How to knit (more); plus a free recipe

If you reached this post because you googled "how to knit," you're in luck! This post isn't about that, but this entire website IS! I teach classes, write tutorials and talk knitting all.the.time. Please let me know if I can be of any help, because knitting is awesome.

Knitting is so awesome in fact, that once you learn to knit you realize you wish you had more time to do it. Today's post is about how to find more time to knit, because really, isn't that what most of the stress in our lives is about? Stuck in traffic? Cleaning up dog hair? Fights with your spouse? All things that delay us in getting back to the knitting.

Here are some tips from me....

1. Cook less--Seriously, are the folks for whom you prepare food more appreciative of their dinners if you spend twice as long preparing them?  I try to use fresh ingredients (which take more time) but I never waste time researching the newest trendy foods (in fact, my salt is still Morton's Iodized). I've lived long enough to see food styles come and go. (Remember when we put pesto on everything?) Cut corners whenever you can. I use the crock pot to speed up dinner even when dinner isn't a crock pot meal. Here's what we're having tonight, for example:

Chicken Quesadillas

Put a pound of boneless, skinless chicken in the crock pot on low first thing in the morning (it needs to cook at least 8 hours)(make sure you turn the crock pot ON)(please don't eat it raw). Top it with taco sauce or salsa before cooking. About an hour before dinnertime, shred the chicken. On a griddle or in a big skillet, warm a flour tortilla (use wheat if you prefer). Add shredded chicken, a sprinkling of shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese, some diced onion, then cover with another tortilla. Cook on medium, being careful not to burn, until cheese melts slightly, then flip the Quesadilla over and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan or griddle, cut into quarters (my husband has always called this dish "triangles." He's not from Texas.) Continue making Quesadillas until your ingredients run out, even if it will make way too much for one meal. Remember, leftovers mean less cooking time! Serve with sour cream, salsa, tortilla chips, etc. Then go knit while someone else cleans up the kitchen (after all, YOU cooked, right?).

2. Let someone else drive--We Southerners aren't always proponents of public transportation. Heck, I'm from TEXAS, which is so big and so full of TEXANS (independent types) that public transport is next to impossible. We Knitters, on the other hand, fully recognize the ecological....blah, blah, blah, who am I kidding?----MORE time to knit! No public conveyance to be had where you live? Bum rides off your friends. You'll have more time to chat and save on gas (you should offer gas money though, since you're not a freeloading jerk; you just want to knit more).

3. Clean less--This is not a free pass to star on an episode of "Hoarders," but check yourself. If you're mopping the floor every day and you don't have pets or small children, you might be wasting valuable knitting time. Actually I think this only applies if you've been cleaning your house on a regular basis all along. If you haven't, then trot on over to FlyLady.net and get crackin'! If you can hire help with the cleaning, you must never, under any circumstances, clean the house before they come to clean. Also, knit while they work. That's why they are there, remember?

4. Go places you can take your knitting--This may seem obvious, but if you're really serious, you will ONLY go places you can take your knitting. Don't join a club or volunteer on a committee or attend a meeting unless you can take your knitting. Don't go out to see a movie (it's too dark to knit); wait for it to come out on iTunes or Redbox. (Extra points if you host a viewing party and invite your knitting friends.) Thinking of taking up scuba diving? Only if you can take your knitting on the boat!

5. Cut your hair--Or wear it so long you can put it up. Time spent on hair means less time to knit. If you can afford a stylist to come in every morning and do your hair for you, go for it. You can knit while they work their magic.

Your turn: What ways have you found to carve more knitting time out of your schedule?

Big 10 Knit-a-Long Kickoff!

On Friday of last week I announced my plans to start a knit-a-long for a local charity (to be named soon!). We will be making as many blankets as possible by knitting 7" x 9" blocks and sewing them together. I was so pleased with the response, as sign-ups came in and the Facebook post was shared all over the country!

Now comes the fun part: the knitting! I had originally pictured one block per month, but really, it takes literally no time at all to knit a 7" x 9" garter stitch block, so there will be more. You can knit as many as you want--no limit!

For each afghan/blanket, we'll need 49 blocks. They don't all have to be fancy, so here are two to get you started.

The Garter Block

You'll need: US Size 7 needles or size needed to achieve gauge of 5 sts = 1 inch; Worsted weight acrylic yarn.

Cast on 32 stitches and knit every row until piece measures 9" long. Bind off all stitches and weave in ends. Add stripes if you get bored.

The Seed Stitch Block

You'll need: US Size 7 needles or size needed to achieve gauge of 5 sts = 1 inch; Worsted weight acrylic yarn.

Cast on 31 stitches. 
Row 1: Knit 1 , Purl 1.

Continue alternating stitches across the row. 
Repeat this row until piece measures 9". Bind off.

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It's not too late to sign up!  Just fill out the form below and if you choose "email" I will send a copy of the patterns to you via email. Thank you for joining us as we Knit-a-Long for charity!

