Yes, well I’m cheating again…doing the two-for-one thing in term of posting for this intense blog week. Who knew that posting, DAILY, would be such a challenge. It’s not that I don’t enjoy posting on my blog. I love it. I love feeling like I’m connecting with other people out there who knit, crochet, or just like to read blogs.
Day 6: Views of Others, Views of Yourself.
I’m supposed to write about a crafter I admire and about how other people feel about my knitting.
From the beginning, I’ve needed a way to be creative but had a hard time finding a medium where I felt I could really get across what I envisioned. I found that in knitting. I have my mom to thank for that.
She started her crafting journey I’m sure well before I was even a thought in her mind. When she was pregnant with me, she would cross-stitch the most beautiful pictures. Several family members still have something she worked on at that time. Even I came away with one.
Not the best photo, but that’s CROSS STITCH! Not a picture or a drawing, it’s thread! Every time I see one of her pieces, I am still in awe. She also dabbled in sewing, making my brother and I countless outfits when we were toddlers and all of our Halloween costumes until we were in high school (by that time, we thought we were too cool to dress up). She had some crazy busy years when I was in college and got away from crafting. After I graduated with my undergrad degree and decided to get a Masters, she was in a terrible car accident. She had some trouble recovering from a lacerated spleen and was put on bed rest. This contributed to her having a blood clot in her leg that traveled to her lungs and she had a Pulmonary Embolism. Thankfully, she was taken to the hospital and put on some serious blood thinners along with having a filter put in. With rest, she recovered. After her accident she took up knitting to make hats for her future grandchildren.
That was much more personal than I intended to write. I think when I talk about my mom, I’m always going to be more personal. It’s just the way it is.
As far as what others think or feel about my knitting?
When knitting in public, I get the general stare of most people who walk by. A few even point at me and poke their friends while saying, “Look!” Occasionally, someone will stop and ask if I’m knitting or crocheting. Rarely, a fellow knitter/crocheter will approach with hesitation and ask what I’m working on and then share what she is working on.
I think some of the best responses I’ve gotten to my knitting is from my husband and his friends. For Christmas of 2012, I knit my husband’s friends beanies. In the rush of getting them finished for the holiday, I didn’t get to take pictures for my Rav project page. When I put up the Facebook post calling for pictures of all the finished projects I had ever given to people, his friends were among the first to send me a picture.
I think it’s safe to say that these are among the best loved gifts I’ve ever knit. I can’t think of three more worthy guys to whip up a hat for.
Day 7: Looking back, Looking forward.
This part of the post has to do with looking back to last year’s KCBW, but since I’m brand new to the knit blogosphere, I can’t really do that. Instead, I’m going to look back on my knitting journey. I would say I’ve come some ways since the beginning. I’ve tackled a few things I never thought I would, like cables and lace, and I’m gearing up for my first sweater (I’ve decided on a winner and I’ll post this Friday!).
As for looking forward? In one year from now when the 6th Annual Knitting & Crochet Blog Week comes around, I hope that crafting will have taken me down the road to knitwear design. I’ve got a few ideas brewing, but I’m not quite sure how to execute them. I think some further journaling, math, and swatching should be done before I unveil anything 🙂 I also hope to have tackled my first sweater and I’d really like to attend a knitting retreat.
As for wishes for my blog? I hope that I can continue to post regularly in the every-other-day timeline. I also hope that it can connect me to more great people, ideas, and inspiration to make me a better knitter.
This bad boy got real lengthy real quick. And awful wordy too. Overall, I’ve enjoyed this blogging challenge week. It has certainly taught me I’m not an everyday poster, but it did spark some new thoughts and ideas. It was also a great connector in the blogging world. I’ve come across some neat blogs that I’m not sure I would have without it.
v’s & bumps,
Jenna
hardknitlife 
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