Here’s to the Twenty-Something Knitters

Instead of the usual Sue, this is her daughter, Carrie, “guest starring” for this week’s post sharing my story as a virtual student trudging through the COVID-19 crisis with the help of some old hobbies.

Driving home from school almost two months ago to continue my biochemistry studies from home, I contemplated what in the world I would do with all this newfound time on my hands. Feeling anxious about what was to come of society, I transitioned to online classes, indulged in baking, at home workouts, and some cleaning projects. Online learning isn't very fulfilling or engaging because there's no meaningful face-to-face interactions with peers and professors. Cooped up in our “at-home library” (dining room table) and being annoyed by my older brother sneezing too loudly (spring allergies) is not very motivating. Having an immediate, unexpected life shift is hard, but I continue to remind myself that I am in a fortunate position.

 After a week at home, I have done all the essential cleaning, baked two batches of croissants, I realized I can’t ONLY bake, and even whipped out my sewing machine . . . what else can I do? Everyone reading this is probably silently screaming at me to knit, but I wasn’t inspired to quite yet. I loved knitting when I was younger, but now I find myself drawn towards more instant gratification projects such as baking. Luckily the inspiration came from my boyfriend’s twenty-five-year-old sister, Elizabeth. A few years ago, one of her resolutions within the next five years was to knit a pair of socks, and a time like this sets the perfect scene for learning the craft of knitting. A scarf kit, equipped with Loopy Mango's Merino No. 5, was sent to Spokane. A few Facetime tutorial sessions later she was ecstatic about knitting! Over the short period she knit her scarf, I received numerous texts about how incredible knitting was.

Seeing how happy knitting made Elizabeth sparked me to finally finish the cardigan that had been sitting unfinished for two years. After this, I quickly finished a scarf and a pillow,

and I literally just cast off the last square of a log cabin blanket I started a few weeks ago!

 In the midst of online classes and my own knitting projects, I taught my brother's girlfriend, Selena, how to knit, and inspired a few friends to revisit the childhood hobby. Our quaint college rentals will be filled with handknit goodies! You can now find me sewing together my log cabin blanket, picking out a new project, and inspiring and becoming inspired by other young women (and men) through knitting! What should I make next, and who should I share the hobby with next? Elizabeth should shortly be able to cross sock making off her resolution list, and I’m sure she will inspire her friend circle to knit too! Here’s to all of us twenty something knitters; let’s keep inspiring others with our new or renewed hobby. It's a great thing!!!

 "Is this thing done yet?" said my brother the other night when it was cold. I tried not to give him an eye roll.