My Yarnie story.

^{Welcome to my journey in fiber arts.}

The first time that I felt the touch of yarn 🧶 was as during Junior Girl Scouts our leader taught us how to knit the garter stitch in which to create scarves. We sat in the Living room with parents counting the rows and watching the two knitting needles turning and my young fingers turn it into something warm and wearable.

A number of years passed, before I picked up yarn or knitting needles again due to my college years and new start in my career. Not long after my mother passed , my church started a fiber arts project to make scarves for a charity and gave out both knitting needles and yarn and I knew this was my answer to resume using my hands as I had been a caregiver for so long and used to ” the act of doing”, in motion to create something for someone else.

With the modern times, I cast on to the needles using You-tube on a large screen Smarty T.V. in stead of with a person beside me. I found this lady demonstrating using very large knitting needles and yarn and that suited my needs well, it worked. 🙂

My yarn, I chose was red,white, and blue, Red Heart brand. I took that WIP ( work in progress) in a blue fabric project bag and carried it with me to work to make magic, knit a couple rows during my break time, again keeping my hands busy, and to pass the grief time, loss of my mom. My mom had crocheted many blankets to match her sofas which still have, but I did not learn. I would count her rows as she worked the yarn on many evenings.

This year, 2023, an e-mail was sent out about plans on May for a yarn bombing event in the design of flowers, the bigger the better, bold. Also to go with flowers, leaves, butterflies, Ladybugs are needed. This will be at the outside entrance.

Now, I have picked up crochet hooks several times, went to our church community shawl ministry and was taught the beginning stitch, chain stitch, single crochet, and my rows became jagged, not even, because the single crochet, I would mess up the stitch, or drop a stitch. I can recall a lady gently saying it is helpful and best to count as you do each stitch. Count, how? I would count at the end of every row and FROG, when I saw it not straight. The yarn would be put aside. The monthly meeting came along and I would bring my yarn tote with me and be the last to leave, to “keep on a roll” and better lighting that was bright. On some days off in years prior to Covid Pandemic, I would pack up my yarn, bring my cell phone and ear buds and put You-Tube to a how-to demo video on beginner crochet, one stitch or another and sit there for couple hours.

Today, I went to Princeton Public library and joined other yarn enthusiasts in making yarn flowers. This very new to me. On the tables were papers with patterns for both crochet and knit. Some samples of already completed yarn, flowers, leaves, ladybugs. There was a young librarian very knowledgeable and patient in teaching the technique of making unending crochet flowers.