This evening I'm enjoying a total geek/knitter moment. I bought myself a Roomba and can now knit and vacuum at the same time. *LOL*
You gotta love technology!
Monday, August 15, 2011
A New Knitter
Saturday I went to the reunion of my Dad's side of the family. I don't know how your family reunions go, but ours involve a large crowd of relatives, (usually) hot weather, and TONS of delicious food! There are plenty of good cooks in the family, and it always shows at a reunion.
Ever since I started knitting I carry a project bag to the reunion. I don't play the outdoor games at the reunion because it's too dang hot, and the indoor games are usually cake walks or bingo which are more fun to watch than to actually do. So I knit and visit with relatives.
By Saturday afternoon the heat had taken a toll on several of the kids who'd been playing outdoors. At that time I was sitting on the porch of the Ruritan building where we were having the gathering, knitting some dishcloths I'd been working on for Christmas gifts.
A very polite young girl named Cara (or Kara, I'm not sure how she spells it) who turned out to be related to me by marriage through a second cousin came and sat on the bench beside me and began asking questions about what I was doing. I spent the next few minutes giving her a very broad overview of knitting: "just making loops of this cotton yarn with these metal needles". When I saw that she was really paying attention, I handed her the dishcloth I was knitting and taught her a knit stitch. She picked it up quickly, and I showed her a purl stitch. It was such fun to watch her face light up when she saw that she was actually KNITTING! Now I know why teachers enjoy their work when they have attentive students.
When the time came for her to get ready to leave, I bound off the triangle of knitted material she'd been working with and gave it to her for a souvenir. Her mother came to thank me for teaching her, and I told her in all honesty that it had been as much fun for me as it had for her.
A good Saturday!
Ever since I started knitting I carry a project bag to the reunion. I don't play the outdoor games at the reunion because it's too dang hot, and the indoor games are usually cake walks or bingo which are more fun to watch than to actually do. So I knit and visit with relatives.
By Saturday afternoon the heat had taken a toll on several of the kids who'd been playing outdoors. At that time I was sitting on the porch of the Ruritan building where we were having the gathering, knitting some dishcloths I'd been working on for Christmas gifts.
A very polite young girl named Cara (or Kara, I'm not sure how she spells it) who turned out to be related to me by marriage through a second cousin came and sat on the bench beside me and began asking questions about what I was doing. I spent the next few minutes giving her a very broad overview of knitting: "just making loops of this cotton yarn with these metal needles". When I saw that she was really paying attention, I handed her the dishcloth I was knitting and taught her a knit stitch. She picked it up quickly, and I showed her a purl stitch. It was such fun to watch her face light up when she saw that she was actually KNITTING! Now I know why teachers enjoy their work when they have attentive students.
When the time came for her to get ready to leave, I bound off the triangle of knitted material she'd been working with and gave it to her for a souvenir. Her mother came to thank me for teaching her, and I told her in all honesty that it had been as much fun for me as it had for her.
A good Saturday!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Knitting Socks: Sanity Saver!
Last weekend was a particularly rough one. Friday evening my dear little 70-plus aunt took a particularly nasty fall; she broke her nose and wound up being airlifted from her home (about two hours driving-time away from me) to the hospital only 3 miles from my apartment. I'll get to the important part first: she lost a frightening amount of blood (she's on blood thinner), she's terribly bruised and awfully sore, but she's back home now and the doctors say she's going to be okay, thank goodness!
Oddly enough, fate had prepared me better than normally. My little car was full of gas, I had plenty of cash on hand (well....plenty for me, anyway), and my Kindle was in my purse. As I ran out the door to try to beat the helicopter to the hospital, I grabbed a partially-knitted pair of socks from the basket beside my recliner and dropped them into my purse.
Because the socks I threw into my bag were my favorite "plain vanilla" socks, I was able to stand outside the trauma room while waiting for procedures to be done and knit away. (Knit 3, purl 1 on top of the foot, plain knit on the sole.) Round and round, over and over. The repetition helped center me, and I was able to be calm and reassuring when I spoke with my aunt.
