7 Years a Knitter

Today marks my 7th anniversary on Ravelry. It also marks the approximate date I started knitting. The specifics are a little fuzzy about when I cast on my first stitches, but I know that I started my first project, this pair of shorties for a cloth diaper cover, on June 20, 2009. I watched videos on knittinghelp.com to learn everything I needed to know. I remember researching diaper cover patterns online before buying yarn at Ewe-Nique Yarns in Morton, IL. When I was in the shop, I saw a sign about joining Ravelry; I signed up as soon as I got home. Of course, back in those days, Ravelry was still in beta testing, so I had to wait a day or so to get my approval email. The agony! I had no idea seven years ago just how much that simple sign-up form would change my life.

It happened gradually at first. I sat alone in my living room and quietly knit when my one-year-old let me indulge in a few hours of “me” time. My queue grew as I discovered new podcasts and Ravelry forums; I wanted to knit everything, all the time. I picked up knitting tips and friends along the way. In July 2010, I started listening to a new podcast called Knitting Pipeline (You might have heard of it.) hosted by a woman named Paula in my town. In October of that year, Paula contacted me to see if I’d like to meet her and two others (Sarah and Charr) at the local coffee shop. Real knitters, in the flesh, in my town! At last, I had an outlet for adult conversation!

Over the years, as the four of us (three, after Charr moved away) have attended and planned retreats, I’ve made hundreds of new friends. Being active on Ravelry forums has led me to friendships with knitters and crocheters of all ages from all over the world. I’ve learned new techniques as well as tricks for making old techniques better. I also rediscovered my creative side and took the leap into designing my own patterns. I was thrilled when I realized that I could be an independent tech editor, that I could actually get paid to be the word nerd I’ve always been.

There aren’t many actions I’ve taken that I can look back on and pinpoint as something that changed the course of my life, but I think joining Ravelry is one of them. Here I am — seven years older, seven years wiser, seven years grateful. Seven years a knitter.