I Know You Are But What Am I?

It mocks me. The shawl that never ends. It mocks me. I took it with me Friday to the clinic when I drove Pastor Harriette to her appointment. I've worked on it yesterday and today. I measure it to see how close it's getting to the 32 - 36 inches. And it's still somewhere in the 20's.

And I swear I hear the fiber laugh every time I pull out the yard stick.

But it doesn't know me. Or it thinks it knows me all too well. I'm giving up. Everyone who saw it at the clinic thought it was a beautiful thing in progress and I will not be deterred from the finish line - I have no idea what else I would make with it.

I admit to not knitting a lot today but I am about to make up for that. I am going to whip that shawl into submission. I am about to kick some fiber tail. I will not rest this evening until it is somewhere in the 30s. But I am noticing there might not be enough stitches going across the top to stop at 32 which is why I am allowing that 4 inch range. Certainly 36 inches will provide enough width - I hope. I have a meeting at eleven tomorrow morning and I would like to get at least 4 hours of sleep.

Oh stop it - I'm going to check the gauge of the yarn, measure out what the gauge is on the needles and then count the stitches. I'm going to do what I should do so I don't bind off just to find i have a really long babushka instead of a shawl.

The shawl is going down.

Does That Count?

This isn't a very good photo of her, but this is my pastor; Pastor Harriette. A couple of weeks ago she asked if I could take her to a clinic where she was having a procedure done and I said I would - never mind what she was having done, so not part of the story.

I, of course, took my knitting with me (knitting the shawl that never ends - and it still doesn't look like it ever will) and while she was in the recovery room, I told her of my resolution of eliminating my yarn stash and she said:

"Oh, well, there goes what I could have gotten you for Christmas."
To which I replied.
"You can still get me yarn for Christmas. You're not trying to eliminate my stash. I am."

That was right, right? I mean, I recall the resolution quite clearly that I was trying to eliminate my stash - Oh, all right, Melissa, I know I chastised you yesterday for being an enabler for telling me about the yarn sales. But that was you trying to get me to go buy yarn; not somebody else getting yarn for me - yeah, there's a difference!

There's a difference, right? I mean wouldn't it be just down right rude to discourage someone wanting to sincerely gift you with fiber? I couldn't very tell my my minister no. I mean, she anointed and all.

Besides, I'm thinking by the time we get to the Christmas season, I would be well on the way to having that stash gone. It will be a distance memory - enhanced with plenty of blog posts. There will be room for a small amount of yarn gifted by a woman of the cloth - see there; it just seems right - cloth - fiber.

Come on - it's kismet.

Yarndis - The Goddess of Fiber

So last night was the first evening meeting of StitchCraft and we were supposed to have a Yarn Swap - the rules were:
get a skein or two of any yarn you like
put it in a paper bag (plastic would do the point is not to be able to see inside the bag
place the bag in a pile
pick out a bag not your own

it all went wrong at
get a skein or two of any yarn you like

April didn't understand that rule and she said she put in yarn that she wanted to get rid of. So, instead of a blind swap, we did more of a yarn exchange. Everyone opened up their bags to see what was inside.

April's yarn - which everyone else really liked - went to Vickie.
Lisa's yarn went to Betty
Betty's yarn went to Lisa
My yarn came back home with me

what?

Well, because I originally brought a skein of the Norville yarn in cranberry and April said she wanted it because she wanted to put it in the afghan she was making and she showed me the afghan.

Yarn did not go with that afghan. So I pulled out a skein of Homespun in Lagoon (One, the afghan she was making was in Homespun. Two, the lagoon was a much better color fit.) So April took my Lagoon

And I took Vickie's skein.

Let me take a moment right here to tell you about Yarndis - The Goddess of Fiber. She can sometimes play with people. Gods, being Gods, can do anything - which must make their existence somewhat boring at times. Where's the challenge? Where's the struggle? It is to be found in the mere mortals. Especially those who make resolutions and pronouncements. The challenge is to make them go back on their resolve.

