Thursday, March 31, 2011

2KCBWDAY5: NOW FOR SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT




Day Five: 1st April. And now for something completely differentThis is an experimental blogging day to try and push your creativity in blogging to the same level that you perhaps push your creativity in the items you create.
There are no rules of a topic to blog about (though some suggestions are given below) but this post should look at a different way to present content on your blog. .



PS: Yes, it is April Fool’s Day, so have fun with the post.





STICKS AND STRINGS AND OTHER THINGS


Mr Stick said to his String
What's with all that bling bling bling?
Sparkles running up and down
Makes you look just like a clown

Mrs String was hurt by this
What's your problem, Mr Stick?
Can't a girl just shine and primp
Without making me feel limp?

Mr Sticks just crossed his limbs
Mrs String tried to hug him
He kept pushing her away
But she had much more to say

When we are in rhythm, dear
Things get done and socks appear
Hats and gloves and scarves divine
Cowls and warmers make us shine

Now and then I bling bling bling
That's the nature of my string
Oh stop being in a snit
Come here Sticky, and let's knit!


Hope this make you smile.



Thanks to everyone who commented on my blog for day4. Your comments meant the world to me. Thank you so, so much.








Wednesday, March 30, 2011

2KCBWDAY4: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?



Whatever happened to your __________?



Write about the fate of a past knitting project. Whether it be something that you crocheted or knitted for yourself or to give to another person. An item that lives with you or something which you sent off to charity.
There are a lot of different aspects to look at when looking back at a knitting project and it can make for interesting blogging, as much of the time we blog about items recently completed, new and freshly completed. It is not so often that we look back at what has happened to these items after they have been around for a while.
How has one of your past knits lived up to wear. Maybe an item has become lost. Maybe you spent weeks knitting your giant-footed dad a pair of socks in bright pink and green stripes which the then ‘lost’. If you have knit items to donate to a good cause, you could reflect on the was in which you hope that item is still doing good for it’s owner or the cause it was made to support.

This subject bought unexpected tears to my eyes. I am reflecting on my first sweater. Even though I have said that I will be making my first sweater this year, it will be my first "correct" sweater that I am committed to doing.

This is the story of a best friend and a sweater. In my younger days I never had a clue as to what to give anyone for Christmas. I really didn't have that much money and I wanted to give something that was special. I decided to make my friend a sweater.  remember it was a simple pattern with three half cables on the front in a vee formation. I had never done cables, pick up stitches, ribbing or seaming, but I was determined to produce a sweater. I remember night after night I sat in my straight back kitchen
chair and knitted for hours at a time. There was never a thought of I couldn't do it. It was knit and purl and I knew how to do both. I learned, in that sweater, how to be patient, how to read instructions, how to keep tears off the garment and to take deep breathes and calm myself when I messed up. I had awful panic attacks, but there was joy too because it was going to a best friend. I know it took me two months to make because it was late in the fall season when I got the idea for the gift. I finished it Christmas Eve, wrapped it up and presented to my friend on Christmas Day. I will never forget the look in her eyes when she saw that sweater. It was a look of sheer wonder, shock and appreciation and it made my Christmas. I was so proud of my accomplishment. A few months later I asked her why she never wore the sweater and she said she was waiting for a special occasion. She told me beauty like that needs a beautiful occasion. I bought that and never asked again. My dear friend passed away in 1999 and I have thought of her ofter over the years but until this subject came up I had forgotten about that sparkly grey sweater I had made for her. Knowing what I know now, she was being so kind to me. I never heard of a gauge swatch and I'm pretty sure it was way too small for her. Thinking back on those days, I'm pretty sure she probably couldn't get it over her head, and if she could, the seaming would have scratched her skin (I only knew running stitch at that time and I didn't have a delicate hand.)
She knew what that sweater meant to me to make for her. I never found out
what happened to that little gray sweater, but the memory of my friend and
her everlasting kindness has once again bubbled to the surface and has made
me ache at her absence. I am hoping that sweater has found her in heaven
and now fits perfectly.

2KCBWDAY3: TIDY MIND, TIDY STITCHES

Day Three: 30th March. Tidy mind, tidy stitches.






