Summer is upon us :)

So finally Saint John is getting some beautiful weather! For 4 days in a row we have had warm sunny weather and for the past 2 days I've gotten to enjoy it :) Nothing better after a rough winter and cold spring than to soak up some rays and relax!

The last week of school is upon us and all the fun end of school year trips and outings are making fun for a lot of the kids. I am am just getting my emotions in check as my daughter is celebrating her middle school graduation this week! I cannot believe I will have a high school student next year living in my house! Guess I am just not ready for my baby girl to be grown up!

A lot of changes are happening and I'm not quite ready for all of them. But I sure am glad that the weather has changed and am looking forward to more days of sunshine to relax and knit outside!

I finally finished my spring tunic, just in time for summer! My timing is off and it took me longer than I expected but it is finally finished! It's a wonderful feeling finishing a big project like that and having it turn out the way you want it too! So now on to more smaller projects for the summer :)

Now I have moved on to mittens and socks. The perfect projects for summer! You can throw them in your purse and knit whenever you get the chance too :) I knit in the car, I knit at the coffee shop, I pretty much knit where ever I can! Small projects are easy and fast for this time of year as we all want to be outside, and that's where I plan on spending most of my free time this summer!!

Here is my spring tunic I plan on wearing on cooler days this summer :)

Thank you so much!

Today is a good day :) Today my heart is full from the outpouring of support I have received in knitting baby hats for our local hospital. I knew I had wonderful friends but this shows how wonderful they really are!

Not only have they shown support by knitting these tiny baby hats, they are going above and beyond by starting their own little knitting groups with a goal of making a certain amount of hats by a certain time, and even making baby blankets to donate!!

I am so touched by their support! Not only are they making baby hats to help these newborn babies keep their birth weight up they are giving them their very first item of clothing to wear! How special is that! I still have my daughters baby hat from he day she was born, and it means the world to me. It reminds me of holding her for the first time, snuggling with her, smelling her, kissing her tiny little cheeks, that very moment when I didn't think I could love her anymore than I did my heart grew even bigger! 

We are not only keeping these babies warm we are making memories that will last a life time! I want to take this opportunity to greatly thank the lady or gent who made my daughters very first hat, You made a great moment even greater! And I want to take the opportunity to also thank the lovely, wonderful and generous ladies and gents who are still making these baby hats, you are making a big difference in this world! Keep it up! I want to hug every one of you!!

Here is 2 crochet blankets donated by a wonderful lady with a couple baby hats knitted for the SJRH in Saint John, New Brunswick 

Knitting for charity

Everyone knows I love knitting, that's no secret. I love knitting for others. I love giving a gift of something knitted at Christmas time, Birthdays, and pretty much anytime of the year. But I never really thought about how I could help others with my knitting. 

I read about how a group of ladies from prison knit toys for abused kids, how a lady knits tiny blankets for neonatal intensive care units, but I have never really thought about doing it myself. I do volunteer some of my time to teach children how to knit, but I don't know why I never thought to actually knit items for a charity. 

So this Month I have started knitting baby hats for my local hospital who gives a baby hat to every newborn baby when they are first born to help them not lose any of there birth weigh. I cannot take credit for even the idea of making these hats as I was approached with the idea to maybe teach it as a class. But I was and am very excited to take on the opportunity to help teach others how to knit these baby hats and to start knitting them also. 

I have a great crew working away on these hats and am standing by if any of them need help :) Of course it is all volunteer, I do not charge to teach how to knit these hats. And it feels great to help! I am helping in a way that I can, even though I never thought of it myself! 

Sometimes we don't think of things we can do for others, and I am glad that it was brought to my attention! I am glad that now I can start using my knitting skills in different ways that will help others. And I hope you can think of ways to use your skills to help others also :) We all need to help, even by doing little things! 

Here is the beginning to one of these teeny tiny baby hats :) 

Today.....not so good

Sometimes you just have to deal with it. Feeling blue, being sad, feeling down. Some people when they feel like this will even say they are so depressed. But really, is after having a bad day really mean you are depressed? If you are sad because not everything in your day turn out like you hoped for does that mean you are depressed? Wikipedia describes Depression like this,

Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behavior, feelings and sense of well-being. People with depressed mood can feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, ashamed or restless. They may lose interest in activities that were once pleasurable, experience loss of appetite or overeating, have problems concentrating, remembering details or making decisions, and may contemplate, attempt or commit suicide. Insomnia, excessive sleeping, fatigue, aches, pains, digestive problems or reduced energy may also be present. 

