A little bit of history

I learned to knit when I was about 10 - I think. My aunt Sophie, who lived in the appartment above ours, taught me to knit and crochet. She also taught me lots of other useful things, such as how to sew buttons, fold a towel in 3, the lyrics from Fred Astaire's songs... She rarely read patterns, but knew how to make things by calculating, charting and certainly trial & error. This is how I learned to do things too. The first sweater I made on my own was like that, but I got help for the armholes and neck.
Knitting is not so uncommon for girls in Europe. Most of my friends know how to knit, have had lessons at a similar age like me, but only few are interested in it. The flipside is that -at least in Greece (by the way, I was born and lived in Greece until I was 23) knitting is still a 'granny' thing, something girls have to learn but often accompanied with not-so-fun memories.
I always thought it is a great thing, never felt even a bit 'granny-ish', but I didn't always have something on the needles. Throughout my college years I would feel like making something, get the yarn and knit it, and then do nothing until I 'd get another idea -sometimes after months or years. It was about 16 months ago, when I came accross some knitting blogs, that I suddenly rediscovered knitting- and all the wonderful yarns, patterns, ideas that can be found online and beyond. Of course I had to teach myself the English terms of things I knew how to do but didn't know what they 're called, and learned loads of new tricks too.
My point with all that?
Although I admit to really enjoying the ease of following a pattern, I miss the challenge of making things as you go. So next project is one of those, make as you go - and I have been reminded the dubious joy of unravelling too! This is the third try, of what I refer to as 'the red sweater'. Yes. Very creative.


The yarn [Knitpicks Andean Silk (Barn Red)] is not really very shiny, but for some reason it always photographs very shiny. I love the color, and the yarn is soft, knits very easily, and smells great. Yum!
So, anyway, I 'm still on holidays and have time to play around with this blog, but it's also hot, so things aren't moving fast on the links department. Good thing knitters are patient people.