10 Years of ChemKnits

10 years ago today, I went on a New Years trip to my friends' cabin in New Hampshire.  We were young and loved to pack this house full of friends to have a fun and low key celebration of the new year.  I decided to stay at the house while everyone else went skiing, and I created ChemKnits.

There are honestly a lot of details that are hard to remember.  I have only gone skiing a few times in my life, so I don't remember if I went one day and was tired, or if I just decided to sit this one out.  What I remember the most is researching ear flap hat knitting patterns.  I was not yet aware of Raverly of Pinterest, so I was googling, checking links, and making a list in word to keep track of the various patterns I found.  I found myself wishing that someone had already made such a list, and decided that I should share it with the world.  ChemKnits was born. 

The search for earflap hat knitting patterns was not my first post - I wanted to work on it a bit more, but it was through this post that a lot of people found me. While I was writing for myself, other people started finding me and through your interest I kept sharing what I was working on. 

10 years.  Through this blog, I challenged myself as a knitter and a fiber artist.  I tackled cables and colorwork, designed my first pattern, designed more patterns, learned to crochet, tried dyeing yarn, and learned to spin. I started ChemKnits to learn about myself and to keep track of my own progress - this has been my lab notebook.

It is amazing that a journey can both be so personal but also so public at the same time.  Through my posts and videos, I have grown, but you have also been able to watch me grow.  When I say that we are learning together, I truly mean that, and I love this community that we have created in our corner of the Internet. 

The internet has changed, and I do not post here nearly as frequently as I did in the past.  ChemKnits has evolved, but it is still such a big piece of my soul.  It is hard to say where ChemKnits stops and Rebecca begins, because ChemKnits was born out of my passions. Maybe I need to change my video introduction... I'm not "Rebecca from ChemKnits," I AM ChemKnits.  I hope that I can look back at ChemKnits after another 10 years and feel like I've continued to challenge myself and grow as a fiber artist. 

Thank you for reading.  Thank you for watching.  Thank you for being on this journey with me.