stitchin’ bitch

Someone asked me the other day how I learned how to knit, crochet, and sew.  I replied by saying that I kind of just taught myself.  The truth is that I blanked out trying to remember who really to give the credit to.  As a teacher, I know there is nothing more rewarding than for someone to recognize and appreciate you for inspiring them and ultimately being the one to teach them how to do something.  So here is the full answer to that question.  Who knows, maybe my teacher will find this post one day, read it, and smile.

I first taught myself how to knit with the book Stitch ‘N Bitch by Debbie Stoller.  This book is excellent and I highly recommend it if you are interested in learning.  She explains everything in great detail and makes knitting cool and enjoyable with her witty and humorous writing style.  So a huge shout out and a big thank you to Debbie Stoller:  You are an awesome teacher and I really enjoyed your book.  I know how to knit because of you!

I recently started watching a TV show on PBS called Knitting Daily.  This program is fun to watch and shows you how much you can do with knitting and crocheting.  I have never really watched anyone knit before I taught myself, so this was very helpful and also a little intimidating.  I would say this program is geared toward intermediate/experienced knitters, but as a beginner I can still understand most of what they are doing and I am learning so much every time I watch it.  Their website is very informative too and you can download free ebook tutorials and free patterns for all levels.  It also has an open forum where you can post questions.  I have used it and there are many people who are very willing to answer your questions and give you great tips to become a better knitter.

After I learned the basics of knitting, I taught myself to crochet with the book 200 Crochet Blocks by Jan Eaton.  I picked the book up because I liked the look of the cover and I loved the colorful and unique designs of the square patterns.  It turns out that in the back of the book there is a section that teaches you the techniques of crocheting.  I used this book to teach me the basics of crocheting in addition to watching YouTube videos posted by a woman named Teresa.  She has her own YouTube channel called the Art of Crochet.  Teresa helped me improve my stitch knowledge with her step-by-step videos.  Thank you Jan and Teresa for teaching me to crochet!  Jan your patterns are absolutely beautiful and truly inspiring.  Teresa I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to make and post videos online and making them available free of charge.  Thank you for sharing your gift and your talent with me.

My most recent endeavor to learn how to sew started when I received my sewing machine as a surprise on my second wedding anniversary.  I had been watching a lot of Martha Stewart and loving some of the sewing projects she was doing.  Also, a couple friends from high school were posting pictures online of projects that they completed, inspiring me to give sewing a try.  Angie Kennedy Juda taught me how to do my first sewing project – a savannah bag.  I also found her on YouTube.  She has her own channel called My Chic ‘N Scratch.  She is first and foremost a Stampin’ Up demonstrator, but I really like her sewing/quilting tutorials.  I made a ton of mistakes and really learned how to use the machine and seam ripper during this project.  Angie does a great job of breaking down each step and I hope to try out some of her other tutorials soon.  Thanks Angie for your great tutorials and guiding me through my first sewing project!

So that is the story of how I became a stitchin’ bitch.  I would highly recommend checking out YouTube and purchasing these books if you are interested in learning.  Just be patient and don’t be scared to make mistakes, and most of all, have fun with it!