When I started knitting, I just started out using the cheap yarn you could buy from Meijer or Walmart. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but at some point in your life you’ve got to move on. You know what I mean? When you start getting advanced and you want to knit yourself something nice, we’ll say a blanket, you want that nice, soft, fluffy yarn. And let’s face it, it’s not cheap. But with the help of some knitter friends, theres ways that you can save money.

   

 One way to save money when knitting is to remember, usually every time you end a project, there's still a little ball of yarn that hasn’t been used yet. So here’s what you do. You save it! Make something out of all the little balls of yarn. Who cares if they’re different colored socks. They’re cool and you saved money! You could also make dish towels out of them and little baby rags. Whatever your little mind wants to create, you could probably do it with all those little balls of yarn.

  

  Another great way to save money is to use the site https://www.ravelry.com/account/login  . With this site, you can look up things to make with the type of yarn you have and you can also get FREE patterns off of it. There’s nothing better than free right? This site is great and will help you save a lot of money.

   

 Knitting is fun and is easily a cheap hobby. So hop on to Ravelry and find a free Pattern to make all your little balls of yarn disappear!

The purpose of this post is to just share with everyone some of my favorite things to knit and where you can find them. Since it’s fall and unfortunately, rapidly moving into winter, these will be some of my favorite things to knit for fall and winter.  All of these link to places where I usually go to get my patterns and ideas. Have fun!

One of my absolute favorite things to make for winter is an afghan. I’m one of those people who loves to lay in bed wrapped up in a big cuddly blanket all warm and sleepy. This is a site where I always go to get inspiration and patterns. http://www.allfreeknitting.com/Knit-Afghans-and-Blankets

So recently, I made an ear warmer for this winter and I absolutely love it. I have had so many compliments on it and I was really surprised. I actually made it in a matter of about thirty minutes. This pattern is more for intermediate knitters because there is a different type of stitch called a purl stitch in this tutorial. I haven’t shown how to do a purl stitch yet on my blog but I could make that one of my next blog posts. Here is the link to the pattern if you would like to try knitting the ear warmer. http://devilbuzz.com/en/video/8lIgXnU9oNk/Twistin-Turban

What’s the one thing every girl wants this winter? Think really hard. If you’re thinking of an infinity scarf, you’re absolutely right. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s basically a scarf that’s a big circle that you can wrap around your neck a couple times to keep you extra warm. The project I am currently working on is indeed an infinity scarf. They’re easy and pretty quick to make. Here is a link to one that would be easy for a beginner knitter like most of you, to start with. http://www.tinselmint.com/2013/05/free-infinity-scarf-pattern-for.html

  

If you follow the easy steps on the pattern, you should have stylish stitches for your wardrobe in no time!

Why should you knit?

Knitting is the best thing anyone could have ever thought of. I mean come one, who wouldn’t want to make their own stuff for cheaper than they could buy it? Unless you’re one of those people who just has to have brand name things. For you people, go ahead and spend fifty dollars on an infinity scarf that I could make for less than fifteen dollars. I mean really, why spend that much money? Knitting can save you tons of money in the winter. The typical Hollister scarf would cost you $30-$50. I could buy everything to make that scarf for less than fifteen dollars and have fun while making it. 
Don't you always feel more accomplished when you do something for yourself instead of having mommy or daddy buy it for you? Every time I wear a scarf I made, or wrap up in a big blanket that was made by me, it's personal. I always think to myself, "Wow, I actually can't believe that I made this." It's also great when someone complements you on something you made because you don't have to say "Oh, thanks. I got it at Target." You can proudly say "Thanks, I made this." It makes you feel accomplished.   

 Knitting is also a great stress reliever. If you’re having one of those days where you just want to rip out your hair because work was stressful or you failed a test at school, just sit down and knit. Trust me. I don’t know what it is, but I swear yarn has calming powers. Anytime I’m having a bad day, I just curl up on the couch or in front of the fireplace and just knit my worries away. 
Another reason to knit is to spend time with friends or family. I am part of a knitting club at my church. Yes, I’m only seventeen and knit with a bunch of little old ladies ( no judging). But hey, it’s fun! It’s fun to see what everyone else is making and show off what you’re making also. I also knit with the women in my family. Occasionally, we’ll sit down with hot chocolate or coffee and knit together telling how our days went or just anything that comes to mind. It’s a great way to get away from working and make time with your family and friends.    

        There are so many reasons I knit. Now it’s time for you to find your reason.

No one wants to look like a giant marshmallow all winter do they? No, no one does. But, unfortunately with the winters that Michigan has, it’s inevitable. Here are five things to make this winter that will at least make you a cute marshmallow this winter.

