Was curious when everyone started knitting? Who taught you? What made you want to knit?

I have been knitting for about 8 months or so. I can't remember exactly what turned me onto it, as I do not know anyone other than a few people at work that knit. I think it had something to do with scrapbooking and all the trips to the craft stores, etc. I saw yarn and thought it would be fun to do something with it.

I learned through a DVD called "The Compelte Beginners Guide to Knitting". You can get it on eBay or the website www.yarnbag.com
I highly recommend it. I also have been watching the video's on this site, which have helped with learning some more advanced techniques.

I started in October 2005. I used to crochet, but never liked the sameness of the look so I wanted to learn to knit and I did. ;)

I have wanted to learn to knit ever since I was 8 and saw the mom of one of my friends doing it. I never got around to asking her to teach me. A friend taught me to crochet in 2003, and being the good little gateway drug that is crochet, it just drove me to want to knit even more. So finally in February of 2005, wanting something new to keep my hands busy with during the endless hours of braxton hicks contractions, I went out and bought a Boye learn to knit kit. A week later I had not only a brand new scarf, but also my DD. :inlove:

I learned right here from Amy's videos. She taught me just about everything I know. :D

The funny thing is, my mom is a lifetime knitter -- she learned so young that she doesn't remember how old she was. My entire life she was always knitting something, usually intricate aran sweaters. Yet I had no interest whatsoever in knitting until a year an a half ago. Go figure.....

I learned about a year a half ago. It was my first year of college and I was living in a dorm. My RA had a "learn to knit" night and told me and my roommate we should go, so we did! And that's how it started. We got my boyfriend at the time and our friend Mike to learn, too. Neva-Lee (my roommate and best friend) and I have been knitting ever since, though I've been a bit more obsessive about it. She's helped me learn a lot of things and work through some screwy patterns (and cheered me on during my first marathon sweater knitting adventure!).

I taught myself to knit in September 2004. I was first interested in making wool soakers for my daughters, but it has turned into a full blown hobby.

I got it into my head two years ago that I wanted to learn to knit, so I signed up for a 5 week class offered in the community. I had no previous needle work experience, and was never into crafting of any sort. It was miserable, but after the class was almost over my mom (who knew how to knit, but hadn't done so since I was very little, so I was shocked) taught me the English style and I knitted a red garter stitch scarf from one skein of Lion's brand yarn.

I didn't touch my needles again until last August when I decided to try knitting another dog sweater (a dog sweater was my first unsuccessful class project) and it actually turned out half-ways decent. Then I found this forum as I was trying to puzzle out what to do to finish my class dog sweater and now I just can't get enough. :heart:

I even knit my first sweater this Jan/Feb!

I have been wanting to learn for a long time. In March I went to AC Moore and a lady there showed me the knit stitch. Once I got that down I was going to go back there to learn more but then I discovered this site. :thumbsup: I've learned most everything I know now from here.

I have done a lot of dishcloths which has really helped me improve and learn different stitches. Plus they are a quick knit. I really recommend them to anyone starting out.

I don't remember when I learned how to knit. I think my mom taught me when I was about 8-9. But of course all I could make were endless and shapeless scarves in garter stitch. Then I stopped for like... 20 years (I'm only 30 years old... I suddenly feel so old!). When I decided to seriously go back to knitting a few months ago, it all came back to me as if I never stopped! Strange isn't it?

I don't exaclty know why I felt like knitting again. At christmas, I saw my boyfriend's mom knit and I think that's where I got the idea. I also remembered my grandmother knitting socks ALL the time (she passed away 10 years ago but boy do I miss her). Maybe it was because of christmas being a family thing, and because I realized that knitting was an important part of my family's traditions and that it was going away. Anyhow, now I'm addicted, I can do a lot more than scarves and I'm scared to finish my PhD and get a job 'cause I KNOW what I will get when I have a real salary... YARN! :happydance:

:thinking:
I picked up a scarf kit from Lion with Boucle and Fun Fur in the spring of 2003. I had it sitting amongst my rising piles of scrap and beading stuff. I brought it with me on a car trip to keep busy while hubby drove. I got sooo mad because I should be able figure this stuff out. I had looked at some books in the past that are no where near as helpful as the ones that have come out over the last couple years. I am a very visual and hands on learner. I had tried it a couple times at various times in my life.. but once I frogged, shredded and started again (and practiced with "regular" yarn and needles for a bit first) I got the hang of it. I was born with my dear departed gramma's love of crafts so I feel personally owing to her to try something and learn it good! :thumbsup:

I had wanted to learn to knit or crochet since I can remember. My mum is an incredible crochet-er (?) and I guess it was driven by jealousy. kwim I was jealous of this incredible talent that my mum had. Sadly, I waited 20 or more years before I finally tried it. My mum had tried to teach me to crochet several times & I just couldn't get the hang of it so this time around I decided to go with knitting.

