When I was nineteen years old, I moved to Los Angeles briefly. Another friend had coincidentally moved to Long Beach shortly before, and another to Venice right after. It helped to have people I knew nearby, and I ended up spending quite a lot of time in Long Beach in the nine months or so that I lived on the west coast.

My friend in long beach introduced me to what at the time seemed like a great pastime. As much as I enjoyed knitting and found it to be not only easier than crochet (ha!), but also a very relaxing and therapeutic activity, it soon became clear that I would never finish a sweater because it just took too freaking long.

Fast forward years later and the tables have turned. I finally conquered crochet and now wonder how I ever found knitting to be so relaxing. I actually have an early blog post on my return to knitting a few years ago, where I discovered the trick to completing a project (at least for me) is thicker needles. I still have yet to knit a sweater, but it could happen.

How I Learned to Knit

I taught myself to knit from a book over twenty years ago.  It was something that had always appealed to me so I got a book and a set of needles and some yarn and started knitting.  I had always had trouble following crochet patterns but I found knitting to be relatively simple and very relaxing.

My first knitting project was a ribbed peach sweater.  Unfortunately I never completed it.  While I had a lot of enthusiasm for knitting I had no idea as a beginner just how long it actually would take to complete an entire sweater.   Needless to say it wasn’t the right first project choice for me. 

Even though I enjoyed knitting and found it to be therapeutic even, life had other plans and my knitting efforts soon got sidetracked.  Many, many years later I had tons of yarn and I told myself it was time to start using it up or get rid of it.  I was already working with hand dyed textiles so I decided to crochet a few scarves.  After that I moved on to simple hats combining yarns for texture and color.

While crochet was fast and easy enough, it still didn’t give the same texture as knitted textiles so once again I broke out the knitting needles and decided I would work in garter stitch (all knits and no purls).  It should have been easy and simple, but after having spent a year and a half with the almost instant gratification that is crochet, it was extremely hard to finish even a simple knitted scarf.

I chose a great variegated brushed yarn in shades of green which was ideal for knitting and while my work was attractive I found it terribly tedious.  In the time it took me to complete my scarf I could have crocheted at least four or more.  I suppose I am a glutton for punishment, because I have started another, also in garter.

I used to find knitting so relaxing and now it’s driving me nuts.  I have decided to see it as a life lesson in patience because I know that if I stick with it the rewards will be great.  I have a bit of a yarn fetish and I need an excuse for all the fabulous fiber I keep bringing home.

I have learned to use the largest needles possible to make the work go easier, but it still takes a long time to see the rows start to evolve into something functional.  I am currently working on a scarf using US 13 (9mm) needles and I just bought a pair of US 17 (12.5 mm) needles that I am looking forward to trying out.

Learning to knit was easy enough; I bought a book and followed the directions for casting on and knitting and purling.  I just didn’t know it would take twenty years to complete my first knitting project.  Now that I am on a roll though, I hope to keep going and going and going.

Ha! So much for going and going! The farthest I've gone since writing that article in 2010 is to knit a handful of scarves. Maybe I just need to become a lady of leisure so I can have a whole day to quilt, knit, paint, and create all those other not-done-in-one-day things I never get around to starting/finishing.

How to Make Your Own Special Occasion Corsage

Continuing with the effort to migrate my multitude of Helium articles, here's one I forgot I ever wrote, and just in time too now that both prom and wedding season are in full force. My aunt used to make these regularly for and people for their weddings and sorority gatherings and so forth.

How to make your own Corsage

Making your own corsage is not only practical, it’s quick, easy and filled with unlimited possibilities. Whether you’re planning your wedding, attending a dance, party, or club event or even if you just like wearing fresh flowers, a one-of-a-kind corsage, is both a lovely accessory and a potential conversation starter.

Traditional corsages are typically a mini floral arrangement of one or more main flowers accompanied by smaller accent flowers and/or greenery. The arrangement can be made from either fresh or artificial flowers and can also include beaded accents, ribbons, feathers or other embellishments of your choice.

Though corsages are usually made from more than one flower, very pretty corsages can also be made with one very large flower or its equivalent (such as a ribbon or paper rosette). Of course, it’s also possible to use something besides flowers (such as holiday miniatures). A quick trip to the craft or novelty store will give you an idea of the great range of what your inclusion options are.

Some traditional flower choices for corsages are roses, orchids, gardenias, and carnations, but almost any favorite flower can be used. Choose a corsage flower based on color and fragrance, but also try to pick one that has a little staying power. The last thing you want is to have your corsage wilt as soon as you step out of your door.

If you want to go eco-friendly with your choice, you can use paper flowers or those made from ribbon, crochet or knitting. Felt or other fabric flowers can be used as well for making corsages, but if working with a recycled material, stay away from metals or plastics as these might scratch.

Corsages are generally worn on the left and can be placed on the shoulder of a dress or cover up such as a shrug, sweater, or jacket, the bodice of a dress, at the waist, or wrist. Some modern girls even wear their corsages on the ankle. In cases where having a corsage on the body doesn’t work, it can alternatively be attached to an evening bag.

When making your own corsage, consider the occasion, what outfit you will be wearing, the season and whether you might prefer it pinned on or around your wrist. A simple nosegay is easy to put together with little more than flowers and floral tape, while a floral “bracelet” will require elastic or some other means for keeping the corsage securely on the wrist.

The advantage of using an artificial flower is that they can either be sewn or glued to the wristlet band, they can stand up to a little crush action if someone hugs you, and you won’t have to worry you’re your flower of choice might wilt. Also, you aren’t limited to only using seasonal flowers.

The main advantage of using fresh flowers to create your own corsage is fragrance. A flower with a heavy perfume such as rose or gardenia will not only look great, it will make you smell great as well. When combining flowers, be sure to choose ones that are complimentary in fragrance as well in color.

Wrist corsages from the florist are typically made with an elastic corsage wristlet. These can be purchased from a craft store, or made from a piece of elastic from your sewing basket. Alternatives to elastic include ribbon, fabric bands, and slap bracelets.

Basic corsage how to

Supplies needed:

1 large centerpiece Flower

Leaves, pearls, or other corsage embellishments

Floral wire (or, in a pinch, you can use a paper clip)

Floral tape

Long straight pin or extra-large safety pins

Note: Keep your flower in the refrigerator until you have assembled all of your supplies.

To begin, trim the stem to about half an inch below the flower head using scissors or pruners. Cut a piece of floral wire about for inches long and bend the tip of one end into a U shape (if you have them, needle nosed pliers will make this step easier.)

If using a paper clip, bend the wire back until you have a long straight end with a U curve (like a very long J).  Take the wire J and carefully insert the long end into the top of your flower slightly to the side of its center.  (The center of the U part will ultimately rest of the middle of the flower head).

Gently pull/push the wire down until the short tip goes into the flower as well. Wrap the floral tape around the bottom of the flower head so that it is covering the wire, and continue wrapping in a spiral motion until the entire base of the flower is covered.

Hold a leaf behind the flower with the stem against the wire below the flower base. Wrap the floral tape around the leaf to add it to the corsage. Note: Try to choose accent leaves that are large enough to show from behind your flower and that have long enough stems (think maple or grape sized). Add at least one more leaf, bend the bottom end of your wire up against your taped stem, and cover the end with tape.

If adding an embellishment such as a pearl spray, place it between the flower and the leaves. It may help to lay everything flat on the surface of a table to see how things look and make adjustments for placement before taping it all together.

Once the loose wire end is safely tucked away under the floral tape the corsage is ready for wear.