Two years ago today I learned to knit - it's my knitiversary (I'm pretty sure I just made that word up).

I know it's a dramatic statement to make, but knitting changed my life. I could not be more grateful that I know how to knit. It makes me happy, it calms me, it challenges me, and even when I want to rip my hair out from a crazy project, I still love it. Knitting is my passion.

I learned how to knit during a particularly rough patch in my life. I threw myself in to learning anything and everything that I could. I distracted myself and I soaked up every bit of knitting knowledge that I could - it was perfect. Before I knew it, I was knitting hats, socks, sweaters, cables, lace, and everything in between.

My mom has been a knitter for many years and both of my grandmothers knit all the time. In fact, most of my memories of my grandmothers involve them working on a sweater of some sort while I watched and listened to the clack of the metal needles.

My mom taught me the basics the night before Thanksgiving. We finished prepping for the next day's meal, cleaned up, and then sat down to a life-changing lesson. She handed me some wool, a circular needle and a pattern for a lace hat. "Here, knit this." she said.

That first hat was not so great (okay, it was awful), but I finished it and went on to make another. It made me happy to make things, to use my hands, to be creative.

So now, I want to share my love of knitting with anyone that wants to learn. I'm patiently counting down the days until I can pass on my love of knitting to my kids, particularly my daughter. I can only hope that she loves it a fraction of the way I do.