Month: July 2026

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That’s The Way I Always Heard It Should Be

There is a YouTuber who bike rides with his little son on his bike. and his son is 2 years old and adorable. his name is Ire. and Ire loves birds, and cars, and snacks. while riding around Ire told his father he wanted a baby bicycle. His dad stopped his bike, sighed, kissed his helmeted son on the top of his head and softly said ‘ok.’

You could see it on his face even though he was wearing sunglasses.

This is what it’s like to have your heart filled and broken at the same time.

But that’s exactly how it’s supposed to go. That’s the way I always heard it should be. That time when we give them the foundation and we teach and learn and share and have a time together that we never think will come to an end. Until it does. We prepare them for that day and forget to prepare ourselves. Ire’s internet aunties and uncles were OK when he got a scooter but asking for that bike hit different.

His father’s ‘ok’ was a few seconds in coming as he said good-bye to the beginning of the end of a very short chapter and started writing the intro to the next, He will teach his son how to ride a bike. He will take rides with his son. Together they will forge another set of memories built on the ones already there.

And so we go. We will learn what we have to learn and then let go. We have to let go in order to catch the blessing coming our way. There are only so many chances because we don’t see them all. The ones we do, we need to be ready to catch them. We empty the hands but not the heart. Always full. Always remembering. Always grateful.

*The Baptiste Pattern and hat are now available. Click the picture.

 

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What’s Done is Done

The Aadi Cowl pattern is done and it is now available in the Etsy and Ravelry shops.

I still have not found my writing pattern rhythm. The process should go more smoothly than it does. I try to write the pattern as I go and I end up working faster than my writing so I have to go back and remember things I’ve done. Recently I started dictating it into AI and depending on which one is used, it rewrites the pattern to where I’m not sure what I started with.

What’s done is done and AI is here to stay and it has helpful ways. It can also be fun in a ‘one day they’ll laugh at us when they takeover’ sort of way. Example, I will write instructions to be formatted into my pattern template and it will try and anticipate where I’m going next and make suggestions for the next step that will absolutely not work. Instead of just correcting the text, I will actually explain why it won’t work and it will answer me back with a ‘great catch!’ or ‘I see your point.’ Supposedly it learns from all the inputs so the responses are freaky funny.

So, I dictate the pattern piece by piece and when I am done, I ask it to format to my specs and it does and I have to go in and correct a few things each time but it does save me time in the end. In all the times I’ve used it, it has never gotten it completely right. Attention to what is written is key. While I am certain it will one day takeover; I think I will be long gone before it happens.

I would be delighted and interested in hearing how you designers flow your work process. A girl can always use a little help.

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Mug Shots

It’s too hot in Chicago today. This is the kind of thing that could be worn out today. If one had the body for it. Which I don’t. I would wear it over a tee but not today. It’s somewhere near 90 degrees and that hovers near warm.

This, btw, is the Kanata Kerchief Tank by Jennifer Ozses and you can find all the way free right here. It is not the day for drinking hot things – though there are millions of people right here in Chicagoland doing that very same thing. Haven’t they heard of iced coffee?

Anyhow, I am indoors working and though it is fiery outside, it is not warm enough inside for us to turn on the air conditioner. It is quite comfortable in here.  There are five units in our building and the air conditioner fans are running in four of them. Not us, our unit has been run in almost the full five years we’ve been here. Our last electric bill was just $50. We take our blessings where they are given.

Speaking of blessings and coffee. I was blessed with designing some new coffee mugs for Stitch, Pray, Repeat. 

I love mugs. I have a mug collection. I have a mug collection even though I don’t drink coffee at home. I drink tea and sometimes I have it with dinner and I need a mug for that. I am using a quite large Santa Claus mug but it’s nice to have options. I’m having fun in this phase of my career and I hope the blessing continues. It feeds my faith as well as my creativity.

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So We Don’t Have To

 

So We Don’t Have To

The thing about a knitting pattern is that someone took the time to create it so we don’t have to. I first discovered designing quite by accident. I was in the airport waiting for a flight and I purchased a knitting magazine. It was one of the gift issues so there were lots of patterns and I ran across a hat pattern I really, really liked. 

Several weeks later when I needed to make a new hat, I thought of that one in the magazine and decided to make it. I didn’t bother finding the book because I remembered what the hat looked like and I could just go ahead and whip it.