I had resolved myself that the colorfusion Epais yarn was not going to be used in prayer shawls and the colorfusion parts was a little disappointing. So, of course, the yarn I got from Vickie was another skein of the Epais in another shade of green to go with the two shades of green I have already. I don't care how blue that ball on the right looks, it's green. (Got some blue in in it, but it's green.) That's the one I got from Vickie. The one on the left - that looks brown - is the camo, and the one in the middle that looks white - is a light green.
I cast on last night with the skein on the right. The color is - I kid you not - 'I Love You' - Yarndis must be having herself a good yuck over that. Didn't thrill me. It was good but it wasn't great. I am, what the Harlot would call a yarn pig. I wanted the yarn cuz it was big and fluffy. Never mind I wasn't thrilled about it's kin already in my possession. Yarndis doesn't mind making us suffer gluttony.

But then I remembered - I was going to do my favorite afghan with this yarn. I was going to combine it with the Homespun remnants.

Not any more.

I now have five..FIVE..skeins of this. That's nearly 2000 yards. I have enough to make that afghan using only this yarn. And I have a feeling I'm gonna like it cuz it's color blocks. April and Vickie also tore into the middle of the skein and we saw where the colorfusion will take place. Thus, I still have hope and I think this is going to be interesting at the very least.

Take that, Yarndis.

And so it goes

Yes, it's another prayer shawl..but come on, it's a beautiful prayer shawl. I started this in church on Sunday and it was finished as I was watching Serena Williams make the most stunning comeback in her tennis career. She was down one set (BTW, we're talking about tennis) and was losing the second set 4-0 when she got herself together, remembered she was the best tennis player on the planet. She won the second set in a tie break and then went on to command the third set. The fringe was put on as I watched Roger Federer get back to his game and defeat Davydenko - even though that dude has beat Federer in the past. I played high school and college tennis. Had a tennis scholarship. Played two years of college doubles and won all but two matches in those two years - don't ask me where my tennis racquet is today. It's a real shame how I've become so un-athletic.)

So I guess this is the tennis prayer shawl. I am also still working on the blue shawl that I have dubbed 'the shawl that shall never end.' I know my mistake - I knit it on the needles that were on the package. I am using size 5 needles on sport weight yarn. I wanted a tight stitch - I didn't want it lacy and I am getting what I asked for. But it will never end.

I went searching for a shawl pattern that used the Vanna Glamour and all the shawls were rectangles - and I didn't want to make a rectangle shawl because I'd been making so many (and there's another one on the horizon) so this is what I get for being ambitious. The shawl patterns I did find for sport weight says it will take at least 1000 yards - a little bit more than I calculated. Makes me happy i have about four more skeins. (I am about to finish with skein 2.) This is what comes from thinking like a designer. I don't have the chops for it.

I will continue on with it because one of the other 2010 resolutions is: 'start - finish what you start.' And I will make sure I note it in new knitting journal - yes, I have a handwritten journal of knitting projects. I started it with the shawl that never ends project. I will note the length and number of stitches on the needles before casting off (even number of stitches, of course.) And whether I choose to tassel or fringe.

Like Serena and Roger, I won't give up and I won't go back - that's how knitting champions are made.

Somebody Hand Me A Gauntlet

Aneha (my apologies for not being able to do the spelling justice) informs me that 'resolutions never work.' Her comment is actually pretty humorous - you should read it. That got me scurrying to the pattern books to find a gauntlet for me to knit so I could throw it down!

Got distracted by a really good tennis match on the t and v. So no gauntlet. But I remain steadfast in eliminating the yarn stash - the disappointment expressed yesterday wasn't that I won't be able to destash - though the jury might still be out on that. I am pretty sure...kinda sure...fairly sure I will be able to do that. The disappointment was that I was not floored by the colorfusion yarn that I expected to floor me.

I probably chose too dark colors but I chose the colors that were the most appealing. I don't know what that says about me. I'm certain it says something, though. But I leave room for the surprise I wasn't looking for. There will be something sensational that will happen with that yarn. Just haven't discovered it yet. But I will.

I thought the prayer shawl tear was over but another one made its way to my needles on Sunday and will probably be completed sometime today. I've sold two of them to folks at church which is really kinda funny because part of the proceeds go back to the church. So they are helping me help ourselves - which is what we're supposed to do anyway.

Life has funny little circles.

How Is This Possible?

One month. Just one month in the new year and I cannot bring myself to post a photo. I am making myself believe it is not because I have lost hope but because I am full of it (hope, that is, not full of it the way we usually mean it.)

You remember the resolution to eliminate the yarn stash? You also remember there were two exceptions: to purchase yarn to go with what was in the stash with the expressed intention of completing a project thus getting rid of the stashed and purchased yarn.

