Stop Me!...I Think

The wonderful Melissa takes delight in tormenting me. (I so look forward to the comment that's coming from that opening salvo.)

The wonderful Melissa has said on several occasions: "Why aren't you publishing your patterns?" or even more Mom-like: "I just don't understand why you're not publishing your patterns?" Yes, she makes it into a question. Melissa is Jewish (insert stereotype here) and the guilt has plagued me. Because one of my patterns is published on Ravelry and has even sold and because there are others playing around in my head. I've taken a look at a photo and then decided just to cast on and knit what I think I see. "Who," says the person with 50 knitting books that she knows of, "needs a pattern?" Sometimes I do. I like patterns - they give me someone to blame. I don't have to take responsibility for a pattern if someone else makes it. I just have to follow it and admire my ability to read or fail at it and say someone else doesn't know how to write a pattern.

SIGH. But the wonderful Melissa is playing over and over in my head because she was working on a cute bag and progressing very well and as I was watching her knit it my mind was saying how I would change this or that and make it something different and then when I went to church, Joyce had the cutest bag made out of leather and I thought 'I could knit something like that.' Oh that Melissa!

Do you know Hill Harper? He's on CSI:NY. He has a degree from Brown, a law and master's degree from Harvard is the author of several books along with being a lecturer and actor. He says you should follow your heart even if it takes you all over the place. (And let us admit the man is creamy! Wanna spread him on a cracker and eat him right up!)
His voice is nearly as loud as the wonderful Melissa's. He sets a great example of moving. You can't get anywhere without moving so if you think you're stuck start at your feet.

Of course, I will put the patterns on the long list of things to do because the truth, Melissa, is that I have thought about publishing them I just haven't gotten to it and then I know from the example of Hill Harper that time is something we made up and something we have some control over and can accomplish whatever we set our minds to doing. I believe that. I sincerely do.

I appreciate Melissa being in my head because I appreciate Melissa being in my life. She's someone I love hanging out with even as she leads me on the path of breaking my stash resolution (you should have heard her last Friday!!) Stay in my head, Melissa, I could use the noise.

The Resistance

First to clarify: my treasured Susie left me a comment where she noted I've only been knitting for a year...
I've known how to knit for almost 40 years. I picked up the needles again four years ago and I've had the shop for less than a year. Not that I mind being considered something of a phenom, but alas, I'm just your average knitting bear. (But thanks for saying my stuff is gorgeous!!)

The itching has started. As you can see, two more hats have made their way onto the planet. I have already started another one, but there was a moment when I was looking at other patterns and trying to talk myself into making something else. I almost succumbed.

It's not that it would be a bad thing, in fact, I know at some point, I will have something else on the needles other than a hat, but I'm not at that point yet. This is a business decision and I have to see it through. I cannot be a vagabond about this: I must resist the bohemian calling to just do 'what I want.' I must realize the business is also something I want and in order to make it successful, I really do need to have an anchor product. If I look at all the 'knitting stores' on Etsy, the ones that are the most successful have an anchor product: baby legwarmers, scarves, etc. Then they also offer other items as well.

I didn't invent the wheel, but I sure know how to use one. So, it seems to follow that I also should have an anchor product. I thought about it being afghans, but they take weeks to do. I decided that would be my specialty item. But hats - hats are quick to knit, offer a great variety, and if someone has a head and lives in the part of the country that is not Florida, almost everyone can use a hat. Even places in Arizona have snow and skiing. So hats make sense.

But that wild child wants to go exploring. She doesn't want to stay home and work. She's the same wild child that doesn't want to clean the kitchen. I don't want to send her packing, but I must set her in the corner for a time out so she can think about what she's almost done and has gotten away with in the past.

I love her. But she really needs a little more discipline.



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They Shoot Husbands, Don't They?

First, I want to do some Friday Shout outs!
Kim's Crafty Apple is one of our advertisers and she does some really lovely quilts. As you may know, quilts have a place in my heart because I used to have some quilts from my maternal grandmother and I got rid of them because I didn't know hat I had in them. I didn't become crafty until later - don't make my mistake.

My sister Carole put this up on her Facebook page - it is the funniest thing and this kid really has some rhythm for being so young. Check it out when you get the chance. Baby Dancing to Beyonce

I firmly believe there are miracles all around us. I even believe that every once in a while, we perform them ourselves: case in point: There are times when I ask for Mr. Honey's opinion and it opens the floor for the following miraculous events:

1. I listen to what he says
2. I consider what he says
3. I do what he says

It is even more of a miracle when all three happen on the same piece of advice. And that is exactly what happened when I asked him about stocking the shop. I was musing about whether or not to offer one main item like hats, afghans, etc and then add other pieces and he said so many things that made sense - don't ask me to repeat them - he didn't get the miracle of me retaining what he said. But that's why I entered the hat phase. We figured out that I can make hats faster than I make anything else. Faster than scarves, definitely faster than an afghan or shawl, so hats are the focus and then I will add other pieces. The explanation he gave is sound and it makes good business sense. Hats are easy to design, they offer variety and as I have shown, I have finished six hats in the last few days and the seventh one is on the needles - of course, it is the most complicated.

It even makes sense that I do hats. Most of the hats I've made have sold so I know I can compete in the market. That Mr. Honey, he's got a business head on his cute shoulders.

Here's the problem:
I'm such a child.

