One Year (Sock) Anniversary!

I am going to completely sidestep the fact that I have not blogged since May. I am not going to mention the ongoing guilt I have for not keeping up with this blog because there are, truly, so many things I want to write about. I am just going to bask in the glory that is October 18th – which is the day I finished my first pair of socks last year!

It’s hard to imagine that its been an entire year since that first pair of socks came sliding clumsily off my double pointed needles. I thought I would never finish that first pair, but as it turns out their completion started an obsession that has lead to 29 pairs of finished socks …. 29! Five for my husband, three for my Dad, four for friends and the rest reside in my sock drawer.

Double points, two circulars and magic loop. Patons, Lions Brand, Plymouth, Serenity, Regia and Trekking. Toe-up, Top-down and the ill-fated two-at-a-time …. Seems I’ve made a pretty good dent in my sock education. I’ve still yet to make a patterned sock but I seem no worse for wear on this – I love the ease of a simple stockinette sock. There is a mindless joy of looking down and realizing you’re creating something functional and that the knitting has calmed your mind to a pleasant zen-like state.

So please allow me to share with you a year of obsessive sock knitting and as always, I cannot wait till next years recap!

What a finished pair looks like. It smells like victory though!

Second Pair of Socks

They are almost perfect!

My Dad’s First Sock.

First pair of finished socks for 2014!

Singin’ the Blues Socks

Feet – and that is my ceiling 😉

Opal Socks.

Patons Socks

Afterthought Heel

I LOOOVE these socks!

Prince Charming Needs More Socks!

Two at a time madness.

Perfect for Hiking!

Prince Charming Needs Socks!

Regia Socks!!

Neon Gum ball Socks

Cashmere for a sick friend!

Monet’s Watercolors

Easter Egg Rainbow – I like it!

A Night in the Woods

Ohh….Purples

The Hubby

They Glow in the Dark! (not really but darn close)

Serenity Sock Yarn

Celestial Blues

Plymouth Stiletto Sparkly Socks.

I want to leave you with this. Happiness, in part, is a full sock drawer!

Happiness is a full sock drawer.

The Ravellenic Games Main Event Project!

I joined the Ravellenic Games for the first time this year and I went all out for Team Sasquatch! My main event was Event Shawl, but I also signed up for Event Charity, Event Single Skein and Event Modular (which was a huge mistake but more on that another day).

My main event was to knit a shawl. Since my disgrace with the Fiori Autunalli by Rosemary Hill I have been downright scared of knitting lace. Did I mention the disgrace came from 1. Reading the wrong chart 2. knitting the wrong chart 3. switching rows while knitting the wrong chart and 4. frogging about 1,000 sts in tears at my LYS? Word to the wise friends and neighbors, don’t knit when you’re too tired to remember your middle name!

Anyway, here I am rambling again! I choose for my Games piece a shawl knitted in worsted, I felt like it was my knitting equivalent of a nightlight. So The Lonely Tree Shawl by Silvia Bolvia (which is not only amazing fun to knit but FREE on Ravelry) seemed like the perfect choice. I gathered up some Caron Simply Soft in Dark Sage from my yarn stash and was off!

Humble Little Beginnings

I was going really slow until the leaves started to emerge, trying to remember that lace knitting is only as hard as I let it be in my head. Once I got to this point I felt kinda confident.

(Disclaimer: Some lace knitting really is freakishly difficult, my problem lies in my lack of confidence after mucking up the same pattern so many times.)

and it kept growing….

and growing…

Before I knew it, it was time to bind the bad boy off. I felt bad for not picking a harder, more involved project at this point though. I know that point of the games is/was to challenge yourself, and I stand by my reasoning that I had to conquer my fear of lace – otherwise the Fiori is never going to get done.

But my shawl is done!

Blocking

High Def filter – I love the leaves!

Leaves! Done correctly!

It’s about 350 yards – much bigger than it looks.

Aww….Happy Place!

So there you have it friends and neighbors, the first leg of my Ravellenic journey came to an end. I’ve already given the shawl to a friend. I forgot to take a picture on the mannequin but I gotta tell you – giving away something that gave me a little confidence was pretty epic!