To purchase one particular yarn I've wanted to try.

And the circumstance of purchasing that yarn was that it was going to be on sale. It was on sale. I told you guys it was on sale and that I was going to go get some.

I did.

Bummer.

We don't get along - this new yarn and I. I purchased four skeins; two colors. Both shades of green that can be blended. One shade was Camo, I don't remember the other. I started with the Camo and the feel of it, while soft, is somewhat strange and the whole purpose of this yarn was that it's supposed to have all these wonderful color changes...

Not so much.

Though I suppose if you're called 'camo' you probably shouldn't change color too much or else you wouldn't be very 'flauged' would you? The other color, I believe it's 'Rustic' does appear to have more color changes or color fusion. But I'm let down just a little.

I tried to continue with the camo but alas we had to have the discussion ("It's not you; it's me.) and I told it I paid way too much for it, even on sale, for me to disregard it completely. It will become a part of the stash set aside to make my favorite afghan. I explained that it had the texture and softness to fit right in and because there was so much of it (390 yards) it could be the cornerstone of the whole piece. I then removed it from the needles and cast on with another yarn purchased to clear away the one skein in the stash and make another prayer shawl.

Meanwhile, the rustic color looked at me as if to say, "Don't put me in that same basket. I deserve a fair shot." And it does. But a little later. I don't want to risk the disappointment again.

Merry Christmas

No, you didn't misread the title. Merry Christmas it says and Merry Christmas it means. Yesterday was my mother-in-law's 97th birthday. She's been gone for more than a year. Our family usually gets together for Christmas Eve either at his brother's or sister's house. Our house is way too small. But the kids now have kids of their own and there has to be a whole bunch of traveling to one set of parents' to another so we decided to move Christmas Eve to Nana's birthday. So yesterday all the Mr. Honey clan (with the exception of one nephew and his wife who I didn't even notice was missing until I was back home) gathered at his brother's house and boy did we have a time.

it started at 3 in the afternoon and we were back home by 9 but I felt like I partied til all hours. We laughed and danced and ate - my bro in law put a pork tenderloin on the bbq that made the angels hungry.

I cannot believe those little nieces and nephews that I first met some fifteen years ago now have children of their own and those children, for the most part, are walking and talking. It's amazing how that works - especially since I have not aged at the 13 years I've been married.
We continued the tradition of sharing Plotke - which is a flat wafer. You break off a piece of someone's and they break off a piece of yours and you wish each other health, happiness and whatever else applies: I got a great deal of good wishes for my knitting endeavors. My bro in law then had us get together to play 'left, right, center' which he eventually won.

It was the kind of time my mom-in-law would have loved to have been a part of. I certainly missed her last night even as I felt her presence there. It's a happy kind of sad.

And a happy kind of tired.

Nothing Beats a Dare

I made a great many resolutions for the new year and then decided instead of trying to tackle them all at once I would take them on one at a time, accomplish the task and then move on to the next.
It's not a bad plan, really, not that I cannot multi-task because I can, but that it was self motivation and satisfying. Besides, the way humans work, OK the way this human works is that slipping on one resolution could bring the rest tumbling down. Better to hit one, knock it out and move on. At least that's what I'm telling myself. The first resolution I selected from among more than a dozen was to eliminate the stash. I told you guys this before. Not to decrease the stash, but to eliminate it. Make it gone. The ideal stash for me will be to have yarn for just three projects.

It seems simple enough however seeing pictures of my stash, we all know this is Herculean. So, how's the plan going as we leave January and have only eleven more months to accomplish the task?

I dunno.

I've made more than a dozen prayer shawls which comes to 36 skeins of yarn that are gone. But that's hardly a dent - especially since some of the yarn was purchased at the end of the year. My office is a stash forest of bags and trunks of yarn. However, downstairs, boxes are now half full so I actually emptied out a box by combining contents.

But we all know yarn breeds when left alone in the dark. Strange thing, though, when two skeins of, say, Homespun breed, they create four skeins of 'I Love This Yarn' in green. Don't know how it manages to do that but I have proof.

