Inter-knit

I learned to knit a few months ago, and it's become a bizarrely large part of my life. Initially something of an obsession; now not quite that, but something I do most days; think about even more; and can't imagine not being there. Quite impressive for an activity I'd previously barely thought about, and when I did it was in the realms of old grannies knitting lumpy jumpers in dimly lit rooms. But as often with life, knitting is not what I thought it was. These are things I've learned about knitting:

   - It's challenging enough to be interesting and easy enough to be relaxing
   - It's an easy way to get that creative buzz
   - It's an excuse to acquire a whole pile of gorgeously coloured and textured wool
   - It's both an involving solitary pursuit and a brand new conversational topic.

More people than I ever could have guessed are into knitting - friends, their sisters, colleagues, acquaintances at parties, ladies on the bus. And we're knitting everywhere: at home; in each other's homes; in libraries; in cafes; on trains and even a lady I bumped into waiting for a ferry in Tenerife. And unsurprisingly, the internet is hooking us all up even more. When I started knitting, my friend Rosie told me about Ravelry, which has played a key part in my knitting epiphany. Ravelry is a wonderful (ok, if you're a knitter) source of inspiration, patterns and, I'm starting to realise, social networking for woollyphiles. I can admire photos of my friends' creations as well as those of strangers, and over Christmas I found time to post my projects there for all and sundry to see. Which was almost as satisfying as finishing them in the first place... Now I really feel part of the online knitting community.