Knitting

When I was a kid we used to spend part of our summer holidays at the countryside, at my mum’s home village. I particularly loved those weeks spent in the nature for many reasons: I could spend a lot of time in the country with my dad eating fruits from the trees or drinking pure water from a lemon leaf; I could pick fruits, play with dogs and cats, ride my bike, wear my granny’s clothes and…learn a lot works. I used to spend a couple of hours per day with an old lady of the village who thought me to crochet, to embroider, to tat and my granny also thought me how to knit (she was so good that sometimes when we had no needles she did it with my colored pencils!).

When I grew older I slowly stopped loving my holidays at the countryside as I preferred to spend time at the beach with my friends and with time I lost all of the good things that I learned in the village.

I feel so bad if I think about it now: you cannot imagine how much I wanted to restart at least crocheting and knitting but I thought that it was too late and I was too old to get back at it. Well, I was wrong.

During a very intense moment at work, I understood that I needed some side activity to relax. Knitting was the first idea that came to my mind: I desperately looked for knitting classes in Milan but I couldn’t find what I was looking for, until I saw an ad on Instagram. It was from We are knitters. They promised to make you learn with their tutorials and that you could start from beginners’ pieces to practice your skills. I wasn’t convinced that it could be that easy! I asked them if I really could start from scratch, telling them that I have never knitted in my life. They answered: Sure, no problem!

It’s only when I had an impartial review from a friend of mine that I decided to give it a try: not only it was true but I loved it!! I spent all my afternoons watching tutorials and quickly learning the basic stitches and in a couple of weeks I finished my first paired cinnamon snood and headband (those that I am wearing in these pictures). I then made another headband for my mum and a maxi mustard scarf. Now I want to start also crocheting!

The benefits are multiple: not only I can make myself clothes (which I find extremely sustainable and satisfying!) and make them for the people I love, I can also relax and leave all my problems and stress outside when I start knitting. The fact is that you must be so focused that you automatically stop thinking of other business. Isn’t it amazing? You also have the gratifying feeling of learning something and of creating a piece from your own hands, which is really amazing!

While I keep practicing my knitting skills and starting my crocheting ones, let me show you how I paired my creations for a Sunday at the vintage market with my friends: a wonderful navy vintage coat from Je m’en fous vintage, a pair of old Zara brown trousers, a pair of vintage cowboy boots from the French brand Sartore found on Vestiaire Collective, a vintage cross-body bag from Live in Vintage and my vintage and handmade rings!

As a detail for my snood, I added a beautiful handmade butterfly brooch, a present from Giorgia, owner of Je m’en fous vintage, created from vintage Japanese fabrics. Isn’t too cute on the snood?