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Enough to Get By

I am not from the artist. I like to say, with a great deal of truth, that I cannot draw a straight line with a ruler. I can stay between the lines when coloring but that took some discipline and I’m still not sure I would pass grade school art class.

It’s funny then, when I use a chart to make a pattern. Charting isn’t something I do on the regular. I crack myself up when I print out the graph paper and put a pen to it. That’s another thing, I chart in pen. Like it’s the New York Times Knitting section and doing it in pen makes me smarter. It’s really because I don’t have any pencils around and when I find one, it doesn’t have a tip and I don’t have a pencil sharpener because I didn’t know I had pencils.

There is a part of me that wants to chart better. I know just enough to get by with what I’m knitting and I usually do it to make sure the idea I have in my head looks good on paper. I figure if it can look good with what I pass off as charting, then it will look pretty darned good when I get the needle and the yarn together. I would like to make neater charts. It would be more of a vanity project at this point as I would not inflict my charts on anyone – not even on a pattern I gave away for free – don’t thank me. It’s a mercy for all of us.

I am currently working on something, not the cowl in the pic; that’s done. And I pulled out some graph paper because the design was taking on something I hadn’t planned and I wanted to see how it would play out. I understand my chart but I don’t understand if it looks the way I want it to. I am going to have to redo it in a neater manner so I can see if I have to frog it or if I can keep going. 

I think I will try and do it neatly. If I succeed, I will happily show you the fruits of my labor. If not, I will use my messy chart to check my work and no one will be none the wiser. The artist world has nothing to fear from me. Salvador Dali maybe but I’m sure even his legacy is safe.

 

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Knitting Myths

There are a great many knitting myths. The chief one is that we are patient.

It is something we are told all the time. Someone will see us knitting and say, I don’t have patience for it. There is no such animal as knitter patienceous. We are not patient. We demonstrate this in many ways. But we cover it in smiles and nods. But knitters can read other knitters.

If you really want to see the edge of patience, find a knitter who is close to finishing a project. It is a thing. We will start a project with great enthusiasm. We select the yarn, the needles, settle in our comfy chair and cast on with great joy. We watch as our creation comes into being. We compare it to the photo or our chart/instructions and smile when we see it happening the way it’s supposed to.

But then…There comes that point when there’s nothing left but the end. Nothing new to learn. No surprises. We are going to get what we are going after. Even the knit math works out.

We then begin.to look at our beloved project like that third cousin who has stayed one day too long. We long for another. We want the anticipation. We are cranky. Not nearly as cranky as when you interrupt our count, but cranky enough.

But as soon as we are finished, we call in love with our creation. Because we put in a lot of work. Because it is beautiful.

Because we can start.all over again. We live for new beginnings.

 

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I Do Not Knit

I am not someone who knits. I do not knit. That sounds surprising to some. But I used to be someone who knits. But now, I am a knitter.

There is a difference. And it isn’t an elitist thing. There are people who knit and there are knitters. Want to know the difference?

someone who knits doesn’t have much of a stash, if any at all. They go to the craft store to purchase the yarn they need for their project and nothing more. 

Knitters have a stash. When we go to get yarn, we buy it for the project we’re doing and for the one we haven’t thought of yet but we know this six balls of yarn will be perfect for it.

That same knitter will repeat buying yarn again before creating the nameless, faceless project the six balls of yarn were supposed to go to. 

Those who know how to knit are far more generous than knitters are. We will give away yarn in small amounts. There are exceptions, Crystal on YouTube gives away an insane amount of yarn. We won’t give you our best yarn but we’ll give you something. Someone who knits will give you what they have. Really, what choice is there? They don’t have a stash. They just have some yarn. Again, this isn’t a dig. Sometimes I wish I were back there.

There are many other differences between the two. But there’s no shade. Every knitter was someone who knit. We just became obsessed. For me, I’ve always been a little obsessive compulsive. When I was into books, I had tons of books. I was at the bookstore every week. Same thing when I was into gardening. 

I have more than 1000 balls of yarn and it’s because knitting has held my attention for so long. I turned it into a business and it remains a spiritual gift. I am surrounded with yarn and almost every day I look at adding more. I have limited myself to buying twice a year. The last buy was in May. The next one is December.

