Junior Kate Ruhland preoccupies some of her free time creating different knitted projects. She said she started knitting in fourth grade and has continued her hobby through high school.

“I taught myself. I knew the basic stitches but learned more complex stitches from there. My grandma and mom both know how to knit and my grandma was the one that taught me more stitches,” Ruhland said.

Over time, Ruhland said she has been able to knit more complex projects as she has improved her technique.

“I started knitting scarves and wash clothes, then I knitted hats, last year I made mittens and this year I started making socks,” Ruhland said. “Socks are my favorite thing to knit because it has the most fulfilling outcome, seeing cute socks you can wear anytime of the year.”

Ruhland said the aspect of knitting she enjoys most is the non-stressful nature of it.

“It’s really calming. I’m able to watch TV while knitting, so it’s a good way to relax but also be productive,” she said.

Ruhland said she plans to continue knitting and move on to harder projects.

“I hope to be able to knit a sweater, or another big project and look at where I started and see how I’ve grown,” Ruhland said. “I’m starting to sell some of my projects. I’m thinking of creating an Etsy site where I can sell different things and get a good profit for them.”

When starting to knit, Ruhland said patience is of utmost importance in order to succeed and improve.

“It’s important to not get frustrated if you first start knitting and you’re not good at it. It takes practice, and the internet has definitely helped,” Ruhland said. “Now that I know how to knit well I’m able to fix my mistakes without feeling frantic. It’s really just learning to be patient if you have to undo stitches or just start over.”