Circumstances were such that she had to be transferred to another hospital; I stayed with her all night and until late Saturday afternoon. Knitting helped keep me awake and available at a moment's notice each time she needed anything. It had been YEARS since I'd pulled an "all-nighter", and knitting those plain socks was unbelievably helpful. As I told a nurse in the wee hours of the morning Saturday, knitting is cheaper than therapy. Not to mention the fact that you get some pretty interesting socks in the deal!
I'm strongly considering keeping a project bag in the car from now on, just in case of an emergency. As much as I love my Kindle (in fact, I keep tons of knitting patterns on it), reading wouldn't have been an option during a lot of the situations we dealt with over the weekend. I could knit and carry on conversations with my parents, nurses, and doctors. In fact, the knitting actually started several conversations with people, as it always does when I'm knitting in public.
If you've never knitted in public, please try it sometime. Not only is it fun and productive, you meet lots of interesting folks who are either:
Oddly enough, fate had prepared me better than normally. My little car was full of gas, I had plenty of cash on hand (well....plenty for me, anyway), and my Kindle was in my purse. As I ran out the door to try to beat the helicopter to the hospital, I grabbed a partially-knitted pair of socks from the basket beside my recliner and dropped them into my purse.
Because the socks I threw into my bag were my favorite "plain vanilla" socks, I was able to stand outside the trauma room while waiting for procedures to be done and knit away. (Knit 3, purl 1 on top of the foot, plain knit on the sole.) Round and round, over and over. The repetition helped center me, and I was able to be calm and reassuring when I spoke with my aunt.
Circumstances were such that she had to be transferred to another hospital; I stayed with her all night and until late Saturday afternoon. Knitting helped keep me awake and available at a moment's notice each time she needed anything. It had been YEARS since I'd pulled an "all-nighter", and knitting those plain socks was unbelievably helpful. As I told a nurse in the wee hours of the morning Saturday, knitting is cheaper than therapy. Not to mention the fact that you get some pretty interesting socks in the deal!
I'm strongly considering keeping a project bag in the car from now on, just in case of an emergency. As much as I love my Kindle (in fact, I keep tons of knitting patterns on it), reading wouldn't have been an option during a lot of the situations we dealt with over the weekend. I could knit and carry on conversations with my parents, nurses, and doctors. In fact, the knitting actually started several conversations with people, as it always does when I'm knitting in public.
If you've never knitted in public, please try it sometime. Not only is it fun and productive, you meet lots of interesting folks who are either:
- knitters,
- crocheters,
- would-be knitters or crocheters,
- folks with friends or relatives who are knitters or crocheters, or
- folks with memories of mothers or grandmothers who were knitters or crocheters.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Shawl Finished!
Well, not completely....but pretty close! I finished the knitting last night, but still need to hide the ends and then it will be ready to block! *happy dance* As soon as I finish this blog entry, I'll get the ends hidden. I might even get it blocked tonight. Or maybe not. Just depends. *LOL*
I've ordered yarn to knit myself the adult version of Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Baby Surprise Jacket". I've knit four of the baby-sized ones and decided the next one would be for me. :-)
Now, what should I knit next? I really need to get to work on the rest of my Christmas knitting, so I guess that should be the next thing I finish up.
Okay, enough typing about knitting....gotta get those ends hidden on the shawl!
I've ordered yarn to knit myself the adult version of Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Baby Surprise Jacket". I've knit four of the baby-sized ones and decided the next one would be for me. :-)
Now, what should I knit next? I really need to get to work on the rest of my Christmas knitting, so I guess that should be the next thing I finish up.
Okay, enough typing about knitting....gotta get those ends hidden on the shawl!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Shawl Update and a Bunny
The shawl/shawlette is progressing nicely. I'm really happy with the way the colors are developing and am anxious now to finish it so I can block it and see what it REALLY looks like. That's the only thing I don't care for with knitting lace....I never know what it's going to look like until it comes off the blocking pads!