I have Depression. I was diagnosed with depression and have been dealing with depression for years. Dealing with it mostly alone. Trying to get through the hopeless feelings that comes with this mood disorder all by my lonesome. Dealing with the shame that comes with having a mood disorder by myself. Yes my best friends know I suffer with this, and they do what they can, but sometimes there's nothing anyone can do. I fight this battle alone

I have been married for 14 years and we have a beautiful 13 year old daughter. I hide my feelings from her. I want her to have a normal teenage life without having to worry about her mothers moods. My husband knows also but doesn't seem to understand, or maybe he just doesn't want to understand. Maybe he is ashamed that his wife has a mood disorder. 

Usually when spring rolls around I start to feel better. This year not so much. I have written in my blog how I usually celebrate Spring because its the time of year things start to look up for me. This year it hasn't happened yet. I find myself wondering what is really wrong with me and ask why I cannot snap out of it. But maybe this is a wake up call on how I am living my life. Maybe I need to make some difficult decisions and big changes.

So I reach out to you all who have suffered with depression and have won your battles. I know it couldn't have been easy for you to win, but I bet hearing about your fight will encourage me and motivate me on the changes I need to make in mine. Cause today I need a change, because today was not so good.

Celebrate its Spring!

The last few days of March are upon us! I am, for one, so very excited! I have already laid my scarf away till next winter and am wearing shoes outside instead of boots! Yes us New Brunswickers are still up over our heads in snow, but that doesn't stop me from celebrating Spring!

The winter really hit us hard here in New Brunswick. And with winter weather comes the winter blues for me. So this winter was a rough one. But now the snow is starting to melt, the streets are becoming wider, and the sun is shining longer into the day! This is reason to celebrate!

For me when a new season begins my mind starts to wander into what new masterpiece I should make with yarn! I get so many thoughts going through my head that I cannot keep up with myself! I tell myself I should make this and that and everything else too!

So this Spring I decided to take a break from knitting orders for everyone for a bit and focus on the art of knitting. True I love making hand made items for people, but after the winter we had I need to focus on things that matter most. And the things that matter most to me are my family, friends and of course my knitting. And when I say my knitting I am saying I need to focus on growing in skill, taking myself further into the art and accomplishing more than I thought I could.

So in saying all this I have started knitting things I never would have knit before! And that in itself is an accomplishment in my books! Straying away from what is comfortable and normal. And for me that is a hard thing to do! If there is something hard that you want to do I am challenging you to do it! You can accomplish your goals! Mistakes are going to happen, there will be things that you cannot do, but you only fail when you chose to not try! So try! Try it! I'm going too :)

So this spring I am knitting myself a Spring tunic, and once I am wearing my Spring tunic I am going to knit lots and lots of socks! Yes I have knit socks before and yes I can knit different kinds of socks, but my plan is to make lots and lots of different socks in different colors! Maybe even design my own pair! How cool would that be? Very cool I think ;)

Today I bought some sock yarn called  "Not Your 'Regular' Vanilla Socks" sock yarn made by a company formerly called Yummy Yarn Studio now called Devonshire Knots. This sock yarn was specially dyed for the store I teach out of and work for a few shifts a month (Cricket Cove). I was looking for a sock yarn that was unique, and this definitely is it! The colors reflect the change of season to Autumn with beautiful golds and greens. I am especially going to enjoy working with this "Yummy Yarn" and they will be ready way before Autumn hits us!

So I am definitely going to be a Happy Knitter this Spring!! :)

Knitting in frustration

Life can be so frustrating!! Things that are suppose to be great can be turned into something so hard that you are ready to pull your hair out. Today is that kind of day for me. To explain why today is such a frustrating day I want to start at the beginning. 

I went away to work in the best yarn store ever a few days ago, I mean, this place is Heaven for a knitter like me. Its a big store in a little place called Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick. I grew up in the neighborhood so a trip down home was a mini vacation even though I was working. I spent time with my girlfriend, seen some of my family, drank lots of coffee, did lots of knitting and did lots of odds and ends working in the shop. It was a great couple days! A couple of the best days a girl who's love for yarn and family outweighs any problems that may come my way.

