Hats for Caring

As soon as I set a minor goal for my bloggin' self, I fail. My apologies! I am going to shoot for weekly updates but it may happen that I won't meet that self imposed deadline. I will be back...eventually. Because I am always knitting.

Firstly, I finished my friends' hats:

 

Girlfriend's got a little Rasta on me but I think it will be ok. As a tip, this is how I store leftover yarn that actually came with a lable:

I reuse the baggies and store my yarn in tupperware bins organized by weight.

I knit love and goodness into them and I hope that in some way that oozes out onto their little heads when they don them and especially if they aren't feeling up to things someday. I am not a very spiritual person but I do believe there is a chi that is in motion between all things and people can choose to tap into it or not. So when I say I knit goodness into the hats, I just imagine the feeling I get when a loved one hugs me and think about that feeling while I'm knitting.

I am doing  somewhat the same thing with the Fat Squirrel's Gratitude KAL. I am making a Bone Yard Shawl for my mindful knitting and this is the first time I am doing anything like this. Knitting is a form of meditation for me, as my mind is relaxed but remains focused on what I'm doing. During my time in an ecological research laboratory, I tuned into the podcast Stuff to Blow Your Mind when I could, and they talk a lot about the latest studies on brain activity. They often left me wanting more in depth discussions and the hosts seem to have gotten somewhat out of sync recently, but they introduced me to the term Default Mode Network. My DMN is usually going, "Don't forget about the kitty litter...write more on that blog today...remember that time you messed up at work?...Mom said that thing, but could she actually be meaning this thing?...hey! feel bad about that thing that happened 10 years ago!...five donuts is nothing, I'm walking them off as I walk back to my desk...should probably switch kitty litters..." This is all silent whiling knitting. So when faced with the task of mindful knitting, it is a bit of effort to use my brain and knit like I didn't just start yesterday. At first, I was knitting with a rotation of thoughts directly related to who and what I feel lucky to have in my life much like a See n' Say. Once I got really going, it morphed into thoughts of particular moments in time that brought on that warm, now I know what a baking muffin feels like, feeling in regard to who I feel lucky to have in my life. That is knit into my Bonyard and here is my progress so far:

I have eight garter ridges so far and am shooting for eleven, with a good size 102g ball of yarn left. I have knitted thoughts of my Beau, my family, and friends, and of course my kitties into the shawl, as well as the fact that I have the ovaries, or missing synapses, to ramble about knitting in this blog for anyone and their iguana to see. I love knitting so much!

Knitting the final incarnation of my designed scarf took a back-burner as I knit the Antelopes for my pals. I also managed to completely delete my Word Doc of it (??o_O??) and so have started on that again from my written version. I can't wait to put it on Ravelry!

It was a nice week weather-wise so I gave a lot of attention to another passion, my plants. My laundry room has been functioning as a green-house this winter. It isn't insulated so I've spent only as much time as necessary to move laundry from one machine to the next and to water the plants from time to time. I finally went in there and dealt with the aftermath of winter.

I removed those that didn't make it and swept up fallen leaves and flowers. I fed the hungry ones and moved those previously deprived of sunlight into their own sunny sills. I really can't wait for the move to the porch though and I think they can't either.

I also got in some time in the outside beds weeding out periwinkle and English ivy so the cultivated thyme, fennel, basil and green onions have room to grow. I stumbled upon this gooey fungal friend amongst them.

The internet has informed me that these are Wood Ears. They are very jiggly and I had some fun chasing my boyfriend around with them. ^_^
I just love the weird things I'm finding in the yard. I'm sure each season will reveal something new.

My yard and my neighbor's yard appear to be a major stopping point for flocks of grackles. Large numbers have landed in the space between us and the amount of noise they make is awesome! (If you go to the website, check out the "Calls of Flock" soundbite.) A few have taken a dip in the bird bath I have setup and the color show is just great to witness. I always think to grab my camera but I never want to miss a second of the brief display. Here is one from the internet:

Lastly, I thought I'd share a picture of some stitch markers I made a while ago and a cute picture of Mr. Pickens with some crochet. I made a set of stitch markers as a birthday present for a knitting friend and made several of my own in the week afterwords. They are in various project bags and it's fun to rediscover them from time to time.