The countdown has begun.

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Can’t Tell Me

Yes, that is an IV in my hand. I’m this photo I am waiting for my doctor to come and tell me about the surgery I am about to have.

It is also January and I have orders to get out and it’s also knitting, which I will do anywhere I can get away with it.

You can’t tell me I have to sit in a hospital bed and have nothing to do but worry about the outcome of a surgical procedure. I believe knitting is an optimistic way to approach the situation.

If you look closely, it’s clear I am at the beginning. So, I think by saying I will start this thing now, I am also saying I think I shall be around to finish it up. 

I’ve been in situations where I don’t have my knitting with me. Remember I don’t knit in ballparks and it doesn’t drive me nuts but that’s about the only place. I haven’t knit at weddings or funerals but I do have it with me. At my memorial service, knitting will be mandatory for those that knit or crochet. I have no doubt I will leave behind tons of yarn. Those that come can bring there needles and hooks and a bag to take some home.

I have knit between weddings and receptions because they have this new thing where weddings are in the morning and the party in the evening. I don’t see why that time in between should go to waste. That is some prime knitting time.

I knit churcn. I know some folks have a problem with it so I make sure I sit in the back. At that point I figure if you have an issue then you’re the one not paying attention. I feel God speaks to me during that time and I always put it down during the prayers and always hold it during the blessings.

It works for me. It’s a scarier world when I can’t get to my craft. You can’t tell me I can’t do it. That’s a red flag. It’s a stressor. It’s not normal in my world. 

The surgery went fine and the hat was sent off to the buyer. All is right in the world.

 

 

 

 

Continue reading “Can’t Tell Me”

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Sibling Rivalry

These afghans belong to my elder brother and eldest sister, respectively. I have four siblings; two of each, and they each have a afghan from me.

Except my elder sister, doesn’t believe that to be true. With each afghan that went to a sibling she reminds me that she doesn’t have an afghan.

“You got the first one.” I remind her. “You were the one that started this. Because I gave you one; I had to make one for everyone else.”

“You didn’t make me an afghan.”
“I was at your house when I was making an afghan and you asked for. I gave it to you.”
“But I used that one in my classroom.”
“You were free to do that.” I said. “Because it was your afghan. Otherwise, you would have taken my afghan and put it in your classroom.”
“I don’t understand.”

This is how it goes. This isn’t the first time sibling rivalry has shown itself when I give an afghan to a sibling. After giving the afghan to Carole (elder sister), I decided it would be nice if they each got one and decided the best way to go was to go in order. So, I asked Vel (eldest sister) her favorite colors. I made the mistake of asking on a conference call with the other sibs. So they wanted to know why she was getting one. Going in order. That seemed to calm the beasts a bit.

When Rick (elder brother) got his, we were all at his house in Phoenix for Thanksgiving. There was some discussion about how much effort I put into each one and that was somehow an indicator of who I liked best. There was a mention that Carole was never asked her favorite color the way everyone else was. Because you asked for the afghan I was making so you must have liked the colors enough. (That explanation didn’t fly.)

Recently, Facebook did a memory of Vel sending me a photo of her afghan on her sofa. I ain’t gonna lie, that afghan was a corner to corner and was a PITA. It looked good on her sofa and that was a saving grace. But along with the memory of the photo were to comments where Carole declared she never got the afghan in the picture so it must have been intercepted on the way to her since the post said my sister sent me a photo of her afghan.

“You have another sister.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“It’s her afghan.”
“There’s something wrong with you.”

It was a pleasure to make all their afghans and give it to them. I felt as if I was given the gift. Despite the weirdness that comes from DNA, I know they all appreciate them. Will I make another one for Carole because she used her in a classroom in a school she no longer teaches? Nope.

I’m the youngest. I can get away with bratty moments.
 

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The Only Place

This is a baseball field. More specifically, this is Minute Maid Park. Mr. Honey and I have a thing we do. We love the Cubs but a few years back, we got a little tired of the trips to Wrigley.

Listen, we live about ten miles from the park. If you were to put our address and the park’s address into the Google, it would say it takes about 35 minutes to travel that 10 miles. Ha! That’s only if Moses shows up, parts the traffic and let’s our chariot through. It’s more than an hour and Wrigley doesn’t have a parking lot. They have remote parking lots. So remote you go to the parking lot and then take a bus to the park. 