Happy Tuesday!

Time to Start Fresh

Holy crap I almost blog-faded! I could make loads of excuses (and more than less likely will do just that :)) but as my dear Lottie from Lottie Knits would say “it’s time to get off my bum.” Oh! Also, it’s snowing – which greatly improves my mood!

Knitting Weather!

So, for anyone that is still reading this languishing blog, here is what has been going on the past few weeks to contribute to my blog-neglect (see? excuses already!)

– The Excuses –

• No Dragon Speak Software – My NaNoWriMo gal has been plugging along so well with her novel that I told her just to keep it till it goes on sale on Black Friday.
• My Mom retired – Yea! 
• I had an order for 43 ruffle scarves – this brings my year total to….wait for it….319.
• I have gotten a boat load of questions from hospital workers since it snowed, and now have a nice little influx of non-ruffle knitting.
• 4 baby showers.
• 2 weddings.
• My father-in-law has changed Alzheimer’s medication and is being treated for skin cancer 😦
• My LYS asked me not to come in because they were afraid my hand would scare off new knitters.

– The LYS Experience –

Before I retell this story, if you follow me on Instagram you’ve already heard it, feel free to skip ahead (there’s a picture!). Also, I am going to keep this as short as possible – mainly because dredging it up makes me über cranky.

So back around the time I last posted my LYS owner called me to tell me knitting was canceled. No big deal. The week after that I called the shop to see if we were meeting that night and had the oddest reaction from a gal I’ve known for years. She told me _______ would call me back. About 20 minutes later ________ called me back and asked me not to come to knitting that night; they were having a meet-and-greet for new potential knitters (in a younger crowd than our knitting group (even though I am 28)) and she didn’t want my hand to scare them off.

My reaction was to go get on Instagram and connect with knitters who, in my mind, would be able to be objective because they’ve never seen my hand.

 

I. Was. Heartbroken.

The support from knitter’s on Instagram was so overwhelmingly awesome that I should have just snapped out of it. So what? I don’t have an LYS anymore…..

Nope, not going to work.

Instead of feeling the love from the  99.9% of  knitter’s who are freaking amazing, I ran down the rabbit hole of knitting all the time to prove that I could do it. This is a fun mixture of stubbornness, OCD,  and my very own Panic Monster. I have been eating, sleeping and knitting….and not a whole lot else. I have kept all my social obligations and haven’t become a hermit yet but saying I got a little obsessive would be putting it….lightly.

– The Fresh Start –

So here I am friends and neighbors, ready to get back to what makes me happy. I love writing and I love reading your blogs. Both of these things have been severely neglected. So there will be some catching up to do (lots of catching up to do) so please be patient. I am slowly going to try to work the comments and questions that I’ve received – especially regarding patterns – but it may take a little longer than normal.

Also, I follow loads of you on Facebook – I haven’t “liked” or commented on your blogs because my Facebook account and my WordPress account aren’t linked – but I have been reading your work. Rob’s Surf Report and A Tangled Yarn are just two that I read every single time they post. The Knitterly Hook-er is one of my favs to follow on Instagram. If you want to follow me on either of these sites click → FACEBOOK LINK ← or → INSTAGRAM LINK ←. Both of these sites get updated daily because I can use one hand to upload and type.

– SPOILERS!! –

Stick with me and I promise I will try to give you something awesome to read or stare at – as awesome as I can make it! Here is a itty-bitty preview of what I’ve got up my sleeve:

Second Pair of Socks – I never photographed the finished pair.

My Hat…No Sharing.

This took three and a half hours to type friends and neighbors, every minute both cathartic and totally renewing. I can’t wait to catch up, happy Tuesday!

Share this:

Man Knits 12-Foot Scarf While Running Kansas City Marathon

Click on the above title to enjoy this knitting awesomeness!

Yeah, go ahead. Make the rest of us look like slackers!  – Photo Courtesy of the Kansas City Star.

Oh how I wish I could do this!

Kinda Ribbed, Kinda Basket Weave Reversible Scarf – FREE PATTERN!!

