Author: beverly

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Should Have Known Better

They should have known better. They/know I cannot be trusted on my own. We had our first in person knit group a few days ago – though everyone was crocheting. Afterward, on my way home, I bought this:

They should have known better than to leave me to my own devices without as much as a ‘now go straight home and don’t stop for yarn.’

I have to say the Big Twist Hush is a surprise. It is squishy tee shirt soft. 100% polyester. I wanted to get some more if only just to squeeze it. I will eventually get to hitting with it. The only draw back I see is that it doesn’t come in a great variety of colors. I can see a blanket coming from it.  The One Pound skeins will be used for afghans. I have some in mind. the same for the Ombré. It looked so pretty in the store. There’s an afghan there, too. Not just those two skeins but using then with other yarns. 

I didn’t buy more because I have a feeling there might be some more in the domesticated yarn. Considering there was a lot of yarn calling my name, I cam out better than I had any right to expect. But seriously, Imma have to get some stuff off the needles.

 

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Wedding Delay

Emily afghanWould it be wrong to ask for a wedding delay? Some of you may remember this post. It was about making an afghan for Emily’s wedding and you can see the squares there. Would you like to see the progress? I saw Emily yesterday and won’t see her again until after she’s hitched. This obviously isn’t ready. Now she isn’t getting married for another month so I could technically get it to her before the day. She know it’s coming and she’s perfectly fine with it coming later.

But I’m thinking she should move the date back a week or so just to make sure. I mean, really, what’s seven…or ten days. They’ve been together for a while. Seriously, is there a rush?

I know it may seem a bit unusual for someone not even invited to call for a wedding delay but life should be filed with new things. I am guessing, though, this would not have gone over well had I asked. Em is already stressed enough. So I shall press on with the work and it will get there when it gets there. Recall, the inspiration for the blanket is this pattern from Yarnspirations.

Five of twenty will come from this pattern, the other five will come from another book and the last ten will be cream in color and be crocheted using my favorite stitch combo of sc and hdc. We’ll see if I can make it.

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Flying the Coop

Lucas is flying the coop.  (That’s him holding the afghan.) He’s actually flown already. He is away at college and enjoying himself; if his texts are any indication.

Sorry the photo is a little blurry, I was multitasking – and maybe tearing up a little bit as that guy who I’ve seen as a little person is now on his way to college.

I made him that afghan in his school colors. Here’s a better look at it. I used the Mocha Ripple Afghan from Toni Lipsey as my inspo. I like how it turned out. Because I am who I am, I started it more than once because that’s how I roll. Ended up being made over a two week period.

Making afghans is my legacy go to. I make them for weddings, graduations and other occasions. I made one for each of my brothers and sisters. And now this one for a guy who calls me Second Mom and texts me from school. (After making sure I wouldn’t annoy him with too many texts.) 

Flying the coop is something we all must do. But it’s a good thing to know the coop is still there. Making legacy pieces is a connective thing. It connects people to people and people to places. Lucas has a great set of parents – whom he obviously loves – and he has a loving church who prays and hopes nothing but the best for him. And he has a blanket from Second Mom. He can value it or not; it’s his. He can give it to a girl if he wants. What’s important is that he knows it was made just for him. It connects him; not just to me but to an act of love.

Those of us in crafting – particularly knitting and crochet – know this to be a love craft. Of course, we make things to keep for ourselves but giving them away is a part of every knitter and crocheter I know. It is an act of love to give that time to someone. It is also why so many of us are disappointed if it’s not received the way we think it should be. I tend to not be of that mind but that’s another post.

For right now, the kid is off the college and having a good time. With a blanket. That’s a pretty good start.

 

 

 

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I Struggle

I struggle to know which is better. The one on the left is before. The one on the right is after I purchased some of those soft storage containers. I must say they do hold a lot. 

There is this moment when one is reorganizing that the area looks worse than it did before the project started. That’s where I am right now. The struggle here is temporary. I already have in mind to just get the range free yarn in their pens and then go back and organize by color and cakes. Big skeins and cakes can be together; regular skeins and balls go by color.

Maybe.

