Monthly Archives: May 2013

Stitch Pattern Week 11 & The Goofy Hat That Lead to Entrelac Knitting

It’s that time again friends and neighbors! GG has left me with yet another cryptic knitting pattern to decipher for your viewing pleasure. So with no further adieu, Stitch Pattern Week 11 – The Diagonal Rib Stitch!

Diagonal Rib-Darkened.

The past few weeks I have knitted with white yarn, which has been hard to translate on film – hard for me at least – so this week I went back to my Sea Glass colors and rocked out a very pretty dishcloth. Unfortunately, this is also hard to see as well, but it gave me the opportunity to play with some filters to see if I could improve it. Now you get to be the judge.

: Full On Pattern- Natural

: Diagonal Rib Stitch

: Diagonal Rib-Darkened.

: Full On Shot-Lighteneded

: Diagonal Rib-Close Up

: Full On Shot – Sharpened

So GG – What pain is in store for me this week? Be gentle, it’s already been pretty rough!

* * The Diagonal Rib Stitch * *

. . . . – The Diagonal Rib Stitch (Once again no pattern name, but I found it on Stitchopedia on my iPad of all places).

-k2p2 – Row 1: *K2, P2; rep from * till end (Okay, not to shabby so far, feeling a bit cocky!).

-again – Row 2: Rep. row 1 (Still feeling pretty good about myself).

k1p2k2 then p2k1 – Row 3: K1, *P2, K2; rep. from * till last 3 stitches, end P2, K1 (Come on now, I frogged this twice before I figured out my stitches should be leaning. Give a great-granddaughter a break here!).

-p1k2p2 then k2p1 – Row 4: P1, *K2, P2; rep. from * till last 3 stitches, end K2, P1 (At least with row 3 figured out this didn’t hurt that much).

-p2k2 – Row 5: *P2, K2; rep. from * till end (Smooth sailing, maybe I deserve a cookie!).

-again – Row 6: Rep. Row 5 (Alright damn it, I am going to go get that cookie!).

-43over (I shouldn’t have gotten my cookie so soon….so sad. This is where the stitch dictionary came in handy. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Thank Heavens for the Internet!)

Row 7: Rep. row 4.

Row 8: Rep. row 3.

A simple repeat of these 8 rows really did created a fun, visually interesting dishcloth. The sea glass colors really helped it pop and I recommend this pattern to anyone of any skill level just for something new to try.

♥ * * * * * * * * * * * * ♥

– The Hat That Turned To A New Skill –

So last week I went on a bit of a hat spree, first with the OSU Buckeye Hats and then with another, less successful attempt. The pattern came from Holiday Knits, a book I have rather enjoyed up to this point, which made the disappointment all the more acute. I will take full responsibility for NOT swatching this project, the yarn I was using was the same weight, but a very different (much cheaper) fiber. So the soft, fluffy goodness that this hat was supposed to encompass turned into an ultra long, ultra heavy, super goofy looking disappointment.

SUCH a Promising Start

Right Side

Full Frontal Heavy Goodness.

For Gloria

The Back

So Heavy I Had to Hold It.

Covering the Face in Shame.

As you can plainly see, this thing is HEAVY! I took pictures of both my husband and I wearing it, but I am just a little shy of showing off that embarrassment. Either way, I know come winter I will wear this hat – I cannot stand to think of it going to waste – but I’ve learned to embrace my goofiness.

Anywho, this lead to another problem – what to do with the leftover yarn? There wasn’t enough to make a scarf but too much for just one normal size hat (e.g. a hat not made for giants) so I had to find something else productive to use it for. This is when I logged on to my Craftsy account and realized that I still hadn’t taken the Entrelac Knitting Class. Common sense would say that if there was yarn to spare that had already turned out poorly, why not try to make something constructive out of this experience.

I am almost done with the class and it has been awesome! The teacher is fun and easy to follow, the directions are clear and simple, and there is the added benefit of getting to see how to knit without turning your work. This really appeals to me because you don’t just use your right hand, you used your left as well. If I could learn how to do this it would take a phenomenal amount of strain of my bad hand (in theory) and if not I get to gloat that I learned how to do something new. Gloat may be the wrong word, but you get the point. I’m not done yet but I will leave you with a picture collage (oh how I love collages) just so you can see where I am so far.

Entrelac Process So Far

I think that’s it for me tonight, but as always I would like to end with a question. So, friends and neighbors, is there a new skill you wish to acquire or are currently learning? I didn’t even know you could knit with both needles till yesterday so I am intrigued!

I Have Been Nominate for the Liebster Award AND the Sunshine Award!

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What a wonderful surprise to receive this in my inbox this dreary, rainy old in the Buckeye State! I want to thank A Poem A Day And Like, Apples, Or Something (great name by the way) for nominating me for the Liebster Award.

The Liebster Award.

A second and equally stunned thank you goes to whatimuptotoday for nominating me for the Liebster Award and the Sunshine Award.

The Sunshine Award.

The Liebster Award.

The Liebster Award is given by bloggers, to bloggers, and it’s purpose is to highlight blogs with under 200 followers that deserve a look.

This is so incredibly overwhelming, after such a lousy weekend this was almost too much to handle! But so many questions, so many posts to complete. So taking a page out whatimuptoday and I am about to cheat, in the name of efficiency. (No, NOT laziness!)

I’ll be combining the requisite post into one, and just nominate one list of blogs to be joint winners. That way, the winner can choose which (or both!) award they want to accept.

The Sunshine Award Rules

Answer the questions (below) and nominate 13 blogs which do the same for me.

The Liebster Award Rules

1. Post eleven facts about myself
2. Answer the questions given to me by the person who nominated me
3. Invent eleven questions to ask people whom I wish to nominate for the award
4. Choose eleven people (with fewer than 200 followers) to give this award to and link to them in my post.
5. Go to their blog and tell them

The Sunshine Award Questions:
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Animal: Cats for domestic animals – Sloths for their sheer awesomeness.
Favorite Number: 24
Non-Alcoholic Drink: Diet Coke!
Alcoholic Drink: Ruby Port.
Facebook or Twitter: Twitter. Since everyone started having babies it can be a bit overwhelming some days, Twitter is a bit safer!
Passions: Oh man- Rowing, Farmer’s Markets, Knitting (that was a given), training therapy dogs, reading, writing (even though I am scared to show my writing to people), and gardening/canning.
Giving or Receiving: I’d rather give. Receiving is great but I still have no idea how to handle praise or presents, I get flustered! When you give something you are sharing a part of you withe someone you care about, it’s a bit magical.
Favorite City: I am the first to admit that I haven’t traveled the way I thought I would. My favorite city Portland, OR, there is this vibe there I haven’t felt anywhere else.
Favorite TV show: Hmm…probably America’s Test Kitchen, I have a thing PBS.

