50 Times People Mastered The Art Of Knitting And Shared Their Creations Online

Bored Panda also talked to Nancy Queen, a knitting and crochet expert and book author who fell in love with knitting 20 years ago. Now, Nancy helps people with the same passion to improve and grow as knitters with her awesome “NobleKnits” project that provides knitting and crochet tips, inspiration, and tutorials to more than 300,000+ needle crafters online every month.

“A ball of string and two sticks is all you need to create fabric. You can knit sweaters, hats, toys, mittens, socks and so much more. My first project was a vest,” Nancy recounted. “I still remember how excited I was to meet my parents for lunch to show off the vest I had just completed and was wearing. I was beaming with more pride than a Girl Scout donning a sash full of badges.”

“Most knitters start with a skein of acrylic yarn from their local craft store. But once you get the hang of knitting, you’ll be amazed at the feel of a skein of silk, alpaca, cashmere, yak, or linen yarn in your hands. Each type of fiber has its own unique properties it brings to a completed knitted garment.” Nancy continued: “Imagine wrapping yourself in a shawl you knitted out of cashmere, a cropped top you created out of silk, or a beach cover-up you made out of linen. The possibilities of what you can create are endless.”

When asked why knitting has had a huge resurgence over the past years, Nancy said it’s mostly due to the fact we’ve been stuck at home. “People have been looking for ways to keep busy and challenged—knitting solves both those needs. You can knit while watching TV, on a Zoom call, hanging out with friends, waiting in a doctor’s office, or even at a sporting event.”

Nancy added that there are good reasons why celebs like Cara Delevigne, Krysten Ritter, Julia Roberts, and Dakota Fanning knit. “It’s a great way to relax, unwind, and make something cool with your own two hands. The act of knitting is very rhythmic, which helps control your breathing, so it provides many of the relaxation techniques also found in yoga,” she explained. “Not only that, if 2020 taught us anything, it’s that having hobbies and creating provide a sense of achievement while being good for your soul.”

When asked if anyone can become a knitter, Nancy assured us it’s a hobby that anyone can do. “When my daughter was four years old, the Montessori school she was going to taught all the kids how to knit. So if four-year-olds can learn to knit, you can, too!”However, when it comes to becoming a good knitter, you’ll have to adopt several habits.

Here are some tips Nancy shared with us:“Tip #1 - Give yourself time to learn. As adults, we think if we don’t know how to do something in less than a minute, we’re not good at it and we should immediately quit. Stick with it.”

“Tip #2 - It’s okay to make mistakes. We live in a perfectionist world and think that nothing can have mistakes in it. Guess what, when you’re knitting, mistakes will happen. However, the beauty of making mistakes is that they help you understand the construction of the stitches and how to avoid making those same mistakes in the future.”

“Tip #3 - Relax. If you’re learning to knit and you notice your stitches are getting so tight you can barely knit the next stitch, you’re either stressed or knitting too tightly or both. Your knitting should be able to glide smoothly across the needles so that you can easily knit the next row of stitches.”

“Tip #4 - Enjoy the process. When you learn to knit, you’ve given yourself the gift of a hobby you can do for the rest of your life.”

“Tip #5 - Have fun. Many people get into knitting and think they have to conquer everything there is to know about it. They look to see what others are making and try to one-up each other. But you know what? Knitting is not a competition. It’s a hobby meant to be enjoyed.”