Moving Beyond Fear

Can knitting really make one crazy?  Maybe, maybe not.  I will not go through the details, but the Fair Isle vest I finished for Easter has returned to be made longer.  Okay!  First, I had to decide exactly how this can be done on a finished product, and one that has been washed twice and blocked twice.  That means the wool has settled into each other and is attached to one another.

So after consulting everyone I trusted in the knitting circle I live in, I decided the best solution was J's solution.  First put in a lifeline.  What a great idea!  That struck me as very sensible.  Then cut the ribbing off, pick out the broken threads with a needle, and pick up the stitches on a cable needle. 

So I put the vest in sight for about two weeks, studying it, and touching it, and thinking about cutting the ribbing off.  Once the first stitch was cut, that was a permanent thing.  Sigh!

Finally it was time.  I put in the lifeline, held my breath, and snip, snip, snip-away went the ribbing.  I carefully picked out the broken threads, and after some time I had a cable needle full of knitting stitches. Then I unknit that row and set everything up.  It worked-and I am now knitting new motifs.

I made it sound easy, but it wasn't.  I was under my own self-imposed angst.  And now I moving along on it.

So, can knitting drive one crazy?  I think when one is tested, your mind and ego are racing to remind you that you have no idea what you are doing, this is too hard, and you are certainly making a mess.  They may be simple disappointments or difficulties, but the mind creates a huge obstacle to the perfect solution.  The melodrama is tremendous. 

But I am one who believes there are hidden gifts within friction.  I am learning a higher skill, and I am fine tuning my perfected skill.  I can learn to separate my identification with an object, and know that I am not stupid or that something is too hard.  I have learned patience with my craft and with myself. 

Well, what weird thoughts on such a beautiful bright Mother's Day.

Knitting Tips

One of the greatest knitting tips I give to anyone is "YouTube is your friend".  Pretty much any knitting stumble or mind freeze one has can be found on YouTube. 

The next best is Knitting Groups.  I have been going to the same group for almost seven years now.  We have a core group of people that I consider to be friends, and there seem to be new people wandering in and out all the time.  Now besides the usual socialization that one would expect in a group of like-minded folks, groups like this can be a real place to learn about food habits of the depraved, social habits of the depraved (this includes real people as well as not-so-real people), and certainly political discussions are more interesting than t.v.  This includes any discussions that are well lubricated with wine and goodies around the table. I think most people would blush if they were a mouse sitting in the corner.  We know there are no mice because Sasha lives there- the ever vigilant kitty around the shop.

Then there is the LYS.  This is the local yarn shop, but around here we have three and a half.  Where our group meets is my closest one.  These are wondrous places to go, but one must be extremely cautious.  Feeding one's stash addictions is like going to a crack house for a fix. 

This brings us to that ugly slogan "Life is too short for cheap yarn."  Really, as a spinner, knitter, etc., I agree wholeheartedly.  But my weakness is wool, wool, wool and some of the other protein fibers.  I likes me some alpaca, bison, yak, and some of the other goodie stuff like silk.  But give me a wondrous wool creation, and I smile and love it and rub it on my face and sniff it.

There is also no excuse-ask for help.  I go to my knitting group, and I usually get an answer I can live with.  I ask for help with colors, technique, boo-boos, and other miscellaneous stuff.  I seldom go to classes.  If there is a technique I get stuck on, I ask for help.  Or I go to YouTube.

Classes are wondrous things.  Learning new techniques is the greatest gift to give oneself.  I remember taking a class on cast-on techniques, and I had one of those DUH! moments.  It was difficult to not slap my forehead and say "Why didn't I think of that?"  There is a reason to train, train, train, and train some more.  It is the way to become a better knitter.

Then there is the knitting space in your home.  Make a nest somewhere.  If you have to live with other people (you know what I mean) grab a corner somewhere, place a comfy chair and good lighting, and set up a place for your knitting.  I always said that I would live in my studio some day.  I have achieved that now.  I have designated rooms in my house for my obsessions.  And my cat and dog do not care.  They like all the "stuff".  It is not so easy for others, but it works for me.