Liebster Award 11 Facts About Me:

I met my husband on a blind date at 17. We were set up by a girl who was enamored with him and thought we would clash like oil and water, leaving him to come to realize she was the greatest girl in the world. We got engaged 8 months later 😉
I planned my wedding in 20 days, bought the first dress I tried on, made all the food myself and it was magical.
I have been a rower for since my freshman year in high school, there is just nothing more magical than being on the water. My hand has caused some problems, but I still get out there…just with an emergency radio if I have to be brought it.
I wanted to teach English in a school for the deaf, so I am fluent (yup, fluent) in American Sign Language). My hand injury has made my signing incomprehensible. I can still translate, it’s just very one-sided.
My grandfather delivered papers for The Saturday Evening Post and became quite good friends with Norman Rockwell. As a result he is my favorite painter, and we have a lots of signed prints/books/covers/letter of his work in our family.
I am a chess playing freak, 200 more points and I will qualify for Grand Master status.
When my OCD/anxiety was at its worst, I didn’t leave the basement of our home for four months.
My eye color is so dark it is considered black. I cannot be dilated for eye appointments because there is no discerning my pupil from my eye color. It’s not as creepy as it sounds, just really, really dark brown.
I love smoking. I know it is not PC to say so, but I do. I quit over a year ago and still miss it.
I saw a man in a stalled car get hit by a train when I was 8. My mom is a nurse and stopped to see if she could help (or cover up the dead guy). My brother and I followed to the shell of a car and he was…fine. Bruised and mad his car got hit by a train, but fine!
I was a twin, but she died in utero. I’ve never had any trouble with it but my parents never quite got over the fact that they didn’t get two babies. I was born 5 weeks early and she could never have anymore children after me.

11 Questions To Me Are:

1 in one sentence, why do you blog?- I want to be a part of a community of talented people, it is the best way to improve yourself.
2 favorite childhood memory? – I remember my grandfather (who was an amazing tenor) setting me on the kitchen table and singing to me. It was like we were the only two people in the world.
3 who or what inspires you in your life? – My niece, Gloria, makes me want to be a better person every day. I see her becoming a woman and I want to be a good example for her, as well as a source of strength.
4 Chocolate or vanilla? – Vanilla, it lends itself as a perfect base to add any other flavors you want to.
5 favorite season? – Most definitely fall, the colors are amazing!
6 coffee or tea? – Tea, with orange blossom honey.
7 best vacation spot ever? – A cabin in the woods at Hocking Hills here in Ohio. It is like the world disappears when you are there.
8 what do you want to be remembered for? – I just want to be remembered as a kind, dependable person. I don’t think there is a better compliment you can give someone than to say you trust them implicitly.
9 what made your best boss ever your best boss? – My best boss was at OSU Hospital in the Medical Intensive Care Unit. She was the best because she was hard, stubborn, difficult, strict and the most compassionate person I’ve ever met. That combination created the best boss ever!
10 preferred way to spend a Sunday afternoon? – Listening to music, knitting, baking, reading, cuddling with my husband and my cat. No TV, just being with one another without distractions.
11 If you won a million, what would you do differently? – I would go to the best hand specialist in the world to see if they could fix my hand. I would buy better yarn. I would help support therapy dog trainers and owners because they are invaluable. I would eat only fresh food, nothing frozen.

My Questions for the Nominees:

What is your perfect meal?
If you could meet your idol (who is it?) and only say one sentence, what would it be?
If you could have a guest role on a television show, what show would it be?
If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Would you rather go to the Oscars, Super Bowl, Olympics, or Tony’s?
If you can go back in time and see any concert, what would it be?
If you could switch bodies with someone for a day, who would it be and why?
What Super Power do you wish you had and why?
What is the one event in life that has made you who you are today?
Would you rather be deaf or blind and why?
Would you rather live to the age of 40 with perfect contentment or live to 200 with all life’s ups and downs?

Choosing blogs is the hardest part, because I read so many amazing blogs every day – many of which have already been nominated. I may have given these bloggers awards before but these are the highlights of my day. So, in no particular order here are my nominees (remember, you can accept one or both awards, you’re that amazing!):

*I hope that I did this correctly and that you haven’t received these awards already or you’re over 200 followers. I tried to check but I may have missed something. If so, please just take it as a compliment that I wanted to highlight and showcase the amazing work you are doing!

Holy Crap Batman!!!!

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I am on my way!

I never post twice in one day but this is pretty exciting news for me, so I want to share. It has been a rough weekend and the week isn’t looking much brighter, but you have to find the joy in things or you’ll end up curled up in the fetal position, eating your own hair. This is good news friends and neighbors and I just couldn’t wait to share! Thank you so much for all your support and for reading my rants, I’m still awed!

OH HAPPY BLOGGING DAY!

A Duo of OSU Buckeye Hats

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Last week I had this very sudden, very overwhelming urge to knit for fall. It seems quite silly considering it is still spring here in the Buckeye State, but all I could think about was cuddly sweaters, tailgating, hot chocolate and my OSU Buckeyes. So I went through my yarn stash, which happens to be full of fall colors, and found the scarlet and gray that screamed “Football Season!” as loudly as possible and casted on.

Thankfully this time I remembered to take pictures of my progress, just to see how the hat came to life. If it worked, fantastic! I would always have these to look back on and take gauge measurements on. If it didn’t, I would be able to see where the mistake was.

: Three Sections Down

: Four Sections Down

: Six Sections Down

: Finished!

There was no need to worry however, the hat turned out fantastic! I had taken a pattern I have written about before (the Etta Hat) and heavily augmented it to fit the yarn I was using and the color changes that would be necessary. I still would never call this my own pattern, but I believe this is a step in the right direction. Sitting down with graph paper and rewriting to fit my needs was a bit scary at first, but I am thrilled with the results!

Up Top Sharpened.

A Bit Blurry on Top.

Facing Left.

Close Up Facing Left.

Back Decrease Natural Light.

Back Decrease Sharpened.

Mostly Gray OSU Buckeye Hat.

Trying to Show the Slouch.

Up Close Showing Dimensional Lace.

So with a successful hat cleaned, blocked and photographed I was feeling pretty good about myself. Then I started to stare at the hat, my Panic Monster going “Well, it certainly is GRAY isn’t it?”. I started to worry that there wasn’t enough color, not to mention an overwhelming (it isn’t really, but the Panic Monster thought there was) amount of gray. I checked the yardage I had left, figured if I prayed to the knitting gods there might just (barley) be enough for another hat. I was off and running, casting on hat number two with more red than gray.

Back Decrease-Natural.

Back Decrease-Sharpened.

Front

Up Top Front.

Facing Right.

Facing Left-Sharpened.

Mostly Red OSU Buckeye Hat

Facing Left-Natural.

As it turns out there was 5″ of red and (oh my!) 2″ of gray left to finish the hat. I just made it and I am aware of just how lucky I am that I did. I loved the new hat, it had more warmth to it with the scarlet framing the face. Then I started to stare at these two hats and I was perplexed, which one did I really like better? I loved how both the hats turned out and liked them both for different reasons. The hat with more gray seemed to be more akin to most OSU athletic colors and the red was warmer with that beautiful red framing the face and popping out with the lace. Stupid Panic Monster, I like both!

