* I was gifted with yarn and needles in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*
To Knit.
According to the Merriam- Webster dictionary the word knit means: to form by interlacing yarn or thread in a series of connected loops with needles.
But I’m sure you already know what knitting looks like and may even have some knitted items in your home.
When LoveCrafts reached out to me to ask if I’d be interested in a gifted opportunity to learn to knit and share it all with you, I’ll be honest, my first reaction was to decline. However, they had mentioned how knitting can be therapeutic, a form of self-care. And so I dug deeper into the “why” of my first reaction. And discovered it was fear. Fear of not being able to complete the task. Fear of looking like a fool. I realized that it was the perfectionist in me that was trying to keep myself “safe”.
Stuck in my comfort zones.
LoveCrafts.
I always do my homework on a company prior to agreeing to work with them. I visited their website and learned that they are a global community for makers. Every month, they welcome 3 million crafters on their website, and their online community gathers 1.1 million makers and is continually growing. According to their site, they have over 50,000 yarns and 100,000 patterns to choose from. There are how-tos, guides, and top picks, so you can find tons of inspiration. And it isn’t just a space for knitters. They also have crochet, cross-stitch, sewing, quilting, and embroidery. I even saw kits for weaving, felting, and latch hook.
I made my way to the Beginner’s Hub and watched the “How to Knit – for absolute BEGINNERS!” video. Knitting has always intrigued me as well as intimidated me. But the video made knitting looked doable.
Mental Health.
They also have an article on Knitting for Mindfulness. Most of you who have followed my journey for any length of time know that meditation is an important aspect of my life. Mindfulness is one of the forms of meditation that helps me with my anxiety.
Being mindful is being present.
In the now.
Breathe In. Pause. Breathe Out.
Our awareness of the current moment is heightened when we notice that pause.
I am a believer in both science and magic. Some of the wonders of humanity and nature cannot be explained while others can. I appreciated that the article dives into the scientific backing for why knitting is good for our mental health.
Just Say Yes.
I was so pleased by what I discovered on the site that even though my ego was screaming “you’re going to fall on your face”, I agreed to learn to knit.
I mean how could I not.
The journey on my blog is about pressing outside of comfort zones.
Trying new things.
Experiencing life.
I spent an entire year of monthlong challenges to push myself outside of those tiny barriers.
Have you ever just said yes to something that scared you because you knew it would help you grow?
Knitting Supplies.
We decided that the perfect beginner project for me would be a simple scarf. LoveCrafts has numerous Free Knitting Patterns. The pattern that I used is for the Lia Scarf.
The scarf calls for super chunky yarn.
I chose Cascade Yarns, Lana Grande in Irish Oatmeal. The yarn is 100% Peruvian Highland Wool. The beginner tutorial recommends that you start with wooden needles since there is less slippage. This pattern called for 12.00mm (US 17) needles. The ones I received are Knitter’s Pride ginger series. I just love beautiful things and these needles made me smile. The needles are made from ethical wood, sourced from sustainable forests. Also, they give a job to over 350 female artisans in Rajasthan, India. That makes me smile as well.
Learn to Knit.
aka: Knitting in Action.
Some of you may have forgotten, but I am left-handed. This presented my grandmother and great-grandmother issues when they were teaching me how to crochet. And in case your wondering, I can crochet a teeny, tiny bit. So I thought that I would just knit right-handed. After all, the world is set up for right-handed people and I’ve adapted with using scissors, can openers, spiral notebooks…
After the first few stitches, I could tell I was going to enjoy it but knitting right-handed was awkward and I didn’t want that to be a future deterrent. Luckily, we live in the age of amazing technology and information is at our fingertips. I watched numerous tutorials on how to knit left-handed..and I was off and running (or unwinding).
How Did it Go?
Knitting really was relaxing.
It kept my mind in the present moment. On the occasions where it slipped out of the present? Well…
One of my main pieces of advice, when you are learning to knit, is to always count your stitches. I did have to pull out stitches on occasion and found that a little confusing (BUT there are videos for that!).
As my scarf was taking form, my husband was quite impressed and kept telling me that he’d like to have it.
Will he get it?
Nope.
It’s my gift to myself to show that I can do new things.
But I did love the journey enough to make more scarves in the future and he’d be first on my list! I may even branch out and try other new-to-me forms of crafting. It was like I found a key that opened up a doorway of possibilities.
Have you tried knitting? Did you find it to be a relaxing form of crafting?
How about those comfort zones? What are you doing to push outside of them? If you move beyond them, you just might find the key to a secret garden!
If you have a craft you already love or if you’re ready to try something new, I think you’ll find that LoveCrafts has a plethora of resources and options.
As a gift for my readers, LoveCrafts is offering 20% off your signed in order over £10 (~$13.29 USD). Just use the code BEDLAMANDDAISIES20. This is valid until October 1, 2020, and does not include sale items, value packs, or downloadable items.
Happy Crafting!!
Let your light shine!
Amy