Next time, I will show off my shawl and designed scarf! See you then!

A Design

Stash Eliminator was made to also showcase some of my designs, and I'm hoping to share one with you soon!

I didn't really think of myself as a designer until my boyfriend's sister requested a pair of fingerless mitts. I picked through my knitting pattern books, then scoured Ravelry, then extended the search to all of the interweb and just didn't find anything that I thought was really "her". This one had too many cables, that one had a weird thumb gusset, and so on. This really surprised me! Modifying patterns is a great way to fit a design to one's desired result, and I was no stranger to doing this at the time, however, I really wanted something useful that a non-knitter could also appreciate. I thought about mitts and gloves I had made previously and what I best liked about them and didn't like. Then I picked up some DPNs and went for it, and for the first time I had made something not only without a pattern, but without an inspirational prototype as well. It was so much fun!

I think many knitters reach this point in their expertise, where they just pick up a forgotten skein from their stash and cast on. The trouble of carrying around a piece of paper and pen left behind, freeing the mind to just knit. I think it hits everyone after they discover how easy it is to make a raglan sweater at least!

I made all too unclear notes when making the mitts and so are useless now when I go back to read them. So I am taking a stab at designing and sharing a different pattern here. It is a scarf and is taking up more of my time that I thought it would! Here is a sneak peak:

 

The past 2 weeks:

Knitting on my lacy design scarf has been at the forefront. In the meantime I did get a little vacation too. I got the opportunity to go tent camping with part of my boyfriend's family. Previously, I had attempted to knit and hike at the same time after reading about Stefanie Japel's book dedication in Fitted Knits, and it just wasn't happening. During the holidays one year not too long ago, Christmas knitting got me walking around during an outing but involved a lot of standing and knitting. Now I can say that I have successfully hiked and knit thanks to pressure to wrap up my scarf design this past weekend! If you haven't tried to do this yet, give it a go! It's pretty fun.

I follow r/knitting from time to time. They have a Ravelry group and are very active at both places with yarn swaps, Secret Santa swaps, and weekly WIPs/FO threads. I stumbled across this article at r/knitting:
"Why Does a Vicuña Jacket Cost $21,000?" It is from the Wall Street Journal and so is written very well and describes one of the most coveted wools in the world and sums up the story about an animal, the vicuña, that was hunted to near extinction and how now it is being protected by the very people who were once the reason for the vicuña's seemingly inevitable demise.

This past weekend was full of sunshine after a week of clouds and rain. There is garden space surrounding most of the wee house that we're renting containing hostas, lilies, herbs, Camellia bushes, Black Eyed Susans and other perennial flowers, and I dove into them to pull out some intruders who were difficult to get out when the ground was somewhat frozen. While doing this I noticed some early bloomers that I would have not noticed otherwise had I not been so close to them!

 

White Fairy Lilies peaking through a very overgrown Periwinkle vine. I haven't lived in a house yet that lacks an overgrowing Periwinkle. No wonder it has reached the invasive species list. That link goes to a Periwinkle fact sheet which loads as a PDF that is from Indiana's state run website.

 

Some wild violets snuggled under the Camellia bush enjoying some afternoon sun.

The Camellia blooms with bonus kitten peeking.

And of course some spring Daffodils, growing behind a boxwood. Daffodils are one of my favorite flowers because they are the first flower I learned to identify. Growing up, rows of them grew along the roadside in front of my grandma's house and were so fragrant. I also really like yellows, whites, and oranges as colors. If only they lasted longer!

