Why do you knit?

I'll get back to sewing news next week. This week, I want to take a moment and share with you - and it's actually perfect because there's a movement to show that just because pictures look perfect doesn't mean they are, and it's a wonderful reminder that everyone is human.

I try to keep it honest here, and while I don't go into many details, I know I've mentioned some of the obscene comments people make while I'm taking pictures, the sadness I sometimes can't escape in the winter, and the chronic illness that left me out of commission for a few months last year.

However, those are just quick comments at the end of post full of pretty pictures. I actually wrote a longer post about some of my struggles with depression and anxiety, and the Huffington Post published it earlier this week.

I was nervous when I got the email that it was going live. I really just wanted to share my story and maybe inspire someone who was in the same place I used to be in that there's hope out there.

But I was completely blown away by some of the responses I received. Here's just a couple:

I blocked out the names and faces because I don't know any of these people; they were just kind enough to share their own experience with me.

I'd love to know more about you: Do you knit? Why did you start?

(And if you want to start knitting, but don't have anyone to show you, I have lessons up at We All Knit Here. I walk you through everything from picking out yarn to finishing your first project.)

Finished: Siren Seafoam Beach Top

I finished this when it was still chilly out, but the weather is (almost) perfect now!

So in the spirit of stashbusting, I went through my yarn to see what new projects I could begin working on, and I found a large stash of Wool and the Gang cotton. It's been hanging out in my stash for over a year now because I couldn't see the point of cotton yarn... I mean, how is it supposed to keep you warm if it's cotton?

Then I remembered a season called summer (that's been getting rarer and rarer around these parts), and so I decided to make a fun top for the beach.

One of the things I dislike about summer tops is all the skin showing. I know, I KNOW. I just made a top with holes in it. But I'm rather self-conscious about my body so I love that this top has some structure and the skin peeking through is more of a peek-a-boo type thing rather than large cut-outs.

The top is cropped, which is perfect since I wear it with high-waisted skirts. I'm still a little shocked that cropped tops are a thing because I never thought I'd see them come back into style after the 90s - but I also never thought the 90s style would come back either. I now understand what my mother meant when she said, "I refuse to wear bell bottoms again. Once you live through it, there's no going back."

But I digress. :)

On a side note: You might think it's cute to pose with ice cream on a boardwalk, but it's not. Ice cream melts everywhere, and it's horrible. Also, dudes think ice cream resembles something phallic. Get your mind out of the gutter!

You can read more about it here, and my ravelry page is here.

Are you working on any summer knit projects?  I have one more that I hope to finish soon!