Knitting - So Much More Than a Hobby

Ah, knitting. This story begins back in 2010. My 14 year old sister-in-law Olivia taught me the basic knit stitch. I jumped right in and made myself a brown and white scarf. Over the next 2 years, I kept making scarves for family and friends. I even made a Harry Potter Gryffindor scarf. I know, I'm a nerd. Soon, knitting began to take on a little more meaning.

(My very first knitted item --- Photo Credit: Sarah Gross)

For some reason, knitting was a way to relax and unwind. I remember my goddaughter being born. It was the first childbirth I ever witnessed. I was there for all 22 hours of it. For a large portion of it, I was rocking back and forth in the rocking chair in the hospital room and knitting in time to the rocking. Back and forth, back and forth. Row after row after row. The scarf was purple and black. I finished it a few days after she was born. I plan to give it to her someday. Maybe at her high school graduation, maybe sooner. It's nothing fancy or spectacular, but it is something I was working on while waiting for her to come into this world. It, like her birth, is something I will remember forever. My little token of love for her.

(Photo Credit: Sarah Gross)

My knitting career didn't really take off until 2012. I was expecting my first baby that September. I met my friend's mother Manuella. Little did I know how important Manuella would become to me. She is a very talented knitter. She holds weekly knitting nights at her home, and in 2012, I started attending. Motivated by pregnancy, I wanted to expand my repertoire to more than just scarves. Naturally, I started making baby hats. The feeling of dressing your little baby in something you created is a feeling like no other. After my son K was born, I kept at it. I took him with me to knitting nights, I used him as a model for my creations, I even let him play with my yarn. He was definitely a great inspiration to learn to make new things.

(3 weeks old --- Photo Credit: Jennifer Schlegel)

At the urging of family and friends, I opened up an Etsy shop in the Summer of 2013. It keeps growing each year, and I'm so glad I took the plunge. One of my first items was an original pattern for a baby headband. It's just in my head right now, but I plan to write it down, have someone (likely Manuella) test it, and share it with you all someday in the near future.

I'm not sure where my knitting journey will take me, but I look forward to the ride and sharing it with you.

~Sarah Liz