Hi Natalie! Welcome! I’m so sorry to hear about your loss. So very sorry.
I keep thinking continental is for the serious knitters. I’m just chugging away over here, as Kay says, each stitch an event.
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I believe I purchased a continental knitting class on Craftsy at some point. I suppose I’ll have to actually view it to learn. So much for osmosis 
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I just saw a class on craftsy about knitting faster using a combination of continental and something. I am tempted.
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Hi, I’m Julie (jrs on Ravelry). Here is a little bit about me:
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The first thing I ever knit was probably a scarf. I learned as a child from my mom (who is not a knitter but was taught the basics at some point in her childhood) and the Coats & Clark Learn How Book.
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Your favorite movie/food/color/kind of shoes.
Can’t decide-- either The Last of the Mohicans, or La Jetée
Biscuits
Orange
Generally sensible and/or Fluevogs -
I want to spend more time learning twined knitting.
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Hello! My name is Kimberly and I live right in the middle of America in Nebraska. I grew up in a tiny town that had 100 people if you counted everyone’s dogs! There was a lady that loved to knit and crochet and she had a small yarn shop in her unfinished basement. Every Wednesday night she had knitting class and would teach whoever came to knit and crochet. This was in the '60’s and the gossip and cigarette smoke flowed furiously. But there wasn’t anything else to do so I imagine I learned to knit and crochet before I was 10. I have no idea what the first thing was that I made. I do remember making crocheted capes for my mom and her best friend. I knit a sweater for my Dad and got 4th place at the State fair. 
I love reading, riding horses with my husband, camping, training dogs and hanging out with my 9 grandchildren.
I almost exclusively knit now days. Always carry a pair of socks that I’m knitting in my purse. Happy to be here and excited to meet more knitters. I would love to learn the Brioche stitch. I tried once but it was a disaster. Maybe someday!
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Hello I dont recall the very first project I knitted. I had just bought a book learn to knit and practiced making swatches. More recently I have been making cowls, hats, and scarves. I began knitting as a way to cope with stress and anxiety back around 2007. Now I mostly knit for fun and leisure. I joined this community to help stay inspired and learn more about my fellow knitters!!!
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Knitting helps me a lot with stress and anxiety as well! It’s so nice to find friends 
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Anxiety knitter here too! I decided to learn when I noticed how calm I felt sewing some loops on a duvet. Went out and bought a crochet for kids kit with plastic and acrylic supplies, then on the the LYS for knitting needles and real wool. I haven’t looked back!
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Hi there
My name is Donna and I am hm62ght lol
I learned to knit as a child when I had to knit a 6 inch square for a Brownie badge.
I clearly remember all the girls in my class sitting on the low window ledges at recess knitting away on misshapen squares…all my Mom had in the junk drawer were some mismatched dpns but I managed to get that square done.
I am currently knitting a sweater for my step son who is a cop in Montreal. He asked me to knit him a sweater, I was blown away.
I love to knit socks and keep my husband, myself and a few friends supplied with new socks as needed.
I have been an MDK fan for years, thrilled about your new adventures and wish you all the best success.
I was starstruck when I received emails from Ann and Kay on separate occasions after I had written comments on your blog. You are knitting Royalty to me.
I love how you are so funny and my favourite of all time is Pardon Me I Didn’t Knit That For You.
My husband has Parkinson’s so we don’t get out a lot, this is a great opportunity for me to “meet” friends and keep up with the goings-on in the knitter world
Thanks so much for this
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Carol, it’s great to find you here! Back when our kids were young, we used to go to knitting events and were roomies more than once.
Remember when we used to organize annual pilgrimages to Straw into Gold and Lacis with lunch at Chez Panisse to top things off? We certainly have had a lot of fun.
I envy your attendance at Rhinebeck. It is definitely on my knitting bucket list.
I’ve been active in several of the Lounge fora, but this is my first foray into introducing myself. Ah, well…
Happy New Year!
Hazel, I am also a mom of twins. They are now 28, so both kids and mom CAN survive until they are adults. I even had a third kid (21 next month) because twins wasn’t crazy enough.
I was a serious seamstress (used to tailor my own suits and even a coat) before kids. I found that a sewing machine and toddlers does not mix. My second hobby, cross stitch, also did not work well with two sets of inquiring fingers trying to grab the needle or scissors. At the suggestion of a (childless) colleague, I tried knitting when the twins were two. It was a good mix with kids: portable (could take it to the playground or wherever the kids were), nothing especially sharp (I wasn’t knitting anything with lots of color changes or tiny needles when they were small), and I could still get my craft fix in.
Be patient. Your children will gradually allow you to have minutes (and then hours!) to yourself, even if it is still hard to have 30 seconds in the bathroom without accompaniment now.
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So somehow I’ve been active in the Lounge since it opened, but never bothered to formally introduce myself. My apologies to my hosts and the other guests.
I’m Jamie and I’m a California native living in Silicon Valley. I vaguely remember being taught to knit in Brownies: we made blue garter stitch pot holders and as someone already mentioned, we had coffee can yarn bowls. My next knitting memory was of asking Mom what “ink” and “deck” meant because I was trying to knit Barbie clothes from a McCalls magazine and I didn’t know the abbreviations for increase and decrease. I put knitting aside until I was 30 and saw some beautiful yarn while shopping for cross stitch and embroidery kits at Lee Wards. I knit a color block 1x1 rib scarf (10" x 6’) in Patons Classic Wool, and by the time I finished, I had consistent gauge. I just started my second project, a vest, when I found out I was pregnant with twins and realized I was unlikely to ever be that same small size again. I picked up knitting a few years later, and it has been my main creative outlet ever since.
