Interview with Janet Kirsch, Unwound owner

The ubiquitous question: when did you learn to knit, and who taught you? "When" is a tough question for me to answer -- I think I was eight or nine years old when my Mom taught me how to knit. I made a few rectangles out of the only yarn we had in the house: some dark brown acrylic worsted, but it wasn't something I was super excited about. I know that a year or so after that, my Grandma taught me how to crochet. I made a few more little swatches with that, but it wasn't until college that I really did a deep dive into fiber arts. I made a lot of crocheted afghans, and then decided that I wanted to knit a sweater. I bought my first interchangeable knitting needle set when I was in my mid-20s, and have been consistently passionate about knitting ever since. What is your favorite part of being an LYS owner? I love getting to see all the colors the dyers come up with, and I love pairing different yarns and imagining how they'll look knitted or crocheted together. Being a LYS owner lets me play with a lot more yarn than I could afford to add to my own stash -- it's fantastic! What do you enjoy doing when you are not knitting or petting yarn? I like trying new restaurants and going to movies with my spouse when we're not being Safer At Home. I enjoy listening to (and occasionally playing) a lot of different types of music. I am constantly playing a puzzle on my phone -- crosswords, jigsaws, sudoku. And we have two cats, so they occupy my time, too. What yarn-y tool do you find most useful, other than needles? A row counter, without a doubt. Yes, I know you can just mark the number of rows you've completed on your pattern with a pencil. For some reason, I just find that I keep track of my place better with a row counter. What is your favorite knitting resource? (Book, web site, person, etc.) My favorite knitting book is Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch -- it is my sock bible. Ravelry is my go-to as far as knitting websites are concerned. I would have a hard time picking just one person as a favorite knitting resource, but I will say this: there's nothing a good knitting circle can't figure out, given enough time and coffee.