Occasionally someone who doesn’t know me well will ask me why I knit as a hobby.  Especially if they are aware of the time-consuming nature of the craft, the asker’s voice is frequently incredulous or baffled. Who has the time? And couldn’t you just buy it in a store?

My answers to these questions are:  I knit because I love it, I am passionate about it, I make the time for it even if it’s only a few minutes here and there, and no, you really can’t buy a custom-tailored handknit in a store.

I’ve been knitting for a long time.  My grandmother taught me the basics when I was about nine years old.  I remember watching her work up a quick garter stitch square for me, completely fascinated by the process of turning raw material into something that could be used.  I used my garter stitch square as a doll blanket for my dollhouse.  And I became a knitter.

There is something a bit hypnotic about knitting, once you have the knack of it.  Tiny stitch by tiny stitch, fabric is created, and that fabric can be whatever you want.  There is something immensely satisfying in putting on a hat or a sweater and knowing that you transformed the tabula rasa that is yarn into this wearable, usable thing.

Knitting is also a means to have clothes that are just exactly what you want.  Any fiber, any color, any fit, any style – you can customize to your heart’s content.  If it doesn’t work out, all that’s lost is a bit of time.

 Most of all, knitting is for me a sort of refuge from all the worries and stresses and responsibilities of the real world.  Clutching my needles and yarn, I am remote and safe, thinking only of yarn overs, make one increases, and stockinette stitch.

Knitting is my haven.