Mostly Gray Collage.

Mostly Red Collage.

So I am going to leave it up to you friends and neighbors to tell me which one you think is better, if you would like to share that it. Do you like more red in the hat, or do you like more gray? I would love to hear from you, your input and influence is making me a better knitter!

Red? or Gray? YOU CHOOSE!!

And yes, I am paying homage to House of Leaves here by changing the colors on the post, I was feeling puckish!

My Favorite Movies From A to Z

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I want to give a HUGE Thank You to everyone that commented on my last post. I never dreamed that I would receive such kind words and support from such a wonderful group of people. I am incredibly thankful to all of you.

I love movies, always have and always will. Despite my emetophobia which can be exacerbated by seeing my phobia come to life on screen, I will never let that little Panic Monster keep me from what I love. Come what may!

: Assassination of a High School President

: Brick

: Children of Men

: The Departed

: Eyes Wide Shut

: The Fountain

: The Goonies

: A History of Violence

: I Heart Huckabees

: Junebug

: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

: L.A. Confidential

: Melancholia

: No Country for Old Men

: Ordinary People

: Pulp Fiction

: Quarantine

: Rocket Science

: Saved!

: True Romance

: United States of Leland

: Vicky Cristina Barcelona

: Wonder Boys

: X-Men Fist Class

: You Can Count on Me

: Zodiac

Wanna see the links to these fantastic films on Amazon? Click Below and I will do the rest! Hope you’ve enjoyed reading my little list as I did creating it!

A Sad Day

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I had planned on posting about my duo of OSU Buckeye hats today, but I am just not in the mood. We found out yesterday that my husband is going to lose his job….Monday. They sold his company and literally gave him, what, five days of notice?

The scariest part of having to live on just my salary is that our insurance was through his company, so come Tuesday yours truly will not be insured. That means no hand care, no medication coverage or either the panic monster or my stupid hand. I feel so horrible for my husband who has given this company 7 really faithful years.

So, to knit or not to knit? My panic monster is screaming that I should probably just sit in a padded room to avoid injury. Is this the American dream? Work your every loving ass off and have everything fall apart around you?

Okay, so I am feeling pretty bad for us right now. I just need to put my head down and push through. But man oh man, I am just terrified.

Stitch Pattern Week 10 – A Misbehaving Hand & WIPs & Photos for Fun…Oh My!

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I feel as if I have been quite neglectful of my blog here recently. Since the little setback with my hand I’ve lost a bit of my knitting confidence, afraid that I’ll make a mistake on something simple and feel utterly lost on how to proceed. Luckily I did this weeks stitch pattern on the 12th, so here it is friends and neighbors – The Chevron Stitch!

The Chevron Stitch

I’ve gotta tell you, GG really gave it to me when I found this pattern. She called it the Triangles Stitch (no help there) and the instructions….I thought I would rather curl up and die than try to figure this out. Once I figured it out, which admittedly took way to much time, I was on a roll. It is a simple, dimensional and textural stitch, and now that I know what is going on I think I want to try to work with it in another way.

: Trying to identify the textures.

: Edited to death trying to find stitch distinction.

: The Chevron Stitch.

: The Chevron Stitch shot upwards.

*Please forgive me in advance if there are any errors in my typing, I am going at this using the hunt and peck method to avoid straining my hand. I am normally a decent editor, but after a while I get tired of finding all these stupid mistakes caused by my misbehaving appendage.

* * So GG, What Torture Awaits Us This Week? * *

My notebook on how to discern crazy.

r1 k1 p7k1 – Row 1: K1; *P7, K1; rep. from * till end (okay, not to bad so far, she even gave me a space between row and pattern. I doesn’t last but hey!, I will take what I can get)

r2 p1 k7p1 way – Row 2: P1; *K7, P1; rep from * till end of row (what does way mean? all they way? way to go? I am way laughing at you? I think it’s the latter.)

3 k2 p5k3 – Row 3: K2; *P5, K3; rep. from * till last rep., P5, K2. (We’ve given up the niceties of putting “r” in front of the row, I am sensing a deterioration! Not to mention that the last repeats of the rows are not as written, I am filling in the gaps here.)

4 p2k5p3 – Row 4: P2; *K5, P3; rep from * till last rep.. K5, P2. (Okay, now we’ve almost given up on spaces. Luckily the pattern was obviously starting to take shape, so an intuitive leap wasn’t that far)

5 k3p3x5 – Row 5: K3; *P3, K5; rep from * till last rep., P3, K3 (I am sure the “x” was a “k” at some point or another, or maybe she just got tired of writing down the letter “k”? Your guess is as good as mine.

6p3k3p5 – Row 6: P3; *K3, P5; rep. from * till last rep., K3, P3 (All right, GG is getting really, really tired of writing this pattern. Even her handwriting is starting to take a nosedive, she just wants to knit people!)

7k4p1k7 – Row 7: K4; *P1, K7; rep. from * till last rep., P1, K4 (Almost there, hang strong!)

8p417 – Row 8: P4 *K1, P7; rep. from *till last rep., K1, P4 (While I am sure she understood this jumble of numbers (and if you think about it, it does follow a pattern) but how on earth could she share this with anyone?)

* * THIS IS ABOUT TO GET REALLY FUNNY, PREPARE YOURSELVES * *

R9 to16. work beg sets backwards. (Umm…SERIOUSLY! This was how that pattern ended, with a cryptic instruction so insane the CIA couldn’t crack it. Thank goodness for the internet.)

Row 9: Rep. Row 2.
Row 10: Rep. Row 1.
Row 11: Rep Row 4.
Row 12: Rep. Row 3.
Row 13: Rep. Row 6
Row 14: Rep. Row 5
Row 15: Rep. Row 8
Row 16: Rep. Row 7

* * WIP it Baby, WIP it All Night…ALL NIGHT! * *

There was no WIP Wednesday this week due to my hand, but here is a run down of what’s currently on my needles.

The Fault in Our Stars Scarf
Baby Blanket
A Duo of OSU Buckeye Hats (I cannot wait to finish these!)
Knitted Necklace (certain to be a disaster but I can handle 3 stitches at a time.)
Magical Thinking Scarf (I really need to think about where I put it, I can’t find it!)

: Magical Thinking Scarf

: Roman Pillar Baby Blanket

: The Fault in Our Stars

: Knitted Jewelry.

: OSU Buckeye Hat part 1. Mainly Gray.

* * Photos For Fun * *

I may not be knitting all that I would like to, but that hasn’t kept me away from taking photos and playing with filters. These are some truly bad photos I admit, my hands are shaky and my positioning is for crap. This will not deter me however, I love taking a walk and just snapping away. Enjoy!

: Rain on Elephant Ear.

: Sunrise.

: Orange Roses.