How do you keep your yarn wrangling organised? It seems like an easy to answer question at first, but in fact organisation exists on many levels. Maybe you are truly not organised at all, in which case I am personally daring you to try and photograph your stash in whatever locations you can find the individual skeins. However, if you are organised, blog about an aspect of that organisation process, whether that be a particularly neat and tidy knitting bag, a decorative display of your crochet hooks, your organised stash or your project and stash pages on Ravelry


Tidy...hmmm I use to know the meaning of that word.lol One time this year I tried to organize my stash.




I gave up and let those that werent capture, run free.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

2KCBWDay 2: SKILL +1UP




Skill + 1UP – 2KCBWDAY2


Look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year. Have you learned any new skills or forms of knitting/crochet (can you crochet cable stitches now where you didn’t even know such things existed last year? Have you recently put a foot in the tiled world of entrelac? Had you even picked up a pair of needles or crochet hook this time last year?.



Many things have changed for me with my knitting adventures. I kick less items to the side in frustration, I have learned patience in finding and repairing simple errors, but the greatest skill  I have achieved, is wisdom. Just a year ago, there were so many patterns that I couldn't figure out or that intimidated me, but just a year later, I understand the impossible and am not afraid to try. Have I knitted those patterns yet? No, but the fear of them has been removed. Now all I need is time to do them!
 The one tangible skill set I have acquired is sock knitting! I finished my first pair of socks this month and have already started on a second pair.

Monday, March 28, 2011

A Tale of Two Yarms 2KCBWDAY1

I love the smell of yarn in the morning! I am a yarn snob with acrylic tendencies. -smiles- In other words, I just love modern yarn. Learning to knit when I was younger any yarn I was able to purchase or plead was gold to me. However acrylic yarns at that time had the ability to squeak and even at that time, I didn't think yarn should squeak! In my later years I picked up the craft again and was amazed at the variety of yarns, the softness and skinny yarns! I found real wool, and with that discovery, the seeds of snobbery were planted. Wool escalated into alpaca, which drove me to cashmere and I ventured into unknown fibers like silk, sea cell and, I got milk! Did I leave acrylic behind???  Heck no, cause all yarns have a place. I wouldn't use cashmere for a rug or a dog bed, but I can use acrylic yarn for those items and replace the "finer" yarns with "finer" acrylic and her infinite blends.  The tale of two yarns;  the yarn that began the knitting journey and the stash that sprung from that love!


Sunday, March 27, 2011

Crap! I've been Rip Van Winkled!!!

Shaking off the "Zzz" and getting back to blogging. Haven't had that umpf lately in anything I do, but the days are getting longer and it's time to blog. I'm ashamed to admit I haven't finished anything but a pair of socks and now have that darn sock bug! Like I need other sicknesses in my life. (lately Ive been cruising fiber batts and giving spindles a come hither wink, started dreaming about weaving and wondering if I have the right weft -smiles-) It's enough just to get knitting done. I like knitting, but somehow the finishing part got lost in there somewhere. Looks like I need more discipline, or more interesting yarns to inspire, resolutions be darn!! (u knew that was coming, right?? lol)

Knit n Crochet week blogging will start this Monday, March 28th (also my youngest daughter's birthday), and I didn't have a clue until StephCuddles tweeted me. (yep I'm tweeting too....I'm up people, I'm awake!)
Seems like a grand opportunity to really get back into a daily blogging routine, to finally give the winter blahs a good shake off and to tell spring to pump up the temp abit. (here it's like winter, the sequel)

Did a few activities, like going to the flow show and really enjoying the beautiful displays but egad! the people. Trying to navigate through that crowd was like being born over and over again. It was a tight  squeeze and I wanted to cry!! lol

Maryland's Sheep and Wool Festival is coming up soon and I'm trying to decide if I can go. (work has been beastly and I am its overtime b---h!) Making future plans for weekend events are pipe dreams at best for the moment. Ive never been and would really like to go. Lets hope I can get away.

Here's a picture of my first socks and I leave you with this, "Never give up and you will have socks"