"Closet Knitter"

I have great news I've come out of the closet! I never knew that I was a "closet knitter" but that is what I was told by my friend Kathy. About 5 years ago I was shopping at my local Trader Joe's and I noticed a sign "yarn store" so I stopped in, they just opened and it was a charity yarn store. A cheerful smiling woman (Kathy) came up to me asking if she could help me with my project. I quite seriously asked how she could help, she replied I can write you a pattern for the sweater you want to knit.

You write me a pattern? I was shocked I've never followed a written pattern before. How long have you been knitting, she asked? Most of my life. I've never seen you around any of the yarn stores or events. No I just buy my yarn and take it home and knit. Oh you're a "closet knitter". Wow I've never heard of that before, I'm a closet knitter. I had no idea that there was a whole knitting community out there.

It's a lot of fun to hang out with other knitters, sit around the table and get to meet other people with the same hobby. Hobby? I've always looked at it as a job. If I wanted a sweater I knit it that is how my mother did and my grandmother and I'm sure their mother's too. It never occurred to me that this is a "hobby" that you would just knit for pleasure. I always like knitting and it was a very soothing "yoga" like experience but I always looked at it as a job.

I did not know that there was a whole knitting community out there. Besides I never learned the knitting language or short hand. It always puzzled me to figure out what ssk, or yo, k1,yo, k2tog, all meant. I bought yarn that day and returned to the store and Kathy instructed me how to read a pattern from a book. This was a brand new experience for me, I had never been able to read a pattern before when I knit I just made it up and knit to shape. I just looked at the shape I wanted and knit sort of reverse engineered projects.

Who knew that there was so much to learn out there, suddenly I came out of the closet and started to hang around knitters. I found it to be fascinating to learn new stitches new patterns to follow and hang out with other knitters. Stitch and Bitch groups, knitter's night out knitting guilds and then there are the trips. Knitters go on knitting retreats and cruises to Alaska to knit socks. Wow what fun I've been having, I can not seem to get enough so much to learn and knit and so little time.

Kathy and I became friends and we have traveled together to several knitting events, knitting retreats, Stitches West, Cruises etc. We went to San Juan Island in Washington State not too long ago. We flew to Seattle then took a seaplane to Friday Harbor to learn from one of the outstanding Sock knitting teachers Cat Bordhi. Cat is an author and knitting instructor and full of energy and a fertile imagination.

Our next trip will be in a few weeks to go back to Seattle to the Madrona Fiberarts . Lots of great teachers lots of knitting fun. And today I'm off to the Sand and Sea Knitting Guild monthly meeting and maybe this afternoon to the LASF Machine Knitters meeting. Yup I'm doubling up spending the day with knitters.

Have a great Saturday and Happy Knitting. Come out of the closet and join other knitters it's a lot of fun.