WIPs:

So I ended up casting on a Bone Yard Shawl. My first Stephen West pattern and I know errrrrybody loves his stuff and has to say it, but I LOVE HIS STUFF and that he models it very brilliantly and with full on fashionista gusto. Ok, that's over with! ;) I'm making mine from handspun yarn I purchased at a yard sale. It's a coppery salmon color full of slub and silk goodness. I am unsure of the absolute content but it's shiny and has a lot of drape. Here is my progress so far:

My first shawl so this is the litmus test to see if I'm a shawl-wearer or not. Enjoying the pattern, simple, and continuing to love the Chiao Goo Red Lace needle. I am knitting it as part of the Fat Squirrel's Gratitude Knit-A-Long.

I have also cast on one of my favorite hat patterns, an Antelope Hat by Kelly McClure. A couple of friends of mine lost a pet recently and I thought some knitted goods might warm their hearts. I'm casting on another, but in black for the guy and aim to get them done before Sunday.

<to be His hat

                                        Antelope for Her>








 I get to see the ole knitting group tomorrow-yippie! Thanks for stopping by and I'll chat with you soon!

First Book Review: "Knitting to Share" by Gerard Allt

     I have set-up shop in the Upstate of South Carolina recently and the small town that I am in has a one room library that has an amazing selection of knitting books. Your local library is a great way to try books out if you're thinking about purchasing a particular pattern filled book or one on techniques. If you're retiring good books, donating them to thrift stores is noble but don't forget about your neighborhood library too!
     I wanted to start out my knitting book reviews this week and I will review them as I pick them up and pull ones from my personal library from time to time. I may throw in ones that aren't necessarily about knitting too. If you're often caught with a book in your hands, you'd probably enjoy one of the best online blogs I've stumbled across for literature: Brain Pickings.

     This one is from my personal library:

     Knitting to Share was a gift from my boyfriend's mom one Christmas. This book comes from the foundation of gratitude and community that knitting has come to be known for. Right off the bat, on the cover, one sees this little sticker.

     caretoknit.org

     The book is authored by Gerard Allt who is from London and has 25 patterns in total. The introduction is short, but insightful, and includes overviews of a range of very active organizations which involve knitting to heal a community through charity or knitting for access to clean water and so on.

     Each pattern is sweetly named after an angle and are of attractive, contemporary styles. It is a well rounded selection containing knits for little ones, men, and women. The go-to knits are all there: there's a tam, a beanie, fingerless mitts, baby booties, a softie, socks, sweaters, and even a tea cozy. Allt encourages that the patterns be knitted by individuals and groups for donations, as well as loved ones. Overall, the book contains inspiring designs and leaves one with a warm feeling after purusing its context. I highly recommend this book to beginners as the patterns are simple and is a gateway into what the knitting community is to a lot of people. If anyone else has checked out the Knitting to Share, I'd love to hear what you thought about it!

     This week I also participated in Emily's, of the Fibre Town podcast, ASCPA fundraiser. She's hosting it on her Ravelry group page for a couple of friends who are biking around NYC to raise money for animal shelters. It is for a great cause and involves the opportunity to win great prizes ^_^ , so for any other yarn maidens (and gents!) out there, I recommend checking it out.

I also finished my Treasured Heirloom Baby Blanket! Here's a pic:

     All done! This is the blanket unblocked and off the needles.

     I was a little worried because it looked a little lopsided; but then, the power of blocking came to my rescue...

And here it is blocked.


I really had a good time making this. Very fast at the beginning, a relaxing, though lengthy middle, with a quick wrap up at the end. It's obvious to see why it's such a popular pattern.

It is wrapped up and ready to go to its future owner.








WIPs:

My head is going in so many different directions about what to start now! Definitely a rare problem, and as my Rav queue is over 100 patterns, I really shouldn't be experiencing such a lack of direction. So I have nothing on the needles! I may hunt down and just wrap up forgotten projects that have ended up in the far reaches of yarn cubbies. Some of those include:

Seamless Salomas Slippers
Evenstar Gloves
and a Granny Basket

With a knitting group meet-up coming up this weekend, I will probably op for one of these three. Thank you for coming by this week and I will be back again next Thursday!