I Am Who?

I had a request the other day to tell a little about myself. So, here goes:

I'm the crazy mommy, knitting for my built-in cuties between diaper changes in running interference. My 3 year old Jude is already wielding the needles, even if it is just to bang out a tune on the kitchen table. My 5 month old Elias watches my every stitch and 'holds' my yarn for me when I am doubling up (kid in one arm, knitting in the other). The talent for needlework follows the women in my maternal family like the Charmed Ones. My grandma is a master seamstress, a knitter and quilter. Both my aunts sew, one crochets like a crazy lady. My mother is also a master seamstress, a cross-stitcher and LOVES to quilt (ok, LOVES is an understatement. when Connecting Thread's warehouse/store moved to Ohio, she was inconsolable for a week). I, however, have a hate-hate relationship with my sewing machine, cross-stitching is nice, but has it's boring limitations, tatting and creweling drove me crazy. My aunt taught me to crochet when I was 5, and so I could do that, but didn't as the same combination of stitches and stiff fabric drape made it unappealing to me. Then, while on bedrest during my pregnancy with my firstborn son, I found knitting. Now, I had seen my grandmother knit, and was totally confused on how on earth you could create this fabric of loops with two straight needles. I never thought I could do that. But, when you are limited to your bed, only being allowed to get up to use the restroom, you find you have all this time to focus on a new skill. So, intrigued by a sweater my mom bought me for my birthday, I went to our library's website, borrowed several books on knitting and history of, and dove in. I dug out my little yarn stash from my days of crocheting, sent my mom to the store to fetch size 8s and went to town. I was instantly hooked, Or, perhaps 'needled' is a more appropriate adjective. So, for the last 3 years I have lived in bliss with my yarn and needles, experiencing every emotion, testing the very limits of my imagination. My favorite thing to do is to find a pattern that I instantly think I couldn't do, and then do it. Yea, I have all kinds of amphibianic moments, but every stitch is a thereputic learning experience. I look forward to many more years of knitting, and watching people enjoy the fruits of my hands.