My next door neighbor, Mona Armour, taught me how to knit when I was eight years old. My friend Bella and I didn't have knitting needles or yarn, so she taught us using pick-up sticks and kite twine! I saved my allowance and bought a pair of needles at the local five and dime store (Ben Franklin in Oak Park, MI). Then I saved and bought Coats and Clark yarn with a silvery sparkle and made TONS of scarves and stoles for my dolls. When I was ... Read Full Bio »

My next door neighbor, Mona Armour, taught me how to knit when I was eight years old. My friend Bella and I didn't have knitting needles or yarn, so she taught us using pick-up sticks and kite twine! I saved my allowance and bought a pair of needles at the local five and dime store (Ben Franklin in Oak Park, MI). Then I saved and bought Coats and Clark yarn with a silvery sparkle and made TONS of scarves and stoles for my dolls. When I was in high school, a knit shop opened in the neighborhood (Charlotte's Knit Shop) and I made my first sweater, a black pullover with a cable down the front in Brunswick worsted wool yarn and the rest is history. Since then, I've learned to crochet, needlepoint and bead, and am looking forward to learning more techniques like entrelac (I've signed up for the class from Gwen Bortner). I also scrapbook when the mood strikes, although I've been very busy knitting baby gifts lately and haven't had time for much else beside Laura Nelkin's wonderful lace shawl class and the gifts. What I'm really looking forward to, now that I have the skills, is knitting an Orenberg lace shawl.