the knitting high

Knitting is addicting.

The colorful spools of yarn.

The click-clack of the needles.

Patterns for anything you wish to create.

And like most hobbies, a close-knit, passionate community.

I’ve always wanted to be an avid knitter. To make scarves and colorful gloves for my friends. But my heart was never in it.

Until I went to Portland . . . in October. Arguably, the best time of year to visit the northwest. The colors, the smells, the umbrellas, the jackets.

It was the perfect place and time to rediscover knitting.

I think of Portland as a mecca for knit-aholics. The weather simply invites residents to settle in front of a fire or in a coffee shop with yarn and needles.

You can find a yarn store not quite as often as you might stumble upon a coffee shop, but close. And inside are helpful, smiling fellow knitters. Many times younger than you might expect. Showing that knitting has gained a new generation of followers.

And what also comes with these employees is an eagerness to share and encourage. If you find yourself questioning the activity, you won’t for long. Their excitement is contagious. Before I knew it, I was buying new yarn and needles to keep me busy on my flight home. And before I was even finished with my current project, I was dreaming about my next. And buying books to learn new stitches.

Yes, knitting captures what was lost decades ago with the advent of super stores, cell phones, computers.

The art of creating something with your own two hands.

It’s about time that made a comeback.