1. 

A cute headband/ ear-warmer!

So for those people like me, I would rather wear a headband

than a hat any day. It is small but still keeps your ears 

warm. It's a very stylish, easy, and affordable thing to make 

for this winter.

2. 

A cute hat!

So for those of you who love hats, and beanies, and 

whatever you want to call them, this is for you. Make a cute 

hat that everyone is going to want this winter. It will keep you 

nice and toasty while keeping you cute. :)

3.

A cute scarf!

Make an adorable scarf for this winter. Make everyone want
what they can't have. It's one of a kind!!

4. 

Cute mittens!

Make a pair of mittens that are going to keep your hands nice and warm this winter. You could also sew some fleece on the inside to keep them extra warm.

5. 

Cute sweater!

Make an adorable and affordable sweater for this winter. It may be hard to make, but it will be worth it, I promise.

Works Cited

https://www.etsy.com/market/knitted_headband

http://www.popsugar.com/fashion/photo-gallery/25419696/image/25419710/Keep-your-head-ears-warm-cute-Zara-knitted-hat-20

https://www.pinterest.com/Olivearigg17/cute-knitted-scarves-3/

https://www.pinterest.com/charziekk/mittens/

https://www.pinterest.com/fildelune/crochet-tricot/

Think about those cold winter nights where you can’t go anywhere or do anything. What are you going to do? Knit a scarf, of course! Anyone can knit a scarf with these 5 easy steps. Have fun and happy knitting! :)

1. Pick your yarn! 

This is the most important part! If you don’t have yarn, how are you going to make a scarf??? You want your yarn to be something you are going to enjoy wearing. If you want to be warm, get a thick and chunky yarn. If you want just a cute, light scarf to wear around on those fall nights, pick a thinner and lighter yarn. Your yarn should also be soft and not itchy. Who wants to wear an itchy scarf all day? Not me! Your scarf should also be something that's going to match a lot of things. You're going to want to wear your scarf with a lot of things throughout the winter. So it needs to be a color that you wear a lot, or something that will match almost everything.

2. Get your knitting needles!

   Any size will do! If you want your scarf to be the typical "Chunky" scarf, you will want to use larger gauged needles. Larger needles would be fantastic for a nice, thick winter scarf. If you want an everyday scarf just to keep the chill off your neck, then you would want to use smaller gauged needles. Any size you use would be pretty though.

3. It’s time to cast on stitches!

The first step in making your scarf is called casting on. This is how you will start any knitting project. Casting on can be quite confusing. So with this tutorial, it should be a little easier. http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+cast+on+knitting&FORM=VIRE1#view=detail&mid=2622D66095D27C7B127F2622D66095D27C7B127F

4. Just keep knitting, knitting. 

Along with casting on, doing a regular stitch can kind of be complicated at times. A regular stitch is what's going to make the body of our scarf. So to make things a little easier, here’s a link that teaches you how to do a regular stitch. http://www.bing.com/videos/searchq=how+to+do+a+simple+stitch+in+knitting&FORM=VIRE1#view=detail&mid=0CA0527C47A172C222390CA0527C47A172C22239

5. And we're done!

Keep knitting until it's long enough to fit around your neck. Great job! You have just knitted your first scarf. Hope you enjoyed!

Works Cited

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/skeins-of-yarn-richard-mansfield.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=skeins+of+yarn&safe=active&biw=1116&bih=721&source=lnms&tbm=is

https://www.google.com/search?q=skeins+of+yarn&safe=active&biw=1116&bih=721&source=lnms&tbm=is

http://giftseshop.com/blog/knitting-stitch-the-moss-stitch/

http://allspiceabounds.wordpress.com/2011/12/11/red-and-purple-scarf-finished/

Every winter night when I sit by the fireplace with my needles and yarn, cuddled up in my sweatpants, sweatshirt and fuzzy socks, I’m comforted.

Sitting here, is when I watch the flames dance around and mesmerize anything that comes near them. Watching as the glowing aura of the fire flickers in the room, I work on perfecting my current creation. Finding comfort next to the fireplace may not be for everyone--but it’s my cup of tea. Watching the flames and being thawed from the cold winter air, is how I spend all of my winter nights. On those anticipated snow days, I don’t go out and have snow ball fights and build snowmen, I sit by the fireplace and knit.  The cold winter nights where you have quality family time sharing how the day went and telling stories, is where I like to spend my time knitting. Each one of my creations have memories. Each one has a special story of it’s own that is woven into it. It’s those stories, that make each of my projects special to me. It’s that fireplace that creates those memories. It’s those nights, that have a lasting impression on me forever.