If you've ever looked at a knitted or crocheted item and wondered how someone could translate emotion into something so mundane, then you're missing the point. Knitting and crochet are art forms that require as much thought, skill, creativity and talent as any other medium of expression.

You don't have to be an artist to make beautiful things by hand with yarn and needles. The materials are cheap and plentiful, but like any crafty endeavor there's also a learning curve involved. It takes time to learn how to cast on correctly for beginners, measure gauge accurately for others who already know their way around needles—or both!