Trevor here: Rachel wrote this pattern, all by herself she’s asked me to add, for a friend of that knitting website. I am here copying and pasting it for her here.

Gloria Here!: The site is Raverly, and the scarf is officially named Kinda Ribbed, Kinda Basket Weave Reversible Scarf. Here are some pictures – which aren’t great but I might get to add some because she is going to let me play with her camera! And don’t forget to check out the Tags Section – it’s epic!

82″ Long…Yowzer!

Wrapped

Progress

 

Okay. So I am doing this with the hunt-and-peck method so if there are errors just message me back. This is just how I did it – a change in gauge or yarn thickness will change things. Duh, huh? 😉

Needles: Size 11 US (8mm) Straight 8” Needles
Yarn: Two (2) Strands of Worsted Weight Combined for thickness (this was Red Heart Shimmer in Red).

CO 44sts (+/- 5sts for width change)

Pattern

Row 1: (RS) – P3, K3, P2 rep to till last 6sts; K3, P3
Row 2: (WS) – K3, P3, K2 rep to till last 6sts; P3, K3
Row 3: Repeat Row 1
Row 4: Knit
Row 5: Purl
Row 6: Repeat Row 2
Row 7: Repeat Row 1
Row 8: Repeat Row 2
Row 9: Purl
Row 10: Knit

** Repeat rows 1-10 till desired length **
** Repeat rows 1-3 once more **
** Bind off all stitches knit wise **

**** My Notes ****

-I put stitch marker on “wrong side” (it’s reversible, so there’s no wrong side) but it’ll help keep things moving

-I slipped the 1st (first) stitch of every row purl wise to keep the edges looking tidy.

Have fun! I can’t wait to see pics because this pattern is super quick and super easy. Yea! Stitch Pattern Books! 🙂

 

My Mind is Officially Blown :)

Something really amazing popped up in my WordPress notifications, even if it is a week or two old I wanted to share!

Are You Sure About This?

I cannot believe that this is right. I mean, really? Since March 13th my little hope of having a knitting blog has come to alive. I am totally awed and so freaking humbled it is scary! Who are you, my dear friends and neighbors, who find me even slightly interesting? I spend my time devouring your words, your photos, the little bit of your life that you wish to share. Now, it seems, that you are kind enough to afford me the curtsey of doing the same.

I hope this isn’t annoying or showy, but I wanted to share all the stats with you. It seems that since I quit staring at them daily that they’ve changed a bit.

• Total Followers on WordPress: 525
• Most Visitors in One Day: 344
• Total Visitors: 13,519
• Total Comments: 2,730
• Total Posts: 120
• Total Tags: 964
• **** **** **** ****
• Total Instagram Followers: 359
• Total Facebook Page Followers: 68
• Total Twitter Followers: 37
• Total Tumbler Followers: 45

I wish that I was in a place financially to give something away, something as awesome as I feel right now! There will be a time, sooner than later I hope, that I can share my appreciation with everyone that puts up with this little blog. It’s strange though, even if no one read this I have learned so much from you in the past six months – more than I can ever express my gratitude for.

So thank you friends and neighbors, you have made my week!

Too Funny Not to Share

A little giggle is good for your health! 😉

Oh – and don’t forget to PARTICIPATE IN THE GIVEAWAY!!

One Lovely Blog Award!

One Lovely Blog Award.

Receiving blogging awards is still such a surprise to me. When I started this blog almost 18 weeks ago I never imagined anyone would read it let alone recognize my existence with an award. This particular lovely came from Movies, Silently. I love her blog, it was in fact one of the first blogs I started reading when I started my blogging adventure. Silent Movies are her specialty, but it doesn’t stop there. She’s cunning, funny, stylish and her posts are always a fantastic read. Seriously, do yourself a favor and pop over there – I will wait. 🙂

So, down to the rules of the award.