: Rain on Leaves.

: My Slice of Heaven.

: My ridiculous arthritis glove.

: Downpour on Leaves.

: Bedside Table Study.

: Pink Roses.

: Orange Flower- Full Sun.

: Two Birds, SO Lucky I got this!

So here we are friends and neighbors, at the end of a labor of love post. I hope you’ve enjoyed what you’ve seen and read. As always insight in welcome and I hope to hear from you soon!

Lists are Calming – My Favorite Authors From A to Z

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Dear Panic Monster,

You may have my attention after a particularly rough day, but I think I have you beat. It started with part of my oven falling on my hand that ended up with me in the Emergency Room – hyperventilating. My hand is all better, stuck full of drugs and relieved of it’s swelling it is the only thing that feel alright right now. OCD sucks, I know there are worse things but I will be damned if I can think of them right now. Thank God for Dragon Dictate. So, to calm my troubled mind here is a list of my favorite authors from A to Z.

: Peter Abrahams

: Christopher Buckley

: Patricia Cornwell

: Joan Didion

: Dave Eggers

: Gillian Flynn

: John Green

: Christopher Hitchens

: John Irving

: James Joyce

: Stephen King

: Elmore Lenord

: W. Somerset Maugham

: Audrey Niffenegger

: George Orwell

: Tom Perrotta

: Matthew Quick

: Michael Robotham

: David Sedaris

: Hunter S. Thompson

: Stephen Unwin

: Voltaire

: Kathleen Woodiwiss

: Gao Xingjian

: Richard Yates

: Emile Zola

Ah…sweet release. Just thinking about ole curmudgeonly Maugham makes me feel so much better! I never noticed that my authors are almost exclusively male and I find that rather odd, maybe it is time to give some female writers a bump on my “to read” list.

So friends and neighbors, do you have any favorite authors? The ones that make your toes curl, your heart race or quite your mind? If so, I am dying to know!

Your Mood & Your Gauge – A Psychological Study

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– Not to sound desperate but Please Read This: I need input! –

The panic monster in my head started screaming at me one dreary morning this week, it was a litany of “you swatched this, why can’t you do anything right?” and “do you even know how to knit”. Well Panic Monster, I did a little study and proved that you are seriously messing up my knitting.

The back story to this diatribe is that a few weeks ago I designed a pattern for a baby blanket. I swatched, double checked, changed sizes to accommodate my misbehaving hand and put it aside knowing it would be ready when I went to cast on. So on Monday I did just that, I proceeded to cast on a whopping 244 stitches and went full speed ahead fully intending on pumping out this blanket. To my horror, the blanket felt stiff and tight. No longer was this the soft, airy, loose baby blanket I had envisioned, honestly the silly thing felt more like a rug than a blanket. I doubled checked all my notes and my swatch, I was doing exactly what I had planned. No deviation from the original swatch. So what happened?

The psychology major in me (one of my many degrees screams my OCD, type-A rattled mind) decided that my hand was not to blame for this one, my brain was the culprit. When I originally did my swatch I was relaxed; the weather was beautiful so the windows were open, I was as well rested as I get and Max was curled in my lap mesmerized by the yarn moving inches from his face. All was good in my brain the day of the swatch. On Monday, the day after Mother’s Day, I still felt emotionally hung over from once again not being a Mom. I was tense, upset, hadn’t slept well and had consumed copious amounts of caffeine. You can guess what comes next.

My Panic Monster was messing with my knitting.

I frogged the blanket and did another swatch, appalled by the fact I needed needles two sizes bigger to achieve the same effect. For all you non-knitters out there, two sizes is a huge difference – just picture needing shoes two sizes bigger. Two sizes…what are you supposed to do with that? and how much of this has affected my other knitted items? I have never noticed a finish product looking awkward or clunky, so how do you proceed?

Well, there are sedative….Just kidding. Kind of. You’ll see.

I spent the week doing the same swatch while experiencing the following emotions: Exhaustion (up for more than 19 hours), Happiness, Calmness, Sedation (a happy little pill to calm the Panic Monster that I rarely use, but after Mother’s Day I was a mess for several days) and Extreme Anxiety. I would come back to my needles during these emotions, knit the original swatch and then proceed to correct it with the appropriate needles. The results were a tad jarring.

Swatch: 10rows by 10rows should be 4″ by 4″ on size 7 needles.

Exhaustion: Swatch was 5″ by 5.4″. Desired swatch size had to be changed to size 6 needles with increase in tension.
Happiness: Swatch was 4″ by 4″. No changes necessary. Also no surprise.
Calmness: Swatch was 4″ by 4.6″. Only slight correction in tension needed.
Sedation: Swatch was 6.2″ by 8.7! Changed to size 5 needles rendered a product of 5″ by 5.4″. Changed to size 4 needles 4.1″ by 4.2″. Once tension was correct the product was 4″ by 4″.
Extreme Anxiety: Swatch was 2.8″ by 3.1″. Change to size 9 needles resulted in 3.9″ by 3.8″. Consideration with tension and yet another swatch led me to size 10 needles which was 4.1″ by 4.1″.

I am rarely sedated so I’ve dismiss this as a duh! moment, if you are fuzzy and loopy of course your knitting isn’t going to be tight. That’s why it’s not a good idea to knit while drunk, one of the many good ideas :). It was the Extreme Anxiety swatch that scares me; as I move my knitting to sweaters, shrugs and socks my anxiety could produce a product that is never going to fit right. How can you correct for the Panic Monster?

What I have noticed is that my knitting relaxes me. So I asked a nurse at work to watch my vitals during a panic attack; everyone I work with already knows about my Panic Monster and I have never felt ashamed of it. Thank God for nurses, oh hell, hospital staff in general. Nothing surprises them. Anyway, after about 20 minutes of straight knitting I am calmer, my heart rate slows and my blood pressure drops. So I have come to the conclusion that I need to be knitting something simple for about 20 minutes before moving on to the more complex, more complicated types of knitting to ensure that my gauge is correct. I am going to have to do the same thing before I swatch a pattern out so that I can avoid more frogging.

Yowzer. What a week.

So, friends and neighbors who manage to get through my ramblings I would like to ask a few questions. Have anything like this happened to you? Do you find that your swatches can vary from one day to the next? How do you work through the process of ensuring that what you are knitting will be the exact shape and size that it needs to be?

Another Award? Are You Sure?

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– The Super Sweet Blogging Award –

Super Sweet Blogging Award

I am still completely overwhelmed and perplexed by receiving the Versatile Blogger Award, so this one has left me nearly deaf and dumb! It doesn’t help my confusion that I was given this award by Knitting with Heart, which is a blog that I come close to stalking! I want to thank you so much for even considering to pass this along to me and I will do my best to continue on this wonderful surprise. So with all awards there are some rules that come with it. I will try my hardest to do this right!!

THE RULES:
Copy & Paste This Whole Post and Replace All Your Information — who awarded you, for example.

