We have a new blog contributor joining us, Tessa Belkin! Tessa lives in the Greater Boston Area and has been knitting up a storm growing her knitting skills over the last year. I’m so excited to have her share her projects on the blog!
xo, Ana
Tessa at Circle of Stitches last week, loading up on Malabrigo Rasta and Malabrigo Mechita
Hi Tessa! Before we get into the knitty-gritty (pun definitely intended), can you tell us about your life as a super-amazing musician?
Ana, you know I love a good pun! My musical journey started with the piano, similar to many musicians I know. It wasn't until my dad took me to an orchestra concert and I saw the violin. It was love at first sound and sight! Over 20 years later, I am still in love with the violin and recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in violin performance. I currently hold the position of Principal Second Violin as well as Personnel Manager of the Fall River Symphony Orchestra. When I'm not performing with the Fall River Symphony Orchestra, I can be found teaching violin and viola across Southeastern Massachusetts.
How did you get started knitting?
My first memory of knitting was when I was in either first or second grade. I was sitting at my dining room table with my mom, and she was attempting to show me how to knit. One can imagine how that went... That first project sat uncompleted in my room for years. I found myself staring at it and trying to add a few rows, always failing. It wasn't until around 2014 that I picked up knitting again. It started with arm knitting, and grew rapidly into "regular" knitting a few months later. Before I knew it, I ended up with an ever growing stash of yarn and many projects on my needles! I love starting new projects, but there’s no greater feeling than finishing a project and wearing it with pride!
What are you going to be sharing with folks on the blog?
I am always on the hunt for new techniques that I haven't learned yet. For example, last year, I mainly focused on learning brioche. So far, this year has been the year of socks and shawls! I can't wait to share my love of knitting with you! I have many projects lined up to share!
A small collection of teal yarn, teal based projects, and teal clothes. All the yarn pictured: Malabrigo Sock, Malabrigo Arroyo, Malabrigo Mechita, Malabrigo Rios (are we noticing a trend?), Less Traveled 757 Sock