Last Sunday, though, I needed a brief respite from the shawl and decided to use some of the yarn I'd found at Hobby Lobby (more about that in a moment) and knit a toy for my great-niece. I'd found a pattern on Ravelry several months ago for a "Bunny Blanket Buddy". Say that fast five times! Even though I'm a slow knitter, it worked up in just 3 or 4 hours and is cute as ... a bunny! *LOL*
Now, about my trip to Hobby Lobby for yarn. I'd had lunch with a friend Saturday and was very near Hobby Lobby, so I decided to drop in to check out their supply of yarn. I was very disappointed to find that it was down to HALF of what it had been the last time I was there. I managed to find some sock yarn and some baby yarn for toys, but all in all I was just plain disheartened.
Trips to my LYS result in my spending MUCH too much money, so I guess I'll have to resort to my old standby, KnitPicks, even though I've read some less-than-great reviews recently on the web about their quality. The good news is that their customer service has always been great, so I'm sure if I order something I'm unhappy with that they will be helpful in getting it replaced.
It would just be so lovely to be able to go to a local shop to buy good yarn at discount prices. I've never understood why Wal-Mart doesn't understand that some of us need more choices than Red Heart and Peaches 'n Cream. *mournful sigh*
Oh, well. I guess I'll just have to content myself with finding projects to use up some of my stash. But let's face it, even if we HAVE plenty of yarn on hand, sometimes it's fun to just go shopping for MORE YARN!!
Last Sunday, though, I needed a brief respite from the shawl and decided to use some of the yarn I'd found at Hobby Lobby (more about that in a moment) and knit a toy for my great-niece. I'd found a pattern on Ravelry several months ago for a "Bunny Blanket Buddy". Say that fast five times! Even though I'm a slow knitter, it worked up in just 3 or 4 hours and is cute as ... a bunny! *LOL*
Now, about my trip to Hobby Lobby for yarn. I'd had lunch with a friend Saturday and was very near Hobby Lobby, so I decided to drop in to check out their supply of yarn. I was very disappointed to find that it was down to HALF of what it had been the last time I was there. I managed to find some sock yarn and some baby yarn for toys, but all in all I was just plain disheartened.
Trips to my LYS result in my spending MUCH too much money, so I guess I'll have to resort to my old standby, KnitPicks, even though I've read some less-than-great reviews recently on the web about their quality. The good news is that their customer service has always been great, so I'm sure if I order something I'm unhappy with that they will be helpful in getting it replaced.
It would just be so lovely to be able to go to a local shop to buy good yarn at discount prices. I've never understood why Wal-Mart doesn't understand that some of us need more choices than Red Heart and Peaches 'n Cream. *mournful sigh*
Oh, well. I guess I'll just have to content myself with finding projects to use up some of my stash. But let's face it, even if we HAVE plenty of yarn on hand, sometimes it's fun to just go shopping for MORE YARN!!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Darn Near Perfect
This evening is darn near perfect. The work week is done, I have a Netflix movie to watch, and I'm working on a knitting project I'm really enjoying!
I wanted to knit something for a friend who's retiring soon. I had two gorgeous balls of yarn that I'd been saving for some special project that were a colorway that I knew my friend would really like.
So, what could I do with 440 yards of fingering weight yarn? I knew the yarn would make a beautiful scarf, but I had knit a scarf for her for Christmas last year. Hmmmm. How about a shawl?
Happily I hopped onto the internet and searched Ravelry for something appropriate. I found lots of beautiful patterns, but most of them required at least 600 yards of fingering weight yarn. Phooey. I would need another ball of this yarn, and I've had this yarn long enough that the odds are against getting another ball of it at this point.
I narrowed my search to the yardage I have available. Nothing really struck my fancy. I perused the patterns I had on hand. Again, nothing really grabbed me.
Then it occurred to me that maybe I could work a feather and fan pattern into a shawl. Sure, why not? Just start with three repeats of feather and fan, and increase it each row until it's the width I want.