And lastly, find some friends that are knitters and stick with them.  They will understand when you call and go on and on and on about that wonderful sock yarn you found, or that you just can't get gauge.  I have wonderful friends outside of my knitting circle, but I don't know how to talk to them any more.  After all the "catching up" is completed, what does one talk about?  I remember going to a wake of a friend's mother.  After the initial chatting with the mourners, I found myself sitting in a spot away from everyone and yearning for the sock in my purse.  When I realized that no one was approaching me and talking any more, I slipped my hand into the bag and rubbed the sock like it was "my precious".   It sounds a little bit obsessive, but heck! I just didn't want to look like Madame LaFarge sitting there knitting my sock while others dab at their eyes with tissues.

Well-enought blathering!  Time to spin some more yarn.  Sunday is my spinning day, and I listen to books on tape or NPR.

Oh-one more thing before I go.  Join Ravelry if you haven't done so.  It is a blessing in disguise. 





 

Hodge Podge of Thoughts!

I have such a hodge podge of thoughts going through my head, and it is hard to really organize them and make sense of one thing. First what is the origin of hodge podge:
1350–1400; Middle English hoche poche, rhyming variant of hotchpot

When my cousin came to visit, he reminded me why he and I are so alike.  As I drove the car, he would see a sign or a street name or something and ask what it was or the meaning of something.  Often I would not know, and he would pull out his Blackberry and look it up.  I often write down something, and then look it up later on the computer.  But most often I would forget or lose the paper I had written something on.  Sometimes when we returned to my house, he would look up information on the computer.  So now I am going to get back into that habit. 

 

This is an iris I found on the hillside two late winters ago before the honeysuckle had covered everything up.  Isn't it lovely?  I think I like it better than the bearded iris that is in everyone's yard.  What kind of iris is this?  I think it is a blue flag iris. It has a rhizome, and it is not bearded.  So it is a flag iris.  That much I know.  It has quite a long stem, and it seems to spreading out, as iris do.

A young child was here on Sunday with is mom.  In the middle of the conversation, he suddenly said, "I think I hear a bird."  I said it is a bird.  He said where did I keep it.  And I pointed out the window to the top of my oak tree, and told him to look up there.  My brown thrasher sits there and whistles and talks all day long.  He is much noisier than the mockingbirds.  It is usually the first thing I hear in the morning.  I am trying so desperately not to use the air conditioning, and the windows and doors are open all day long.  So I get songs all day long.

My friend who had the surgery is doing really dumb and stupid things now.  She went out to breakfast with her husband on Sunday-six days after open-heart surgery.  She went to her doctor for her blood test for coumadin yesterday.  Her mother-in-law drove her, and they stopped at a quilt shop on the way home.  She lay down when she got home, and when she woke up she was disoriented and thinking something was on her mind.  After finally waking up fully, she realized she had another doctor's appointment to have an ekg done.  And she drove herself to that appt.  I am wiping my hands on this one.  I think once I get over being mad at her, I will give her a good stern medical talking-to.

I am so happy she is never one of my patients that I have to work with.

I was standing outside this morning while Patty was sniffing the ground.  I was trying to see what my front of the house "really" looks like.  I like it.  I remember that when I moved in there was nothing in front.  There was a huge expanse of pasture grass/weeds that had to be mowed.  Now I have several redbuds, a huge expanse of flowers, two weigelias, and four red buckeyes.  I did not take the birdfeeder down that is in the flower bed.   That gives a primitive sculpture added in.

We are having temps close to 90 degrees this week.  I refuse to use the air conditioner this early.  My allergies are rampant. Even with allergies, I just breathe better with real air, not that artificial stuff.  So far the front north room that I use for knitting/weaving is the coolest room in the house.  I moved my spinning wheel in yesterday to ply the yarn.  It is nice to sit under the ceiling fan and have the windows open. I also get to hear all the birds and I get to watch the woodchuck come out and eat.  I did see my roadrunner yesterday running across the front of the yard and then across the road to the cow pasture.

Cows-my goodness we have had a bunch of babies hatch in the last week or so.  They are so darn cute.  Yesterday I went out to the mailbox and roadside to weedeat, and all the cows with their babies were up to the fence line.  I just stood there and watched the babies and their mamas.  Once I made eye contact with one of the kids, but he/she wasn't really interested in me.  One of the mamas was watching me pretty closely.

I know it sounds pretty rural, doesn't it.  Actually I am in the city limits.  A friend once told me it is called urban/rural.  I like the area.  I am within 15 mins of a hospital driving fast.  I am within five miles of grocery, gas, and three miles from Highway 412.  Going the other way I am in Fayetteville within fifteen minutes.  But I get to see cows, horses, birds, hear coyotes at night, and listen to owls.