• Add the “One Lovely Blog Award” image to your post (Check!)
• Share seven things about you (Check!)
• Pass the award on to seven nominees
• Thank the person who nominated you and add a short blurb about them.
• Inform the nominees by posting on their blogs 

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

** So, 7 new (and supposedly interesting things about myself) **

1. I met the love of my life when I was 17 years old…on a blind date. We both worked for the same chain of movie theaters and a friend thought it would be the perfect set-up to get Trevor to run into her arms (we really are that different, and difficult ;)). Eight months later we were engaged!
2. When we moved into our condo in 2004 our next door neighbors were meth addicts. These were the scariest moments of my life! When their cat wandered into our yard with infected wounds from being punctured by needles Trevor and I gave them two choices; 1) Give us that cat and go away or 2) we are going to call the cops and have you arrested. Fatty never liked us, but I think we gave him the best (and last) 3 years of his life.
   

   With his Lick ‘n Kick.

   

   Very Fat Cat Under the Table.

   

   Hungrily Eyeing a Piece of Bologna.

   

   Seriously…Kitty was HUGE!
3. It has become a good luck/ family tradition for the men in the family to get heat stroke on their wedding night. My grandfather, my dad and my husband were all incapacitated on their wedding night. We got home, I put my husband to bed with Advil and Gatorade and went downstairs and ate the white chocolate fondue pot he had prepared 😉
4. When I was I was working at the hospital in college, I was going through the ER to get to my car and saw a man self-canabalizing. That’s right friends and neighbors, he was eating his own fingers. I dutifully told the nurse what was happening in the hallway and the proceeded to go get my own lunch.
5. In high school I was running after my crush after a concert. Being that I was in high heels and a skirt (and horribly clumsy) my shoe got stuck in-between the sidewalk and the grass propelling me, and my skirt, forward. After recovering from my humiliation ( it didn’t take long, stupid crap like this happens to me all the time) we realized the foot was in fact very broken. On the plus side, my crush carried me to the car, ER and home. Then made a joke to carry me around all the time. I was elated – and that feeling never changed, even after I found out he had a crush on my brother.
6. My all time favorite band is The Smiths. You may think it’s music to wallow in, but I love it!
7. I have an unnatural love for horror movies. After my OCD made normal things in life seem terrifying, watching a horror movie – and being scared and something you SHOULD be scared at – makes sense. There is not a lot I haven’t seen – and Martyrs is the best/worst of them all.

Okay. Done! Now for my nominees!

1. A World Created – Hannah, until we started conversing I thought that all internet friendships were supposed to be creep and weird. Now I know that a true bond can be created out of kindness and passion for your craft. Every post seems better than the last.
2. Traveling the world….and much more – Your blog shows your deft hand with your craft and a sharp wit that makes your posts a pleasure to read. Bonus, you were the first person to really help me make the Katniss Shawl for my niece – I am indebted to you!
3. Lottieknits – You know why you are getting this, your kindness knows no bounds. For the rest of you – go read this blog! It has snippets of everything you would ever want to read about. It has been a constant source of inspiration to me.
4. lollyknits – Just another blogger that I desperately wish was my next door neighbor. Decisive and funny, her posts are a joy to read. Her pictures make me jealous (this is a good thing and a compliment) and again – another kind soul that is always willing to lend a hand.
5. MonsterYarns – Although it seems like everyone already knows this blog, I am going to suggest you quit reading mine and go straight over yonder to MonsterYarns. The post is fabulous, the writing superb! Not to mention that some of the comments I have received from this blogger are hilarious!
6. Rob’s Surf Report – A great writer, blogger and friend. There is always something to heavily consider after reading his posts – and not commenting doesn’t feel like an option. I am inspired by the free way he writes and voices his opinions.
7. Creative Writing with the Crimson League – This is a newer blog (for me) that I’ve started following. Do you have a blog that you just cannot skip, even if you’ve been up for 20 hours? If not – head over, you shant be disappointed!

Alright friends and neighbors, two posts in one day again but totally worth it. Signing off for a bit and I will see you tomorrow….unless something else decides to flood. 🙂

Holy Crap Batman!!!!

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!

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

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.

1. The Fault in Our Stars Scarf
2. Baby Blanket
3. A Duo of OSU Buckeye Hats (I cannot wait to finish these!)
4. Knitted Necklace (certain to be a disaster but I can handle 3 stitches at a time.)
5. 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!

