October 2015 – Dramatic Lyric

The Sweater that Never Was

Once upon a time there lived a knitter. She was pretty young and inexperienced – in fact she had just graduated from college, which also means she was pretty broke. This knitter was also pretty new to the whole knitting thing, but she was eager to learn anything she could, and especially to make new, pretty things. She had made hats and gloves and a single scarf (can we just pause for a moment to discuss how long it takes to knit a scarf?), but never had she ever attempted a sweater. In fact it seemed like a daunting task. For goodness sake, she had to knit a hat over several knitting sessions because she would get bored with it. Nevertheless the knitter decided the time had come.

She found a pattern she liked and some ~~crappy~~ yarn she had been given (remember, she was broke), and valiantly swatched. Her swatch was decently close (remember the attention span problems), so she cast on. She knit. And knit. And knit some more. Since she was working from the top down she got to the arm holes pretty quickly, which was nice. It made the knitting go faster to know that she was getting somewhere (the fact that a bunch of stitches went on stitch holders didn’t hurt, either). And then she knit some more. And did some shaping. And knit some more.

And then inexplicably the knitter put her sweater down. Who knows what made her do it. Perhaps it was that the ~~crappy~~ yarn, while it was at the correct guage for the project, did not make a terribly pleasing fabric. Maybe the drab brown colour was getting to her. Maybe it was sheer boredom. Who knows why she put it down, the point is that she did. She thought about picking it back up again many times over the next few ~~years~~ months. But something always kept her from it.

Eventually, after a while of the sweater lurking at her and making her feel guilty she forgot about it. Until she found it again in a stash dive. She looked at the sweater. It looked back at her. And she realized this was a sweater that she would never knit. So she took it off its needles and gave it to someone else who might love it more than she did. And that is how knitting taught the knitter that sometimes you just have to let go. Some things you just can’t save. And sometimes you have to prioritize and choose what is the best use of your time.

Introducing the Birthday Cowl!

I finished it. I turned this beautiful yarn…

…into this beautiful cowl. I am so proud of myself. I used literally all of my yarn (In this case literally means what it really means: there was not even 1 inch of yarn left over).

Also, look what my lovely coworker gave me. I work with the best people.

Guys…

I am learning to crochet.

I know, I know. I already knit. And tat. And sew. And do beads. And jewelry. The list goes on. I don’t need to add another craft. But I think I just did.

It’s the oddest thing. My mom tried to teach me to crochet when I was little, but it didn’t really take. I could crochet to save my life, but that was about the only thing that could induce me into it. For years I continued like this. And then recently I had this slight urge to learn to crochet. So I got a book from the library and asked a coworker to teach me. Although, it seems more like she refreshed my memory. After some basic explanation I took to it pretty quickly.

It is strangely like deja vu as I watch my hands create the same motions I watched my mother create when I was a child. Maybe at that time I just wasn’t ready to crochet. Maybe now I am.

Happy Birthday to Me!

I love my birthday. I know a lot of people hate birthdays or get sad because they are getting older, but for some reason I have always loved them. I take the day off work, I buy myself a (big) present, and spend the day doing whatever I please. This year I started off by going to my local farmer’s market. Can you believe I have never been to a farmer’s market before? I can’t. I walked around and looked at everything, bought some vegetables, handmade soap, and my first skein of handspun yarn! I have been hankering after handspun for a while.

So a year in review:

Last year for my birthday I got my 2 sweet kitties. I love them so much.

Not long after that I officially started dating. I’ve already told you how wonderful my boyfriend is. He’s definitely a keeper.
In January I started teaching voice lessons (sorry, I forgot to tell you about that). I always thought I would hate teaching, but I actually really enjoy it and would not at all mind teaching full time.
In May my oldest brother got married.
In June I was in my first car crash. It was minor and not my fault, but still a jarring experience.

I have knit…a good deal. I made a TARDIS inspired hat last winter because I’m that much of a nerd.

I'm a nerd..but not so much that you'd notice if you didn't know... — I’m a nerd..but not so much that you’d notice if you didn’t know…

I made my first sweater! It’s the Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann. A good friend of mine recently had her first baby and his room is decorated in a panda theme. How could I resist?

I have knit 2 pairs of socks for my mom – 1 for last Christmas, and the pair for this Christmas are done already. I’m so proud of me.

Now I’m working on my first full-size sweater for my Grandma. I’m halfway done and running out of steam…

So that’s me and my year. Here’s to another one just as good or better.

Dear Electric Blanket

Thank you for keeping me warm. I know it’s not actually that cold outside where I live right now, but I’m kind of a lizard when it comes to body heat. And I have trouble sleeping when I’m cold. And I get rather grumpy when I am tired. So basically you are saving the world from a very grumpy me.

Also, you are warm enough that my very independent cat decided to sleep with me last night. Which makes me very happy. I love my kitties. So all around, you do a fantastic job.

I appreciate that over the years your creators have figured out how to minimize your fire risk. I want to live a long and fulfilling life, and I really don’t enjoy the idea of being burnt to a crisp in my bed. So kudos on that as well.

Basically, please keep being awesome. I hate being cold.

Here’s what I did this weekend

New and Improved

Hello again, friends.

Today I want to tell you about some new items I have added to my shop. Regrettably, it has been quite a while since I’ve made time to update my shop on Etsy, but no more! I aim to add more items every week or so for a while to gear up for Christmas.

I recently added this ribbon rose hairclip.

Pretty flower, mostly cooperative hair... — Pretty flower, mostly cooperative hair…

These snowmen are available as a necklace or earrings (or both).

And here are some snowmen for the button lovers among us.

My Boyfriend

Every woman thinks that her man is the best. I am no exception. Here are some recent examples of how good he is to me.

He got me a yarn of the month club subscription for my birthday. I have wanted this for years, but never told anyone. I didn’t even know he knew such a thing existed!
We recently visited an artsy town near where we live. As we were walking around he:
1. Found a bookstore for us to visit
2. Found a yarn store for us to visit
3. AND waited patiently for me in both stores.
He cooks for me all the time. And he is a good cook.
He does not mind me scattering my crafty stuff around his house – even though we live separately.

I think we can all agree that my boyfriend is pretty awesome.

Dear Yarn Harlot…

You don’t know me. We haven’t met. Yet. Maybe one day that can happen.

I just wanted to write and say thank you.

The first time I encountered you was in a library several years ago during a not-so-good time of my life. I had recently lost a family member, and my home life was not great. Books have long been my refuge, so where else would I go to escape than my local library? I am a life-long crafter, and I come from a long line of crafty ladies. My mom tried to teach me to crochet when I was little, but it never took. So I drifted along, sewing this, beading that, painting, etc. But I had not learned to knit. Yet.

Anyway, I took my troubled self to the library to forget my familial woes. While browsing through the crafting section I saw a book called “Knitting Rules.” It seemed like a good start. And so I picked up the book that would change my life. Even though I was not yet a knitter you spoke to me in that book. I laughed when you laughed, your frustrations were mine, and that afternoon you helped me forget my troubles.

For that, I thank you.

I would like to say that I became a dedicated knitter there and then, but I didn’t. It took several years for me to finally pick up some knitting needles and give it a whirl. But I can say that I am now well and truly hooked. And I blame it all on you.

Thank you for writing about life as it truly is. Thank you for being more than just a knitter or a writer. Thank you for all your efforts to make the world a better place, whether it’s raising a beautiful family, knitting for charity, or your yearly bike marathon. You inspire me, not just to knit (although you definitely inspire me to do that), but to be a better person and make this world a better place.

I hope someday I can be just like you.