1. Thank the Super Sweet Blogger that nominated you. (Done!)
2. Answer 5 Super Sweet questions. (Done!)
3. Include the Super Sweet Blogging Award in your blog post (Done!)
4. Nominate a baker’s dozen (13) other deserving bloggers.
5. Notify your Super Sweet nominees on their blog.

– THE 5 SUPER SWEET QUESTIONS –

1 – Cookies or Cake?
– Cake!! How can anything be as good as a slice of cake and a glass of milk?

2 – Chocolate or Vanilla?
– Vanilla

3 – Favorite Sweet Treat?
– Key Lime Pie….oh good God I love that pie.

4 – When Do You Crave Sweet Things The Most?
– Around four in the morning. Not the best time to crave sweets but with how I sleep I guess that is more like seven o’clock at night for “normal” folks.

5 – Sweet Nick Name?
– Shug (pronounced just like it’s spelled). This is what my Mom called me growing up.

OK, so now to nominate 13 other fellow bloggers of mine I feel deserve this award…This is the worst part of receiving a blogging award, there are just too many people I want to give it to. Okay…here it goes!

– My 13 NOMINEES FOR THIS AMAZING AWARD GOES TO……

Pointe Shoes Punk Rock and Purl– Yarn Bombs, Hysterical Videos, Helpful Tabs and a voice all her own. I look forward to every post which displays both talent and a wicked sense of humor
aHandKnitLife – Displaying an intimidating amount of talent, this blogger also supports Knitting in Recovery. Championing a cause as deserving as this makes you super sweet.
knittingsarah – An eye for photography and a spinning goddess, this blogger makes me want to buy local yarn every day. The clarity and colors in her work are fantastic, she could make any knitter feel a tad envious.
B.G.Bowers – Do you like to read? Well then there is nothing on this site that you aren’t going to like. Inspirational poetry, love of music and an openness that makes you feel like you are drinking coffee and talking in person – not just reading a blog.
kfklever – A Klever knitter indeed! Intricate lace work, gorgeous photographs and an easy, care free attitude when offering help makes her one of my favorite bloggers!
polkadotsandsparkles – Knitting talent, an easy sense of humor and great taste in music makes this blog a must read.
Knitting Rays of Hope – Another knitter championing a great cause, she shows her love for children and knitting one hat at a time. This blog is sure to be an inspiration to any reader.
knitnrun4sanity – This is an amazing blog, I will get that out of the way because it is obvious. This blogger also has helped me personally by sharing her strengths and advice from thing great and small, and it is greatly appreciated!
A World Created – A Blog with a little bit of everything that is good and fuzzy. Awesome writing, diverse posts and an air of sweetness. Perfect for this award!
Chris the Story Reading Ape’s Blog – Want to laugh while you are getting priceless insights to books, reading, writing and life? Check this out. Seriously…I will wait….
schmoozelfleugen – Want a little bit of everything? Check out this eclectic blogger who also happens to be an amazing conversationalist!
Monster Yarns – I don’t know what to say about this blog because there are just too many good things to say. This blog makes me want to be a better blogger and knitter.
Movies, Silently – I love silent movies and I love this blog. The dedication to her posts are nothing short of miraculous, I check every day to see what movie she is going to review and am awed by her writing.

Congratulations guys! 🙂

There are so many more blogs I want to say “thank you” to, but since I can only do 13 these are my picks. Thank you bloggers, you are an inspiration to me.

Stitch Pattern Week 9 & Expanding the Store

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Drumroll please….Here comes Stitch Pattern Week 9! The Linen Stitch!

The Linen Stitch

This week has seemed ridiculous, it just won’t slow down! I feel a tad bit guilty doing the Linen Stitch because I use this all the time. With a little Sugar and Cream yarn this makes the perfect face cloth! I probably have a dozen of these in my bathroom closet and use them everyday. I love the idea of being able to use something I make on a daily basis, I also love that the things that I make will always outlast anything that I can buy in a big box store. These are so simple to knit up and they never die! If they start to look a little grungy I just put them in with the cleaning rags and they get to live another life. They are also excellent for polishing silver, don’t ask me why…just one of the great things about knitted stitches!

: Playing with Light

: The Linen Stitch

: Ahh..Bumpy!

: Playing this some more light.

Alright GG, it’ll be a quick on today won’t it?

co odd – Cast on any number of Odd Stitches (Aces!)

r1 cor k then sl yth k, rep – Row 1: (RS) K1 *Sl1 wyif, K1; rep from * to end of row. (I think the yarn towards heart (yth) is really starting to grow on me.)

r2wrg k p then slp away k rep til end k – Row 2: (WS) K1, P1 *Sl1 wyib, K1; rep from * to last stitch, K1 (The wrg caught me a little off guard but like I said, I know this stitch backward and forward. I wonder if other women she knitted with wrote patterns like this?)

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

– Expanding the Store –

I have spent the majority of my day so far right here, in front of my computer feeling my shoulders slowly inch towards my ears. I have added more items to my Etsy store and although they are items I fully back on every front, they are…dull. Dish cloths friends and neighbors, I am selling dish cloths. I want to say that I know that these little babies will last forever, they are so strong and resilient to anything. Anyone who has every knitted with Sugar and Cream knows that it won’t die. I even reenforced the edges to ensure that the corners were double knitted just so the chance of them unraveling will never…ever happen. But who will buy these? My Panic Monster keeps telling that this too boring to try sell, even if the product is incredibly well made. My great grandmother mades these more than 20 years ago and they are still around, I hold myself to the incredibly high standards she set. That nagging fear of failure is still tapping on my shoulder, insisting to be be heard.

So what do you do when you’re stressed out about knitting? Stress out about photos instead!

Sunrise – Filter Fun

Sunrise- Filter

Summer Sky – Filter

Flower Study

Sunrise – Rainbow Filter

Flower Study

Sunrise – Texture

Bedside Table

Flower Study – Collages are Fun!

Flower Study

So what’s going on friends and neighbors? What do you think about the success/failure of selling/buying certain items of Etsy and do you think if you’re a knitter you’d look at it differently?

Wednesday’s WIPs & Setting a Good Example

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Hello Wednesday, I cannot believe you are here already! This week seems to have sprouted wings and flown away from me a bit. So many things to do and so very little time. The needles are busy here in the Buckeye State on all sorts of goodies. As I am sitting here in my knitting/reading chair and looking at the profuse amount of yarn around me I am a bit terrified, how did I end up with so many things on the needles at once? Let’s see if I cannot break it down a bit:

The Fault in Our Stars Scarf (my first every design!)
Roman Pillar Stitch Baby Blanket (super-duper snuggly and soon will be off the needles)
Magical Thinking Scarf (saw the yarn, thought of Joan Didion’s book and went with it)
Stitch Pattern Week 9 ( better be off this morning – No peeking at the pattern yet though!)
Another scarf (oh…when did I start this? Oh Right! Super soft scarf for a friend with radiation burns…that needs to get done yesterday…)
Chevron Stitch afghan (this doesn’t need to come off till December 24th at the latest)
Hot Water Bottle Cover (off the needles…NOW!)