As I worked in the shop I got to peruse some of the most beautiful fibers and textures of all different types of yarn. So many colors, so many different feels, that alone made the time fly by! So as I worked I picked out a few skeins of yarn as seeing them gave me great inspiration to make something beautiful. I had in my mind socks, fingerless mitts, and even some intimate items. 

One of the skeins of yarn I picked out was a mixture of Silk, Flax and Polyester. And I picked out a beautiful pink/red mix that was just calling my name! Anyone who knows me well knows my favorite color is pink, but I try not to buy myself a lot of pink as I would be knitting things in nothing but pink. But this yarn was speaking to me, teasing me with it's beautiful color and soft feel. So I did the right thing. I bought pretty pink (my name for her) and kept thinking of what amazing piece I should make with her.

So the time came when I was coming home. I bagged up all my new treasures and jumped in my husbands car excited to tell him all about the idea's that had been piling up in my head since the beginning of the 2 days of work. So as I was chatting away (probably driving him nuts with my knit talk) I decided that while we drove back to the city ( a 45 minute drive ) I would wind pretty pink and she would be ready when I was ready to use her. So I open the skein and place her around my knee's and begin to wind her. 

As the city became closer to us I realized that I was only half done winding this ball of yarn, that I wouldn't be finished by the time we drove into the driveway, but that didn't discourage me too much, I had a lot of the "Gilmore Girls" left to catch up on and that would finish off the evening nicely. Easy Peasy right?? Wrong! We made it home and I stopped winding, lifted the skein off my knee's carefully and carried it into the house to set on the dining room table till I could get to it again. 

Apparently cats like yarn. I know right crazy. As I brought in the rest of my things from the car our 6 month old kitten decided to take a look at pretty pink and test her out. So when I found them they were intertwined together and pretty pink didn't look so pretty at the moment. Sigh.....My fault right? I should have know better. So my Saturday night looked a little bit like this..... 

By then I was tired. I had worked 2 days away from home and my high was coming down. I was exhausted and sad at the mess my cat had made, but no big deal, I didn't have to fix it in 1 day.

So I worked on it for a few hours yesterday. And decided to work on it for a few more today as it was another snow day. 

So that is the beginning of my story. Now on to today.......

I woke up in a great mood, even despite the snow we had yesterday and last night, making it a snow day again today. A few family issues started to get in the way at first but nothing a good cup of coffee couldn't fix. Grabbed my cup and headed on to spend some quality time with pretty pink. I had made it more than half way through winding so I decided that I was gonna have to cut the ball I had already made and start a new one as it was easier in the untangling process. So I clicked on some music and sang away while I pulled and weaved through knots and yards of yarn. 

Then I had a great idea! I would post a picture on the Facebook knitting group page and ask for some tips on how to untangle a mess! So I posted the same picture I posted above. The comments came pouring in and I was getting some great encouragement and idea's from my fellow knitters. One of the comments was to make sure I was in my Zen mood before I did it as it is a very stressful long process. BUT in the middle of a comment the knitting group administrator removed my picture!! Oh no who did I offend with my messy yarn?

As it bothered me that they had removed it I personally messaged one of the administrators of the group. Her reply to me was in so many words "A picture of a messy ball of yarn is not knitting and does not follow the rules", So my reply to her was "Yarn is a part of knitting and knitting related and that It should have not been deleted". Her next reply to me was "There are 36,000 people on there and we need to keep it to knitting related pictures" And so my next reply was "It was knitting related but don't worry, now there is only 35,999 people on there". So much for looking for some tips and encouragement from my fellow knitters.

My Zen mood was gone, and then everything that was happening in my house at the time started to make my mood even worse. So Frustrating!! 

So I decided to put messy pretty pink away for the time being. Didn't need to take my frustration out on her, wasn't her fault! So I was walking over to one of my knitting bags to pick up my current project and had the thought, "I'm gonna knit with all nicely rolled up into a ball pretty pink and knit something racey!" Just for fun and to help me forget about the negative part of the day. So I jumped on my laptop and brought up a pattern for a thong! Yep, something I never thought I would knit! And with the pretty pink lace yarn I would have my favorite color AND a lace design (My Favorite!) in a pair of underwear!! And of course it's making me feel like a rebel ;)

So here is the beginning of my Fifty Shades Slate thong! Yep feeling like a rebel and getting out my frustrations through knitting!!

So you girls out there who are feeling frustrated and undeserving of being treated like a rule breaker, break those needles out and knit what you feel!! And keep posting those knitting issues, even if it's just a messy ball of yarn!