I bought a kit from Boye in Feb of this year and the rest is history! :)

I learned to crochet in the summer of '04. My neighbor taught me and the first thing that I ever made was a crocheted pot holder that I made for my mom on mothers day. After crocheting I decided to try knitting!

I think it was sometime in April of '05 that I asked for knitting needles and my parents just looked at me a little weird. Taught myself how to knit and then watched a couple episodes of knitty gritty. Stopped for the whole summer, then started back up this fall when I found this site!

Then I found out I was knitting wrong when I watched Amy's knitting and purling videos in January. Appearently I was knitting twisted stitches. :lol:

I learned in Home Ec when I was 14 or 15. I learned to knit a dishrag. It was a few years before I picked it up again...when I was pregnant with Issac I knitted a blanket for him, just like a dishrag, except of course I made it bigger :lol: Now I'm hooked! :XX:

I've been at it for 2 yrs. I wanted to do something constructive and creative while I waited for my son. Reading just didn't do it, Knitting fit the bill . :rofling:

I took a class at my local Hobby Lobby in June 2005...haven't looked back! :D

I had been wanting to learn for the past year or so but was unable to find a class in my town. Then the catalog for the local adult ed classes came out and finally I find a class! That was about maybe 6 months at the longest. I wanted to learn how to knit (and some day, to crochet too) because as I was watching tv at night, while I liked the shows, I felt that I could be sitting there doing something. Almost like my hands were bored!

So, now I sit there, watching tv and trying to make sure that I am knitting where I should be and purling where I should be! :XX:

Grandma taught me to crochet at age 9 (she also tried teaching me to knit, but I was too stubborn).

About....three months ago, one of the girls was picking up trash at work (assisted living facility) and one of our residents was throwing away a knitting magazine. Remembering that I crocheted during all of my breaks, she put the magazine in my mailbox.

I leafed through it and developed a desire to learn to knit. Investigated online and offline how to do the stitches and here I am.... :XX:

I'm enjoying this thread. I was surprised at how many of you have taken up knitting in the last few year. I think it's great!

Almost 40 years ago my grandmother came to visit and taught me to knit. I remember sitting at her feet while she taught me. My grandmother was a professional knitter. She made part of her living knitting coats and other items for people. She also rotated through her 30 grandchildren knitting items for each of us. I still have the poncho she made me when I was 10 along with a photo of she and me in our matching ponchos.

There was one little hitch in her teaching me to knit. She insisted I learn right handed and I am absolutely, helplessly, left handed. My squares looked like trapazoids! So for about 10 years I didn't knit that much.

However when I got to University I decided I wanted to learn. By that time I had been crocheting left handed for several years, and didn't have much trouble making the switch to left handed knitting.

I knit on and off through the years for my girls and as gifts. Then a couple of years ago my daughters were invited to a local knit group. They asked me to come along. Neither of them knit, they both crocheted and I encouraged them to both give knitting a try. Now one knits as much or more than I do and the other knits when she can fit stitches in around her little ones.

I knit more now than I used to because I have perfected the use of small projects. I mostly knit larger projects in the past and waited for time to tackle them. Now I knit a lot of socks, toys and small items that are easy to take along or do a few rows here and there. Creative outlets have always been very important to me, and knitting allows me to fill that need even during busy times, since I can just take it along and knit here and there.

Mama Bear

I taught myself to crochet about 9 years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter. After I got crocheting down pretty well, I decided that I really liked what you were able to do with knitting and tried (and tried and tried and tried) to teach myself.

Finally, I gave up and asked my husband's grandmother to teach me. I told her I didn't think I'd be able to learn -- it just didn't click -- but I wanted to try. She worked with me for several hours, then looked over at me and said, "You know, Leigh, I think you might just be right about that!"

