One of my worst habits in life (besides procrastinating) is that I rarely finish what I start.  Things that have to get finished get finished, but most things end up halfway done and dropped.  That is why I have very few completed craft projects.  I start in with grand ideas, but when I hit a snag or it takes a little longer than expected I usually end up putting it away and forgetting about it.

One of my goals with this blog is to keep myself on track with my projects and not give up.  I mentioned before that I like projects that come together quickly and take little time to finish, which is why I chose the easy baby blanket as one of my first projects.  The problem is, I am now working on my 3rd easy baby blanket and I find myself getting very bored with it.  When I started the second one, I thought it would be fun to do again.  Then I found out that one of my friends is having a girl, so I started a third one in a different color.  I now have two of them going at the same time.  I’m thinking the next one needs to be a different pattern!

I find myself wanting to start new projects that would be a little more interesting, just to mix things up, but I am afraid if I stop working on the blankets that I will not go back and finish them.  Instead, I work on the blankets every chance I get so that I can finish them and move on.

I’m curious what other knitters do when they tire of a project.  Do you put it aside for a while and come back to it or do you plow through and finish it before starting something new?

Technorati Tags: habits, procrastinating, crafts, knitting, easy baby blanket

Sometimes in life things don’t go the way we plan.  People get sick, emergencies arise, and things happen that we do not expect.  When life throws us a curve ball, what are we to do?  Some people eat.  Some people get angry and lash out.  If you are a knitter, you knit.

Expelling creative energy has healing power.  Whether you are knitting, or doing other creative projects, it helps take your mind off of the hurt you are feeling and in the end you have something to show for it.

I guess that is why it touched me so deeply when I read about the big pink thing over at Yarn Harlot.  When Stephanie’s friend found out she was sick, she did the one thing that she knew would help.  She knitted her friend a beautiful pink shawl to comfort her and keep her warm.  If you haven’t read her post about it, you definitely should.  It is a great reminder of the fragility of life and the healing power of knitting.

Technorati Tags: Yarn Harlot, big pink thing, knitting, healing

Things have been a little busy around here this week, thanks to the birth of my newest nephew. He was born via a scheduled c-section on Tuesday morning so I’ve been spending every free moment I have up at the hospital with his Momma. Last night I got to hold him for the first time and it was amazing. I am SO in love with that little guy already. I took advantage of the opportunity to wrap him up in the hat and blanket I made him and take a few hundred or so pictures of him. Here he is all snuggled up.

I also started yet another baby blanket while I was at the hospital waiting for him to arrive. I now have two of them going at once. I wonder which one I will finish first?

One of my favorite things to make lately is baby blankets. I loved crocheting them so I figured knitting them was the next step. When I first started knitting I started out with hats because they are generally a pretty quick project that I can finish in a day or two. Since I knew my sister was going to be having a baby soon, I decided to see what kind of knitting patterns I could find for a baby blanket. I wasn’t sure I was up for knitting a blanket with my newly learned and still quite clumsy knitting skills but I thought I would give it a try if I could find something that looked simple enough.

I searched and searched my knitting books and the internet and I finally found something I thought I could handle. I discovered the Broken Rib Baby Blanket through Knitting Pattern Central. I adapted the pattern slightly to use some extra chunky yarn and size 17 needles (look at me already changing things when I barely know what I’m doing!). I managed to finish the first blanket in only two weeks knitting in the evenings on weekends when I had spare time. I wasn’t sure how well it would turn out, but it actually looked quite good. My sister loved the blanket and I was very proud of myself for finishing it just in time for her impromptu baby shower.

Since I enjoyed making the first one, I have now started on a second one. It seems like everyone I know is pregnant right now, so I think I’ll be busy for a while!

Hi and welcome to noviceknitting.com, my newest blog venture.  I know there are are tons of knitting blogs out there to choose from.  In fact I visit many of them myself on a regular basis.  So why am I starting my own?  Basically, I just wanted a place to track my progress and keep track of links to patterns and other knitting sites I enjoy.

So why “Novice Knitting”?  Well, I’m a novice!  I just picked up knitting for the first time a few months ago and am learning as I go along.  So far I have completed two hats and a baby blanket but I have high aspirations.  I tend to prefer fast and simple projects and hope to highlight those that I enjoy here.  Hopefully along the way I can add some tips and tricks to help all of you other beginners out there.

Please be patient as I get the site set up and ready for traffic.  I have a full-time job, a toddler at home, and several other blogs I write so it may take me a while to get settled.  In the meantime, feel free to leave comments and a link to your own site or your favorite knitting site.