I like to think of myself as an “arts and crafts” kind of gal – especially when I’m overseas. It’s nice to have a creative outlet, and it’s also a good way to connect with friends and colleagues.

In Albania, I was totally into scrapbooking and watercolor. In Belize, three wonderful Chinese ladies offered macrame classes to my colleagues and me. In Italy, I took a few wine classes and devoted myself to photography. Sadly, these obsessions rarely stick. I wasn’t any good at painting, got bored with scrapbooking, I couldn’t macrame a keychain now if my life depended on it, and no one would mistake me for an expert on Italian wine!

So now that I’m back in the DC area, I’ve found a new obsession: knitting. It’s not just for spinsters anymore.

I first learned how to knit when I was about 10 or 11. My mom taught me. As I recall, I produced a lot of ratty scarves and one bright pink purse. (My grandmother sewed it together for me). But I haven’t knitted since and I wanted to get back into it. I have this fantasy that I’m going to become such a proficient knitter that I will be able to knit myself a dress! Crazy? Maybe, maybe not.

Anyway, after a little research I found a beginner’s knitting class in Alexandria! First class yesterday.

Knitting is for grandmas and spinsters, you say? You couldn’t be more wrong. Knitting became all the rage several years ago, so although I am late to the party, I am not alone.  There are several knitting communities, stores, and classes in the metropolitan DC area.  And there are many, many websites and online groups where you can find patterns, get help when you run into trouble, and commiserate with fellow knitters.

I am not surrounded by blue hairs (not that there’s anything wrong with blue hair) in my class – this is a young sport, people!  My fellow beginners included a young mom-to-be, a couple of singletons like me, and a mother-daughter team – all of us struggling to move 20 lousy stitches of yarn from one stick to another.  That’s knitting in a nutshell.  But you know what?  It’s soothing.  It’s fun.  And I can watch TV while I’m doing it.

So if you want to call me a spinster, fine.  I’ll take it.  I’ll be the one in the sweater dress with the ratty scarf and the bright pink purse.