: The Fault in Our Stars

: Roman Pillar Baby Blanket

: Chevron Sampler

: Hot Water Bottle Cover

: Super Soft Scarf

: Magical Thinking Scarf

Too many things going at once? Nope, don’t think so. When it comes to knitting I am like a swinger – married to knit but will knit anything….anytime and anywhere! 🙂

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

-Good Examples-

As the weather warms and summer approaches that means more time for me and the munchkin. My brother works at Muirfield and the summer’s are so busy that I get to have her all to myself, where as in the winter I have to share her more than I would like. As she has gotten older and developed more of a personality and we have grown closer, she seems more and more adult every time I see her. In the back of my mind though, as we spend this time together I worry I am a bad example.

Due to a series of unfortunate events (putting it lightly) I am not where I thought I would be at 28. When I lost functionality in my hand I just quit writing, taking photos and expanding these things that used to be concrete dreams. I gave up a bit – okay, a lot – and it has been through knitting, my husband and the munchkin that I am slowly getting back to where I want to be. This doesn’t erase the fact that I am still not there, and since Gloria’s mother is not in the picture I want to be a strong female role model for the munchkin. Am I cut out for that?

Mental illness makes me goofy. My OCD panic monster has given me noticeable quirks that have always been accepted by the munchkin, but is seeing them bad for her? I try to get her to read as much and as often as possible (without being pushy), but do I know what is the best things for her to read? She spends time in our library at home, but have I filled the shelves with the best possible things for her to read?

We play Scrabble, we read, we talk about writing, we watch movies, we giggle….we do cool aunt stuff. I just want her to know how proud of her I am, and I want to be someone she can look up to.

So friends and neighbors…how do you set a good example for the people in your life you love? Any advice is good advice in my book.

* * * *

-Finding My Way Back-

I am trying to get back to my photography roots, trying to remember my dreams. Have a look!

Oh So Pretty

A Play with Light

Lilacs

Good Morning

Street Lamp at 3am

Nature Reflected

Cherry Blossoms

An Award? Seriously!

39 Replies

I never expected to receive an award for blogging, especially from a blog I admire so much. Thank you so much to Organize and Craft for this, I love your blog and still cannot believe you actually read mine! 🙂

I’m going to copy from there what this award is all about…

So.. here are the rules:

If you are nominated, you’ve been awarded the Versatile Blogger award.

Thank the person who gave you this award. That’s common courtesy. (Done)
Include a link to their blog. That’s also common courtesy — if you can figure out how to do it. (Done)
Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly. ( I would add, pick blogs or bloggers that are excellent!)
Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award — you might include a link to this site. (Done)
Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself. (Done)

-My list of 15 blogs-

-And Now… 7 Things About Myself…-

Serious caffeine addiction, especially Diet Coke.
I consider myself a connoisseur of horror movies.
My childhood hero was my Papaw (my Mom’s Dad).
I have broken 24 bones in 10 years…Super Klutzy.
I play the ukulele…saw it in Blue Valentine and HAD to learn.
I speak fluent French, which is super useful in Ohio!
I have a weakness for Lego’s, particularly the architecture series.

The Munchkin & Harry Potter (Hat) Love

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I have been listening to my friends talk about the birth of their children for years now, I may only be 28 but it seems my generation is okey-dokey with popping them out early. There is no judgement here; they all seem so happy, so content with life. I may experience the pangs of not having a child of my own – by which I mean someone who I carried in my body and brought into the world. I don’t think a day goes by where I don’t feel a sharp stab from this fact, being a woman whose body cannot do the one function that can create new life is utterly soul-shattering. Or it would be, if not for my Munchkin.

My Munchkin as Harry Potter – Age 4.

This is my niece Gloria, but for the purposes of this blog I will always refer to her as the Munchkin; this is what I’ve always called her and until she begs me to stop I will continue to do so. I did not give birth to the Munchkin, but I live and breathe for her, I would die for her. Isn’t this what motherhood feels like? Like an infinite well of love that will never go dry? She is the primary reason I strive to be a better person and has been since the day she was born.

: 5 Whole Minutes Old.

: Barely 2 – Oh…that grin!

: Christmas 2005 – I Could Stare All Day.

: As the Flower Girl at our Wedding

Oh nostalgia, I am getting away from my point here!

Okay. Tears dried, nose blown and ready to move onward!

It was because of the Munchkin that I have been inundated with Harry Potter for the past 10 years. She LOVED these movies, we watched them so many times that the DVD’s wore themselves out and had to be replaced. I could quote lines from Harry Potter like a devout Christian can recite scripture, and I never grew tired of it. Watching her face come to life in the midst of imaginary worlds filled with magic created its own sort of magic here on earth. As she grew older and started reading the books I was elated at the possibility of continuing that magic, and I was never disappointed.

So as I was pondering Tiny Owl Knits blog and saw a Harry Potter-esq hat…well…my credit card has never jumped out of my wallet so quickly! The Parseltongue Hat may be my favorite Tiny Owl Knits creation due solely to the fact that the whole time I was knitting it was like a lovely trip down memory lane. I have been watching the Munchkin grow up for almost 12 years now (oh God, I feel old) but Harry Potter still reminds me of the magic of childhood.

So I knit, and knit, and knit until I could barely feel my fingers with my brand-spanking new addi-clicks which are as amazing as everyone says. It was the first time I worked a pattern from the crown down which was like a little adventure all by itself, luckily one that didn’t end in a brim that was overly tight due to my overly tight gauge. Stephanie Dosen is a genius with creative, whimsical patterns and this hat was no different. As I saw the snakes and their tongues sliding off my needles, well, I was giddy.

Cabled Snakes Hat.

Left Profile

Right Profile

Up Close and Personal Up Top

Even MORE Up Close and Personal!

Snakes Make Me Smile.

I love this pattern, and I will make it again and again. For now though, I am keeping this hat to remind me that life is magical. I may never be called “mommy” by a tiny little person who kind of looks like me, but I have been called “Rachel” for the last 12 years by my Munchkin, and there is nothing more I hold dear.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I want to say Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mom’s out there! Mother’s Day may be hard for someone like me but hey, I have a Mom so I get it. Two baby showers this weekend and I won’t have another for a whole 6 weeks!

So friends and neighbors, any patterns/books/music/movies that make you feel like there is still magic in the world? If so, I am dying to hear about it!

Best. Day. Ever!

9 Replies

Oh the giddiness! Just when the panic monster had all but beaten me down, I came home to a surprise that knocked my knitted socks off! My husband. Oh my beautiful, caring, loving, adorable husband had a few surprises in store for me.

Max, Addi-Clicks Lace and The Knitter’s Life List!