Here is the web address to the amazing yarn store in Blacks Harbour New Brunswick:

www.cricketcove.com  

What's on your needles this March?

Well Happy March everyone! March is the best month of the winter! You can start to smell Spring in the air and the temperatures begin to rise and the snow begins to melt! Not only is Spring in the air in March, my husbands Birthday is at the beginning of March and our Anniversary is at the end of March. Celebration is in the air!

With Spring on its way and the Winter blues starting to vanish I always wonder what knitters knit in the spring. Do they put there needles away and enjoy the warmer weather? Or does the change in seasons bring on a new excitement for knitting? I can't answer for anyone else but I know that the change in season brings on a new vitality for life and knitting for me :) I am always thinking of what my next project is going to be and with the warmer weather I always think of what I can make that is weather appropriate. 

Spring can still be damp and cold, so socks and leg warmers are a great project to work on in spring :) They are smaller projects that will keep you warm and stylish till flip flop weather is back :) This spring I am going to work on leg warmers that will keep my legs warm when I want to wear skirts and dresses. Nothing says Spring more than pretty dresses and skirts! 

Till the weather is warmer I hope you all are knitting to keep warm and cozy till the snow has all melted! Don't give up on knitting even when the weather seems too warm! Knitting will always be a great stress relief and a comfort to me in any weather!

Here is the start to a pair of baby flip flops to keep you smiling and to motivate you to continue to knit or crochet during every season :)

February Freeze!

Brrr! Today is freezing! Minus 16 with a windchill of Minus 28! After yesterday's snow storm the sunshine is welcoming today :)

I have recently been thinking about how fast the winter is moving along. Till we were plastered with 50 cm of snow last week and I still haven't figured out how much we received yesterday. And there is another 15 - 30 cm coming tomorrow! For someone who has seasonal depression it's not looking good! That is why I have a lot of knitting planned for the rest of the winter!

As I battle the depressive nature of winter, I find that sometimes its even hard to pick up my needles and knit. All you want to do is bury your head in blankets and stay there until spring. So this year I have a lot planned with my knitting and I am sure I won't have enough time to finish it all before spring! Better to have too much knitting than too little!

As I finished a Dr Who scarf this week for an order I realized how enjoying a long project could be (no pun intended). It was a very easy stitch to knit. Straight garter stitch sometimes can be boring, but I really enjoyed the repeated rows with no thinking as my brain is mush right now! Not only do I feel blah with depression sometimes its hard to even think!

Another way I am fighting these winter blue's is to knit myself something! And knit something bright! I have taken a short break from my orders to knit myself a beautiful cowl and matching hat. I of course bought a beautiful Alpaca yarn with pink in it. I seem to be drawn to Alpaca and its coziness :) It definitely is helping me cheer up! I hope all you knitters are knitting something to help you through the winter months too!!

This is the a couple patterns done on my burberry Inspired Cowl! You can find the pattern on Ravelry!

Knitting in the new year :)

So January is over half done, and I have been a busy bee knitting away. The best thing about winter is that I have my knitting to keep me warm :). I figured the orders would slow down in the new year but they haven't! I guess not everyone got a knitted item they may have wanted for Christmas.

Now I have the beginnings of a Dr Who scarf on my needles. I did so many little projects for Christmas that it is so nice to be able to get into a big project. Not that knitting a scarf is a big project but a 10 foot scarf will be the longest I have ever knit. Very excited!

My beginner class is full this month, which is great! I figured that learning something new was there New Year's resolution but the girls all said that it was just something they wanted to learn :) which is even better as they are more likely to stick to it. As I have said so many times, there is no better feeling than when you make something yourself, and that's the feeling I want these girls to have when they finish there first project :)

And they have finished there first project :) A hat made with Cascade Eco Duo yarn, which is an Alpaca/Wool mix, very soft! They were so happy to actually finish there first project! I am so proud of them :)

So now they are onto a matching scarf to go with there hat :) We have one last beginners class next week and A matching scarf to go with there hat is just the right project to end with :) They will love the set and always think back to the first projects they ever knit!

So this has been a great start to the New Year! I cannot wait to see what the rest of winter will be like for all us knitters :)

Its Christmas Already!

Wow did time fly by this month! I still cannot believe it's Christmas Eve!! Wow!

