Exciting things happen when you knit.

THE sweater.  If I had included his handsome face, there'd be more likes ;)

Sometimes I look at where I am on my knitting journey and wonder how in the world I got there. It seems like just yesterday I was struggling to learn how to hold the needles and yet, here I am, a Certified Instructor, getting comments on Ravelry projects from the designers of the patterns.  Maybe some of you think I was born knitting (hahaha. No.) or that I've always been buddy-buddy with big names in knitting (not even...yet...) but it still makes my day to hear from a designer or knitting book author or knitting world superstar.  Heck, I'm just a simple gal from the Texas suburbs, so I'll always be right tickled when I get to rub elbows with the knitting elite.  OK, truthfully?  I'll always be thrilled to rub elbows with knitters of all makes and models.  I'm just that kinda gal.

Today's big excitement came when I received a nice comment on a project by the designer/book author.  The project, pictured above, is a simple sweater that fits my 12yo quite nicely.   It's not just any project, though, and maybe that's part of the reason I am, as the teens say "smh" (shaking my head) at the connectedness of it all...

**This sweater was my final project for my Instructor's Certification Course, and it was reviewed in person by the late legendary Evie Rosen. She deemed it, "good work," and declared that I passed, while encouraging me to continue teaching. To say I treasure the memory of that conversation is an understatement.

**The designer/book author is Ann Budd, whose book The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns helped me immensely as I knit the sweater and recently as I knit my first pair of mittens.  She also has an awesome website and many more patterns/books available.  I highly recommend her!

**The book came from a dear knitting friend of mine (whom I met at knitting group), who may not have known how much I wanted to own it, but then again, maybe she did :)

My point? Do I need one??

The journey of knitting can take you places you didn't expect and introduce you to people you'd never thought you'd meet. Sure, other hobbies might broaden your world, too, but with knitting you enjoy it more. Why? Because you'll probably be wearing a great scarf that you made with your own two hands.