I really love to make things by hand. With two kids, however, I rarely get time to sit down and work on a project. I also like to have something to keep me busy during long car rides, movies, etc. As a result, knitting has become my new favorite pastime.
I tried knitting a long time ago. I learned how to cast on, knit, and purl. That was it... I didn't know how to do anything else, and making long rows of stitches without a design in sight didn't seem that appealing, so I shelved my lone pair of needles and my skein of yarn for about 5 years. In an effort to cut costs this Christmas, I started knitting again, starting with a simple scarf for a friend. I realized that everything in knitting is basically a variation on a knit or a purl, so I made up my own pattern, with ribbing and stripes. It took longer than I expected, but it turned out well.
My mother gave me a knitting and crochet ideas magazine at Christmas, and it had a cute baby romper in it. The pattern calls for some more advanced stitches, but for the most part consists of (you guessed it) knits and purls. I've made the leg pieces, and am starting the back body piece now. It's going well, and I know that I'll be so proud of my work once I've finished it.
If you want to learn how to knit, a good place to start is the Lion Brand Yarn website at http://learntoknit.lionbrand.com/. The directions are quite good, and they even have videos and an 800 number to call if you need additional help.