As I sit here writing probably my last blog post of 2014 I still have a lot to do! But because it's Christmas Eve I am happy and honored that I have a family that loves me and is patient with me and willing to let me be a little behind.

Our new washer arrived this morning so in goes the backed up piles ready to try the new spin cycle. My baking supplies are ready to be baked up, and the mess that the delivery men made bringing down the new machine and bringing out the old is waiting to be cleaned up :) But I am very blessed that I didn't have to worry about how to hook up a new machine and how to get rid of the old one.

Christmas time can be a hard time of year for many people. For me it brings back memories of bad times, but way too many good times to even stop and be blue about the bad times. My prayer for everyone this Christmas is that they can find joy in the little things, the memories that can be made now that can help through those sad feelings many have this time of year. God would want you to make the most of the time he has given you :)

So enjoy the next few days :) The shopping is done, the Turkey will be yummy, and the company you have will make it one of the best years yet!

Its Almost Christmas!!

I cannot believe it is almost Christmas!! It is December 16th, it is the last week before school is out for the holidays, its the last 8 days of Christmas shopping and my Christmas knitting orders are all finished!!

This was my first Christmas taking knitting orders for friends and family that wanted knitted items to give to there loved ones. I started back in October and finished my last order last night :) I am proud of myself to say the least! Though next year I am starting in September! I want to make sure I leave myself enough time to knit for my Christmas gifts. This year most of my friends and family will get a knitted item from me, but there are quite a few things I have left out due to filling the orders for others.

This year has been a tough year for me. Having to leave another job due to health issues and not being able to do the activities I love (running, kickboxing) has taken its toll on me, but my little business has taken off and knitting and crocheting items for others has really helped me get through it all :)

The New Year will be here soon, and I am praying 2015 will be the best year yet! My health is still the same and the doctors are just starting to figure out what is going on and that has given me hope for the New Year to be great! And I am so thankful that I still have my knitting to look forward too even if I still can't get back to the other activities that I love doing :) 

2014 has been a great year in lots of different aspects even if my health hasn't been. I have become closer with friends and family and they have really helped me through the tough times. I have learned that I could become the knitter and crocheter I wanted to be, I have taught others how to knit, crochet and that has given me great joy! I have been able to help others achieve goals even if my goals haven't been met yet, and that has given me the confidence to keep moving forward!

And also I give all the credit to my God. He is the one who has definitely kept me going even when I felt like staying in bed in the mornings. He has worked through others to show me I am still loved and that I can continue to love others in ways I have never thought I could. And during this Christmas season I give Glory and Honor to him, who sent his son to save us from our sins, and has shown great Love for us in doing so. That is the true meaning of Christmas, and still gives me hope today!

It's the perfect day to crochet!

It's been one of those weeks! One thing after the other has happened this week. Downstairs toilet broke, my favorite vacuum cleaner broke, and our 16 year old kitty Buddy died this morning.

Stress is definitely a part of life in this household this week. Lots of ups and downs of emotions and just a lot of tiredness too. We are all going through something. But it's how you handle stress that gets you through it.

Today I don't feel like doing anything. But I need to do something. Life goes on even when things happen. So I think I will crochet!

Crocheting is something I like to do as a change from knitting once and a while. When I want to do something different I put the knitting needles down and pick up a crochet hook. I love the rhythm of linking chains and going a different direction than knitting. I love how fast it is too! I can crochet a dishcloth in half the time as knitting one. But I still love my knitting and the difference between the two arts.

I am crocheting Olaf this week, he is one popular dude! The one thing I love about crochet is it is thicker than knitting and when I want to make a toy I tend to go more for crochet than knitting as it is more durable and bulky and makes wonderful toys! You also don't have to stuff it as much and it stays in place when you shape it.

So today is the perfect day to crochet! To take my mind of of the sadness of losing a kitty, and to help me through it also.

This is a crochet Olaf I have made

Knitting with friends

Tonight I had a few girls over for a knit night. We ate too many sweets, drank to much coffee and tea, and of course, talked and laughed about anything and everything. The most important part was that we were knitting together. It was an awesome evening!

The bonding of the evening was great! We shared stories and told jokes. We laughed and we were serious, I think girls of all ages need to bond like we did tonight.

We all got a lot of knitting and crocheting done. One was finishing up a blanket, one a cowl, one a scarf, one a hat, one was starting a shawl, and one was crocheting a blanket. We oohed and awed about the different yarns we were using and showed our different techniques of how we knit and crochet also. We helped each other out when some needed help too.

