Some people knit so they don't kill people. I knit so I always have a weapon.
I'm Jenn, a late-30-something marketing operations expert and public speaker located in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania where I moonlight as a yarn hoarder and obsess over craft beer, marketing technology, and my furchildren. I’m also the editor for the much-loved digital magazine Knitability, a Bakery Bears publication. Hey, it's a living.
My Knitting Story
I don't entirely remember my first experience with knitting. I know my Oma taught me when I was 11 years old because I was the type of kid who always had to stay busy (still am). I can still visualize learning how to make the knit and purl stitches at her kitchen table, then suffering in silence on the carpet in front of her TV while watching "Wheel of Fortune" because I had no idea what I was doing. But after that, I'm not sure what happened. Whether I lost interest or just completely bored myself to tears making wonky-shaped blocks will never be known to me at this point. All I know is I did enjoy it, even if I stopped for a ridiculously long time. I call that period "the lost years".
Then in college, I took up crocheting thanks to my sorority sisters; they were always making cute hats for themselves and blankets for their boyfriends. Of course, being me, I was stubborn at first and wanted to be different, so I went straight for my knitting again. But that grew old as I watched my friends pump out a hat a night while I tediously worked one row of knitting; naturally, I caved in and learned to crochet, as well. Eventually, the sorority wound up putting our skills together to make hats that we sold for charity or donated to the American Cancer Society.
After that, I spent many years crocheting exclusively. But thanks to now-defunct series like Knitty Gritty (I love you, Vickie Howell), I finally got the courage to pick up my needles one more time and conquer my fear of anything more complicated than purling.
That was in 2007, and here we are today. I'm a knitting fiend and everyone knows it, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
That time I visited Purl Soho in NYC. I hear this makes me a real knitter, now.
FAQs
Favorite Yarn: I don’t really have a favorite and my preferences vary depending on the project. I tend to gravitate to hand dyed and fingering weights, rarely using acrylic or worsteds (and when I’m forced to use them, I’m really picky about what I select). My favorite acrylic is unfortunately Hobby Lobby’s “I Love This Yarn,” which is a massive exercise in cognitive dissonance because they’re a terrible company. Otherwise, I’ll order anything I need from Knit Picks because their fibers are affordable and I’m a big fan of Felici and Swish.
Favorite Needles: ChiaoGoo (they have the best cables for a reasonable price), HiyaHiya, Addi Turbo, or Karbonz - my choice depends on the project and type of yarn I've chosen.
Favorite Hooks: I have a set of pink Tulip crochet hooks that are by far my favorite, though I have to admit that crocheting has fallen by the wayside since I discovered shawl and sock knitting.
My LYS Is: The Knitter's Edge in Bethlehem, PA, and Conversational Threads in Emmaus, PA.
Biggest Knitting Gripe: People who insult you and then ask you to make them something in the same sentence. "You must have no friends; can you knit me a scarf?" Don't be that person.
Meeting one of my favorite knitwear designers, Stephen West.