That’s right! My husband bought me the Addi-Click Short Lace Needles I have been lusting after…. forever! They’re incredible, there are not enough good things I can say about these needles. They make an arthritic hand feel like a fully functional one. The short needles don’t cramp my hands or remind me that my last three fingers (that usually unsuccessfully grasp the bottom of circular needles) don’t work because they don’t have too! I will fully admit that I gasped, screamed, squeaked, jumped, clapped (which is really funny to watch with my hand) and eventually cried when I saw these amazing needles in my home.

: Hello Lovely!

: What a Pretty Carrier You Have.

: I have Dreamt of You.

: Mine!! ALL MINE!

Me: They’re MINE? I get to keep them? Are you SURE? Where did you get them? How did you know? Why NOW? Why ME? Oh God… I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

Husband: Honey, you’ve earned them. Oh…and there’s more.

If I was the swooning type, I would have hit the floor at this point in the conversation. It took a minute for my vision to clear so I could see the book on the table. The Knitter’s Life List was sitting right next to the needles and I had totally missed it! Thanks to iknead2knit for this wonderful book suggestion, it may be the only thing in the house that can pull me away from my fancy schmancy new needles! The book is full of all sorts of tips, ideas and my all time favorite thing, lists! You check off as you go and the whole thing just….well….takes me to my happy place.

With two baby showers this week, a full-time job, a niece I adore more than words and a husband that will support me right till the end I gotta tell ya, this has been an amazing day!

Stitch Pattern Week 8 – Dreams & Fears

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Well friends and neighbors, it’s that time again! Let’s see what GG could work out for us this week. I humbly present to you Stitch Pattern Week 8- The Daisy Stitch.

Hello Daisy

If you follow this blog, you’ll recognize the daisy stitch from the Hinagiku Hat that was posted a few days ago. I liked the pattern so much – and found it in GG’s patterns – that I went out and bought some ridiculously (for me) expensive pure eco cotton and made bath mitts! The green was so fresh and vibrant that is screamed spring at me, and knitting it was like going back to an old friend. Knitted in the round, the daisy stitch twisted and turned as if on its on accord. It was made to be big enough to fit comfortably over your hand so you can scrub till your heart’s content. I’m kinda in love…. 😉

Folds in the Bath Mitt

Hello Daisy Stitch!

******** ********

Wanna see GG’s written Pattern? No worries, it will be anxiously waiting for you at the bottom of the page.

******** ********

-Dreams-

This week I opened an Etsy store, made a Facebook Fan Page, and barely managed to keep my head on my shoulders. It has always been a dream of mine to open a little shop full of handmade goodies. I never had dreams of making loads of money, not that it wouldn’t be a good thing, but of having things I created put to use in other people’s homes. These items are near and dear to my heart, everything made with love and care but also with the memories of generations of knitters behind it. My GG’s dish cloths are still in use today and she passed on almost 20 years ago, but every time I pull one of her dish cloths out I think of her. The wonder of turning a strand of yarn into something purposeful and beautiful is still remarkable to me. I always wanted to share that with people.

-Fears-

The downside to trying to bring your dreams into the light is that there is that looming sense of dread that you will be a complete and utter failure. Take for example the expensive Etsy kit I bought. I loved it when I saw it, the designer did an amazing job and did exactly what I asked for. But I don’t like it. It doesn’t resonate as something I thought my store was about and now there is that shadow of doubt hanging over my head.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The panic monster in my mind has been screaming at me the past two days, it has invaded every thought and every action with its annoying chatter.

Me: This is a good start.

Panic Monster: Not good enough.

Me: This is really well made, took a while but still something I would use or give as a present.

Panic Monster: Took too long, could be better. SHOULD be better.

Me: So the Blog following and Facebook pages will take a while to grow, that’s how it should be.

Panic Monster: Nobody is going to bother with your sill websites, they look like crap!

Me: So what if I haven’t gotten a blogging award, it’s only been eight weeks! Time and patience and keep working hard, it’s the way things are done when done correctly!

Panic Monster: Never gonna happen, duh! You suck, your writing since college has gone down the tube and nobody gives a crap for a sub-par arthritic knitter. Don’t quit your day job loser.

This is pretty much how it has been going in my overly anxious mind. My OCD and panic monster are chopping at the bit to remind me that, guess what? there are things you CANNOT DO! Oh well live and learn and then get a big bat to smash the panic monster to bits and pieces.

There are so many wonderful, award-winning blogs that have introduced me to the talent and creativity that is out there. How could I possibly compete with that? Some have views in the six digit category and some have hundreds (if not thousands) of followers. So yes, it is intimidating to put yourself out there. I am just going to have to remind myself (and my panic monster) that I love what I am doing. Worse comes to worst and I never sell a thing and no one ever reads my blog again, I will have gifts for the next ten years to give and I will always love writing.

GG, Papaw, my husband and Max would be proud.

******** ********

GG’s Stitch Pattern vs. The Real Deal

-The Daisy Stitch-

(No cast on number…hmm….good start GG. Good start!)

odd k – Rows 1 and 3 (RS): K (Good, Good.)

r2 k1,p3together,ya,p3together –Row 2: K1 *p3 tog and don’t drop them off the needle, yo (wrapping yarn completely around needle), p same 3 together again and drop them, k1; rep from * (At first I really thought that I was going to end up with no stitches left on my needles until I visited my Hinagiku Hat pattern and figured this out. Thank goodness for the internet)

r4 kpk-p3together,ya,p3tog -Row 4: K1, p1, k1 *p3 tog and don’t drop them off the needle, yo (wrapping yarn completely around needle), p same 3 together again and drop them, k1; rep from *, end p1, k1 (Again, thank you ol’ in-tra-net (my grandfather loved to say this just to bug the living he!! out of me) you’ve saved me loads of frogging. As for you GG, I wish you were her so I could take you to town for this!)

******** ********

Well my ramblings have gone on far too long, I hope you enjoyed what you’ve seen or read, and thank you for visiting. To pose a question; Where did you get the inspiration/ know-how to make all of your blogs look so lovely? so functional? so…inviting? You’re all inspirations to bloggers at any level!

I Jumped…I JUMPED INTO THE DEEP END!!!!

8 Replies

I will try to keep this brief because I really should get back to my knitting, not to mention away from my computer for a bit. Well friends and neighbors I did it! I opened my Etsy store!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AllNightKnits

You can find me now – with my whopping two items on sale – at AllNightKnits on Etsy.

Also, I made a Facebook Fan Page. It felt…odd. Blatant self-promotion makes me slightly uncomfortable but if this is what I have to do to make a my dream come true, so let it be! Not everything is done, there are still so many kinks still in dire need of being worked out, but it is a start.

I had a good plan in the works that wouldn’t have me diving into this for another two and a half months, but with a dear friend recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer I thought “What am I waiting for?”. Life is short, and if you have a dream just…jump.

So there you have it friends and neighbors. If it isn’t too much of a bother, like the Facebook Fan Page – I think I got the button on my sidebar up and running- or check out the store that is sure to have more than two things in it by the end of the week.

