You actually don't unlock anything; you're the
winding key for an old grandfather clock. Few
people know how important you are unless you
aren't there, but there are a few who treasure
you all the time. You help people keep moving
forward, but you also help them through the
present by reminding them of the past.


What sort of key are you and what do you unlock?
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Aibhlinn: 18 inches completed. In honor of the Aibhlinn KAL, I'll show how far along I am! 

Aibhlinn KAL on Yahoo!

Okay, so Jane and I are knitting Aibhlinn (hers is going much faster than mine!!! And she suggested that we start a Knit Along for it. So we did! Please join us if you'd like and take the button from either my site or hers or the Aibhlinn website and save it to your own space, please! If you need the pattern, visit Knitty and print it out! We'll have such fun!

Aibhlinn in Slow Process 

Aibhlinn...

Aibhlinn has been frogged twice and tinked so many times, I've probably knitted her completely at least 3 times over...but I thought I'd update a bit on where I stand with her. The photo above is 13.5 inches out of the 24 the pattern calls for. I apologize for the lack of clarity here, this red drives the camera crazy, but if you'll look closely, there is an error that is several rows below where I finally succumbed to putting in my first safety line. I was several rows further on before I noticed it. I willing said - NO MORE. I will not frog this again.

But I've tinked and re-tinked. I now check every row and tink back however many I have to. And every repeat of the pattern (12 rows) I move the safety line. What I've learned is that while this is not a complex pattern, it does require an unwavering presence of mind. Talking with a friend while she hand-fed her latest feral cat rescue proved to me that I cannot work on this project and try to do anything else. I must concentrate on Aibhlinn. She demands it. And as lovely as she will be when she's complete, she deserves it.

So slowly, achingly, we progress. With luck, she'll be finished by fall when I really need her - though this weekend I'd have liked to have been wearing her. Brrr. I'm very glad the Knit Red KAL runs till December 31! I might just get her finished by then...

Peace in the Process?

So often in knitting, and other handcraft, we find ourselves transported to a realm of peace. In ruminating on this phenomenon (because I’m a rational, logical sort of person), I find myself surfing the blogs I choose to read, though not all of them have a philosophical slant. But when I find one, even if it’s not related to handcraft or knitting in any way, I try to add them to my blog. Vixenpath is one that pertains to knitting and crochet. Ruinwen sweetly moves my mind to quiet contemplation. And Christy speaks of knitting and living life with one of the physical challenges I share with her, in a lyrical poetry that slows the breathing and heart rate in the same way yoga and meditation do for me.

But today, listening to my local public radio station, I was lulled into that same sort of quietude that knitting instills. And I discovered a writer very near to my home who also blogs about the natural beauty of Southwest Virginia, specifically Floyd County. So I ask you to visit the blog Fragments From Floyd. Not only will you read pieces that offer some sense of calm but you’ll view amazing photos of the area very near to the city in which I live. We really are quite beautiful here in this part of the state. And I’m not the photographer to do it justice. The writer at Fragments from Floyd is.

New Chicks Bags! 

I've Been Busy!

Well, here I am again, posting a photo above of more Knitting Chicks bags for you to enjoy. These will be on the way to their new homes tomorrow! Aren't they just yummy? Let me know if you'd like one to come live with you?

And below, my rather sad attempt at making stitch markers. I just can't get the eye pin to curl nicely around the jump ring. But they suffice. With the special ones I got from Kelly, maybe I'll have enough now to use them on my next Clapotis!

Stitch Markers - I tried my hand at these - no they're nowhere near as good as Kelly's, but they were fun! 

What Would My 17-Year Old Self Think of Me Now?

Kathy posed this question for readers of her blog to answer, so here goes: My 17-year old self would look at this life of mine and be completely aghast!

The little (and I do mean "little") ballerina expected to dance with the New York City Ballet! The idea that I'd be a mom (much less a Nana!), an accountant, a sewist, a knitter, would never have even remotely crossed her mind! Always the Drama Queen, I think she'd recognize me. But the body is broader, the ability to move, substantially reduced by illness. She'd never have imagined the computer, or the world of friends I have come upon because of it.

She expected to live a lot higher on the hog than her grown-up self does...expected to marry for money, too, she did! LOL! Forget that, thank goodness! (Feminism didn't hit her for a few more years...always a late bloomer) Come to think of it, she'd be astounded to find me still alive - she assumed she'd die before she was 35. I guess she figured if she couldn't dance she might as well be dead. WELL.

And she'd think my knitting and Quacker Factory clothes were uncool. Whatever!

Triangular Lace Shawl Class

Well. I thought I was going to do the Queen of Hearts shawl for my Lace Shawl KAL and my Think Pink KAL. Then KittnKnit discovered that Needlecraft University was offering a Triangular Lace Shawl Class. This shawl can be knit in worsted weight yarn on 10.5 circular needles! I have two skeins of Caron's Rainbow Dreams Rosy Forecast (with LOTS of pink in it), and if I use it, I can use up some of my stash, which will help to satisfy my "yarn diet" criteria...as well as meeting the two KAL requirements (and I get the circular needles I've been wanting but couldn't justify!).