Of course the key to stash reduction is the same as the key to weight reduction (another resolution somewhere on the list) Take in less and use up more. Which translated for knit speak is: less shopping, more knitting. I can actually accomplish this. I was in a store recently and walked out without purchasing one skein of yarn - of course it was the hardware store. I'm, kidding, it was Hobby Lobby. I will be making a trip some time today to a yarn place to purchase a Tunisian crochet hook and the skeins to complete the dreaded shawl and figure if I purchase too much, I will fringe the shawl with the remainder thus not adding to the stash by default.

I'm clever like that.

Better to Wear Out Than Rust Out

Yes, it's the same photo as yesterday - except yesterday I didn't notice that pink thing. I have no idea what that is and as I am sitting right next to that spot at this moment and there is nothing pink on it, I have no idea what it was and I have decided not to worry about it.

It's the same photo because I'm not sure there's been much progress. I mean, I've attached a new ball of yarn but I don't think I've gotten much further. And now I'm worried that the three balls of yarn I have will not be enough to finish it. (I hear you, it's not an excuse to go yarn shopping.) Because the one ball I've already used makes it about 1/5 done so my math brain says if 1 ball makes it 1/5 done then I need 5 balls to make it 5/5 done and I have only three balls. (Don't even start, my mind went straight to the gutter already.)

Because this is an off the cuff shawl, there are no directions to tell me how much yarn I need. Something in my mind is saying since for a shawl with a thicker weight I would need three skeins, I should take that yardage and double it. I will spare you the calculation process and just tell you that comes to about 1100 yards. And I have a little over 600. And even as I say this, I'm not sure that will even work. So now I am a conundrum: do I go an purchase say three more skeins in the hopes that will be enough? Is there another calculation I could use? Don't ask me to measure the gauge so far - I can hardly see the stitches as it is. I have no idea what I'm doing.

This could get ugly.

Great Expectations

So, yesterday was the first day I put out the word for the Craft Cafe and the good news is, I have takers!! This is beginning to look really good, which means I've added some more to the plate so laziness will have to be built into the schedule so I don't drive myself in sane.

Oddly enough, I've had my first glitch. On the website, it is quite clearly stated applicants should submit one photo with their application - and it says 'please, just one.' Someone sent me a photo with an inquiry about the show. I responded. referring them to the site where the information about submission was and said I hoped they would consider applying. They then proceeded to send me two more emails with more photos the subject lines says 'here's more of my work.'

Because I guess I wasn't clear that I only wanted or needed one photo. I didn't look at the photos nor did I respond to the email because I had other things to look at and they were already approved. So imagine my surprise when I received an email this morning saying I did not respond to the other emails which they hate and they are not going to be in the show.

Do you all know me well enough to know how that works?

So, I responded that I was sorry to have hurt their feelings but I already viewed their work and I didn't know there was a time limit on viewing the rest and i was sorry that meant they couldn't be in the show.

They responded saying it wasn't that I didn't look at their work but they responded to my email telling them what they needed to get to me and I didn't respond to their response. (Even though the response didn't contain the application and did contain specifically what I did not ask for.)

Are you kidding me? I didn't respond to your response? When would it ever end? It would be the never ending email. Do you think we now have a relationship?
Needless to say the response to their response to my response to their response that I didn't respond to - has not been sent.

On the other hand, I am driving myself crazy because I am doing something I thought I would never do - I am knitting with a #2 yarn and on size 5 needles. I have some three skeins of this yarn and I don't know what I was thinking when I bought it but I decided it needed to be a shawl. I am fairly certain I started this on Tuesday - and this is as far as I've gotten. Of course, I've been busy with Craft Cafe and haven't picked up the needles much, but it's going to take forever (OK, maybe a few more days) before it's even finished. It's a beautiful blue and it's nice and sparkly so it will be cute, but there's a reason I wanted to run from thin yarns. So, yes it will be very lovely when it's done - just in time to wrap my non-responsive butt in when I'm committed to the home.

I Won't Grow Up

Whew, am I tired. Because yesterday I spent eight hours working. I did not pick up my knitting needles (which I do consider part of my work) until after 4 yesterday afternoon when Mr. Honey asked me if I was missing Gilmore Girls - yes, I watch the reruns of GG. Usually, I am already right there in front of the t and v with needles in hand, but yesterday, I started at about 9 in the morning and rebuilt my website. beverlybochenek.com was looking pretty sorry and I told myself it was because I was so busy doing all that other stuff and I would get around to rebuilding the site so it looked like something someone should visit (I should do the same for my house!)
But with the Craft Cafe getting a green light, the site needed to be rebuilt pretty darned quick. So yesterday, in a flight of maturity, after I did my blog post, I turned on Dreamweaver and decided to build the craft cafe webpages.