So i began it and when I got to the decreases I wondered how the author did theirs. I grabbed the book, turned to the pattern and realized the hat in the book looked nothing like what I had on my needles. They both looked good, the decreases in the book would have worked for my hat as mine would have worked for it.

But I was surprised at how different they looked the design wasn’t even close. How did I dream up my version? Don’t know. But I did and I continued it. I designed my first thing.

I was off to the designing races and I haven’t left the track. This season I am determined that most of what I offer will come from my own patterns and I will sell the patterns and the items. It challenges me. It increases the fun and I believe adds value to my work. Really, that’s what an occupation should do. It is a blessing and I embrace it.

Speaking of knitting design, I loves me some tote bags and the latest thing I designed was a knitting (or project) bag. It is beautiful, durable and functional.  It was fun to design and the logo is on both sides and reminds me to live my life motto: Stitch, Pray, Repeat.

 

 

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The Island of Misfit Wips

The Island of Misfit Wips.

The thing is, I don’t even watch Rudolph when it comes on every Christmas. I remember being excited about it when I was a kid but I haven’t been a kid for quite some time. What I am is a knitter and a designer and that means things are constantly on needles and hooks. This is what I currently have going on:

Rejoice! There are only three. A fourth one will be coming in a matter of hours. But for now, there are just three things going and much to my surprise and delight, they are all knitting projects.

Do not get me wrong, I love me some crochet but knitting is my first love and I am glad to making all things knit thus far.

 

 

The first thing I have going is a new pattern called Baptiste. The pattern is written it’s waiting for the hat to be finished so it can be photographed and added to the text. The second is another Aadi cowl which was the subject of my last post and the third and final is the beginning of a new hat pattern call Calix. Just in its infancy, I really need to have it done by the end of the month so I can have it ready for my nephew when he comes in from the UK.

There’s no doubt I have had more than three things going at the same time. When the holidays roll around and designbcb gets orders, it’s not unusual to have six or seven things going. So, three, well that is a blessing and I am going to savor it for a while because there is another project hitting the needles soon.

It’s a reason I need to get Baptiste off the needles. Did you notice I am using the two circular needles method? The next pattern design will be another hat and I could use at least one of the needles currently in use. OK, I have plenty of needles. I still need to get Baptiste done, though.

One thing I did manage to get done is to design a new mug. I started drinking coffee a few years ago and I don’t drink it at home because I don’t like how Mr. Honey makes it. I started out at Starbucks but I’ pretty much a Dunkin’ diva but if I did make it at home, I would drink it out of this. It sums up life pretty well.

 

 

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The Reasons I Knit Have Changed

The reasons I knit have changed.

I learned to knit in the 60’s. I did it because it was fun. I tried to knit things beyond my comprehension and the first thing I made was a scarf of so many different colors, my siblings could have sold me off. I switched colors and saw the line you get when doing the change but didn’t know enough to make the change on the same side.  I loved the scarf made from scrabs of yarn that came from who knows where.

I learned how to crochet shortly after and like a lot of crocheters, I learned how to make a chain and not much else until someone introduced to me turning my work.

I didn’t knit much in high school or college and it wasn’t on my mind as I tried to make my way in the world. I didn’t think about it much until I met Mr. Honey or more precise, Mr. Honey’s mama who knit and crocheted like a boss.

Well now, none of her kids or grandkids knit and I saw an in. I would knit to impress my hopefully one day mother-in-law. I went crazy. I found a huge set of needles and crochet hooks on sale on eBay and spent about $100 getting them. I bought some cheap yarn (Hello, Red Heart) and started making scarves. That was the easiest thing to make.

First, she wasn’t impressed. She kinda smiled at me. She didn’t need me to knit. She was extremely happy her late 40’s son had found someone he wanted to marry.

Second, God laughed at that little scheme because I got hooked on knitting and crochet for the love of knitting and crochet and would lead me to all sorts of paths of service. So my reasons for knitting would change again. I would start a knitting group, add a source of revenue for my church, start a business and knit prayer shawls, baby blankets and afghans for church members at different phases in their lives. And I would finally knit for me again but in a respectful and reverent way.

It is rare for me to leave a hook or needles alone. We were recently in Austria and I had my projects with me and didn’t touch them once. I’m surprised the snow caps didn’t melt. 

Why do you knit or crochet or craft? Besides the universal “So I don’t kill people”, how does your craft bring you joy?