So who do you think bounced right up and said "Sure, Kitt, I'll take the class with you?" YUP. Me. Now I hope the Lace Shawl KAL won't hit me too hard for not working on the alpaca just yet. I think it's smarter that my first lacework be done on somewhat larger yarn...

Two Knitters in a Bookstore Coffee Shop

Well, last night I finally got a chance to meet up with Diana, who lives in my town but I only met thru Knitting Chicks, online! We've been planning this for several weeks. I think a lot of people in our local Barnes & Noble wondered about the two ladies at the corner table, one reading the other a children's book about knitting, both laughing and laughing, our knitting spread out on the table with our coffee cups! But what fun we had...We'll be getting back together soon, if only at our local Meet Up in May. (We're both very busy ladies...)

We did spend a lot of time looking at knitting books and magazines, and commenting on the fact that the patterns are geared more to the 20-somethings than to our generation. Most of what Vogue Knitting, Knitters, Family Circle Easy Knitting, to name a few, offer for patterns are just too extreme for us. Since I think our generation is still the largest one around (the Baby Boomers) and since I think we still have the most discretionary income to spend, wouldn't ya' think that maybe one or two would realize that they're missing a BIG market here? SnB may be fine to bring in a new generation of knitters, and it's a fun read, but please. I'm not about to sport a cap with kitty ears on it. Even if I do have cats!

Anyway, it was a really fun evening that I hope we'll repeat.

What Kind of Knitting Needles are You?

You are pink aluminum.
Retro, straightforward and fun, you love classic
things. If they're 99 cents at Goodwill all the
better! You are moved by striking colors and
tasty morsels, and you like a stitch-n-bitch
session in the sun. Just remember, while
you're being kitschy cool, don't get too cold.
Ice cubes are best kept in your cocktails,
baby!


What kind of knitting needles are you?
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Only thing I'd add is that I'm allergic to the sun, so bring on the cabana boys and a BIG beach umbrella!

Oh Oh Oh they're here! Kelly's Purple heart stitch markers! (and you can see two pair of earrings I ordered, too - the purple heart chandelier's were from an earlier order!) I just LOVE Kelly's stuff - you will too! 

Smiley's Boycott

A few posts down, you'll notice that I recommended Smiley's as an internet yarn shop with great prices. But what I have come to learn, is that their customer service just plain stinks! A good friend, and fellow Knit Chick, Diana has had a nightmare experience with them (for details, please visit KittnKnit), as they misrepresented the yarn they sold her and then refused to accept it for return and exchange. As a result many of us have chosen to boycott Smiley's. Please join us, using the button you'll see over there ---> (but please, save it to your own space!).

Lifelines, Working WITH a Net!

So much in life is flying by the seat of your pants, with nothing to break your fall, though we’d all prefer to move from one “trapeze” to the next with a net below to catch us from a slip, or at least a safety line. Part of the problem, I think is not that the safety net isn’t available, it’s that we don’t want to take the few extra seconds or minutes to put it in place. Take seat belts, for example. For years, putting them on was a chore, and many people didn’t bother, weren’t convinced of their ability to save lives. Once they became mandatory, and a monetary punishment for not wearing them became law, those few seconds didn’t seem such a hardship, and many, many lives have been saved. But people still fight wearing a life jacket when boating, something that is the equivalent to the seat belt in a car.

Carrying a cell phone on a trip, having the car serviced beforehand, and touching base with the people expecting your arrival if you’re delayed, are all safety nets. The cell phone was something I fought particularly hard, and still don’t love. But I acknowledge its place in providing a sense of security.

So I suppose, under the circumstances, I can be forgiven my very human refusal to use a safety line, my reluctance to spend a few minutes to put one in. Though I certainly should have considered it, especially in light of my partial vision loss a year ago. But I'm still struggling with the vanity issues surrounding that and in spite of reading countless articles and posts, many on Knitter’s Review, I was reluctant to do something that might spare me the headache of frogging! I just couldn’t take the time…

Aibhlinn has taught me a great deal about perfection and security. For the one, I hope I can live with a tiny flaw, a misstep in the pattern that should be ignored and moved beyond, and learn to live comfortably with the new visual challenges that make such missteps the norm. It’s not easy for me to do. But for the eventual major botch-up, I’ve learned after frogging Aibhlinn, then again tinking 6 rows, that using a safety net, the lifeline, is worth hours of my time. At least I learned it before I started knitting lace!

Clapotis in Rainbow Dreams Fair Weather 

Not Enough Knitting Content!