The problem isn't with the plan - it's with the person who has to execute it. I have to stop myself from being bored. I have a tendency to run with my feelings and if I feel bored, then I don't try to talk myself out of it. But this is a business and I need a business head to run it.
I am in awe of those people who are creative and focused. Really, I'm just in awe of mature people who work through, around and over obstacles. Maybe when I grow up I will be one of those.

Now, I just have to schedule growing up on the calendar.

The Need to Knit

One must knit.
There are those of you who understand this concept and do not hesitate to agree.

One must knit.
In fact, I would hazard to say that most folks who follow a knitting blog, do so because they must knit. (That leaves room for those of who who just support me no matter what I do and those who love my writing..hahahaha.)

One must knit.
I must knit. Even if it means the knitting is sometimes painful. In this case, it is not a physical pain. It is a mental one. I am knitting an afghan/wrap. Very simple stockinette pattern. It's all stockinette. Except every fourth row I put in sequins at the beginning and the end of the row. So there's a band of sequins then plain stockinette and then sequins. This is after a few rows of sequins all the way across.

I don't need to put a photo there, do I? You get it. You can imagine how it's going to look. Well, you can if I tell you the color is kinda rust orange. I believed the yarn is Burnt Pumpkin and the sequins are a close copper color. When it's done there will be a rectangle with sequins on all sides and a clear stockinette middle. It should be very nice.

My stitches have never looked better. When stockinette is the main pattern, it's important the stitches look nice and even because it's the canvas. I was admiring my stitches last night. I was saying to myself they looked nice and smooth and really professional. I was complimenting myself on my improving in my craft.

It's going to be lovely with the fall color and the shiny sequins.
Assuming I haven't died of boredom.

Did I write that out loud? I believe I did. Do you know the cause of the boredom? It's not that it's stockinette because it's a four row repeat and you have to pay attention to the placement of the sequins because it's not the same: the placement starts on the 3rd stitch on one row and on the 6th (so I guess it's an 8 row repeat) but it can go wrong. That's not the source of the problem.

It's the needle size. I'm using size 9. Relatively small for an afghan with one stitch. It will be stunning when it's done but it's going to take a lot of rows with that size of needle. It's an afghan after all. The pattern called for it to be a short throw - but come on, it needed to be bigger. I couldn't stop at the 36 inches or the 500 sequins it calls for. No, It must be at least in the 50 inches range and it must have 750 sequins at least. (Which is why I changed the pattern from adding sequins every 6th row to every 4th row.)

Don't know why I didn't change the needle size while I was changing everything else. But I didn't and I'm too far to go back and though I think I have been working on this for a little more than a week, it's already playing with my mind. Don't suggest putting it down and working on something else - I have to get through it or else the effort I've already put in will go wasted.

Sigh.

I feel better just getting it out. Now I won't carry thing vibe with me to the project and it won't feel my little outburst and snag or something. It really does look nice and it will be stunning. We just have to make it through this little stone in the road. But we will because sometimes you have to go through these things to get to the other side. And it's worth getting to the other side.

Because one must knit.
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In The New Era of Hope

I went to my office early this morning (all of a five second commute) so I didn't come downstairs at all until it was almost noon. I came downstairs to this:









The carpet needs to have the biannual carpet cleaning, and I really need to knit Duke a new bed, but that's not the amazing thing. The amazing thing is yesterday when I came down.

this and






this








and this







along with this







and also this







was all over this









I wish I could say it was all put in nice little cubby holes that would make Martha Stewart declare my house a 'good thing.' But it is not so. There are now little piles of things in the perimeter. The good new is there is a path so I can shampoo the carpet. And the better news is I can tackle one little pile at a time. The bad part (but which could be a good part because it involves inventiveness) is I need to create a space for my goods to be nicely stowed while they wait for me. My office is incredibly small. So the only space is to be found in the basement where my little gym is. I will not be sacrificing fitness because I now work out upstairs since my little VCR stopped working down there. And also with good weather comes walking. I see a box system in my future since there is a semblance of one already down there.

On to step two: prepping the new space!

The Road to Hell

is paved with good intentions.

Intent is a powerful thing. I believe in intent. One can tell the truth with the intent of bringing harm and one can lie with the intent of protecting someone from harm. I intended to make a cute little baby blanket and I have started it twice with two different yarns.

It don't want to be made.

At least not by me. Or at least not in the two yarns I've started it in. I cannot even force myself to take photos of the wip for it shall not be a wip for long. It shall turn into a frog and then perhaps into a hat.

SIGH. Has this ever happened to you? You see a nice pattern and think 'Yes, I shall make this (fill in the blank) only to have the karma of the (fill in the blank) stop you cold? I am sure it wishes to be made but not in the brown variegated yarn I tried first and not the rainbow variegated yarn I have tried again. I believe it wishes to be made in the solid grape colored yarn that has been peeking out at from one of the cubby holes from my desk where yarn should not be.

The yarn should not be in my desk and therefore should be moved and why not move it to the needles where the unhappy pattern is being worked by yarn it does not favor? I am not so far along that I would consider the time completely wasted and if everyone ends up happy - all the better.

Yes, that is what I will do. I will start for the third (and last - I try patterns three times before moving on) time to make the pattern fairy happy and get this blanket done. Thy will be done, little blanket fairy, thy will be done.