Yes, I’ve been a knotty girl. It all started at the magic moment when I first learned to tie my shoes. It was a clumsy bow, but I did it. Since that time I’ve gone in search of knottiness in the following activities.

Crochet

I first learned to crochet with a plastic hook that came out of my mothers hair streaking kit (any one remember those?). I graduated to the metal kind and went from pot holders to afghans. It takes time and patience to work those patterns. My favorite are the granny squares, there’s so much that can be done with them.

Knitting

Manipulating yarn with needles. It really is as hard as it looks, yet there something rewarding in wearing a nice warm scarf or pair of mittens. I have all sorts of afghan patterns and I dream of one day completing a beautiful yet complicated pattern. I may need to save that project for a rainy or maybe snowy day.  Kitting can be used like meditation as well.  I recently discovered the Knifty Knitter which makes tubes of material that can be sewn together to make projects.

Needle work

I’ve been putting French knots in my embroidery projects for years. They’re kind of tricky. If the right tension isn’t applied, they hang off the work. There is also the colonial knot which is using in candle wicking. This form of needle work was invented in colonial America when embroidery floss was in short supply. The women used candle wick instead.

Macrame

I grew up in the 70's when macrame reached its zenith. Although it isn’t as popular as it was then, I’ve noticed that the jewelry made a come back. I have a particular soft spot for jewelry projects and for anyone interested in taking up macrame as a craft I suggest starting with kit. The projects are simple and the results are rewarding. I also favor the free form pieces.

Knots

They’re not only functional, they’re beautiful too. I love trying out new knots. I once made a bracelet using a complicated sailor’s knot. Apparently they had a lot of time on their hands when they were at sea and kept themselves occupied by inventing knots.

How to unwind

Oh! No! The yarn is in tangles! Knot to worry, this is an occasion for the relaxing process of untangling the yarn. There’s something therapeutic about untangling yarn and getting it organized into a ball