The yearly battle with ants has started again in the kitchen.  It usually only lasts a short time, but it is ugly to see the line marching across the counter.  I found a huge glob of them trying to figure out how to get into the honey jar.  So I made a paste of borax and water and smeared all over the jar.  So far that has worked.  It is imperative to not leave any food out, and to keep wiping down the counters. UGH!

Well, I think the grass has dried enough that I can do the trim mowing before it gets too hot.  I need to weedeat, too.

Have a good weekend.  Try to stay cool and calm.  It is nice to just stay in and knit, weave and spin. 

   

Cloudy With A Chance of Rain

Since Thursday we have had muggy, warm days with a chance of rain, but no rain.  This morning I woke up around 6 am with the wind blowing the trees sideways and whipping things around in the yard.  I was sound asleep, and I was jarred awake with a fear of a tornado.  It was very loud.  I grabbed my sweat pants and ran into the living room to turn on the t.v.  There was the cute young weatherman telling us where the heaviest rain was, etc.  No threats, according to him.  I lay down on top of the bed with all my clothes on, you know, just in case.  But I fell asleep again with the heavy, heavy rainfall.

So today is one of those freaky Spring days with all senses alert.  It appears the major storm has blown over.  Not much rain, but enough to calm the pollen for the morning.

I finished spinning the singles of the luxury yarn I wanted for a project.  The batts were 50% alpaca, 25% milk, 15% silk, and 10% camel.  Wow!  It was great to spin.  Very, very soft and easy to spin.  I bought what the lady had at the show last year, and it was only close to 6 ozs.  Not enough to do a lot, but combined with another yarn it will be just fine.  It was very expensive, but "I am worth it".

It takes me two days to mow with the riding mower, mow with the push mower to trim edges and tight spots, and then weedeat.  I get very tired, but I have to keep up or it will be a jungle.  So I am not knitting much or doing much of anything but yard work.  I am watering the potted plants already, and hopefully they will survive the drought when it comes. 

My friend from north of Wichita had open-heart surgery last Monday.  She went home on Saturday.  I talked to her briefly in the afternoon, and she was hurting and not doing as well as she would like to be doing.  I think she pushed them to release her too soon.  I left her a message yesterday, but have not talked to her since Saturday.

My nephew has finally set a wedding date.  It is too complicated to go into, but he and M. fought to have the wedding they wanted.  The two mothers fought them and each other over what they wanted.  I think he and M. won from the sounds of it.  This is another couple in their mid-30's, and I think they should do what they want.  I don't like the date, but it is not my choice.  I just have to figure out if I can get there.  It will be really expensive to fly, rent a car, and get a hotel room.  We will see.

So not much is new.  I haven't been sewing either, and so not much to report.  I have to close the spare room, because Noodles has been sleeping on the quilt top I spread out on the bed.  I am going to finish the backing and get that off to the quilter. 

Have a good week.  It is going to be another hot week here.  Enjoy the pollen and Spring gifts in your bounty.

The Last Week of April!

It so very hard to believe this is the beginning of the last week of April.  My cousin came to visit for our annual visit.  He always signs up to go to a convention in this area, and we spend as much time as we can around that schedule.  He always arranges one free day to go to Grove to take care of family business and to visit the cemetery.

Today one of my close friends had a mitral valve replacement surgery.  I am waiting to hear from her husband.  The longer I wait, the more nervous I get.  I certainly hope it went well.

My neighbors have gone away for a brief visit with friends.  So I am watching their house, getting the paper and mail, and the usual routine.  I think they lucked out when they got me as a neighbor.

I finished my scarf that was on the loom.   I didn't get the yardage I wanted, because I ran out of my blue yarn in the weft.  Oh, well!  It is still long enough to throw around the neck.  I think it is really pretty, and I like the pattern.

After our brief cool spell, we are heading for 70's tomorrow.  Back to warm weather.  I have two appointments this week, but will have to mow somewhere in there.  The grass is growing well.

So not a lot of news.  Just a few little items, and a brief catch-up.  Have a good week.

The Tale of Twin Sockies!

 The first sockie that was born is on the left in both pictures.  It is a plain-ole sock pattern with the goat's eye pattern by Nancy Bush.  I worked really hard on this sock.  When it was finished, I hastily tried to put it on.  Like Cinderella's slipper, the damn thing would not go over my heel.  I got really, really mad, and I threw it in the knitting bowl and cursed.