I tend to choose blue, teal, and green when knitting for myself, I stick to comfortable shoes whenever possible, and I like lots of kinds of movies and foods.
I love improving the quality of my knitting and adding to my repertoire of techniques. I would like to be able to crochet without staring at an instruction book or video.
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Hi, I am Maxine and I live in Central Jersey.
I learned to knit when I was about 12 years old. I remember being the kid at summer camp in NH with knitting needles working on a project during rest period! But the first project that I really remember finishing is a blue sweater made while I was an exchange student to Sweden the summer of 1962 (oops, you see I am ‘old’).
Then knitting in college became a passion for my roommate and myself. But college graduation and marriage and a child ----- who had time to knit??
I picked it up again about 10 years ago and it’s become a passion ever since. I love knitting shawls, hats, wraps and baby and children’s things. Adult sweaters, not so much.
I hope that in 2017 I learn magic loop for two socks (toe up) and become proficient in brioche.
I have created a little knitting circle that meets once a week in my home. Started with a friend wanting help and has grown to five of us knitting/crocheting every week for a few hours.
It’s such fun to have a large knitting community to share ideas and suggestions.
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I love this! I use a fabric bag, but I was looking at bowls online today. But a coffee can…that is so cheap! Recycled! Ingenious!
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I am knitting a two color scarf for a friend and the balls of yarn kept falling on the floor. So I stuck them in a Pyrex baking dish. No more falling. My yarn bowl broke a couple of years ago and I keep spend the replacement money on yarn. I have also seen teapots and mixing bowls used. However, the Pyrex is not as decorative as a hand turned yarn bowl. Win some lose some.
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hi! I am so excited that I found you all…love the humor!! and I do admit that I am a yarn addict. I returned to knitting about four years ago when my first granddaughter was born and I’ve been knitting (literally) everyday since. I now knit for four grandchildren so I start in January and knit birthday and Christmas sweaters for each, and a ‘small’ gift for my three children and spouses/children. and sometimes I even knit for myself!
I started knitting at age 5. but my first project was a v neck sweater at age 12. it’s a long gruesome story as I had to go to my LYS weekly for help with ‘the next part’ of the instructions as I only knew how to knit and purl. the LYS woman ignored me and kept me waiting for hours before she had the time Iand more likely the inclination) to help me. but I finished it and IT WAS TOO SMALL!!! SHE DID NOT TELL ME TO GAUGE/KNIT A SWATCH!!! then by college, early marriage I knit for husbands and small kids when I stopped knitting til now
2. my favorite movie is Casablanca–love a good romance but admit to liking a happy ending
3. I would like to learn how to knit while driving, or knit in my sleep. I don’t like wasting time! also i’d like to learn how to love yucky acrylic cheap yarn as alpaca, cashmere and pricey wools ‘have me in their spell’–
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hi, I recently joined, my name is debby. anyhow, you indicated that you wanted to learn how to knit continental. I had the unfortunate experience of breaking my right arm in the spring, 2016. I couldn’t ‘throw’ the yarn. so I ‘taught’ myself how to knit ‘left handed’ or continental. if was really awkward initially, BUT I had no choice. so I persevered. and since then I haven’t looked back. I think it helped that I had learned the ‘two handed’ method of fair isle knitting, so my left hand sort of had an idea of how to loop the yarn. anyhow, i’d say, pick a small project and make a deal to knit the whole thing ‘left’ handed. you might surprise yourself as it gets easier and more automatic. good luck!!!
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My name is Ann, Annie to my friends and I am living in Denver. In 1983, while looking for a small business, in a previously unknown part of town, I discovered Skyloom Fibres. I signed up for a knitting class taught by Sidna Farley. Sidney was a follower of Elizabeth Zimmerman and I proudly made a hat, knit in the round.
Fast forward to 2017. I knit daily and I am frustrated with the lack of EZ knitters.
My favorite colors are in the blue-purple family.
My feet are a dainty 10 wide and I will wear anything that fits comfortably.
I just got rid of my TV and am in love with The Maisey Dobbs series of books.
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I was lucky enough to take some classes with Sidna as well. In the last one I took from her, we knit a small sweater, teddy bear sized (I made mine larger to fit my 13 month old), and we learned how to graft stockinette, purl, and garter. She really got me to look more critically at my knitting, so I noticed how stitches were formed. I learned the lesson so well that I can now comfortably graft in just about any stitch pattern, including lace, cables, and increases/decreases.
She was a terrific teacher and a very nice person.
The toddler, by the way, turns 21 in two weeks, so it has been almost twenty years.
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Dear Jamie,
Sidna became a very dear friend and we lived within walking distance of
each others homes. Her daughter babysat for us and Sidna would use my
daughter as a template for her children’s patterns.
Her diagnosis and subsequent death hit me very hard.
I had just experienced an 8 y/o daughter who went through 25 months of
chemo for leukemia. My daughter survived but my marriage tanked.
The last time I saw her, she struggled to find my name & was unable to knit.
If I hadn’t found that little shop, taken every class available to me and
had her friendship, I would not be the knitter I am today.
I am SO glad that you posted a response, as she is dearly missed.
Ann
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