Getting Started With Knitting

Getting Started with Knitting:

A primer on knitting for the absolute beginner

Written by: Candace McCarty

© 2016 Candace McCarty

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.

First printing: 2016

ISBN: 978-1-365-79331-8

www.glittergarden.me

I: Introduction

At 12 years old, I found myself diagnosed with clinical depression and an anxiety disorder. As an adult, dealing with these issues became a larger challenge.

Here I was, almost 30 years old and barely able to get out of bed. I felt like my life was done before it began. There was nothing that motivated me to get out of bed. Not my husband, not my step children, or even my dog.

One day, my Grandmother called me on the phone. This was normal for us. We spoke to each other at least once a week without fail. This time, she had an offer for me. I want to know if you’d like Aunt Edna’s sewing box, she said I’ve got it here and I’ll send it down with your Mom if you want it.

My Aunt Edna was actually my Grandmother’s Aunt. When I was born, she was already an elderly woman. She remained with us until I was an adult, passing away at almost 100 years old. Aunt Edna’s home was a trove of family history, antiques and modern history.

I remembered her sewing box. It sat in the hallway beside an antique hall table. On the table was a pincushion that was so old it barely held together. A small sewing box sat near it that was decorated with fabric on the top. The larger sewing box was about three feet in height and opened out accordion style. I had never looked inside of it.

I told my Grandma I would take the sewing box. A few days later, my Mom returned from a family visit and dropped it off. I eagerly opened it up and felt as if I had opened a treasure chest. In one drawer were sewing patterns dating back to the 1940s. The old patterns were yellowed and crumbling, but they were intact.

Another drawer held the key to a mystery. Some old rug hooks