Another Award? Are You Sure?

– 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……

1. 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
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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!
6. polkadotsandsparkles – Knitting talent, an easy sense of humor and great taste in music makes this blog a must read.
7. 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.
8. 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!
9. 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!
10. 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….
11. schmoozelfleugen – Want a little bit of everything? Check out this eclectic blogger who also happens to be an amazing conversationalist!
12. 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.
13. 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.

Slouchy Hats & My Happy Places

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!

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.

* * * * * * * *

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?

Jewelry Display Accomplished!

Even the Owl is Impressed!

Who knew when Stitch Pattern Week 6 came to life that something even more amazing – in my ever so humble opinion – would come of it! This is one of things that I love about knitting, you learn one new skill, pattern, or technique and it leads the way to a limitless way to use it. So Stitch Pattern Week 6 is now a doodad hanger, pictured with two of my favorite things; a honeypot (which life is not complete without) and my owl cookie jar (who seems as surprised I finished it so fast as I do!).

Up Close and Personal on the Stitch Pattern.

More Photoshop Fun!

Photoshop is Fun Dagnabbit!

Doodads and Honeypots.

Even the Owl Seems Surprised I pulled this Off!

Knitted Jewelry Hanger

Unfortunately, the idea was not my own; Lion’s Brand website was who provided the way to assemble this DIY project, and for that I am so grateful. All I needed way quilt batting, craft glue and an extra 8 by 10 frame to bring this to life. I am typically a person who makes accessories (hats, gloves, dishcloths, place mats, scarves, baby blankets, booties, ect.) so making something that is so functional and pretty and NEW is making me a tad giddy!

My OCD played a role in getting this done so quickly, can’t forget to thank that little panic monster for it’s contribution. After a knockdown, drag out fight with my Dad (and this is insane, I am 28 and the man still talks to me like an errant child- and errant child that still cannot defend herself) I desperately needed to keep busy. So I busted out in my iPod, put on Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth (which has been amazing so far) put my head down and got to it. Knitting is therapy. I’ve seen all these bloggers saying “I Knit so I Don’t Kill People”, well, mine would be “I Knit so I Don’t Totally Lose My Mind to the Panic Monster Living in My Brain”.

I Knit so I don’t Kill People

I Knit so I don’t Kill People

I Knit so I don’t Kill People

 

My New Moto

With my project done it is time to look forward – which means trying to figure out how and when to open my shop and….drumroll please….starting my first pair of socks! Pans & Needles has shown me so many beautiful socks that I cannot resist jumping into a new project, as if I needed another one!

So, finishing out my diatribe, I will unabashedly beg for advice. If there are any tips, pointers or magic spells for working on my first pair of socks….Please, for the love of God, SHARE.

Thanks for reading friends and neighbors!

Lists are Calming – Favorite Books From A to Z

When my OCD decided to rear it’s big ugly head I try to do things that I find comforting, usually this is reading or knitting. Sometimes though, no matter how hard I try, the panic monster jumps all over my concentration and I have to try something else. Making lists has always been a go-to when the panic monster comes out to play and since being inspired by the A to Z Challenge on Daily (w)rite I came up with my favorite books from A to Z.

So suck it OCD! Here are some of my favorite books from A to Z. By the way, X is a really butt kicker!

About a Boy

Boomsday

Choke

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

East, West

The Flame and the Flower

God is not Great

House of Leaves

It

Joy Luck Club

Kitchen Confidential

Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me

Microserfs

The Night Strangers

Of Human Bondage

A Prayer for Owen Meany

The Quiet American

Revolutionary Road

The Stand

The Tao of Pooh

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

The Virgin Suicides

Whatever Rises Must Converge

Xenophobia, Racism and Distribution

The Year of Magical Thinking

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Stitch Pattern Week 6 – Bad Books and Doodads

Since I was unquestionably late posting the stitch pattern for last week, I hope this will assuage any worries about my commitment. Ha! That certainly sounded pretentious! Sh!t, so did that! Any-who, with no further adieu, I present week 6 for your viewing pleasure!

