Jan, I’d like to know some of your favorites of the knitting authors. I’m reading an Ann Cleves novel right now that takes place in the Shetland Islands. One of the characters dyes yarn, knits and is setting up a teaching center for these island crafts.
I learned how to knit from a neighbor girl when I was 12. That was in the late 1960’s. My mother taught me how to crochet, but I mostly did simple things like blankets. I didn’t get serious about crochet until maybe two years ago. I learned from Youtube tutorials. I quit smoking and needed something to do with my hands rather than burning one at break time. I brought crochet projects with me to do in the lunch room. I just had my anniversary on Valentine’s Day. Two years smoke free thanks to knitting and crochet. Cigarettes here are around $7.50 per pack, so I’m saving $224 bucks per month. More money for yarn now and no venturing out in bad weather for a pack or going outside to smoke.
[COLOR=“DarkGreen”]That would be great! Thanks for the offer!!![/COLOR]
[COLOR=“DarkGreen”]Sounds interesting! Fiction or non-fiction? I prefer non-fiction, but I can always get into a good fictional book.[/COLOR]
[B][COLOR=“DarkGreen”]
CONGRATULATIONS on your 2 years of being smoke free!!! I bet it’s a lot more rewarding to spend money on something which you can appreciate and others can too!
Thank you for sharing your story!!![/COLOR][/B]
I taught myself to knit. My mother in law helped me some as I wanted to make my husband a sweater for Christmas. Talk about jumping in with both feet!! First knitting project ever and I was attempting a sweater??? Anyway it turned out pretty good for a first attempt.
[COLOR=“DarkGreen”]I wish I had someone from whom I could get some one-on-one help. That is in person or IRL. [/COLOR]
Yes, I’ve read ALL of her Blossom Street books and I own most of them. Each one also includes at least 1 pattern of a project mentioned in the book. I try to keep track of when new ones are being published and then RUN to the library to get it out!!!
knitcindy
salmonmac, can you give us the title of that Anne Cleves novel?? Sounds interesting!!!
Jan, I’d like to see that list of knitting author’s names too!!!
One of my favorite knitting books NOT in a series is “Family Tree” by Barbara Delinsky. Gives you something to think about, too!!!
If I can’t be knitting, then READING about knitting is the next best thing!!!
knitcindy
These authors mostly write fiction, but I think there’s a few others. I’ve enjoyed them all. And there are others I’ve not even got to yet so I sent some samples to my kindle! I usually read them on my kindle, but they also come in paperback I think.
Anne Bartlett
Gil McNeil
Ann Hood
Debbie Macomber
Kate Jacobs
Nicole R. Dickson
Terri DuLong
Beth Pattillo
Anne Canadeo
Maggie Sefton
Sally Goldenbaum
I taught myself to knit over a weekend on a business trip in 2010. There was literally nothing else to do in the small town I was in except sleep or belly up to the hotel bar, so at WalMart I picked up a clearance ball of chunky yarn, some clearance straight 10 1/2 needles, and a little how to knit pamphlet, also on clearance. For about $5 I frustrated myself all weekend long in my hotel room and learned to knit. Best $5 I ever spent! :lol:
I love the Blossom Street novels, and plan on making Alix’s Prayer Shawl one of these post beast days. I just finished Clara Parkes’ [I]The Yarn Whisperer[/I]. It’s a series of essays on life, the universe, and everything as knitting relates to them.
[COLOR=“DarkGreen”]LOL!!![/COLOR]
[B][COLOR=“DarkGreen”]That book seems to be very interesting! THANKS!!!
Aren’t you happy you were bored? You picked up a great hobby![/COLOR][/B]
Really great to hear all the different events that starting the knitting fun.
I learned from my Grandmother as she was a righty and my mother was a lefty and we butted heads to often. I started at 8 and now 40 years later still knit projects in the winter time mostly. There is a small young group at the local school. I join them and help out where I can. I do have a couple of knit books
Knitting without tears by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Socks Soar on two circular needles by Cat Bordi
Too Cute by Debbie Ware
Folk Bags by Vicki Square
:mrgreen:
You’re very welcome! 
Absolutely! It was a challenge, and still is. Love it, love it, love it!
I forgot to mention that the patterns in the Blossom Street books are available at Debbie Macomber’s [COLOR=“Red”]website[/COLOR]. Happily a new Blossom Street novel is coming out on the 25th of this month!
My small town used to have a yarn shop and I learned how to knit there. I wasn’t able to sign up for one of their classes, but the owner made an exception and spent a couple of evenings teaching me one-on-one, at the normal class rate.
She thought that the way I held the knitting needles was kind of odd, but she said it seemed to be working for me, so she wasn’t going to try to change it. 
I have one of the Blossom Street pattern books – I forget which one, but I think it is Knit Along with Debbie Macomber - The Shop on Blossom Street.
I have two of the books on audio CD, Back on Blossom Street and Summer on Blossom Street. I enjoyed them both quite a lot and have listened to them more than once. I look for more whenever I am at Costco, but I suppose I should just get the ones I missed with my Audible credits!
[B][COLOR=“DarkGreen”]Absolutely!!!
It seems as if many women learned from their grandmothers, just like you. Thank you for more recommended reading!!![/COLOR][/B]
[COLOR=“DarkGreen”]I hope I never have to let anyone see how I hold the needles! I taught myself to knit and I figured a way to hold them that I’ve never seen before, because it is VERY odd. My dd laughed at me, but she started doing the same thing. She has since learned how to hold them ‘correctly’ but I can’t get the hang of it. Thank you for the great response!![/COLOR]
There are no knitting police. If it works for you and isn’t causing pain to hold them the way you do, who cares? Not me! If it works, it’s right.
Have you tried your LYS? Mine here is a wealth of knowledge and they have help classes 3 times a week. It’s a great tool for the store as well as making new friends in the knitting world.
I am also fortunate that I have another friend that is an avid knitter who I can always ask for help on projects where the yarn wasn’t purchased at the LYS.