Girlfriends Knitting

Does knitting really help with stress and anxiety?  🤔 💭 💆‍♀️ #mentalhealth #selfcare #mindfulness #knittingtherapy #anxietyrelief #stressmanagement I sure hope so!! Today, as I dropped off my baby girl at school, I couldn't help but feel a wave of emotions. It's one of those moments when stress and anxiety overwhelm this mama's heart, and I get sucked under the flood. But guess what? We have a secret weapon in our hands that can help us find serenity amidst life's challenges—knitting. While it is certainly not a replacement for our faith or professional mental health care, it can help with stress and anxiety. It's incredible how those yarns and needles can create a cocoon of comfort, guiding us into a world of calmness and peace. Whether we're knitting intricate patterns or simple stitches, the rhythm of the needles has a unique way of soothing our souls and quieting our minds. Still skeptical? Actually, there is evidence to support the claim that knitting c...

Did you see the stabby viral knitting video on TikTok? "Stab it, strangle it, scoop out its guts, throw it off a cliff." Did it make you want to try your hand at knitting? Of course, it did! (Or maybe you are already a knitter and just found it hilarious, and you know you want to join in.) To bring us all together and to help those new to knitting get started, I am hosting a Frankenscraf Knit-a-long (KAL for those of you new to knitter-speak.) We will be creating a choose-your-own adventure-type scarf using whatever supplies you want. Need some advice on supplies? You can see my Amazon suggestions here: Frankenscarf  KAL Suggestions . You can join the fun here, TikTok, or Ravelry. Sign up for the free pattern and to get exclusive updates using the form on the right side of the webpage.   I will have a pattern for the scarf, but no need to use it! Throw it off a cliff for all I care, I just want everyone knitting!! And, of course, sharing their beautiful creations. Look for me...

What do you do when you post a simple video on TikTok and it blows up overnight? Why, you have a knit-a-long of course. (That would be a KAL for those of you not yet knowledgeable with knitter-speak.) Thus....drum roll please... on July 1 we will start a Knit-a-long!! It will be across multiple channels, with this being its main hub. It will be simple, accessible for all skill levels, and not require anything more than what you may already have. However, if you are looking for some more tools, check out these links below for some suggestions. The comments for the viral video included questions about how to get started (casting on), how to purl, and what supplies I might recommend. I did create those two videos, and they are on my TikTok page. I will update them on my podcast soon.  As for the supplies, well, I have yet to meet a knitting tool or yarn I did not like, but here are some of my favorites: #promotion In the video itself, I am stabbing away with these knitting needles ...

🔥Beginner Bliss Sock Pattern 🔥 When a knitting bestie texts you and wants a simple beginner sock pattern, you get to writing! Thus, here it is - Beginner Bliss Socks! It is a simple pattern that is knit from the toe-up with a short row heel so that you can learn the basic construction of socks. There are simple instructions and pictures. If you would like it, you can click the link below. Even better - use the email sign-up on the right side of the blog, and you will be sent the pattern for FREE! (I might even include another little gift just for signing up!) I get a commission through purchases made from links to this site.

I think I have an obsession with Julia Roberts. I based the name of my blog off of a statement she made about knitting. and of course, there is the fact that she KNITS! Third, I adore the movie Steel Magnolias for many reasons, Julia being one of them. But more on that in a minute... So why did I decide to name my blog "Girlfriends Knitting?"  During the filming of the movie  Larry Crown (she played a community college teacher! We have so many connections, I think we should be BFFs), Tom Hanks played a prank on Julia Roberts, who is known for knitting on the set. He had an assistant and the costume director prepare 50 skeins of yarn with a few rows of knitting, then passed out these knitting projects to 65 men in the crew. When Julia walked in, she began cracking up laughing, and immediately got into the spirit of the prank, talking about knitting with the guys. Here is a small excerpt of that from A ccess Hollywood , but the line I remember most came from anothe...

As I was reading the old posts, I came across the following Christmas wish list. (See  Dear Santa . It is still a great list for the knitters in your life if you ever need one.) #promotion Signature needles  (any size circular, with a long cable) - or the whole collection! (Haha, as if!) Wollmeise yarn  (I just bought my first skein....ooooh) Really, any wool blend yarn would make me happy, so check out all the gorgeous yarn on  Etsy  and pick me up a skein, or three. Doing that also supports local small businesses, which is nice. Those yarn blends make for some gorgeous socks, which I am in love with knitting right now. So any set of Wendy Johnson patterns, particularly her  Socks in a Box , would be awesome. With all that yarn, I will need to be making and blocking final projects, so there are also,  blocking wires  and  Sock Blockers (women's large). Blocking those new hand-knits requires wool wash, such as  Soak . For t...

Have you ever time-traveled? I have this week - back in time over ten years to when life for me was much different. Some of you have traveled with me, having seen my current TikTok videos under the same name and googling Girlfriends Knitting to find an old blog with over 80 posts about knitting, spinning, and life with a disabled spouse.  I perused the pages, watched some of the videos, cried a little, laughed a lot, and just reminisced. It is very odd seeing your life documented in front of the camera that way.  Your brain has what my dad liked to call revisionist memory. It will edit out the bad parts, blur some of the parts that sting a little too much in full color, and add embellishments to make stories better, funnier, sweeter. But not the camera. It shows everything. You can't say something didn't happen when it is right there in recorded history. Roll the tape! I have decided to revisit that time in my life, review the footage, learn and grow from my new vantage point ...