You guys, I’m knitting again!

The last time I knit anything I was in high school. To give you an idea of how long ago that was, Boyz II Men’s “End Of The Road” was on repeat on the radio. I wanted to marry Eddie Vedder and had a pair of chocolate brown Birkenstocks. (What? Those things have really good arch support!)

What made me take up my needles again? My friend Bona asked me to teach her how to crochet or knit for a charity that she’s interested in. I’m pretty comfortable with crochet, but I wanted to see if I had my knits and purls on straight before I could teach Bona. After a quick trip to Michael’s for some yarn, I was on the couch casting my first stitches on, my brows furrowed in concentration. After a couple of tries (and a lot of YouTube tutorials!), I was knitting and purling away! Just like riding a bike, I tell you. And it was actually the perfect thing to do while recuperating from the flu. (It’s even more awesome if you have the Stanley Cup finals on in the background!)

I chose this awesome, simple “Magic Scarf” pattern from Crazy Aunt Purl to practice with. I love the alternating textures, and the fact that it’s all just knits and purls, which are really the only two stitches I know. (But don’t tell Bona that! Haha!)

I’m enjoying myself, even if I tend to be nitpicky about my stitches and want to rip everything up and start again (which I actually did, several times, until I just gave up and let everything go!). Taking up this form of needlework again makes me remember my Lola Pin, the grandma I lost a couple of months ago, because she was the one who taught me how to knit. I got the nitpickiness from her, so I’m sure she approves of the obsession to get things just right!

So, this is what’s kept my hands busy these days. I’m hoping to get better at this so I can make scarves for some people at Christmas. But this first one goes to me—a gift to myself for learning to knit again.

By the way, the charity the Bona is learning to crochet for (she decided after all she preferred it over knitting) is Knit A Square. The group encourages crafters to send crocheted or knitted squares (size details are on the site HERE), which volunteers then all sew together to create wonderful, warm patchworked blankets for abandoned children and AIDS orphans in South Africa.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area and would like to learn how to knit or crochet, leave me a comment. We can meet for tea and I’ll be happy to show you what I know. The only payment I ask is for you to make a square to send to this charity. Knit A Square’s goal for 2010 is 105,000 squares! After this scarf, I’m going to practice my stockinette for some squares of my own. (I can see my Lola smiling!)

In the meantime, it’s all about the knit-5-purl-5 for me!