After a long, long time (maybe a month), I picked it up and examined it.  I was still mad, but I wasn't as angry as before.  I would lay in bed at night and think about this sock.  I finally got the brilliant idea to soak this sock for a very long time, and stretch it as much as I could.  I got up at midnight and started doing just that.  I finally was able to get it over the sock blocker.  When it was dried, I could get it on my foot.  It was very snug.

In the meantime, I took the yarn that I used for the background and warped my loom for a scarf.  I had dyed this yarn, so there is no match for it in the universe.

Then some time later, I picked up the nasty little sock and stared at it and thought about it.  I hate to admit failure in any knitting project.  If I don't like something, I will frog it all the way or at least until I like the way it looks.  This was a completed sock, and I hated it.  Then I started thinking again about how to make this right.

I thought-Maybe I could make a puppet.  Maybe I could make a coin purse.  Everyone called it a giraffe sock.  Maybe I could make a giraffe toy.

Of course, I will knit another sock, and it will fit.  Somehow I was going to make this one work.  I decided to knit it toe-up with an afterthought heel.  I did make a little glitch in the pattern work, but I was going to make this one work.  The other problem is what to do about the background color.  I used another skein of yarn from the same dye bath as the first, but it was much darker.  Was I going to be picky, picky, or was I going to finish this pair of socks?

So last night I finished the other sock.  I soaked them both again and put them on the sock blockers.  The second one did fit over the blocker much easier than the first sock. 

So now I have finished the awful pair of fraternal twins.  Right now I am just happy I finished this pair of awful socks.  I know there is a lesson here, but right now I just want to enjoy the view of finished socks.  And I have not tried them on.  No, I am not going to spoil my mood right now.

The End. 

Happy Easter!

 This is documentation that it is done and finished!  And it fits!

 Before I wrapped it up in the tissue, I got a picture of the inspiration picture.
So this journey is over!  Thank goodness!  And I made it in plenty of time of my self-imposed deadline.  As always, Easter is always a chilly day.  We had a little bitty cool-down, and a little bit of rain yesterday.  But it is still too warm to wear wool.  I did talk to my friend Friday night, and he had it on at a meeting to show everyone his new sweater!  It was too warm to have on this sweater.

So believe it or not, I got back to my sewing project.  I wanted to show how this pattern works.  First you sew three squares together to make a strip.  Then you make a nine-patch with three strips.

 Then you cut the nine-patch in half, and then cut the half into halves to get 4 squares that look like you really pieced the heck out of it.  And it was easy to do.  After all the squares are finished you can do all kinds of patterns.

 This is the fabric I am using-Terrain by Moda.

And am I knitting?  I did not do any knitting for two days, and a friend came to visit for those two days.  Good excuse to not knit.  We went to Goodwill instead, drank tea, and got caught up on all we have been doing.

And Friday I sat down and picked up my UFO de jour-the giraffe socks.  Man!  After that vest, this pattern seems so simple.  It is really quick to knit around one row.  I am now doing the afterthought heel.  The end is in site.  A finished UFO-what a novel thought.

And that's the week's news.  I spent a little time yesterday trying to do some more genealogy.  My friend that visits has been trying to find her family for 19 years, so I felt badly that I had given up finding mine.  I did find the names of siblings of my great-grandfather.  I found out that one of his sisters never married and lived in Washington, D.C. at one point.  That was interesting.  I wonder what she did.  I had found her picture once in a pile of photos that were in my grandmother's chest.  On the back it just said-Aunt Gertie.  She looked like a lot of women in the 30's with that waved hairstyle and girdled body.  Now I know a little more about her.

I saw my woodchuck yesterday during the rain.  Every time it thundered it would run back to a safe place.  Then it would run out and grab something to eat while standing up and watching for whatever it was that was making that loud noise!

My bachelor buttons have taken over the world.  But the color of blue is wonderful!  It looks really pretty with the pink of the weigelia and the coral of the red buckeyes.  The weeds are really happy with the rain we have had.  Sigh!

I want to finish with this quote that was on The Yarn Harlot's calendar a coupla years ago.  It is a great motto for any knitter, especially those of us that are crazy enough to put deadlines on stranded work:

"Never give up. And never, under any circumstances, face the facts."  -Ruth Gordon

Have a great week!