Knitter's Anonymous

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Hello, my name is Laura and I can’t stop knitting.

I wish I could stay I started with a small habit, but it’s not true. I jumped right in. One day, I went to a yarn/knitting store, remembering fondly the day my mom first fixed up in front of me. I walked right in and said I wanted to start up again.

At first, it was only a hat and a scarf. But it progressed so rapidly that I feel like there was no increase in dosage…just BAM! Now I’m up to a mitten and a half a day. Sometimes I work on two projects at once. I’ve even stolen needles from one project and used them for another.

I have an entire bag full of hats, scarves, and mittens to take home to my family for Thanksgiving. And it’s only getting worse: the other day, I bought a sweater kit. I need more and more to feel satisfied. I’m worried that this could lead to afghans. When I’m not knitting, I’m searching for free patterns on-line, or heading for the nearest yarn store.

What’s worst is that ordinary craft store, red heart yarn won’t do. I have to have expensive wool-and-silk specialty store stuff. I’ve even recently moved on to hand-dyed brands. I can barely afford my habit any longer. Soon I’ll have to get my own sheep in order to support this addiction.

It’s not just the pretty yarns or having the nice finished product. It’s the PROCESS of it all…the real fix comes from the feel of the needles in my hand, the way they click together in a certain rhythm, the feel of the yarn as it runs through my veins…err…fingers. It’s like an itch I have to scratch man. I can’t put it down. My fingers twitch all day at work. I have heaps of yarn piled on my dinging room table and projects lined up until August 2005.

Anyone need a hat?

-L

2

What do you mean there’s no “dinging room” in your house? I thought everyone had one.

-L

3

If I ask really nicely can you make me one of those ridiculously long scarves just like Dr. Who? I’d need it in either black to go with the leather trench or perhaps a purple. I’d be willing to… ahem… temporarily subsidize your habit, if you’re interested.

-BK

4

Oh, I feel your pain.

I don’t knit. But I do crochet, and dear Goddess, I can’t get enough. I’ve got dishcloths & hair scunchies strewn everywhere. My living room looks like a JoAnn’s exploded. Yarn, hooks, patterns everywhere. It’s pathetic.

Like you, SexyWriter, my mom got me hooked. Just last year, in fact. I’d never done it before, but my mom was cleaning out her craft room (yeah, she’s got a whole freaking room), and decided to send me some stuff. I didn’t ask for it. Just got a package one day, with some yarn & a set of hooks. I eyed it warily, thinking “I’ve heard this stuff is addictive. Do I really want to try it? I’ve got kids to think about!”

I decided that maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. I’d just exercise some self-control. Then I made my first chain. My mom gave me a few pointers, an within a day or two, I had a little square coaster. My mom praised me mightily for my fine work. From that point forward, I was a lost cause.

I decided to go yarn shopping on my own. Got to Michael’s craft store, and discovered that they were having a yarn sale. Then it hit me. I realized just why my mother had so much yarn. When it’s on sale, one must buy. A lot.

Sugar & Cream cotton is my preferred yarn. The stuff just lasts and lasts and lasts. Oh yeah. Can’t get enough.

My mom doesn’t crochet or knit much anymore. She’s moved on to more hardcore stuff–jewelry and beading. Yarn just wasn’t giving her the same buzz it used to. I imagine I’ll reach that point someday. But for now, just give me my yarn.

5

I wish I had that problem, I have three crocheted afgans that are not finished. One was meant for my niece when she was four years, it’s a cute little square with a hood on it with bunny ears and eyes. It’s about 75% complete and she turns seven in Feb. Guess I wont be giving her that one.

The other is a beautiful daisy pattern, a buttload of rounds but when attached, it’s very pretty. It’s about 30% complete. It’s in a bag somewhere.

And the last was meant as a baby afgan for my best friend’s baby. At the rate I am working on it, her baby will be 21 and of legal age.

If you can, send me some of that addiction.

BTW, tried knitting, and unless I practice it a lot it comes out all uneven.

Oh and I am the same with cross stitching, I have finished about five projects in my life and have about 20 unfinished projects in a box somewhere.

6

Hello, my name is Green Bean and I knit.

I taught myself out of a book, and I’m pretty good at it, considering that I taught myself out of a book. :slight_smile:

I have made quite a few hats and mittens. I am 2/3 done with a scarf for Mr. Bean and about 1/4 done with my first afghan. (I’m having trouble with the turban and beard…) The afghan’s gonna be huge–at least 5x7 feet.

I have no unfinished projects. Until very recently, I had no extraneous yarn. Then my mother found some lovely wool that my aunt had bought for me 15 years ago when she tried to teach me to knit. So, now I have enough extraneous yarn for a scarf.

