The Knit Wits

Perhaps it's the effect of living in a land be-dotted with sheep, the necessity of finding a substitute activity for evening television watching, or just the inevitability of domestic bliss, but the knitting phase has turned into a full blown obsession. I currently have three projects going with at least three more in the pipeline. The more I knit, the more I want to share the activity with friends, help read patterns, discuss ideas, discover new techniques. Out of this passion the Knit Wits was born.

After talking with a number of friends about their shared interest in knitting, we officially met this past October for the first time -- a group of about 9 -- to go over basics like casting on, knit and purl, and casting off. Since that first meeting, I came up with a name, Knit Wits, which I thought was original but turns out is also the name of the fictional knitting magazine on the show Pushing Daisies. The group has settled into a core of about 5 regulars. We gather once a month at my house for coffee and knitting. I find it inspiring to see what others are working on, and it makes me work harder on my current projects because there is nothing quite like the thrill of casting on a new one. It's like cracking the binding of a brand new book, so much potential and promise.

On a related note, I went to get my hair cut yesterday and brought my knitting to occupy me while my highlights set. It's certainly better than reading the third-rate gossip rags stacked in the corner. I've done this before to the great amusement of the staff. It took them a while to work up the courage to ask me what I was working on. One of the hairdressers said to me, "Aren't you too young to be knitting?" I laughed and proudly informed her that knitting is the new yoga. I had no idea there was an age limit to participating in this handicraft.