So far I've worked about six inches from the beginning, and I've increased enough on each side of the "center 3" repeats of feather and fan to make another repeat on each side (a total of 5 repeats now).
I've used about half of my first ball of yarn, so this may turn out to be a "shawlette" instead of a shawl, but it's looking really pretty. I'll give you updates as it goes along.
As for now, I'm going to pop in my Netflix DVD and get back to my sticks and string. Happy Friday, everyone!
I wanted to knit something for a friend who's retiring soon. I had two gorgeous balls of yarn that I'd been saving for some special project that were a colorway that I knew my friend would really like.
So, what could I do with 440 yards of fingering weight yarn? I knew the yarn would make a beautiful scarf, but I had knit a scarf for her for Christmas last year. Hmmmm. How about a shawl?
Happily I hopped onto the internet and searched Ravelry for something appropriate. I found lots of beautiful patterns, but most of them required at least 600 yards of fingering weight yarn. Phooey. I would need another ball of this yarn, and I've had this yarn long enough that the odds are against getting another ball of it at this point.
I narrowed my search to the yardage I have available. Nothing really struck my fancy. I perused the patterns I had on hand. Again, nothing really grabbed me.
Then it occurred to me that maybe I could work a feather and fan pattern into a shawl. Sure, why not? Just start with three repeats of feather and fan, and increase it each row until it's the width I want.
So far I've worked about six inches from the beginning, and I've increased enough on each side of the "center 3" repeats of feather and fan to make another repeat on each side (a total of 5 repeats now).
I've used about half of my first ball of yarn, so this may turn out to be a "shawlette" instead of a shawl, but it's looking really pretty. I'll give you updates as it goes along.
As for now, I'm going to pop in my Netflix DVD and get back to my sticks and string. Happy Friday, everyone!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Semi-Normal
At long last, life at the office is back to semi-normal. The workload is still terrible and the new computer system is still a nightmare, but at least my hours are back to 40 hours a week. I must confess that the past few months have taken a toll. Hopefully now I can begin to get my life back in order.
For awhile I was forced to cut my beloved knitting back drastically. I was just too exhausted after work to even pick up the knitting needles. As the hours gradually approached a near-normal work week again, I actually FORCED myself to pick up a fairly mindless project for at least a half-hour in the evenings. It helps quiet my mind and center my emotions. Thank goodness for the "granny dishcloth" pattern. Nothing to think about, busy hands, quiet mind, useful end product!
There have been many times in the recent past that I've been grateful that I learned to knit. To paraphrase the Yarn Harlot, I don't knit because I'm patient, I'm patient because I knit.
I've also started knitting some grocery bag dispensers (early start on Christmas gifts). I adapted the pattern from several other patterns I found on Ravelry and other internet sites. I've posted my version in the "freebies" section (see the link on the right) if you'd like to try one. It's a simple project that knits up quickly. Sometimes it's good to work on an "instant gratification" project. :-)
Have a great weekend, fellow knitsters!
For awhile I was forced to cut my beloved knitting back drastically. I was just too exhausted after work to even pick up the knitting needles. As the hours gradually approached a near-normal work week again, I actually FORCED myself to pick up a fairly mindless project for at least a half-hour in the evenings. It helps quiet my mind and center my emotions. Thank goodness for the "granny dishcloth" pattern. Nothing to think about, busy hands, quiet mind, useful end product!
There have been many times in the recent past that I've been grateful that I learned to knit. To paraphrase the Yarn Harlot, I don't knit because I'm patient, I'm patient because I knit.
I've also started knitting some grocery bag dispensers (early start on Christmas gifts). I adapted the pattern from several other patterns I found on Ravelry and other internet sites. I've posted my version in the "freebies" section (see the link on the right) if you'd like to try one. It's a simple project that knits up quickly. Sometimes it's good to work on an "instant gratification" project. :-)
Have a great weekend, fellow knitsters!
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