For those of you who've been wondering if I'd ever get a knitting essay done here, It's because of the photos above and below that I've been remiss. Aibhlinn has been an absolute bear, but has taught me much. After frogging back to casting on several weeks ago, I worked on her pretty strong until two weeks ago. For some reason I felt the need to switch, and picked up Clapotis (photo above). It was about time to drop stiches...and once I did, there was no going back to Aibhlinn, till I finally felt guilty on Thursday night. I'd been to our local Knitting Meet Up, which was a fun time, but I was the only one using acrylic yarns (Caron's Rainbow Dreams Fair Weather on Clapotis). When I got home, I felt the need to touch and work with cotton again (being allergic to wool), so I picked up Aibhlinn for a row. Then took her to work the next day. I got 6 rows done before I realized I'd started up at the wrong point in the pattern and had my lovely "pebbles" instead of sweeping "pathways" again! So I tinked, stitch by stitch back 6 rows. ARRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHH! And finally put in a lifeline.

I've learned my lesson. When I begin Queen of Hearts I will use a lifeline religiously. My time is limited to do this craft I love, and I can't spend hours unknitting. A lifeline provides the security I need.

Infamous Aibhlinn with safety line. 

Knitting Chicks Bags! 2nd batch...they've already arrived, I'm late getting this photo up! Love how they turned out... 

Knit Red KAL for Women’s Heart Disease

I’ve promised to provide educational information to help raise awareness for Women’s Heart Disease as a part of the Knit Red KAL, and I haven’t been doing as well as I’d like. So I thought I’d take a moment and tell you, first, why I am so interested in this topic and then what my background is for being a community educator!

I had a heart attack at age 43 … no I wasn’t too young, I just had many, many risk factors and was in denial! Two months after my heart attack, I had by-pass surgery, and I remain in good heart health today as a result.

But I trained in 2002 with WomenHeart and Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN to become a community educator on Women’s Heart Disease and have spoken around my state over the years since then. With my newest health challenge, that has come to a halt, so I started the Knit Red KAL as a way to continue my crusade to educate every woman to her risk.

As a member of the Knit Red KAL, you will receive occasional informational emails about heart disease as it occurs in women. This information is designed to assist you in making informed lifestyle choices, and to also give you the necessary information to be assertive in asking for the appropriate treatments and tests when you meet with your doctors. To this day, many doctors still consider heart disease a MAN’s disease – well, it is, but it is also the number one killer of WOMEN. I want you to do everything possible to educate yourself and your physicians and to ensure that you are not a victim!

Sources for Yarn?

Well, knittin' momma saw my stash entry, where I mentioned that I've hit most of the sites online for inexpensive yarn and she wondered if I'd share my secrets! Well, of course, there really isn't any big secret! Elann.com, smileysyarns.com, knitting-warehouse.com, and onefineyarn.com (which is where the alpaca in the photo below came from, and tho' I can't say it was "cheap" it wasn't outrageous, either!). And jimmybeanswool.com of course. Other than that, I do shop patternworks.com at times. Even though their prices are a little higher, their customer service is phenominal! And ebay! Oh, yes, ebay.

knitting-warehouse is amazing. I have ordered both yarn and my beloved Susan Bates Quicksilver circular needles from them, and they are speedy, speedy! Smiley's often has internet sales at 99 cents per skein - I was able also to get my Susan Bates Quicksilvers for $3.99 the other day, just certain sizes were available, but those were what I needed. You have to watch, like any other savvy shopping you do, but the deals are out there. And of course, I'm an elann.com aholic! Take my credit cards away, please. My last order will be my last order for awhile...will be here early next week!

Knitpicks.com is my next place to order from - AFTER the yarn diet!

Okay, so now that I've given these sites such great reviews, do you think they'll offer me a discount? Or perhaps a gift certificate? Probably not, but as long as they keep their prices where they are, that's okay with me.

And thank you, thank you FiberRAOK!! I'm so pleased to be a new member! (see the button over there ----->)

Queen of Hearts Shawl for Lace Shawl KAL 

The STASH (duplicate skeins not included) 

Yarn Diet - Knitting from Stash - ReKAL!

Several topics today, as I'm really feeling as if I've over-done it on yarn purchasing lately!! There are a lot of great sites for buying yarn inexpensively, and I think I've bought from them all...which is not necessarily a Good Thing (thanks, Martha!). I'm posting above this entry, a photo of the stash I've created. I'll be knitting from this for some time to come, trying hard not to buy more. It's Yarn Diet time! Note the button I got from Wendy's site over there ----> And, since I'm a frugal soul - well most of the time - I've joined the ReKAL and the button for that is over there ----> too! ReKAL is - reduce, reuse, recycle, for yarnoholics!!! So I've picked up three sweaters from my local Goodwill, and will be searching yard and estate sales this summer looking for more, to unravel and recycle into scarves, shawls, and more!
Mentioning "most of the time" for frugality, I did splurge for my Lace Knitting Shawl KAL & the Think Pink for breast cancer KAL (buttons are also over there --->): I bought my first alpaca! Baby alpaca in antique rose. I'll be knitting Fiber Trends Queen of Hearts Shawl, just jog on over to that site, and I'll try to get a photo posted there this morning, too! That's what I get for taking a day off, updating all my blog postings...since I'm sooo behind.