Lemondrop

So now that I'm unemployed I'm going for my bachelor's degree ... in knitting!

Knitting is awesome. I just started in July and I'm already cable knitting (which is easier than everyone said it was). I'm obsessed.

And you know what's weird? I run into people at the local yarn shop all the time who tell me they are unemployed. We are unemployed, therefore we knit! We make scarves, hats, socks and sweaters.

It's not a lot but it gives you a sense of accomplishment that we miss from working. It's not a week at the office, but you can find something similar at the end of a scarf. If you're unemployed, I highly recommend picking up a craft. Craft your way through the recession! Craft away the fear, pain and stress of not knowing what's going to happen next. When will the money run out? Craft it away. I'm partial to knitting.

After you get into knitting, you become a yarn snob. Hand-made yarns, hand-dyed, alpaca, silk, cashmere ... If you can name it, it's been spun into a soft mushy yarn for you to knit into something. I'm into smelling the yarn too. Most yarn smells like the out of doors. Fresh. Some yarns smell like vinegar from the dyes used on them ... like those Paz Easter Egg kits.

You are constantly learning new things about yarn, stitches, needles and it gives your old work bag a purpose: You can fill it with yarn and take it with you everywhere you go. My boyfriend thinks that knitting is antisocial, but on the contrary, when I take my knitting out into the world with me people always talk to me. They ask me what I'm making, and many say, "I've always wanted to learn to knit," to which I reply, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?!?" Call around to your local yarn stores; you can often find free lessons.

It's a great way to make holiday gifts for not so much money, and some people truly feel that when someone knits you something it works as a talisman against evil and bad things happening to you. I know that I put a lot of love and work into each piece, so I'd like to think that's true.

There's a lot to be said for going to a knit shop to do your actual knitting. That's where you learn. That's where the black belts and ninjas of knitting hang out, and will teach you their ninja like tricks for fixing mistakes. It's where you get inspired to push yourself to learn new stitches and endeavor on new and difficult patterns. It breaks the isolation that many of us who are unemployed feel as we sit alone in our apartments trying to NOT to go out and spend money. (Though we often end up spending money we don't have on yarn.)

I go to the Knitty City on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It is definitely the nicest yarn shop I've ever been to. They know me by name and they know what I'm working on and really encourage me to go further and take my knitting to the next level. If you want to stalk me, that's the place to go. Christina, Aryn, Jennifer, Diane, Pearl and all the other gals will hook you up! They'll school you on everything you need to know about yarns and needles and knitting.

As a matter of fact I'm about to go there right now. What's your favorite knitting shop? Share with the world so we can stalk you too!