It’s actually enough for me to have them contained. Keeping it in some kind of pristine order sounds too much like work. There’s nothing wrong with work but that’s just not my thing. Work is my thing. Organization of yarn in colors is not my thing. It looks good for photos and nice to do but when it comes down to doing my work, I can’t really roll like that.

I like I can see the box bins. I like everything will be easier to move if I have to get into the domesticated yarn closet. The windows in the soft bins means I have some idea of what’s in there. And the handles on the bins are righteous. I mean they are packed with yarn and are not at all heavy. Four of them have taken almost all the yarn. There are five more empty containers and I don’t think I will need them all unless I decide to lose the hard bins. Almost certain one or two could be gone if I did it.

It’s a thought.

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Being a Wool Pig

There is no use in denying being a wool pig. The term was first used by Stephanie in the Yarn Harlot blog. It was cute when I read it with no thought that status would be mine some day. There are traits I have had for some time but I believe, based on today’s events, I must embrace all that I am – that includes being a wool pig.

The story: Mr. Honey and I have been in our condo for two years and we are not decorating the place. We are going through the boxes for about the third time. The first two being the sorting of what to keep and what to donate. This last time being put it where it goes or trash it.

He came across the pictured bag. “I guess we throw this out.” says he. “You can’ throw that out.” says I. “That is the stuff that granny squares and BoHo knits are made of.” “Looks like garbage.”

More than twenty-five years together and it’s like he doesn’t know me at all. Don’t get me wrong; I have learned the art of throwing out yarn. I have thrown out a fair amount since the move. (Fair is in the eye of the beholder. It probably amounts to 5 balls of discontinued yarn that no one wanted when it was available.)

This yarn has potential. The truth is it will take me weeks, months  some time before I get to using this yarn. I have no idea what is lurking in there and it has to be sorted and balled. But potential is something. Isn’t it? 

Wool pig. That’s me.

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The Borg Afghan

The Borg Afghan. That’s what this afghan is becoming. It is part of the Borg collective. I feel I should name it Loctus, Jr or something.

All of a sudden it is September and I have to get a move on with finishing this afghan. Not only do I want this wedding present to be given before the wedding, I also want to offer a custom made afghan in the shop so it needs to be done for that.

There are 20 squares in this afghan and I am just on square 5. 5 of 20. Borg. And I feel an act of science fiction is needed to get this thing across the finish line on time.

This afghan is a mixture of three sources: my own mind, and two sampler afghan patterns: The Caron Sampler afghan and Leisure Arts Sampler Afghans books. See? A collective right there. Melded together to create something new. I am also frogging a WIP afghan to make these squares so assimilation is going on all over the place. There should be a star ship for me to captain.

I have been resisting the urge to buy more yarn. I really don’t need it. If I needed it, there would be no hesitation or pouring over what to buy. I would just go get it. This is a clue to me that it is an emotional purchase. I can probably get the am rush by looking through the domesticated yarn in the closet. There would be some pleasant surprises in there.  I am taking this as a sign of maturity. Let me have my moment.

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Knit in Public

It’s been a while since I knit in public. I can’t remember the last time and it was something I did on the regular. I would take my knitting and go sit in the cafe at a bookstore or at one of the Paneras. Most of the time I was alone and I would be enjoying the moment and there would always be a few folks who would comment about it. That was the success of the moment, to have someone comment on my knitting or crochet – even when they got the two confused.

Actually, people don’t call knitting crochet but they often call crochet knitting. This tells me knitting is the dominant even though granny squares have recently given crochet an uptick in popularity.

Covid chased us indoors and my knitting group hasn’t seen the sunlight since. I’m thinking it’s time we emerge again. This also comes on the heels of me wanting to create stuff to sell at church. I can create things at home, of course. but knitting in public is great PR for the craft and for the crafter.  It’s also the end of August. I figure we have about 6 more weeks before the too cool to knit outside/outdoors hits. We still knit in public, but we will be indoors in warm spaces. This is not a complaint.

The pastor asked if I were open to starting a craft circle in the church. Not just for the needle arts but a time and space for folks to come in and paint, draw, as well as do needle work. I am open to that. Knitting in the parlor was a very nice experience. Having a regular place for some creative crafting with all different genre sounds empowering and inspiring. It is something to think about.