So I put it away and didn't try again until October-November-ish '05. I don't know what was different, but I got it this time without too much trouble! I think I used one of those "Teach Yourself to Knit in Just One Day!" books.

Funny thing is, my daughter asked me to teach her. I'm a much more confident crocheter than I am a knitter, so I decided to teach her that first. She never quite got the hang of crocheting, and asked me to teach her to knit.... and she got that right away!

I had tried to crochet an afghan and didn't care for it so thought about knitting.. but just kept it back in my head till Brendajos kept talking about it ...so I kept thinking I should do that too.. but still kept putting it off till last May when my little girl had to be taken to the ER I was so nervous and scared and thought I have to do something for my nerves.. so after she was home and napping with dh I ran out to the library grabbed a dvd and then to the LYS and said I need help.. they helped me choose a yarn and needle.. that night while my little girl laid on my lap I tried to figure knitting out and was more frustrated about tossed those bamboo needles out the door... :lol: so I decided to go online and found this site and it clicked.. been doing it every since.... so either Brendajos or my daughter drove me to this obsession.. which is a good thing... :lol:

I did take a class at the LYS to make sure I was doing it right and to take any other classes you have to have the basic class... but I learned here...

My mother taught me to crochet over 40 years ago. She didn't knit though, so I taught myself around the same time. Crochet was my major fiber outlet for many years. Then about two years ago, I decided to learn to knit again. I wanted to make socks. With the help of online videos and instruction, I advanced my skills and have been alternating between crocheting and knitting, trying to keep one project of each going at all times. However, knitting socks is just too tedious for me. So I knit some things, but crochet my socks!

I'd always wanted to learn, but didn't know anyone to teach me. Finally, I saw a little book/kit in the bookstore one day & bought it. I taught myself from the book. This was November 2003. For the first year or so, I was such a perfectionist & scared of mistakes that I didn't do much beyond scarves & dishcloths, but at the beginning of this year, I vowed to be more adventurous & I'm proud to say that I have. So I've made socks, tops (for myself & dd) & am now sort of designing another top.

I'm glad, though, that my dd will be able to say "my mom taught me to knit when I was 7."

My grandmother taught me how to knit when I was about 10 years old. I vaguely remember knitting a pair of white mittens, but they were pretty funny looking. :lol: I didn't stick with knitting, but I went on to needlepoint, cross stitch, embroidery, and crochet. I always have some sort of needlework project going.

Then 2 years ago, my 8 year old daughter got a learn to knit kit for Christmas. In the process of showing her how to cast on and knit, I decided it was kind of fun. I "re-taught" myself how to knit by making an afghan, and I have been knitting ever since. Socks is one of my favorite things to knit.

When I was a kid my mom taught me how to knit. I enjoyed it for a while, but like all the things you do as a kid, it started to bore me, so I stopped again. Knitting disappeard in the Netherlands, so my mom stopped knitting as well (no LYS). About 4 years ago, knitting became more populair in the Netherlands. I liked it, and tried to make myself a scarf. It worked out pretty well, but still no LYS, so I stopped after that scarf. But I really liked the knitting proces, seeing how your work grows and stuff, so I decided to make myself a new scarf (after 2 years). I bought some yarn, but before I got started on the scarf I found some other yarn, which I liked more. So I knitted my new scarf and had some yarn left. So I decided to make myself a sweater, cause leaving my yarn untouched would be a waste. That's when I really started knitting. That's when my mom started again as well, so we went looking for yarn shops. Unfortunately no yarn shops in the neighbourhood, but we found one, not to far away, about half an hour by train. So 2 years ago, I really started knitting and I'm addicted to it ever since

-edit- hmm, something went wrong, I guess. I posted 2 times the same message :oops:

It was actually my sister's idea to learn to knit back in May '05. She wanted to knit herself a poncho. I thought it was a brillant idea because I was bored out of my skull laying around on my back for two months straight due to my pelvis being broken in two places. During the brief time I was allowed to be on the computer I researched knitting, found a how to kit on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1570548617/103-0876976-0871043?v=glance&n=283155), and began knitting the first week of June. Knitting has been the best thing to happen to me since I broke my pelvis. It has taken a over year to heal and in that time I had refractured it twice. If I hadn't had knitting I think I would have gone mad due to being bored, bedridden, and housebound.

