Finishing Details

Do you like to knit socks? Are you aware that a sock pattern written for double-pointed needles can also be made with two circular needles or one very long needle (the Magic Loop method)? If you haven't tried socks because all the options seem too confusing, be sure to check out How to Knit Socks: Three Methods Made Easy by Edie Eckman. It's full of detailed directions for seven designs, including sizes for babies, children, men and women. Well-written with clear directions, this book has lots of tips and tricks to help you along toward the successful completion of your socks! You can purchase it at AnniesCatalog.com.

When the knitting of a project is complete, it is time for the part so many knitters put off: the finishing details. With a newsletter, the details are easier: say "goodbye" and sign my name. So until next time, make the most of your knitting time. Think kind thoughts, add prayers for others, relish the peaceful flow of fiber through your fingers and know that 17 million others share your passion and pleasure! And you thought you were knitting alone!

Yours in yarn,

Barb Bettegnies
editor, Creative Knitting magazine

As a very determined 4-year-old, I convinced my mother to teach me to knit. I recall clearly my eureka moment at the age of 12, when flicking the yarn the way Mother did made sense to me, and I have been knitting ever since. The home arts of sewing, baking and cooking have always held my interest. After years of co-owning an agribusiness (grain warehouses), I began teaching knitting independently. This led to becoming the editor of Creative Knitting magazine. Perhaps my mother is the only person who was not surprised at this turn of events; she always knew I could achieve more than I had tried. I have grown sons and several grandchildren nearby and knit for them only when asked.

I continue to teach knitting in an informal manner, gathering groups of people together who become friends. The classes are less structured than the norm, with each person working at her own pace on her own project. It's unusual for two knitters to be making the same project; each learns from the successes of others, and we have a great time. I am blessed to be doing what I love!

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