In the meantime, I have orders to get out and it’s date night and we are doing Famous Dave’s. That means dinner will be two buffalo wings and a rib tip.

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Thank You, Lord

Thank You, Lord is the new digital sticker set now available at Abbey and Lincoln.

It was certainly fun working on them. The design ideas usually came when I was working on something else or during my faith hour. I would pause what I was doing, open Canva and get to designing. I would then use that sticker in my journal. Very nice to use something I’ve created. It took me a while to do that. It’s only been a few years since I started wearing the hats I knit. Don’t know why there was that disconnect between my cold head and the myriad of hats I have stored away.  Might be the business person in me thinking they were better sold.

 

I also started using  these. Let me tell you; these things are great! I had no idea how well those scrubbies worked. They are now a staple in my very own kitchen and I have them in my studio (of course I do) but I mean as a tool! I am in love with this particular one. I used it to clean my Corningware bake dish after I made an egg, sausage and veggie bake. Took just a little over a minute to make that thing look good! 

I don’t know what it says that I get excited about cleaning a dish. I don’t think even my mother ever had that feeling.

There are orders to be filled. I just finished a pair of fingerless mitts. There are knitted sleeves, a snake and a stocking cap waiting to be created and dispatched. So I am on my way!

I do thank the Lord for all he’s done for me and continues to do. May the Lord bless you and keep you as well.

 

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Strike While the Needles Are Hot

 

I think I want to strike while the needles are hot! (or the hooks, the hooks can be hot, too.) All that is to say, I am thinking of starting up the in person knitting group again with the idea we would create things to sell at a craft show through the church.

It’s how it all started way back in the day. I started a knitting group with a friend and we knit so much stuff, we had to sell it. It was a big success and then we left the church,. The sale changed and by the time I got back to the church, it was all but over.

But now, with the resurgence of crochet; it seems like a great time to get back in the groove. Might be time for a holiday sale. The vendors keep 80% and the church gets 20%. If we can pair it with a luncheon or bake sale, all the better.

There are things that would sell at craft shows and I think we should make them. I need to feel out some folks at church first before I start trying to pull in knitters, crocheters and other craft folk to join up and be willing to have their stuff sold.

We need to come up with fundraising ideas that don’t take a big hit of the funds before we even start. Methodists like to meet and eat and we also like to create so this seems like something that would be good for us across the entire board.

As I contemplate this and look at the grocery bags in the photos, I realize I miss making them. Some have sold and the pattern is a bestseller. These would be on my list to make for a holiday sales bazaar. This is worth looking into.

 

 

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Things Going On

I have some things going on. Knit things and crochet things. Blanket things, hat things. Gift things and order things. Even a heartbreak. There are things going on.

So, in the lower right is the wedding afghan. Square no. 4. It’s a little cable, a little lace and a little popcorn stitch. It’s going to take a minute because there is a 24 row repeat. I was on row 14 when I messed it up and had to frog back to row 8. It’ll take more than a minute.

In the upper right corner is the blanket for Lucas. I’m glad for the photo because it shows the purple. It doesn’t look purple when I look at it and I’m also loving the gray. He’s off to Loras College and their colors are Loras Gold, Loras Purple and Loras Gray. My colors are gold, purple and medium gray. Sentiment will make up the rest, I hope.

The lower left is another version of my Rasta Slouch – this is black tweed and the upper left is the beginning of a pair of fingerless mints that are part of an order. So, you see – busy.

Even though the wedding afghan and the Lucas Loras afgan will be given away, they will still be in the shop. They will be customizable for whatever color scheme someone needs: weddings, sororities, schools. For anything you wish, really.

There are deadlines on three of these projects so work is going on most of the time. These are the things I love to do. I am digging on the afghans. I will need until October to finish the wedding one. Good thing the wedding is the last week in October. I have about 3 months to get it done. The mittens and the long sleeves I need to knit have to be out in a few weeks and the Lucas blanket has to be done in another week or so.

I’ve been know to fall asleep knitting and can knit with my eyes closed. This skill might come in handy.