In case anyone is wondering my sister never learned, but I'm not giving up. I will get her to knit even if it kills me.

I remember knitting as a child, but mom doesn't remember ever teaching me. :?? Who knows who is right on that one!

I asked my mom to teach me again last Christmas (December 2005) so I could knit kennel blankets for the local animal shelter. I too wanted something "productive" to do while I watched TV. Well, I quickly became obsessed with it and have moved past the kennel blankets (I still knit those though!). My mom came to visit and it was the first time she's seen me since she taught me to knit and she was very thrilled to see how far I'd progressed with my knitting. My grandma and aunt (on my mom's side) also knit, so I guess it is a family thing! :heart:

Looks like a lot of grandma's taught people to knit. My grandma tried to teach me but I didnt catch on very well. I still have the original needles with the original work I started on them. That was MANY years ago.

My step-daughter, Julie taught me how to knit. Its really an awesome story. My husband and his daughter were torn apart when she was 2 because of an accident (VERY LONG story) and they hadnt seen each other in 20 years. She found him and it was quite the reunion - the answer to prayer is what it is! Getting to know all about her, she taught herself to knit when she was little and now makes some of the most gorgeous things. I had to learn. She was my teacher. Even more amazing - this accident she was in took some of her fingers but it never held her back from learning anything. She's a AWESOME knitter. Now everytime my husband gets mad at me about the cost of yarn or it taking too much time - I tell him its not my fault - it's HIS daughter that taught me! :thumbsup:

Now Julie has taught her sisters (that she didnt know she had) to knit and has spread that knitting-bug around! Its very contagious, as you all well know!

I started at the end of last summer. My neighbor knittied a funky scarf for my daughter. My daughter and I both fell in love, and I decided that I wanted to try knitting. I bought one of those "learn to knit" kits at Michael's and started with that, but I quickly got online to see if I could get some help. I used to cross stitch, and I knew there were animated stitch videos for cross stitch on the Internet, so I figured there had to be something for knitting. (I learn much better watching someone than I do reading directions and looking at pictures.) Anyway, that's when I found this site. Amy's videos have been extremely helpful. I don't think I could have learned without this site. In fact, I was just on here last night looking for help on how to use a lifeline. Would you believe that this is NOT in "The Knitter's Bible" or in my Vogue Knitting book?! I'm working on a lace scarf and I was so worried I was going to mess it up and have to start at the beginning! That lifeline is my dream come true! :heart:

My mom taught me when I was 8 or 9. The one thing I remember was her incredible patience (believe me that is NOT one of her usual virtues) helping me with dropped stitches and mistakes. Thanks to her I have loved knitting since then. I made Lopi Icelandic sweaters when I was 13 and argyle socks for my brother when I was 15. I was a quilter for many years and just recently (Nov. 2005) got back into knitting with a vengeance. Thanks mostly to this site I now have 6 WIPs and a gazillion projects in the on-deck circle! :D I have taught my two daughters and my son how to knit. I promised myself that I would always show them the patience my mom showed me. No matter what I was doing I stopped and helped and never made them feel like they were bothering me. I hope I have passed down something to them that has made my life so wonderful!

1st, you need to know that I am disabled and have a lot of severe pain as a result of the disability. So, here i am @ home, hurting all of the time, so very, very tired of flipping channels on the tv, etc. So, I began to pray, asking God to show me something to do that would both occupy my time, and help keep my mind off of my pain...then, knitting came to mind and I was talking with Lonnie about it one evening. Well, the next day he called me after his lunch break to tell me that he had been to Joann's to look for a knitting kit, but they didn't have one and he asked if I felt like riding to Michaels to check it out when he got home. We did...I got a Boye/Lionbrand kit and have been knitting since then...this was the summer of 2004. And I am very happy to say that knitting does both occupy my time and helps keep my mind off of my pain...an answered prayer indeed ;)

Yay Rebecca!

I was looking for something too, to help relieve my anxiety, to fill idle time (if any!). I've always liked creating various things, but nothing really stuck with me long term. Then about 2 years ago I taught myself how to knit with the help of Amy's videos and the SnB books.

I was also motivated to make myself nice clothing and purses, and I have, but I also just like doing it! It's a tremendous stress reliever and I feel productive while in front of the boob tube at night. As a bonus, I can make things for people.