Quilted Lattice

Normally, I would share the pattern written by my great-grandmother with a nice – if slightly snarky- correction on how the pattern would be written today. I want to do that for you below (it is down there, promise), but if you can bear with me there is a story that goes with this pattern that I would like to share.

First and foremost, I am honestly going to say that I went right to a stitch dictionary to find out how this pattern was supposed to be written because for the first time she actually included the name of the stitch! Whoopee! Hooray! No Frogging for this girl this time!

Wait…not so fast. If I learned something this week it is not to get overly excited that something may go as planned.

I went to a book I recently found at a yard sale for fifty cents, which seemed like a steal at the time but hey, what do I know? Maran Illustrated Knitting and Crocheting  seemed like a really good starter book for my niece to try her hand at knitting and I was familiar with the brand name, thus comfortable in my ignorance. When I found the quilted lattice pattern it was slightly different on one row from my GG’s dictation, but considering she wrote it in her eighties I went with the book.

Wrong plan. Bad idea. Don’t do it. No. No. No….NOOOO!!!

As it turns out, the pattern in the book was written incorrectly; after much frogging and even more cursing I went to Lion Brand’s website (I’d had it with stupid books with their stupid pages and stupid….stupidness) and found an identical pattern to what GG was attempting to convey in her own chicken scratch way and was off and running.

Work in Progress

Quilted Lattice – Full Size

Quilted Lattice – Up Close and Personal

Edited with Instagram

I love the pattern by the way, it was totally worth the hair loss caused my abject frustration, and as a bonus my niece and I stumbled upon a great DIY idea. This pattern lends itself to perfectly to having lovely doodads hung from the loose stitches, so I am currently doing this pattern again and following the idea born from Lion Brand’s website.

Lion Brand’s Website Craft Idea for Quilted Lattice.

So with another new project on the needles and an epic weekend Scrabble tournament going on between my niece, my husband and I, I am feeling pretty giddy. Loads of work to do but when you love what you do, it never seems like work!

GG’s Pattern vs. Actual Readable Pattern

quilted lace – Quilted Lattice but so close! A name for the pattern! Huzzah!

all wrongs p – Purl all odd rows (Good, good. Cooking with gas).

r2 k2 s5 yth k1. rep. last k – Row 2: K2, *Sl5 wyif, K1* rep *to* till last st., K1 (Luckily I have seen yth= yarn towards heart, so bringing it forward made sense, which made the s=slip fall into place).

r4 k4 lift k drop k5. last rep -1 – Row 4: K4 *Lift lose strand, knit into next stitch, bring lose stitch under strand; K5* . Rep. *to* till last rep, K4 instead of K5. (Dear GG, If you were planning on passing on your patterns, great googley moogley why did you write the stitch transition like this? Was there a maniacal giggle happening as you did this? Devilish glint in your eye? Sometimes I wonder).

r6 k1 s3 yth then k1 s5 yth till last 5 k1 s3 yth k1 – Row 6: K1, sl3 wyif, *K1, sl5 wyif*.  Rep. *to* to last 5 sts; K1, sl3 wyif, K1 (I am getting a handle on you, you old bag. Your odd shorthand is becoming clearer and clearer to me with each passing week. Considering quitting my day job and pursuing a career as a codebreaker for the CIA).

r8 k1 lift k drop k5 last rep k-4: (Really) Row 8: K1 *insert needle under loose strand, knit into next strand and pull off needle and under lose strand, K5* Rep *to* till last rep., K1 instead of K5 (Dear GG, I forgot to ask earlier, why do you hate punctuation? Is there some family history about punctuation doing my family harm? Wish you were alive so I could ask, cause it is giving me heartburn to think about it).

-Almost the End. Promise.-

If you have made it to the end, more power to you. So I shall end this post with a burning question in my mind; Has anyone else bought a book or pattern and had it be completely off the mark? And if so, how did you figure out how to fix the problem?

Thank you again for glimpsing into my families history and my passion for knitting. I must be passionate, otherwise I am just nuts!

