2011 – Casual Knitter
After completing my first scarf, I went on to knit other small accessories like mittens, gloves, and socks. To the dismay of my cats, I even made a cat sweater. My Local Yarn Store (LYS) had a library of knitting patterns for sale, and they were willing to guide me whenever I hit a roadblock. Ravelry was also available at that time, so free online patterns were already abundant.
I loved the knitting community I was in in Detroit. The LYS was located inside Fisher Building in the New Center area, a few miles north of downtown Detroit. I enjoyed going to knitting meetups, and sometimes we would go to my favorite brewery (Motor City Brewing Works) afterwards for pizza and adult beverages.
I took a trip back home to Japan in March, 2011. My mother, an avid knitter, showed me the first sweater she had knitted for my father. She also helped me with my first vest. I bought a lot of Japanese yarns at Okadaya in Shinjuku, Tokyo, to bring back to my friends in Detroit.
In October, my husband and I left Michigan, which we called home for the past 9 years, and moved to New York City. Sadly, the Detroit LYS closed down shortly after I moved…
Mittens 
Gloves 
Socks 
Cat sweater 
My mother’s sweater 
Vest
Duke of Nikko 