Because of the above considerations, I don’t think I qualify for this group. But I’ve enjoyed this meeting. Thank you.

p.s. don’t tell anyone, but I also like needlepoint.

7

Really?
we should talk.

I also share this pain. But for me, a huge huge part of it is yarn acquisition. I love yarn (and yarn like stuff) even if I can’t afford half the things I want. It’s the only thing I really shope insanely for. I go on day trips visiting various yarn shops in nearby (and far flung) cities. In fact, in the past 5 years, I haven’t visited anywhere without making a mad dash into some tiny little shop and searching around for silk or wool or cotton or the latest in synthetic whatever. And let us not knock red heart type acrylics… very useful for certain purposes. (plus, you can almost always find some if you’ve stupidly left home for a while without yarn or books and you can find it dirt cheap at garage sales.) I don’t care. I need more. (I’m making a sweater as a christmas present, partially because it’s a nice interesting pattern that will be greatly appreciated, mostly because I wasn’t walking out of that store without that yarn.) And people tend to look at you funny when they see stacks of yarn around and no knitting needles, crochet hooks, or a weaving loom.

I love planning out the pattern - either from scratch or deciding how to modify it to best suit whatever I’m doing. I love watching as this string becomes fabric - either tiny lace or huge chunky cably messes. I love picking the interplay of the colors and watching as they meld the exact way I envisioned they would (or better). Very few things in life are better than the moment you’ve seen the first full repeat and know that the whole whatever you’re doing is going to be unbelievable. (I even like the sense of accomplishment I get when I fix my mistakes). I love the feel of really good yarn and warm wooden needles in my hands (when wooden needles are needed) I like the mindlessness of the simple patterns and the incredible concentration that it takes to pull off the most intricate. I do get a mild buzz off of finishing something - but nowhere near the high of starting something new. (Anyone else ever justified their unfinished projects by claiming that different moods call for different knitting and so it is essential that you have 8 or 9 things going at once because some days it is simply impossible to knit anything blue? Anyone?)

I’m also setting aside weekends to learn how to do my own hand-dyed as real hand dyed stuff is too expensive. And SexyWriter I once went to a yarn/fiber fair and had to forcibly restrain myself from buying a sheep (“I live in a 1 bedroom apartment. This is insane.”) not to mention the rabbits…

My mom (who knew how to knit, but not purl) taught me how when I was 8 to keep me quiet and out of her hair for a while (she sewed - so I did grow up with bolds of cloth in the background). And then my grandmother bought me a book to learn more - and things exploded from there… giving small children addictive substances, they should be ashamed, but instead they’re happy as they get sweaters and scarves and afghans out of it.

8

Thirty-some years ago, a friend of my mother’s taught me how to do a stockinette stitch. I got some pattern books and taught myself all kinds of fancy stitches. Then I mastered crochet. Every member of the family and most members of the extended family have been given at least one afghan, some have as many as 3. I can’t count the sweaters, slippers, hats, scarves, dickies, vests… criminy, more stuff than I can remember.

I still love making afghans, but I had no recipients… then I found out about Project Linus. I shall be making afghans for them. It’ll keep my fingers busy and benefit kids - what more could an addict ask???

9

Hey, Project Linus sounds really cool! Thanks, Mom!

10

There is a name for this! **Yarn Addiction **

Great Googly Moogly!

I am but a humble and not overly talented crocheter. ( I pronounce it crotch-eh-teir :slight_smile: ) who’s only real talent is pot holders and baby afghans (which are just XXXXL pot holders in soft baby acrylic/mohair blends, I get such a buzz in the yarn row.

I want the exotic alpalca wool, the angora from virgin goats of the north slope of Mt. Everest who are prayed on by Tibetan Monks every afternoon at 3pm and fed only organic grains.

Naturally, these wools are not in the budget.

And it is about buying it on sale in vast quantities.

I have one bag full of the Sugar & Creme yarn waiting to be made into pot holders that are never the same size. (Sugar and Creme is excellent in quality and - this is kinda important here - won’t melt when it is used to pick up a HOT pan.) I need more pot holders around this house like I need 50 pounds on my waist.

I have been known to crochet during pro football, hockey, basketball games. I have been to two world cup soccer matches and my only memory of them was a)Norwegians/Swedes (same thing) sing/chant all fucking through the 9000 minutes of the match and b) I finally mastered the picot edging.

I confess that I own a copy of Vanna White’s A-Z Crochet Book. How pathetic is that? I have probably ten crochet books, none of which I have ever been able to figure out.

Now that I am the Mistress of the Single, Double and {snooty word alert} *Treble * stitches (I can do straight rows, but if you ask for any design, I am well and good fucked as I cannot read directions for Rice a Roni, let alone Leisure Arts Popcorn Afgans in Twenty Minutes or Less Patterns, but **I really really really ** want to learn knitting.