It lasted 4 hours! I could go all night :) But we all had families to get home to :) Well I was at home and I guess that's why I didn't want it to end :) The girls were so funny! If anyone thinks knitting is boring they will have to come to one of my knit nights and I will prove them wrong! Knitting with friends is one of the best girls time I have ever had. And its a great excuse to eat more than you should :) 

I was ready for the night. I baked a butterscotch pie and had some cookies, One girl brought Blueberry Cheesecake!! Oh so yum! It was hard to get everyone to put there needles down to eat :) But they eventually did, and enjoyed the snacks with the conversation. 

You don't even have to knit a lot when you are with the girls. Knitting can be a great excuse to get together. Tonight was just one of those nights that we all got a lot done. It was great! I know I keep repeating myself when I say it was great, but it was! And I hope all those knitters out there can get together with there friends and have as much of a great time as we all did tonight!

Rainy Sunday's and Knitting :)

What a rainy week this has been! Fall is my favorite time of year and I've been stuck inside!! And rain on a Sunday makes it even drearier, I would love to be sitting out on the deck in my knitted sweater with some knitting and a cup of hot coffee :) But the rain is pouring down today so I will have to frown looking outside the window instead.

Sunday's are definitely a day of rest in my home. We love to just relax and not worry about the daily chores and all of life's work. And Sunday's are definitely a time where I can knit what I want instead of knit what I have to. Knitting for a living can sometimes take the fun out of knitting, sometimes, if you have to knit a lot of the same thing. I don't like change in general but I love change in knitting :). Though on a rainy Sunday like today I would rather knit something I am comfortable knitting and not have to work on a pattern that requires the use of my brain.

When Sunday finally gets here my brain needs a break too. My body and spirit are tired from the past week and knitting really helps me relax and helps me return to a good state of mind. I make sure that I have fun while knitting on Sunday, and if I am not enjoying it at the time I just don't knit. A lot of people love what they do for a living, and I absolutely love what I do, but taking a break is also necessary when you feel overloaded, Even if the job you do helps you relax and gives you peace.

So this rainy Sunday will be for naps and knitting :) I think I will enjoy this day!

Knitting and kids

Today was my first day back to a knitting group with 4 children at a local school for the 2014 school season. It's at a different school this year and 4 different children are in my group learning how to knit. Well, trying to learn. Even though I have taught kids to learn previously, a new setting can always be a challenge, and new kids who you have never met before can be a challenge too.

They are all girls this year. Sweet grade 3 and 4ers with high expectations and who want results right away. As I have learned previously from teaching kids to knit is the first thing to say to them is "You will not walk out of your first class knowing how to knit, and probably not in your second class either". Telling them the realistic's of what is going to happen over the next couple of weeks can be the make or break it for the kids in your group. Going slow and doing it the right way is the best way to do it.

Children can be so funny, especially little girls. This group of girls are so sweet. They are polite and caring of each other. One girl in particular needs a little boost of self esteem when it comes to not being able to do it right away, but its fun lifting there spirits too :) Its funny to listen to them talk about little girl things and to watch there tongues stick out of the side of there mouths as they concentrate on the next stitch. 

Talking about what we are going to knit or what we would like to learn how to knit is also a fun part of the class. One girl wants to knit a dishcloth for her mother for Christmas, another girl wants to knit bracelets, One girl said she would just love to know how to cast on without help!

I gave them a little homework this week, not an actual assignment but a fun thing they can do at home. I told them to look for knitted items in there homes this week, It can be fun to examine something that has been knit, looking at the stitches and colors of the yarns, different size yarns and textures. It will also give them an idea of what they can knit. I bet they will find things that they didn't know were hand knitted and didn't know you could hand knit! ;)

Knitting in the Fall

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year! I love the colors, smells and the coolness of the air. And one of my favorite things about Fall is that you can start wearing your knitwear again!! 

I have started my Christmas knitting a while back but nothing makes you more enthusiastic about knitting than cooler weather. As soon as bathing suit weather ends I find I am picking up my needles more and more and my projects seem to go a lot faster. Fall is all about getting prepared for colder weather and us knitters can get so excited about it!