In the midst of doing that, it made sense to me to put those pages on my website instead of paying for a new site or new domain so that led to me redoing my site - and now phase one is complete and ready for visitors!
To tell the truth, I had the most fun creating the jpegs (see images on the left) for the pages and I am anticipating more fun creating the ones for the pages that are left to make!

There was even more fun when I opened my mail this morning to see there were folks who already registered for the first and future craft shows and an email from a friend who says she won't have enough to sell but will be there to help me in any way she can. Blessings abound when one works for blessings!

Because of all this work going on yesterday, not only did I not knit a lot, I also did not do the laundry or clean the living room as I had scheduled - which at the moment, seems to be something of an upside. But today, I shall get that done. There's still more to do on the site, but at least it's functional and I can start on phase two of the craft cafe getting folks to sign up and planning the publicity phase. If anyone has any experience planning craft shows and can give me some pointers - I'd be appreciative of that. I do not want this venture to fail as it effects so many folks.

This grown up thing? Not all it's cracked up to be!

Pay No Attention to the Lady With the Needles

Notice anything about this photos? Yes, you there waving your hand. What do you notice? They're all in color. Oh, very good, but that's not what I was going for. What about you with the iPod tacked to your head. What do you notice? Snow? Well, take a free download my friend. Yes, they are all taken in the snow.

I learned a few months back that photos taken outside are better than ones taken inside - which doesn't explain why I bought a 30 inch light box to take photos indoors but does explain why I have yet to use it.
I traipse (indeed, I traipse, don't you?) outside and I take photographs of my items. Snow, cold, wind - I go out and take the photos. Recently, it was incredibly cold out and I had to photograph six shawls. I could only do two at a time before coming inside to warm up. I'm not even sure there was snow on the ground - it might have just been cold.

I take the photos in my backyard - my backyard in Chicago. Not a lot of open space in Chicago. On a clear quiet night you can hear things going on in your neighbors' houses. If you're in the right rooms of your perspective dwellings, you can hold a conversation with your neighbors that folks walking by can chime in on - I've done it.

My neighborhood is also quite active. Comings and goings all the time and we're all very friendly - thanks to some well planned block parties!
We've had some families move in recently and not only has that made the neighborhood more diverse (hence, I am no longer the only pigmented person on the block and now there are English, Polish. Italian and Spanish speaking folk as well. Throw in a French speaking family and we qualify for NATO.) Theses families have brought younguns with them to go with the already eager younguns who were born to the couple next door. These young folk are...inquisitive..shall we say? They need to know everything. One can barely leave the house without one of them asking where you're going, what you're going to do once you get there, how long will it take to complete your business, and the route you're going to take home.

I was entering the house one afternoon when three girls (ages 3-5) stopped me:
"What's new, Miss Bev?" One of them asked me with the other two standing close.
"Nothing, girls."
"Really?" said another, quite seriously. "Because it appears you've cut your hair."
I swear, put them in airport security and no one flies.

What does this have to do with the snow? No one in the past twelve months since I've opened the shop and started taking photos outdoors has questioned what the hell I'm doing. No one wonders why I bring stuff out in the backyard at all times of the year - but especially in the winter - and take their picture. Even when I march out with mannequin heads. I've seen them watch me, but no one says a word. Not even the girls - who practically live in our backyard because they are in love with Mr. Honey.

I can only surmise their was a neighborhood memo warning folks not to ask what the lady with the Styrofoam heads was doing - avert your eyes! Or perhaps someone ask Mr. Honey and depending upon his mood that day he told them it was part of some therapy and it was better not to ask. (Way to drum up business for the Mrs.)

But not one person has asked. Curious, that's all.

Crash and Burn

I'm not quite sure what I want to be when I grow up. I'm not quite sure I want to grow up - which probably makes the decision that much harder. I'm just saying.

I have the urge to do some emotional eating so today I have had some ice cream, even though my free day was Wednesday and the next one isn't until Thursday. Now that I have confessed, I will be able to stay away from the rest of the ice cream which is feeling ignored. But speaking of frozen goodness..

