This entry will probably be of interest to absolutely no one but me (and possibly my mother), but I’m all full of enthusiasm right now and I just can’t refrain from writing about…knitting.

Last year (egads, has it already been a year?) I mentioned that I had taken up knitting. Again. While I haven’t been terribly prolific, I’ve stuck with it and finished a few little projects that I’m quite pleased with. The blue and grey scarf is now worn proudly by Jeremy, and I also have a gigantic fuzzy shawl, a few sets of wrist warmers, and some cozy hot water bottle covers to show for myself.

I’ve been slacking off a bit on the needlework front lately. But last night I was spurred into knitting action again when my friend Karin showed me this gorgeous sweater that she just made for herself. She didn’t use a pattern or anything - she just started knitting and created this amazing garment that fits her perfectly and looks fantastic. This, frankly, made me feel a bit lame about my own amateur knitting skills. However, it also prompted me want to pick up those knitting needles again and go for it.

To get myself into the right frame of mind, I trawled the Web for some inspiration and found just what I was looking for: Knitty. It’s a fresh and funny (not to mention snazzy-looking and well-written) new online magazine that had me hooked right from the tagline (“little purls of wisdom” - ha ha!). The first issue includes an article on how to dye wool using Kool-Aid, as well as some saucy and hilarious patterns for stuff to knit on your own. Anyone who isn’t down with the knitting craze might be bewildered or bored by a site dedicated to needles and yarn. But all you fleet-fingered knit-wits out there should definitely check out and support Knitty. It promises great things to come.

Further reading…