The first piece of knitwear I have pulled out to wear are my knitted socks. Sandal weather is finally over and I can actually wear socks again, and my neon pink hot knee socks are the first thing to come out of the closet :)

Not only do I think about Christmas knitting and getting to wear my knitwear again, I am super excited to start teaching how to knit again this fall! I love teaching adults how to knit and to encourage them that they can knit just about anything they put there mind too. I also love my volunteer knitting club at a local school where I teach grade 3 - 5ers how to knit. They absolutely love coming and it really helps them to learn how to concentrate and relax. A lot of these kids need something of there own to do and knitting has helped them a lot. I love watching these kids and how they hold there needles in the beginning and see them develop there own techniques. I love how they encourage each other to continue and to not get discouraged if they make a mistake, that this is all apart of learning something new. 

I have taught a few friends how to knit over the last few years, and I love seeing what they can do now. It's really encouraging to know that I do have something to offer people, not just knitted items. I can teach them how to knit and make things on there own. Getting together with fellow knitters is an enjoyable part of the colder weather seasons too. It can be so special to get together and knit together over coffee and tea and to help each other out with our knitting or to just chat about anything in general.

I tend to get on a kick of knitting one thing every Fall. This Fall I have started knitting hooded cowls. I have made a few of them and am thinking about what colors my family members would like in one :) I am enjoying this Fall knitting season and cannot wait to share my knitting items and talents with others :)

This is one of my hooded cowls I have made this fall :)

 

Choosing yarn and needles for a project

When it comes to knitting a project yarn is the most important choice in how that project works out. When I first started knitting I didn't know much about yarn weights or needle sizes and made a hat small enough only for a doll. I thought that if you followed the pattern it would turn out right no matter what yarn I used. Boy I was wrong!

When I picked knitting back up in my 20's I was also being taught how to knit mittens by my mother in law. She had a set of needles and a pattern for mittens that she used for every size mitten, but didn't know what size needles she was using and she used every different kind of yarn too. So I did the same thing for a while. I bought myself a pair of needles I thought were the same size as her mitten needles and copied her pattern and used them. I still use them for mittens now a days. But that wasn't going to help me knit sweaters and hats.

I was given a suitcase of patterns one year after a loved one passed away and most of the pattern books are very old. Old enough that the yarn isn't being made anymore and the needle sizes are not in metric (mm). So I would guess by looking at the picture. Sometimes it worked out and sometimes it didn't. Then I was introduced to free patterns online! That was a great day!! I noticed that the patterns had yarn weight and needle sizes in mm. So if I wanted to knit a certain project I could buy the needles if I didn't have them and just look for a number on the ball of yarn to see if it was the right weight. From that day on I now know where to look for what type of yarn and needles I need for a certain project.

I use Metric (mm) sizes in knitting needles. Some use US/Can size needles and in England they use UK or British sizes in there needles. 

A lot of patterns don't use mm for there needle sizes, they use US sizes or UK sizes. That was confusing. And some patterns didn't have that little ball of yarn with a number in it telling what number to look for on a ball of yarn to see if it was the right weight. They used words like sport weight or DK or lace and I was totally confused! So that's when the internet came in handy again. I found a chart years ago that showed Metric, US and UK needle sizes and matched them up together so if I needed a 3 US size needle I would just look it up and it would tell me that it was a 3.25mm needle in metric. It was great! Then I found another chart that showed yarn weights in names and numbers! That was even better so if I was shopping for a number 3 in yarn weight I could look and see that I was looking for either a 3 on the yarn or DK weight!

As confusing as this all sounds it does work out :) This sight called tinsel mint has great charts to help you find the right needles and yarn for your projects :) Check it out! http://www.tinselmint.com/2013/04/size-matters-yarn-and-knitting-needles.html 

How Big Is Your Stash?

Of course by now all of you who read my blog know how much I love knitting. Knitting is a big part of my life and I basically bore people to death with talking about it so much! Not only do talk about it to everyone I meet, my Facebook timeline is full of knitting posts and pictures of just about every knitting project I have made and patterns I love and of course advertisement to my knitting classes. 

So if you think my knitting life stops there you must be crazy ;) Just about every room in my house has knitting accessories, magazines, patterns and of course yarn. I have just about driven my husband crazy with the amount of knitting baskets in our bedroom.

What drives most of the members of my household nuts is the little pieces of yarn I leave laying around after I have finished a project. My favorite place to knit is in our TV room on the couch and I tend to finish most of my projects in there. I end up leaving the tiny ends of yarn that I cut after weaving in on the arm of the couch or on the computer desk by the couch. Sometimes it gets into the cushions of the couch and I find them when I decided to give the couch a good vacuum.

