Evolution of the Craft and Keeping Up

Often I spend time on 'behind the scenes' in the workshop, talking about and showing what goes into creating handmade items, but today I want talk a bit about 'behind the craft' and what goes into the knowledge and skill development of the craft.

Hand knitting is no longer about your Grandmother's afghans and the 'knobbly sweaters' knit by Mrs. Weasley for her children.  Knit designers have been getting more and more adventurous and gaining followings, as the Internet has made access available to all. Knitting magazines have been around for years (Vogue Knitting celebrated 25 years) and have evolved into wonderful fashion and technical guides. But now there are also Internet powerhouses, such as Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/ (with over a million subscribers), that connect knitters all around the globe. Knitters can share experiences, sell patterns, swap excess yarn, and join forums to discuss their interests.

Furthermore, more and more yarns are becoming available and again Internet access to small farm and specialty dyers all across the globe fuels the growing passion and demand from hand knitters.  Fashion, design, technique and style are all parts of the process for the hand knitter!


From Vogue Knitting



From Vogue Knitting

Knitting was once a quiet pastime handed down from Mothers and Grandmothers to children if interested.  Now, Local Yarn Shops, have become havens for knitters and often an important social nucleus for many.   Ideas and help flow and sympathy is widely offered when mistakes have to be corrected.

I learned to knit in such an environment, at Forever Yarn  http://www.foreveryarn.com/ in Doylestown, PA.  Now, several years later, I live in Central Pennsylvania and continue to study my craft at our local yarn shop Stitch Your Art Out   http://www.stitchyourartout.com/.  For me, this year is dedicated to technical advancement and I am taking all sorts of classes on the the techniques and teaching of master knitter Elizabeth Zimmermann http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Zimmermann .  At the same time, I am teaching my first classes this year, which is truly challenging, but exciting. 

The biggest event so far this year is that I am taking some fabulous classes at the first ever conference sponsored by Vogue Knitting!  http://www.vogueknitting.com/ . I will report more on that event upon my return.

And what does this mean to you?  Over the course of the next year, expect to see new original designs from me and plenty of new ideas making fantastic knit items for you.