They have independent parking places and they make you pay for it. We usually take the bus that is less than a mile from our house and drops us off right across the street. It’s fine and great once you get there. It’s the best park in the league but the getting there will make you crazy.

We used to go up to Miller Park every year, known as Wrigley North because there used to be more Cubs fans than Brewers fans. But after a couple years of doing that, I announced we would be going to a different park every year – sometimes two- so we can get out of our comfort zone and actually take vacations.

What’s the significance of an esteemed (my word) citizen of Knitsville telling you about ballparks? Because it the only place I don’t knit. I’ve knit in ballparks before. There’s this thing called Stitch N Pitch I attended once. Just once. That was enough. I will knit everywhere. I am convinced I will be knitting at my memorial service. I will leave orders that anyone who can knit, should knit there. I will be leaving mass amounts of yarn behind so they won’t need to be that. Just needles, hooks and a snack and make a knit night of it.

But ballparks have seats very close together unless you’re in a luxury suite. And seriously, if you’re in a luxury suite, you’re not there for the baseball. And I actually enjoy the sport. But take a look at the photo and imagine someone knitting. Even the most compact knitter would have some trouble. If I were ever to do it, I would make sure I had people who loved me on either side. They couldn’t drink beer (cuz who wants that the smell or the actual beer on your fabric) and we would have to be sitting smack in the middle of the row. Why? Because people are constantly walking in and out of the row. If I am in the middle, I don’t have to be in a constant state of stand up, sit down. Knitters don’t like to be disturbed when we’re in a plush chair with a drink of our choice and the right music playing. You think we’re gonna be chill with people constantly disrupting the flow? That patience thing about knitters is a myth.

So there is a place where I don’t even bring the needles and I don’t mind because the game keeps my interest. It’s the only place. And I very happily pick them back up when the game is over. 

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Out of Sight

Just the other day I was lamenting about yarns that have been discontinued. I was saddened because it won’t be available to me. It was a setup for a period of mourning. But then I saw this. These are in my bag for the items in my new collection.

These are yarns I’ve never used before. This is a rough photo of them and they are gorgeous. The Verbena will become Basic Beanies and the Chunky Cake will be a cowl.

This isn’t a matter of out of sight, out of mind. It’s more of an acceptance of the things I cannot change. I won’t be able to bring back discontinued colors or lines. It makes no sense to hold on to them so with each use, it will be bittersweet.

That being said, I must also confess to some fiber infidelity. The Caron Chunky Cake is in a color called Cherries Jubilee. I’ve been wanting to work with it for weeks and finally the chance came with this new collection. There is to be one of the field made with this yarn in the new collection. Just one. That’s the plan. 

I was up in the office where the caged and free range yarn live. I was sitting at the desk waiting for a software upgrade to finish when out of the corner of my eye I saw another chunky cake. This one was in Dolce de Leche. So beautiful. There was a crochet hook, a couple sizes too big, but still.

It was over in an hour. My fiber infidelity. But we have a beautiful cowl as a memory. I don’t know how to break it to the cherries jubilee. Thinking I should keep it to myself for the moment. Maybe fess up when it notices the new cowl. There is another of the same cowl in the collection after this one. I could save it for that one. Out of sight, etc.

I would call myself a yarn harlot but, you know, that’s already taken.

 

 

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Discontinued Yarns

I am having a love affair with discontinued yarns. With the last collection, I used three: Hayfield Colour Rich Chunky which is no longer available at all. But there are several other Hayfield Chunky yarns out there. Just none with the colorway this one had. I also used to Caron Big Cakes with discontinued colors. There are still Big Cakes but the colors I used are no longer. I still have some of each color but not enough to keep me from missing them. They are gone from me. Sigh.

I mean, look at that color. It’s gorgeous even in a picture that doesn’t do it justice.I have about 16 balls of Hayfield in various colors (I had to look up the orders, there’s some I don’t even remember) running around in the free range. I’ve seen a couple of this color called Strata and I’ve seen the brown one, which I don’t recall the name of. Apparently, there are as many as five different colors running around. I am going to have a pleasant surprise one day when I run across them.