My husband doesn't like clutter. He likes to be able to go sit on the couch with space to stretch out his legs. So I have tucked away all my bins of yarn in hiding spaces around my house. The place that most of my bins are hidden are behind and beside the couch and under the computer desk. You can really hid a lot of yarn behind there!

The trouble with hiding my yarn stash is that I don't see it all the time. I forget what I have and how much I have. So when I want to start a new project it is so much easier to just buy new yarn instead of having to pull out all the bins and look for it. Then when I am done the new project I have to find a place for the rest of that yarn that I haven't used! 

So my yarn stash is a pretty big one. I have all different colors of yarn and just about every size of yarn that is out there. I have bins and bins of yarn! It's a knitters dream to have a huge stash! I just need to get into it more often :) Some would say I have a hording problem!

Wearing What You Knit

Today I am wearing a shrug that I knit this past spring. I knit it out of Americo Original Cotton Flamme in black. I love it! I actually had knit it originally for over my sundresses, but then how often do you wear black in the summer? So I saved it for the fall, and am wearing it today :)

I am the type of knitter that likes to give my knitting away as presents, so wearing what I knit sometimes feels like i'm being greedy. The year I started knitting mittens I knit myself a pair and ended up giving them to my daughter. But how will I appreciate my own talent if I don't wear what I knit? So I started the last couple of years. 

The first big project for me was a sweater, I decided to knit it for myself since it was my first one. So I knit it in a pink and purple verigated yarn, my favorite colors, and wear it every winter since. Last winter I knit myself a pair of pink socks, they are absolutely my favorite socks to wear! I cannot wait till the weather is colder so I can start wearing them again. I've knit myself a couple shrugs and a shawl this past year, and I can see why people love receiving home made gifts. There is a warmth of feeling when someone gives you a home made gift.

Knitting for others has made me happy. I love hearing how much the person loves it and how soft and warm the item is. Makes me smile :) I also love donating items too. At my church they have a knitting tree at Christmas and I love to donate a pair or two of mittens. One year I donated a hat and scarf and noticed they were gone the next week :) I was happy to know someone would be warm outside that winter. But I need to be warm too. And why buy myself mittens when I can knit them? 

So I am gonna stop feeling greedy every time I knit myself something, or decide to keep what I have knit. I should wear my knitting with pride! I do a good job at it ;)

Knitting Accessories

When I started knitting I used any knitting needles that were available. I used ones my friend had given me. The were metal size 4.5 mm straight needles and I knit hats and scarves with them. They served me well. Then I added to my collection. I started buying needles from the dollar store. They were all metal straight or double pointed needles. I never used anything else.

I went for years using these needles. They are great needles! They help me knit mittens, socks, hats and scarves! I still have most of my needles that I started with and still use them, why give up a good thing? 

One day I was walking through an uptown mall and found a yarn store that is one of a kind here in the city. They sell yarn you can't buy at Walmart and a whole selection of knitting accessories. So I took a gander through the store and decided to ask what were the best needles to use for socks. The woman working in the store showed me a set of 2.5 mm double pointed needles made from Bamboo! To think not all knitting needles were made out of metal! I decided to try them out. 

The bamboo needles were light and at first I thought I would break them because I discovered I was a tight knitter. But after I got through a few rounds I absolutely loved them! The are much easier on the hands to work with, especially my knuckles. Must be because I am not squeezing them too tight. I don't use bamboo on every pair of socks of course as all yarn and textures are different but I was very glad to add them to my collection.

Since then I have picked up different kinds of knitting needles, Some wood, others metal and some even carbon fiber. Sometimes I even pick a project just to use a certain needle! I know I'm wild. I also have bought different knitting accessories that are much better than others. Like metal yarn needles. I went through so many plastic ones grafting toe's on socks that I decided that it would be much cheaper to buy the metal ones in the long run. I also have researched stitch markers, yarn elastics and stitch holders, I have added a lot of good quality pieces to my knitting bag that have helped a lot in the long run. 

You don't have to spend a lot on good quality knitting accessories, if you buy the right ones, you will use them forever. But adding to your stash of accessories will make your knitting experiences much more fun and enjoyable. Nothing is more enjoyable than not having to frog a project because your lace yarn keeps slipping off your metal needles. I've been knitting for years and I know I still don't have all the accessories that I would love to have!