I’m thinking a) it would be easier on my tendonitis and b) it’s the ‘in’ thing and I have never been in. c) the needles could be used as self defense weapons in an International hijacked plane situation. :slight_smile:
Naturally, after seeing hand knit simple girl sweaters at a snooty craft show for $75, I really want to learn knitting.

I spent five hours on line last night looking for retard proof knitting projects that are not potholders. I found a kid’s jester hat (three pointy thingies on it) that I really want to make.

I have spent the better part of my free time when my son is in preschool morning classes in the yarn row at Joanne’s.I think they filter crack and cocaine into the skeins there and in the sewing material section. I won’t even go into the quilts that are in various stages of neglect in my basement sewing room.

**The reason I want to learn to knit is twofold ** Socks and mittens.

Two things that I always lose and are always cool presents for Xmas/birthdays and faster than an Afghan (except when the Marines are chasing :D)
And little girl sweaters.

Dear God, I want to make those so that I can sell them at a huge profit. ( Red lion yarn will not be used, I swear it.)
I need a knitting yoda.

I’ll shut up now.

[sub]Things you have learned in this post are: Norwegians and Swedes are virtually interchangleable nationalities and some how the Columbian drug cartel is scoring big by lacing yarn with crack. The words fuck and snooty appear twice in this post intentionally. [/sub]

11

I just started this week. The crochet habit.

My first project is with walmart’s cheapest, brightest red 4-ply worsted yarn. I’m making myself a hat. I’ve been working on it off and on for hte past three days and i’ve only worked about 2.5" of it.

I want to make myself a big, long scarf out of soft, fluffy yarn. But first I have to master crocheting well enough to get nice, even rows… I tried to start a scarf on Wednesday but after 4" realized my yarn tension was too uneven and it was coming out nasty.

On top of that I’m trying to sew the sateen edging onto the blanket I’ve been making for a month. By hand. I have to have it finished by next Friday.

Too many projects at once!

12

Do you think forty small crochet snowflakes for a christmas tree is excessive? Perhaps I ought to share some.

13

Oh Great Goddess, they have fairs???

I must find one. I must find one now.

I think my mom has some. I’ll ask.

I think they filter it through the whole damn store. I get tempted to try things I’ve never even heard of, let alone things I can actually afford.

Oh, and my mom just gave me a sewing machine, too. Why? Because she’s got five, that’s why, and she knows how to use them. I haven’t run a sewing machine since 7th grade home economics. But I took the sewing machine from my mom anyway, and dammit, I’m gonna learn to use it. “It’s a good skill to have,” says my mom. “You just never know when you’re going to need to sew something.” “But Mom,*” I said, “I’ve never needed to sew anything! That’s what I’ve got you for!” “Yes dear,” she says. “I know. But you’re 34 years old, you’re married, and you have children of your own. Don’t you think it’s time you were weaned? I do have a life, you know. Why should I keep sewing your stuff when I could be out riding my motorcycle?”

I love my mom. :smiley:

14

I Loooooove to knit. I go hog wild. I take the damn stuff with me to work and do it at lunch time.

When I quit smoking, I knitted 3 of the hugest sweaters you have ever seen - far too big for any normal human; or any normal gorilla for that matter - in a matter of weeks.

I love it. I LOVE it. I LOVE IT!!!

Ahem. I’ll be fine - I’m just going to rest for a moment.

[sub]It could be worse - I used to do macramé.[/sub]

15

Posted by the shy, retiring, smoke free for years, Alice in Wonderland:

Alice, no need to be shy. You are amongst friends.

16

Knit one, purl two! Hey Y’all! YOOHOO!

Just had to do it!

17

And one more…heeheeheee

My Mother made me a queer…if I buy the material will she make me one too?

<Running away to a place where NO ONE can find me>

18

I have it too and one of her other books. And yes I have several other books filled with projects and those pamphlet ones too, I must have 20 of those things.

< snort >

19

ooh! sweaters!

(ps. close to the bottom… [sub]how the hell do you get the url to take you to the post itself?![/sub])

20

Oh, I’m so glad to see I’m not the only one! I thought I was a freak of some sort. I’m young(ish) and by no means grandmotherly. (I’m almost 32) So I thought I was breaking some type of yarn rule or something.

Of course, this doesn’t help me cure my addiction, but only gives me an excuse to keep going.

I have this sweater kit here, but I"m a bit nervous to start it. For one thing, I’m still pretty much a beginner. For another, once I start a project, I can’t put it down. What’s going to happen to me when I start an entire sweater? I’ll have to call in sick so I can stay home and work on it.

Who said they wanted a scarf? I’d love to make one and send it to you! Though, I don’t remember the scarf from Dr. Strangelove. I’ll have to watch it again…while I’m finishing this hat.

-L