Welcome to my new Blog

What an exciting day! Well, maybe not yet for any readers who happen upon this unfinished site. I'm kind of technologically challenged, but I learn best by doing, so I decided to dive right in. Since this blog is mostly to share my knitting interests, I should begin there.

I have been knitting since I was three years old--self taught by observing my grandmother in Austria who spun her own wool and knit everything from (scratchy) undergarments to socks, etc. I remember her amazement that I had produced a garter stitch piece (with lots of dropped stitches).

As a young child in post-war Vienna, I was amazed that my mom could magically make a magazine picture appear as a real sweater. My dad also knit on a very rudimentary knitting machine. Knitting was a source of income for them.

We immigrated to Canada, homesteading, but couldn't afford yarn for any knitting but the essentials.

My knitting re-awakening happened when I was 12, and my youngest sister was born. I secretly knit her a bonnet , booties and sweater in fingering yarn, which cost $0.25 per 1-oz ball ( I think it was Beehive Fingering).

From high school on I knit regularly--my friends affectionately poked fun at me because I couldn't afford to buy trendy clothes, so I sewed for myself, and often during classes I would read stitches and patterns off their storebought sweaters so I could knit (oh, no!!! did I just imply COPY) them for myself.

Other stories to follow. My knitting passion of the moment is traditional Fair Isle--I have ordered yarn directly from the Shetlands. And I love to knit socks--have probably knit close to 100 pairs for myself, and for gifts.

I'm on Ravelry under sproutsnknits, but that site is also not well developed.