CreativeSpace

Those who can't read, knit

Despite my grumblings and outright complaints, last week's reading deprivation served me well. I guess that Ms Cameron might know what she's doing after all. I cleaned out two reoccurring rat's nests (I loath the term junk drawer) and reorganized my knitting basket. One thing led to another and, lo and behold, I discovered a tub full of yarn that had lain forgotten, I hesitate to say it, for the better part of a year. I had slid the container underneath the bed to save on space and I now realize, as I type this, that it has been a coon's age since I vacuumed under there. Dear Readers, I am mortified. (As if you needed further evidence of my bad housekeeping.) Please ignore the dust bunnies. 

Anyway, I turned some of my reading frustration into knitting inspiration, and this is what I made.

This pattern came from the book Last-Minute Knitted Gifts  which I adore, because the author divides the gifts into categories of approximate time. I believe this toddler hat falls into the 4-6 hour category. My project took longer because of my novice abilities, but I'm quite pleased with the results. I purchased yarn in this maize color and also in purple with the intent of knitting two hats; one for Little Bear and one for her younger cousin. This is Cousin T's hat.

I asked Little Bear to try it on to check the size, and after a small bout of rassling, the hat fit very snugly. So snugly that I made a note on the pattern to add at least another half inch to Little Bear's hat in purple. The trick wasn't getting the hat on Little Bear's head, it was convincing her to relinquish it after our fitting. She wanted that hat badly. So badly that she followed me into the dining room to lurk at the sidelines as I snapped my photo.

See the cherry fabric in the background? That is a Little Bear preparing to pounce on the hat.

She climbed on the table to grab it, the perfect excuse to break our cardinal rule of no feet on the table. I should write that in all caps since I'm usually trying, often unsuccessfully, not to yell, "NO FEET ON THE TABLE!"

This is my favorite...

I'm new to the world of knitting for babies, but I think it might become a new obsession. As my Creative Cluster pal, Elizabeth, says, it's instant gratification. 

I'll post a picture of Little Bear's finished hat if I can manage to pry it out of her enthusiastic paws.

Knitty Brain

My brain is here. Still lounging at The Yarn Lounge. (And this picture doesn't do justice to the beautiful yarn they offer.)

Last night was our final class, and I'm sad to see it end. Sad and my brain is spinning with everything I learned. I'm working on knitting a cable. Hold the phone! My projects might have a more complicated pattern than knit 1, purl 1. I just might be able to make something other than a scarf.

So I'm taking a break from the blog today, so I can practice everything I learned and to drown my sorrows with more yarn. (They gave us coupons.)

See you tomorrow!

If you were a bird

would you live in this house?

April is “Children and Nature Awareness Month,” and I support both those things together and separately. But I had to wonder, how does one go about declaring a month as something in particular? Is there a national calendar kept in the White House that accepts bids? If so, I have an excellent suggestion for May: “Amy’s Birthday Month.” (Not that everyone is required to give me a present or anything.) Or even better: “Eat Excellent Chocolate Every Day Month.” Now who would say no to that?

The proceeds from the sale of this birdhouse will support a greenhouse and gardening program at Crestwood Elementary School. My friend, Mady, was the birdhouse supplier and painter recruiter. When she asked me to participate, the first thing out of my mouth was “are you sure?” Her reply was that I underestimate my artistic ability, and it was the verbal kick in the buns that I needed at the time. (Even though she said it in a very kind way.) Our conversation got me thinking about my reluctance, and I think it stemmed from my fear of not being able to do it well. Oh that dang perfectionism! And then I had to ask myself what else was I missing out on because of impossible expectations.

I consider myself a recovering perfectionist in general, but obviously I need to work on some areas. When it came to painting, I told myself to relax and go with something simple. Not to overwhelm myself with all the offerings the craft store provided, and especially, not to pressure myself about doing it “right.” (Not to self: do NOT go to the craft store unchaperoned. I’ve said this before, but do I listen? Now what on earth am I going to do with a miniature circus made of foam?)  I definitely made some mistakes, but instead of obsessing about it, I shoved the birdhouse in a bag and gave it back to Mady before I could re-prime it and start all over again. Hopefully a bird will like it as much as I enjoyed decorating it.

And on a spring-around-the-neighborhood note, this is the first iris up on our side of the park. My friend, Kitty, will say that he has the first iris to bloom, but he lives a couple blocks away, and I haven’t hiked over there to photograph it yet. I promise to rectify that soon.

Project Potential

Oh, a little piece of sunshine sits on my dining room table. The question is, what do I do with it? (the fuchsia-pink yarn behind it is for my class next month.) Keep in mind the yellow is wool, I have only one skein (190 yards), and it's worsted weight.

Any suggestions?

The Life of Yarn

I've stated here before that I haven't touched knitting needles in almost two years, but that hasn't stopped my yarn stash from growing. I signed up for a knitting refresher course at my local yarn shop and decided to peruse my stash before journeying to Richmond to buy more. The Yarn Lounge specializes in natural fibers, and I can't go near the store without buying a skein or two. For some drool-worthy pictures, check out their blog.

After knitting up the Baby Bear's yarn necklaces, I grabbed some more yarn and started a scarf for her, more as a refresher for me than anything else. Baby Bear very kindly helped me with the ball.

This is a second reincarnation for this particular yarn. It's a 100% cotton, sport weight in a pastel palette that really isn't my cup of tea. I bought it an embarrassingly long time ago to knit a simple sweater for a friend's new baby. But gauge remained a mystery to me, and therefore, was a huge stumbling block in knitting the correct size. (For all the non-knitters out there, gauge shows you how many stitches you knit per inch. Before starting a project you're supposed to knit a swatch to give you your gauge~to see if you're knitting tighter or looser than what the pattern calls for. You then adjust your needle size accordingly.)

I sound like I know what I'm doing, but the practical application is beyond me. Like trigonometry. Anyway, I knit away at the sweater for weeks, but it just didn't look right. Finally I took it to class for help from my teacher. She looked at it a long time, and I could tell from the expression on her face that she was trying to find a tactful way to deliver bad news. I tentatively asked if she could somehow help me remedy the sweater without frogging (unraveling) the entire thing. She replied that the only way to save it was to give it to a baby sumo wrestler. Well, you can guess what happened after that. It has lived in my stash ever since then, because I can't look at it without thinking baby sumo wrestler.

The scarf is coming along slowly, not because it's a difficult pattern that I made up, but because I have to steal knitting moments as they come available. And I'm not accomplished enough to knit without looking at my hands. (I greatly envy those of you that can.) Lately it has been the evenings when I knit the most, after the baby has gone to bed and the Husband is watching the Olympics. It doesn't matter what the sport is, he'll watch it. He says that it's because the Olympics only happen every four years, so I guess he's saving up for the next three by watching everything. I made quite a bit of progress during the curling competitions. And ice dancing? Rows and rows done, baby.

Yes, I have a nice selection of yarn to choose from, but I'm anxious to see what the spring yarn offering looks like. I'll just look. Really.