDeleteI started knitting when I was 24 and all my friends and family started teasing me and calling me an old lady. Some even told me I was too young to knit. I have shown them its "hip" to knit by making great items and they are jeolous. Now many years later they are begging for knit items all the time which I tell them "they are not hip enough for my knits!"
ReplyDelete