I hope there is goodness to come from this, as horrifically nervous as I am of falling flat on my face, I am still hopeful!

Slouchy Hats & My Happy Places

11 Replies

Sometimes I search out comfort, things that resonate in my mind as safe and inviting. Tea with orange blossom honey, my grandmother’s lemon meringue pie or even better, a good book.

There are some books that just holding them brings back a flood of memories and a sensation of falling into a time when life was just less complicated. The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss was the first romance book I ever read and it was enjoyed by the fireplace because we had lost power to the blizzard that took over the entire midwest that year. Perfect setting for romance I might add. When my grandfather was dying, I turned to The Stand by Stephen King. It may seem an odd choice, it’s content largely based around life and death, but the characters being so rich, so familiar brought ease to my troubled mind.

Certain things just bring us back to a place where we can be fearless, where we can handle anything. I am a lucky girl, because I can add knitting to the list of happy places.

My Happy Place Hat

For the life of me, I have no idea where this pattern came from. I have looked through all my books, magazines and scoured knitting websites looking for its origin. All I have is a pattern my scrawl to go by – Bonus for you because I am going to put it at the bottom of the page though!

This was the first hat I made in the round, the first project that had cables in it and the knitted object I have made the most. I have made dozens of these hats, they fly off my needles and into my friends and families hands like hotcakes. Even my niece wanted her own, which made me giddy. So, when I am stressed or need to feel like a superhero, I do this pattern.

As an added bonus to saving time knitting, I spent more time with Photoshop than I think is healthy. I have all the books I can handle and have been playing around with it all night. So you get to see the fruits of my labor, misguided and goofy as they may be. This is the best way to learn I suppose, trying things over and over till you feel you got it down. I am most certainly not there yet, but hey….step in the right direction.

: Full Frontal

: Full Frontal – Edited

: Close Up Top

: Close Up Top – Edited

: Left Side

: Left Side – Edited

: Close Up Back

: Close Up Back -Edited

: Right Side

: Slouchy Beret

Sure, it’s amateur hour here at All Night Knits but who cares? It was fun to play around with the filters, concentrations, hues, saturation, blah blah blah…yada yada yada. I was working my way through an instructional book and it built up my confidence – a bit. Either way, it feel like a step in the right direction

* * * * * * * *

The Pattern

(If you find this pattern’s origin, please contact me and let me know. I want to acknowledge its creator and thank them for years of fantastic knitting!)

Needles: Sizes 9US and 11US

Yarn: Worsted

The Cables: C3 over 3 Left: Slip 3 Sts. onto cable needle, hold in back, K3, K3 from cable needle. C3 over3 Right: Slip 3 Sts. onto cable needle, hold in front, K3, K3 from cable needle.

With size 9 Needles, Cast on 72 Stitches (long tail cast on). Join in the round and Place stitch marker.

Knit 5 rows in 1by 1 (K1,P1) .

Change to size 11 Needles and work cable pattern as follows:

-Rounds 1-4, 6-10 and 12: Knit

-Round 5: *C3 over 3 Left, K3. Repeat from * till end of round.

-Round 11: * K3, C3 over 3 Right. Repeat from * till end of round.

Work rounds 1-12 1(one) time as written above.

-Next round (increasing round): *K2, M1. Repeat from * to end of round.

-Work rows 2-12 of cable pattern one time, then work rows 1-6 one time.

-Next round Being Decreasing: *K7, K2tog, K7, SSK. Repeat from * to end of round.

-Next round: *K6, K2tog, K6, SSK. Repeat from * to end of round.

-Next round: *K5, K2tog, K5, SSK. Repeat from * to end of round.

– Next round: Work row 11 from Cable Pattern the work one round even.

-Next round: K10, K2tog till end of round.

-Next round: K9, K2tog till end of round.

-Next round: K8, K2tog till end of round

-Next round: K7, K2tog till end of round.

Continue in this manner decreasing your knit stitches by one until you K2tog across the round, Leaving you with 6 sts.

Cut a long tail and weave through live stitches twice. Pull tight and weave in the ends.

Block lightly over a plate or pie tin by lightly misting the hat.

* * * * * * * *

So there it is friends and neighbors, I hope you enjoy the pattern as much as I did. I wonder, is there anyone out there reading this that has a happy place? Found in either a place, food, book, pattern or the multitude of things I didn’t list? Please share if you would like to, I would love to listen!

Hello Hinagiku Hat!

10 Replies

Spring has sprung here in the Buckeye State and I am loving every moment of it. Sitting out outside, watching the birds frolic amongst the bird feeders and the cloying sweet smell of freshly cut grass. Heavenly. With a new-found confidence that I will not allow either the panic monster or my arthritic hand from stopping me from doing what I love to do, so I pick up my needles and cast on. Hoping for the best.

* * * * * * * *

With circular needles in hand, I went on a hat making mission. Perhaps this is because of my miserable horror of making a pair of socks; I have the yarn, the needles, the pattern and overwhelming fear of failure! Out of misery came hats, so it can’t be all bad!

Max’s New Favorite Hat!

The pattern came from Ravelry user 87Cafe and I loved the new twist on the daisy stitch. The moving of the first stitch to the last stitch created this awesome twisted texture that just had me head over heals for the pattern. Look and see! 🙂

Close Up of Brim of Hat

Check Out That Slouch!

Side Shot…and ADORABLE Kitty

Spiraled Back of Hat

Look at that Face…both Max’s and the Foam Head

Hingakiu Hat

Nice and Slouchy

Max’s New Favorite Hat!

The Back of Max’s New Best Friend!

Admittedly, I had some trouble with this pattern. The brim of the hat is a tight rib done on size 3 needles, which made my errant hand scream in protest. There was a lot of ice and Advil in the first section of the hat (not to mention a nosebleed. Oh the joys of aspirin therapy!) but it was worth it. Changing to size 8 needles made the daisy stitch seem like a walk in the park, even the K3tog went smoothly with a looser gauge. I tried to take more pictures of the process; maybe just to remind myself that it was getting done, there was indeed progress despite the many trips to freezer for a bag of soothing peas. All told, the pictures were inspiring to me. Picking up my iPod and scrolling through the photos was enough to keep me motivated.

As you can see, I had some fun with the filters. It was a nice distraction from the knitting, it also served as a way to rest my hand without feeling like I was failing. Working on the pictures was like working on the project, so no guilty no-no feelings about my knitting breaks. Plus, the whole photo editing with an iPod still seems so new and shiny, like a child with a new toy.

Confidence is a beautiful thing. After my husband read my post (yes, my husband read my blog 🙂 he wrapped me in a big bear hug and said “I never doubted you, I just want what is best for you. I want to protect you from pain, but you are obviously too damn stubborn for that”. It’s been a very, very good day.

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So, friends and neighbors, how do you take breaks from your knitting? With so many projects on the needles I tend to feel guilty not working on it. Even if it not knitting you are taking a break from, how do you relax these days?