blogs

It's amazing how one little ball of yarn and two needles can totally calm my mind, force my body to relax and let my imagination wander to a place where deadlines don't exist, chores get done by themselves, my children always obey the first time and my husband cooks a gourmet dinner every night.  Ok, so my happy place may look a tad different than yours, but we all need something that gets us out of thinking about all the things we still have to do and all the challenges life is throwing at us.  At this point, you may be wondering more about who I am and what I'm all about.  Feel free to check me out at www.mondaymorningknits.com.  If you have any questions, you can send them at any time to melissa@mondaymorningknits.com.

Back to business!  For me, the activity that gets me to my mental paradise is knitting.  A few balls of yarn, two bamboo sticks and I'm ready to relax!  What's so fantastic about knitting?  I can make it what I want it to be.  I choose the project, I set the time, I pick it up and put it down when I want and it doesn't walk away (except when my daughter grabs it and runs!).   Taking  a rolled-up ball of yarn and turning it into something beautiful with my own two hands gives me a sense of accomplishment, purpose and confidence.  No matter what life throws at me, my yarn will always be there to bring peace back to my life.

So, are you in?  Do you want to learn?  Are your fingers itching to grab a ball and get to knitting?  If you are, there are a few materials you'll need to grab in the next week so you can begin this journey of learning to knit - a hobby that will truly change you.  By the end of this series, you'll know how to cast on, knit and purl, increase and decrease stitches, change colors and add balls of yarn, slip stitches and bind off! You'll have all the skills you need to complete the Textured Simplicity Knit Scarf.  So, write this list down or print it out and gather your necessities!

 Look for the following supplies at The Urban Sheep (downtown Modesto off Needham) or JoAnn's (McHenry and Standiford Aves.):

  1.  Size US 10 bamboo needles.  Don't get metal needles as yarn tends to slip right off those suckers.

  2.  100-200 yards of a worsted (medium) weight cotton or wool blend yarn.  Get yarn that's   not expensive since we'll be using it to learn and practice.  Don't get anything fancy - stick to a simple yarn.  We'll get the good stuff in a few weeks when it's time to start our first official project - the Textured Simplicity Knit Scarf!

Next week, I'll kick off our journey with Learn to Knit - Casting On and the Knit Stitch.  Not only will there be written instructions and photos, but I'll also give you links to my video tutorials to help you as you learn to knit.   I'm so excited and I can't wait to begin!

I'll see you back here next Monday for Lean to Knit - Casting On and the Knit Stitch!