Excerpt

Introduction

I often tell new knitters that knitting is nothing more than two stitches—knit and purl—and one is just the reverse of the other, so you could even say it is just one stitch. This statement usually makes them feel confident that they can learn. But the truth is that knitting can be so much more. Knitting, if you choose, can be at the heart of a fulfilling and creative way of living.

When you make time to knit, you make time for your own creativity, sitting still, and letting your mind wander. You experience the joy—and pride—of making something with your hands, feeling soft fibers, and watching beautiful colors run through your fingers. You meet new friends, many of whom see you through your knitting projects as well as life's ups and downs.

Although many of us squeeze in knitting time during the week, it is usually on the weekend that we can embrace our love for knitting most fully. If we're lucky, we can devote whole days to it. And if we choose small projects—or knit very quickly—we can finish a project in a single weekend. While instant gratification isn't always required, it is, at times, a satisfying counterpoint to much of what goes on in our typically busy lives. What fun it is to cast on for a scarf on Saturday morning and wrap it around our necks by Sunday night! Or to cast on for a bonnet while visiting friends who've just had a new baby—and then present them with the bonnet before the end of the stay.

While I was writing this book, I stopped and knitted my four-year-old son a pair of mittens. He requested that I make them and, in truth, I was reluctant at first because I was so busy. But once I started I realized that knitting was exactly what I needed. As I relaxed into the rhythm of the stitches, my mind stopped racing. As I focused on a single task, out of nowhere I seemed to come up with new ways of looking at other challenges. When the mittens were done after knitting for two short evenings, I felt a sense of completion. And, of course, each time I saw my son wearing his mittens, I knew it was my stitches and the love I knitted into them that were keeping his hands warm.

You can complete most of the projects in this book in a few weekends or less. Some may take a bit longer but were included because they fit into my idea of an idyllic weekend, one filled with fresh air, beautiful scenery, good friends, delicious food, laughter, and time to knit. While it's sometimes hard to pull together all of these elements at one time, it is often possible to achieve a few at once and to appreciate them when they happen. Weekend Knitting isn't just about Saturday and Sunday, just like knitting isn't just about two stitches. Both are a state of mind, a way to live.