Amanda//Knit Nerds



Yup, that's right - my favourite feature, Knit Nerds, is back!!! This week I have the lovely Amanda of Life.As.I.Know.It; she is just 19 and  she crochets and knits beautifully; so here she is:

1. How long have you been knitting/crocheting and who taught you? I first learned to crochet the summer before fifth grade. One of my former teachers taught me, however, I didn't get very far with it. When I was in high school, I decided to start loom knitting and taught myself with the instructions that came with Knifty Knitter looms that were purchased at WalMart. That of course spurred the addiction onwards and I learned to needle knit from online videos.

2. What is your favourite yarny thing to make? My favorite thing to make has got to be dishcloths. I've made probably hundreds of them by now. If you look on my Ravelry page at the sheer number of projects you would probably be shocked, however, most of them were quick and easy dishcloths. When I'm not knitting dishcloths, I'm obsessed with making baby blankets. I have several of those at home in a bin right now, just waiting for the next baby announcement!

3. Who is your biggest yarny inspiration? Oh boy, I'm not sure. My great-grandmother, who I only have vague memories of because she passed away when I was a small child, was an avid crocheter and made gorgeous afghans. There are several in my parents' home that I love admiring. One of my favorite things that she crocheted was a table cloth made out of crochet cotton. It's so lacy and gorgeous. I spent last Thanksgiving admiring the table cloth rather than eating! That's when you know that you're addicted to yarn. I also love the Yarn Harlot!

4. What is your favourite completed object? My favorite completed project is probably my Summer Flies Shawl. It's such a gorgeous pattern! 

5. What inspired you to start your blog? For as long as I can remember, I've always been a fan of blogs around the internet and have read blogs. I like to see what other people are doing and how they express themselves, so it was natural for me to want to start my own blog. I first started writing when I was about ten years old. I've always kept journals or blogs all over the internet, keeping track of what was going on in my life and what I was making or doing at the time. I just need an outlet to talk about my feelings, emotions, and to document what's happening to me. I started the blog where I'm at now when I was in high school, wanting a fresh start with a new blog as I was moving towards college and getting more serious with crafting. Now my blog is a hodge podge of life, knitting, softball, college, and photography.

6. If you could give 3 pieces of yarny advice, what would they be? First, don't be afraid to try new things! I set knitting new year's resolutions every year in hopes of trying something new during the course of the year, as well as documenting things. Cables, charts, bobbles, stripes, knitting in the round, knitting socks; all of that managed to get accomplished because I let go of my fear. Secondly, if you are a knitter I seriously recommend evaluating your setup. I recently did a serious overhaul to how I had things organized. Getting things clean, put away neatly, and the stash tamed helped make my life so much easier. I also got an iPad Mini for Christmas and I am shamelessly addicted to knitCompanion, an app that helps me keep my place in my pattern along with a lot of other cool features. Finally, my last bit of advice would have to be to occasionally splurge for the good yarn, the luxury needles, the handcrafted hook, whatever it is that suits your fancy! Using the "good stuff" makes the entire experience so much better sometimes.

So that's the lovely Amanda, please leave her some love!! You can find Amanda on Ravelry as amandacake and on Twitter as udontknow.

I'll have another lovely knitnerd in the next week or so.
V xo