These are the caps that have made the cup. Don't they look like three scoops of sherbet? They are comfy and cute and I think I said before they don't even use a half skein of yarn so they are going to be very inexpensive. They take about five hours to make and I decided not to put the plastic in the brim and it still works. The other three or four prototypes are around here somewhere and I am going to wear them. I am even going to wear them outside and advertise my own stuff. I am more than happy to tell folks that it was a draft and direct them to the final products coming soon to the site and then whip out a business card and give it to them...on the premise they don't laugh, point at my head and say 'what the heck is that on your head?'

Cratfalicous!

I love Susie. I would even go so far to say that if I weren't married - I'd marry Susie - if she would have me...and if I were gay...and she was gay...and I lived in New York. You get what I mean.

Dear Susie said I wasn't lazy; she said I was craftalicious! I was so moved I opened up a Word document, typed craftalicious and put it in my dictionary. That's the kind of thing that can really move a person to adequateness! I can't be quite as lazy as I would like to be now that I am craftalicious.

I've made a couple more of the caps and I think I have the pattern where I want it so I will start putting them in the shop when I have five of them. I don't know why that's the magic number but I'm not going to fight it. I made four that don't make the cut, but they can still be worn. The three that are done are the pumpkin, orange and aubergine ones. Pics to follow when I'm not feeling so lazy (yeah, well, I'm trying.)

Didn't make it out to HB yesterday but I am thinking today will be the day. In fact, it will be within the next hour or two. I have another reason for going, I need some netting to make pot scrubbers. I have a ton of dish clothes and spa cloths I made for the sale that didn't make it to the store and I want to add pot scrubbers to them before I add them. So, I have the perfect cover..I mean..reason to go. But I have to say I am still hesitant about getting the yarn even though buying one skein of it is the same as buying 3 skeins of the yarn I make prayer shawls with and I would get almost the same amount. It really makes no sense.

I am off to my Facebook Cafe World. One of my cousins got me started and I have to make sure the food hasn't spoiled on the stove and all my guests are well taken care of!!

I'll let you know if I get the yarn...but I have a feeling you already know.

Breakdown Dead Ahead

I got up this morning and I look like I've been in a fight. I remember waking up and feeling quite normal. I made a phone call to clarify something with Lois and when I hung up the phone, my eye felt funny. I walked into the bathroom and my right eye is practically swollen shut and I have no idea why. Something must have gotten into my eye and I must have rubbed it right in while I was talking on the phone and not even thinking about it. Mr. Honey wanted to know if it was painful or inhibiting my sight. No to both counts and I think it's getting better because I'm beginning to feel it pulse like the blood is flowing again - bummer. Do you see this pile of prayer shawls? I've made twelve total and this Sunday we are going to have a prayer shawl blessing at church. And the prayer shawl tear continues but I've added more of the hats, too. So, how is your New Year's going? I've had a busy beginning and no one to blame but myself. Fourteen days into the new year and I want to be lazier than a son of a gun.

I already have a plateful of stuff to get done (3 websites, job description, organizing the craft cafe) and I love having stuff to do - but it is direct opposition to my desire to be lazy. My 'free' day was yesterday - the day I could eat whatever I wanted and I had a sugar rush. Which means I am having sugar withdrawal today which just encourages the laziness - and with the eye and all - it just seems a day made to take it easy.


Anyone have any tips on overcoming laziness? I suppose there's no real cure except to do the non-lazy thing which is to just do something other than be lazy. I'm gonna get right on that. I know people like that. Folks who have that get up and go and that fire in the belly drive and working all out on everything. I watch them as they go by and I admire them so much. And I want to be just like them...someday. I guess.

Right now. I have to work out and I am contemplating a trip to Hobby Lobby...wait..wait don't jump all over me about going to my yarn place. Remember I said there were exceptions to the not buying yarn rule and one of the exceptions is if a certain yarn goes on sale. And it's on sale. Besides, I said I was contemplating. It may never happen. I'm lazy, remember?

A for Effort

The new year and new projects have started. I am still on the prayer shawl run (10 and counting) but I have also added a cute newsboy cap to the mix. I have made four of them already (they take about 6 hours.) None of them are fit to sell.

It is cute, isn't it? There some work that still needs to be done the finishing part and I have to scale down the patter cuz I think it would darling as a kiddie hat.

