Remember the knitting craze of 2004? It seemed like EVERYONE was knitting. People that had never held a pointed object longer than a Ticonderoga pencil were suddenly wielding size 10 knitting needles 16 inches long. And if you weren’t knitting you were surely the recipient of a knitted scarf (about a mile long) or a knitted hat (always a bit too large). Boutique yarn stores seemed to pop-up overnight. Stitch and bitch groups formed in bars and parks. Men could be seen knitting on MUNI.
I was one of those women who jumped right into the fray. Within a week of learning how to knit, from my sister, I was purchasing luxurious yarns and rosewood knitting needles. I have never regretted a moment or dollar spent on this relaxing pastime. It has calmed my nerves on airplanes and quieted my anxious brain in hospital waiting rooms. Best of all, it has become the portal to my quiet center.
That’s why I advocate always having a knitting project with you when you venture forth with children. I especially like a hat project knitted in-the-round because it is harder to lose needles and if you drop a stitch it is easier to find your place again. I leave the more difficult sweater patterns for my at-home knitting bag.
I love to knit when I am with my granddaughter because it shows her that something can be created from almost nothing. I look forward to teaching her how to knit one day but in the meantime, she visits yarn stores with me (shorter visits than my usual marathons).
My favorite knitting store is Article Pract in Oakland. They have a lovely selection of yarns and are more patient than I would have thought was humanly possible. It is worth a field trip to their stretch of Telegraph Avenue. Don’t forget to have a fried chicken sandwich at Bakesale Betty’s.
In San Francisco I go to Imagiknit. Largest yarn selection in the city. Have tea at Samovar across the street. Or, take a nice walk to Tartine Bakery . If you have the children with you stop off at Mission Dolores Park to visit the new children’s playground which just opened this summer.
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