Slouchy Hat Love

This pattern was so fun and well written that the hat just seemed to make itself. Not to mention the blocking instructions were hilarious – they included two dinner plates, a bowl and a saucer – and it worked out flawlessly! It may have looked a bit like a dangerous sombrero for a while, but the blocking stretched the lace out and created a very multidimensional piece.

Almost Ready to Block!

Hello Sombrero!

It Looks a Bit Like a Sombrero!

Instagram Photo.

The hat is perfect for the summertime, it’s light airiness lends itself to the spring and summer months with that hint of unique lace stitches that make me feel fancy. And who doesn’t like to feel fancy?

As for me, I am still learning html, Photoshop and now Gimp which has had some hiccups here and there but it could always be worse. Catching up on some many neglected WIPs, working and playing with Max who would prefer to play with my yarn. Rascal.

So in an attempt to get more comments and to learn from the plethora of knowledge that is the blogging world, let’s give this a whirl. I have done some funny things to block a project that seemed ludicrous but worked out splendidly. SO….

What works best for you when you are blocking?

What is the strangest thing you have ever done to get a project to hold it’s shape?

As always, thank you for stopping by and taking time out of your day to listen to my diatribes. It is much appreciated!

Experiencing Knitting Lust!

I collect hobbies and hoard information, very much like a squirrel with nuts. Every day I seem to see or read about something new that I just HAVE to learn how to do. So, if you will allow me to make a list for the goofy things I am dying to try to learn or knit, read on friends and neighbors.

1. Knit a shadow box art installation.
2. Knit textured wall art.
3. Knit little owl stuffed toys for Stitches from the Heart.
4. Knit a terrarium full of flowers, birds, grass, and bugs as a art piece.
5. Knit a crossword puzzle blanket.
6. Knit a chessboard blanket with pieces in starting position.
7. Knit with beads/sequins (this whole application boggles my mind a bit).
8. Learn to write a pattern that is cohesive.
9. Learn to read knitting charts (sadly, I still have to write out the chart before I cast on).
10. Learn to dye yarn.
11. Knit a Fisherman’s Sweater for the hubby (he loved the hat, why not a sweater? we’re already married after all 😉

The Inspirations

(If I am breaking some sort of copy write rule of thumb, please let me know and it will be fixed immediately)

We could cuddle….if you’re into that?

Adorable baby presents!

Can you imagine doing crossword puzzles under this? EPIC!

I think I am in lust!

So Amazing!

Oh my how I want to do this!

Terrarium.

I want to knit a version of this.

I’m gonna knit the crap out of you!

My niece would love this!

Charts….You Scare Me!

Oh SOOO Pretty!

I Lust After This Wall Installation.

Am I drooling? Yup…it’s happening!

Pretty!

Beautiful art that the hubby can wear!

A new way to utilize the kitchen.

Custom yarn colors!

There is also the every growing bucket list…just for knitting. I love lists and I love knitting, these things seem to go hand in hand.

The Ever Growing Knitting Bucket List

1. Design as sell patterns.
2. Be published! (holy crow, that would be amazing!)
3. Be able to teach classes.
4. Be able to teach classes to other arthritic knitter’s like myself. To show them you don’t have to give up what you love because your hands work against you.
5. Learn to crochet more than just the basics (it is soooo hard on my hand, but that’s never stopped me).

There is time (oh God I hope there’s time!) to work my way through my lists and hope to keep you updated on their progress. Any projects, skills or abilities you are lusting after? Feel free to comment. Hope you slept well and have enjoyed reading as much as I have enjoyed writing.

Stitch Pattern Week 5 – Better Late Than Never

Boy howdy I am late on getting this posted, I hope that my tardiness can be excused. I, like the rest of the country, was attached at the hip to any news media I could get my hands on, watching in baffled dismay at the horrific events of this past week. But with my mind set at ease, or as much at ease as it can be knowing that monsters are real, it is time to get back to it.

So I present this weeks stitch pattern!

Open Pillar Work Stitch Pattern – Week 5.

Side Bar: Gotta love photo editing by the way. With Photoshop’s magic it refined the details of the stitches themselves, fixed the color saturation, eliminated unwanted shadows and made a fancy schmancy border.!