It took me a while to realize yarns were discontinued. It didn’t occur to me until it happened after I opened my Etsy shop and there was a hat that very popular.I went to the store to pick up the yarn and it was no longer there and the clerk said it was discontinued. I had to scramble to come up with another color. Luckily, it was just as popular but I live in dread that one day, that color too, will go away.

The closest yarn I have found to the Hayfield is Premier Puzzle yarn. It knits up very nicely as well and has a very nice color run. It’s nice to the touch and will feel good against the skin. See? Isn’t it pretty? But while I also have a few balls of this in different colors in the free range, it knows, as I know, it’s a substitute. It’s an unfair thing to know you are the replacement for discontinued yarns. It must cause stress.

The best solution is to love the one you’re with because it can all come to an end. Not the healthiest way to run a relationship but one must protect the heart. And nothing breaks the heart than a yarn that is no longer available. But we must knit. So we must go on.

 

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Administration Mode

These are the items from my second collection, Deuces Wild. They were waiting to be photographed so they could be placed in the shop and on the website. There is a similar pile of the items from my newest collection, Feels. They are downstairs waiting for their time in the spotlight.

I am entering administration mode. I have two processes in owning a shop: the first is the creative mode when I get to do all that knitting and crocheting. Once that happens, I go into admin mode. That time behind the scenes doing what it takes to get all those items into the public view.

Goes something like this: photograph items, make videos, edit photos, bag and tag items to store in the cedar chest, inventory items, prepare website pages, prepare newsletter release to private/mailing list, prepare social media posts,format patterns, prepare Etsy listings, do yarn reviews (if needed). Not necessarily in that order. But all that has to happen and it goes relatively quick. Ad mode will last maybe a couple of days. It is a necessity of business but it also has a spiritual need for me. It gives me knitting down time.

I won’t be in front of the television during this time and I won’t have needles or hooks in hand. My focus will change from one thing to another thing and that means part of my brain gets a rest. Though I won’t be knitting or crocheting, I am already getting excited because this down time includes picking the yarns for my next collection. This is a part of the business I don’t get to enjoy that much. Before, when I did this just for fun, I could relish the selecting of a yarn. But now, yarn is sometimes selected because an order has been placed and there’s no choice. At this stage, I can select what I think will work. I will be working with two yarns I haven’t knit with before. That makes me smile.

By the time administration mode is done, I’ll be ready to knit again. I will want to get out of this part of my head. So it all works out for the best. Which is a good thing. I love the knitting thing too much to allow it to be a burden. It is still the work of my soul.

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Plan Your Work

There’s a phrase I love – plan your work then work your plan. I think that’s a great philosophy to go about business and sometimes even life. And it’s something I have done in both business and life but I’ve run into a snag.

Remember this? It’s an afghan in the making. It’s been in the making for a year. She has a sibling. 

The sibling has an even bigger mouth than her sister. I touched her the other day and it was like opening the flood gates. “So you still know who I am!” “You haven’t forgotten me!” “When you gonna finish me up, huh?”

The last WIP is not exactly a sibling. It’s a sweater the daughter of a friend started and really, let’s say, veered off course, and I am trying to correct it and it’s taking some time because she got the wrong yarn for the sweater with the wrong needles and made some interesting choices where the yarn was all chopped up. It was supposed to be done 4 months ago. It needs to be done by October. So does one of these afghans because it’s going to my niece for her wedding. 

The thing is, I don’t know how I’m going to work them into the system. It has to be deliberate or else they will languish. I don’t want to use free time for them and I’ve been thinking of adding afghans back in the shop. They were big for me when I started and chose to do hats over them. They will definitely be the high end, rare, hard to find item. I do have one in the shop but it’s a custom order, The ones that sold were ready to go. But it will be months before an afghan makes it to my collections list. Once there, I will have a good chunk of them in the plans. So do I wait for one until then?

That seems the good bet for the more patient of the afghans. When it comes time to work on a blanket, there she will be and part of the fold. For the squeaky wheel, since she is made up of little leaf motifs, I will work up a couple of the leaves and then add them to her. And I will work on the sweater at the end of the knit day. I watch a movie a day and that will be the time to get that done.

Plan your work and work your plan. I feel better about things already.