The Big 10 Knit-a-Long

My daughter is always brimming with great ideas. I recognize my prejudice as her mother, but seriously, she really is creative. She knew I'd been kicking around ideas for a way to commemorate my 10 year knitting anniversary this year and after a discussion recently about knitting and giving back and community involvement, she hit upon her most recent great idea. It's so great of an idea that I am going to flesh out the details and make it happen. I can't think of a better way to celebrate than this. It's awesome on multiple levels. OK, OK, it's time I told you!

In conjunction with Warm Up America (founded by the late Evie Rosen, my teacher/mentor with the Craft Yarn Council's Certified Instructor Program), we're going to have a knit-a-long!

It won't be just any old knit-a-long, either. We will be knitting a square a month to be sewn up into blankets and donated to charity (the whole point of Warm Up America, actually). Here's how it will work: Sign up to participate and choose how you would like to receive your patterns: either by seeing them here on the blog or getting a PDF emailed to you. Knit at least one each month and then in December I will collect them and host a sewing up party.

Some questions you may have:

What if I can't make it to the sewing up party? No problem! Just knit up some blocks and send them to me to be included. Or, if you are fortunate enough to be surrounded by other knitters in your area, get them involved in the knitting and host your own sewing up party!

What if I can't make all the blocks? No problem! Any blocks you send in will used. We'll need 49 blocks to make one afghan, and I want to make more than one!

How do I get them to be the right size? Easy! Cut a piece of cardboard that is 7 inches by 9 inches and use it as your template. The patterns I post will be written for a 7" x 9" block.

What if I want to send my knitted blocks in before December? No problem! I'll collect them anytime.

Who will be the recipient(s) of all this handknit goodness? I'm glad you asked! I am working on lining up a really great charity here in the Charleston area and will let you know soon. As we knit during the year you will get a chance to hear about the work and mission of this charity and know that your time and effort and yarn are going to a good cause.

What if I don't know how to knit? I would LOVE to teach you how! Check the schedule for a class or take a private lesson (useful for brushing up on rusty techniques).

How good do I have to be at this knitting thing to participate? If you can do the basics--cast on, knit, and bind off, then you can make the Garter Stitch Square. If you can crochet, you are welcome to participate as well. Your finished afghan blocks need to be neat and as close to 7" x 9" as possible, with all ends woven in, but they do not have to be fancy or complicated. We will have some fancy, complicated blocks available during the knit-a-long, just in case you're ready to try something new.

How do I sign up for this awesome endeavor? Simply fill in the form at the bottom of this post with your name, email address and your choice of pattern option. Type the word "email" if you would like to have PDF documents emailed to you as the patterns are released, or "blog" if you will be visiting the blog to find the patterns throughout the year. (As always, your email is safe with me!)

Anyone can participate. If you've never known the joy of knitting a simple block that will become a warm afghan that will provide a hug to someone in need, you're in for a treat. Because the patterns range from beginner to intermediate/advanced, there is something for everyone.

When do we start? Next week! I'm putting the finishing touches on the first patterns and will have them ready soon. In the meantime, check your yarn stash for easy-care acrylic yarn and sign up today!

Things knitting has taught me...

When you learn to knit you learn more than just how to manipulate sticks and string into useful/beautiful/warm objects. If you pay attention, knitting has many things to teach.

Patience. Non-knitters tell me, "Oh, I would never have the patience to just sit and knit." Knitting has taught me a lot of patience--to see a project through, to not start a new project until I finish the one I'm working on, and to teach people to knit. Also, the patience not to take it personally when a non-knitter is clearly implying that I am lazy.

Persistence. At the time it didn't seem important, but I really wish I had kept a record of how many times I ripped out that first scarf--my first knitting project. Knitting didn't come easy to me and starting over was admitting defeat in some small way. Nevertheless, I got those stitches cast back on and tried again. Because I stuck with it, the course of history was changed forever. *

Trying new things. I've never been a daredevil. I'm not big on taking chances. I kind of like to play it safe. When I learned to knit I got more daring and took on new techniques and new ventures like it was no big deal. It's funny to look back and think I was once afraid to try cable stitches!

Acceptance. Sometimes you have to accept that you really aren't interested in being the World's Fastest Knitter, or the knitter of the most complicated pattern in the universe, or that you're not ever ever going to collect your cat's hair and spin it in to yarn. And it's not only OK that you haven't chosen those things, it's OK that others around you have. Also, they can come comb my long-haired tuxedo cat anytime.

Perspective. As I drove home last week from a lovely meeting of Monday Morning Knitters, I reflected that, last year at this time, things were different. I had put MMK on an indefinite hiatus. I was still using Blogger and in general I think I was still trying to define who I was as an instructor and designer. Knitting can offer ample time for reflection on life and direction and goals. I'm excited about this year and the opportunities that await. While I can't claim to have "arrived" I feel pretty good about the direction I'm headed and the path I'm on. After all, it's lined with knitwear!

My first scarf. Look closely--it's supposed to just be garter stitch. When I look at it I know I've improved. That's perspective!

How about you? What has knitting taught you?

*Well, the course of history really WAS changed for myself and for those I've had the honor of teaching to knit in the last 10 years. Besides, you KNOW how much I like dramatic effect!