As per-usual I had to consult a few stitch dictionaries to find out what this patterns true name was – Pillar Open Work was my winner – because my dear great grandmother called it lazy cables. This pattern was just a continuation of two repeating rows but making it was stupid simple and the result was very pretty. Had I to do it again (and I probably will) I think I will go down a needles size though. So, with no further adieu, here is my great grandmothers scrawl vs. the “correct” way to read this pattern.

-51sts across n – Cast on 51 sts. 

-5 kp across – Knit 5 rows K1,P1 across for seed st. pattern (and yes, I thought kp was some funky knitting term that surpassed my years of knowledge, all 10 of them vs. her 70).

-pt. r1 right; k then yarn towards heart down, sl, 2k, left over right by 2, rep till 1, k – Row 1: (RS) K1 *yo, sl.1, K2, peso the two knit sts. over: rep From * to last st., K1  (Come ON GG, really? How did you follow this pattern! Well….she seemed to have no trouble. I rescind my judgement).

-r2 p – Row 2: (WS) P. (Thank the Lord above! A notation that required absolutely no cursing!)

-fin as b – Knit 4 Rows in K1,P1 Seed St. Bind off in Same Fashion (Again, no cursing! Finally a break that resulted in absolutely NO FROGGING!)

Full Cloth – Kinda

Up Close and Personal

Detail of Inner Work

I am going to go ahead and call it a day with this post. I ranted and raved my last two and the lack of readers gave me the distinct notion that maybe I should stick to what I am good at. Not that I care, the people who did read gave amazing feedback and I don’t write to get people to read my blog, that is just a fantastic bonus. I write because you think harder when you write, or at least more specifically and the act is therapeutic. Hopefully given time the caliber of my writing will improve to include a wider audience. If not…well, I still love what I am  doing so f$*k it. 🙂

Sleep well, I will be here knitting all the while.

Week 3 Stitch Pattern & A Generous Focus Group. Hazzah!

I think I may be that time again folks! This is the newest stitch pattern brought to you by yours truly! Well, via my GG’s horrendous handwriting, but still!

Ladders Says GG, LADDERS!!

I would like to say that I loved my GG. She was a wonderful woman with a heart of gold and the mouth of a sailor on leave, but her handwriting on this pattern made me want to curl up into the fetal position and eat my own hair! Granted, she was in her eighties when she wrote this down but still, my aching hands and head grew so frustrated by the end that I had almost decided to give up knitting for something less complicated, like….oh I don’t know….brain surgery?

Luckily I had decided to go visit my grandmother this week and had the foresight to bring the pattern with me. After many failed attempts, all of which are now cat toys for Maxwell, my Mimi was able to decipher the handwriting and it was all systems go. More than less likely I should have brought  the patterns down with me to be looked at, but I felt that would take the challenge out of it. Or, I am a masochist. Either way.

The trip to my grandmother’s has been great so far except for one thing; I can’t seem to quit giving my knitting away! The idea behind this trip was to visit not only my grandmother but also to get an idea of what all the women of the bridge club thought of my business idea. I was looking at these wonderful ladies as a focus group. I brought down several things that I have been making and wanted to see what they thought. Of course, I am Mary Rose’s granddaughter, I can do no wrong and I am a genius.

But I already knew that.

Truthfully, I was so humbled by their praise that I just kept giving things away, telling them to go home and test them out. I wanted honest opinions, not just to be fluffed up. That was two days ago and so far the input has been good, and there has even been some constructive criticism to my marketing ideas, to which I am eternally grateful. But leave it to these wonderful women to get me a treat for sharing.

A Bundle of Pure Yarny Goodness!

This batch of yarny goodness was bits and pieces from all of their own stashes, presented to me to make whatever happens to tickle my fancy. I am a lucky, lucky girl. This yarn will go a long way to making prototypes of things I would eventually love to sell, the idea being the more I can make and have tested, the better the end result will be. I am blessed with gracious testes.

So here is to hoping this will go a long way to getting where I would eventually like to be. Worse comes to worst, Max will have more toys than he’ll know what to do with.

Max eagerly awaiting my next knitting mishap. Oh that FACE!