knitting memories.

...my profile on ravelry says I've been knitting for about 35 years. as best I can remember, my grandma (on my mother's side) taught me to knit when I was 13. I don't remember my first project, but I'm pretty sure one of the early ones was an earwarmer for my dad (we lived in wyoming and it was around 1975 - earwarmers were cool). I remember telling him not to look at what I was doing...and him telling me the only reason he was looking was because I'd told him not to.

I don't remember much more knitting til I was in college. marc's mom is a knitter and his sisters were catching on then. I remember trips to yarn stores in new haven (so much yarn!) and sharing patterns and project ideas. I tell people that I really became a knitter then. about 30 years ago.

but honestly, a lot of the years between then and say late 2007 (when I joined ravelry and started to record my knitting projects)... it was a blur. I remember buying yarn and knitting certain projects. but not much else.

so it was a great surprise when I was going through the photos to find that great shot of sara's first birthday to find this one. from thanksgiving 1984.

(back) steve, my dad, karen; (front) marc, my mom, me

marc and karen are both wearing sweaters I knit. and I think karen's is the first project I knit with yarn from cast-on cottage (different owner, much different store back then!).

and then this past week when I was dusting, I noticed the knitting in this photo collage (made by marc in 1992).

let me show you a few of those photos up close

(fun photo from georgia tech's famous 1991 season closing game on the left) and on the right, a pregnant me (circa 1986) knitting a blanket for soon-to-be-born katie

knitting on the couch and wearing a sweater I'd made - not sure the year

circa 1983/4 - I knit the sweater I'm wearing. no published pattern, but the woman who owned my LYS wrote me directions. (I'm curious who took the photo, because this was just after we were married and it was just the two of us living in the condo!)

...now if I can just piece together what happened from then to 2007 - just 15 years! - I'll be set!