They take a remarkably small amount of yarn. (I can probably get three out of a 350 yard skein) and the brim will stay in shape if you use a smaller needle and double it up so I won't need the plastic that's in this sample. Using the same pattern with a different yarn (all the same weight) will still cause the gauge to change. Caron yarn makes them run bigger. Red Heart makes it stretchier (I had some left over from long ago. Can't tell you the last time I bought some on purpose) Hobby Lobby probably works the best. (Note to self - write the Hobby Lobby folks and tell them to stop raising the price of I Love This Yarn - It's gone up at least 50 cents in the past year. If it goes over $3/skein it's no longer a value over Caron by the Pound.)

How about this for a little piece of irony? My first sale of 2010 was of an afghan I made almost a year to the day it sold. Remember this afghan? It sold to a repeat customer. Someone who bought the red feather and fan afghan - again almost a year after I made it. I'm glad they have gone to a good home and it just goes to show how you shouldn't give up. Trying is the key to both success and failure. Failure and trying again is a key to success.


Speaking of which, we got the final approval for the Craft Cafe and I am working towards a March date which means I have about two weeks to build the website and another week after that to get the word out to crafters and suppliers. It will be a new venture for 2010. One that am prayerful about because it can be so rewarding for everyone involved - including me. Please add to your prayers that it will be a successful venture.

I have to go eat something. My new regime says I have to eat a small meal every three hours. I was on the same plan a few years back and it was very effective. Then I stopped and that's why I have to start again. I eat this way for six days and I have one day I can eat whatever the heck I want. That day is Wednesday and believe me, I am looking forward to it. I already have the thought of what I am going to have that day. In the meantime, I will go have my meal and then get back to work on the prayer shawl that is on the needles. If I work really, really hard it may be done today as well.

I love knitting!

On A Wing and Several Prayers

Oh Melissa, I am not blaming you at all! Of course I am thanking you - if you weren't having that discussion about when to have the skein wound, I never would have seen my beloved bag...it is your fault - in the very best of ways!!! Smooches!

Happy New Year! Yes, I know we're six days into and I am starting off the year already behind, but can you see what I've been up to?

Prayer shawls are popping up all over the place. These are just four of the eight, I think there are eight - it's at least eight - and there's one more on the needles. It's a great way to get some knitting in if you're in the mood to be productive. I mean the yarn does all the work and you get credit for making something really stunning. It never ceases to amaze me how such beauty lies in such simple things. You take the yarn in your hand and you just go about your business then a few hours later, you have something really lovely and you don't know how it happened and you know you had something to do with it but still...

and you get another surprise when you photograph it because you see colors you don't see with the naked eye. Leave it to man to create something which shows us what we don't see when we're looking directly at it. For example, the prayer shawl that looks like red and purple striped? Doesn't look anything like that to the naked eye. In fact, it's very stunning in person and that will be one lucky recipient who receives it.

I have made several New Year's resolutions and I am happy to say they are all still intact - trust me, it's almost a record that they've last this long. One of the first is to eliminate the yarn stash.

I'll wait until you stop laughing. I know you've seen this movie, too.

But I am really quite serious about it. I am going to eliminate, not reduce, but eliminate the stash. There's quite an easy plan about it and it can be done in a few steps:

1. Don't buy any yarn unless it is to match up with yarn already in the stash which is being used immediately on a project.

2. Do projects which require the use of scrap yarn - such as squares or leaf patterns or learning how to make that darned elusive granny square.

3. Stay out of temptation's way by not going to yarn stores.

See? Simple - OK, you started laughing again at the third one and I can't blame you. But I'm not going - I'm pretty sure. Oh, Melissa is reading this and already planning on my demise. I'm sure she thinks she must get me back for the blaming incident which isn't really a blaming incident.

There are other resolutions: in fact I may have gone overboard on the resolution train this year. I made several on New Year's Eve and they're still coming. Perhaps if I write them down I will see I'm making the same one over and over and that would relieve the pressure.

I also made an adorable hat. I tried following the pattern - I really did but I am tempted to write the designer and ask why she made it so complicated. I ended up doing my own thing and ignoring half the pattern instructions - and it came out very cute. I am bringing it Friday to the StitchCraft meet up - if the coming snowstorm doesn't bury me inside.

Let me offer my sincere wishes for a wonderful New Year. I would love to say something clever about yarn, knitting and life, but it's 4 in the morning and I don't drink coffee - so we'll have to stick with the familiar - have a terrific year, everybody!