A to Z, 2012-- K is for...

KNITTING, of "kourse"!

This photo was taken a while back-- I've made much more progress on this project since then-- but I just HAD to show off this picture because I love the skirt I'm wearing!!!

I learned how to knit when I was only three years-old. My mother taught me how, probably after I begged so much that my voice was hoarse. I remember that she was knitting a lot back then, and I wanted to be just like her. I made a small red square.

... Well... half of a small red square.

... Well... okay, it was way less than half a square. Mommy cast-on and knit half of it to get it started and show me, then helped me for a few rows, then I did a few rows on my own... and then she did the bind-off.

But the point is, I learned. And I was pretty good for my age-- I made a lap blanket for Barbie! And then promptly forgot all about the process, until I was seven and she re-taught me. It's like riding a bike, she said. Once you learn you never forget.

Which was good to know, since she had to re-teach me again when I was turned ten, and yet again when I turned fifteen. By the time I got to college, I was probably the world's most expert beginner when it came to knitting!

I re-learned for the millionth time as a freshman, volunteering to knit items for homeless people. Yarn and needles were provided. Picture an entire room of people who were learning how to knit, just to accomplish the purpose of keeping some complete strangers warm in the winter. It was equal parts inspiring and ridiculous, since hardly anyone there knew what they were doing.

Thankfully I remembered what I was doing pretty quickly, and realized that wow, I actually had a knack for this! Not only did I have a knack for it, I was damn good! I was amazing! Swell! Wonderful! Impressive, even!

... and then I realized that while I had actually managed to knit the whole scarf up, it was all kinds of misshapen and icky. The kind of a project that only a mother could be proud of.

Which she was, by the way. Of course.

In any case, since I'd learned so many times throughout the years, I became quite good quite fast. I ended up teaching all my friends how to knit, at some point or another, and became known as the girl who always had yarn in her purse. I brought my yarn and needles to my brother's hockey games... to movie nights at college... to friend's houses... on the bus and train... at the baseball fields... if you can name it, I knit there at one time or another.

And I basically haven't stopped knitting since.

Now, as a special "thank you" to my blog readers, I have here a knitting pattern that I'm going to share with you all! YAAAAAYYYYY!!!

I've still come further along since this photo-- I'm just too lazy to take a new picture. And yes, this is the pattern I'll be posting on the blog!

 Okay, so it's not exactly a knitting *pattern*. It's more like a knitting stitch that very few people are familiar with. I came across it years ago on the knitting page from about.com, but it seems as though they have since re-vamped their site and this pattern is no longer up.

It's called "Pillar Open Work" according to the file I have on my computer. It's amazingly simple-- almost embarrassingly so, really-- and it creates such a classy and classic pattern! Equally good for a scarf (just make a few columns that stretch as long as the scarf will go) or baby blanket (see the photos above), this is a pattern that is sure to get loads of compliments wherever you go! And it's so easy to do, you can literally pick it up wherever you want, put it down, and not have to worry about counting stitches!

The PILLAR OPEN WORK pattern only has two rows. Cast-on your stitches-- choose a multiple of 3, and add two, and that's the number you need. Once you've cast on the desired number of stitches, the pattern is worked as follows:

*~* Row 1 *~*---   K1, [YO, SL1, K2, PSSO the two knit stitches], repeat directions within bracket until last stitch is reached, K1

*~* Row 2 *~*---   P all stitches

Now, this stitch pattern is only really a guideline. If you want more of a defined "border", add more knit stitches to both ends~ just be sure to add the same amount to both sides, and if you want to have the border on all FOUR sides, make sure your first and last (x) number of rows are done in stockinette, rather than in-pattern.

If you want to reduce curling and make the border "bumpy", you can make the border in garter stitching-- in other words, by knitting those border stitches (the first and last ones) every row. Alternatively, you can follow the pattern exactly as-is, and crochet an edge when you're all done... which is what I'll be doing when I'm all done.

I think I've written enough for tonight. If anyone has any questions about the stitch pattern, please feel free to ask. See you tomorrow for the next day's post, and until then, have fun! Happy knitting, y'all~