A Knitting Revolution!

I think it's time for a revolution - yes, a knitting revolution!

Now, granted, I am fairly new to the knitting community - but I am also finding that I can't have a conversation with someone without mentioning it. In the last two days I've made three offers to teach people how to knit. Some look at me like I'm crazy. Some think it's not something they can learn how to do. I reassure them that I am a self-taught yarn-hound, and if I can teach myself, surely they can learn as well.

I mention some of the benefits of people learning how to knit in the welcome paragraph of this blog - and I really believe that knitting makes the world a better place for many - and could do even more.

Knitting is good for the ones who knit - it helps us relax, it gives us creative outlets, it creates a reason for us to gather with our knitting tribes and talk about patterns and yarn and last night's reality show.

Knitting is good for those for whom we knit - they get really cool, beautiful things made out of a wide array of incredible fibers. It also builds their patience with us - as they as understand and give us space to pursue our knit-mania.

I think knitting has a lot of potential as well. I was at a Knit Night this past Tuesday and looked around and saw such a wonderful mix of diversity. There was a mix of genders (well, six women and me), races, ages, and there appeared to be a variety of opinions and perspectives represented in the group as well. But when the many differences that under other circumstances would have separated people were put aside, everyone has a passion and sincere love for knitting and all that entails (yarn, notions, patterns, books, gatherings, ravelry.com, etc.).

I think I've found my platform - I want to teach the world to knit. Imagine what we could accomplish! We could be better acquainted with our neighbors. We would have bigger collections of delicious cookie recipes. We can break through assumptions we make about others because we start out on common ground. If we spend our time knitting, we have less time to argue, to hurt others, to build bombs.

I want to teach the world to knit. I want to start a Knitting Revolution! Please join me.