Ripping and Starting

I have been someone who has never given too much priorities to her knitting, but over the last couple of years my perception and relationship to knitting has changed.   There is more respect and appreciation for what I make with my hands, more maturity.   So after reading this post and this one on starting the new year and how that reflects on your unfinished projects this is one that came to mind.

This was  Dragonfly Wrap .   I think I had started this almost 2 yrs ago, and honestly did not know where I was on the pattern anymore. It has now been officially ripped apart.   I still really like the yarn, so no loss there.

Things I want to knit now for 2012..I'm sure there will be more:

1.   I love my 2 pairs of socks I have made, and really need more.  So this is next Monkey Socks.

2.  I have never made myself a hat/beret so this Brambles Beret.  I even have the yarn for this too.

3.  Seen this worn at my local yarn store -  Cable Pullover in Vogue Knitting.  Will be pushing for a         Madelinetosh yarn on this one.  It looks way better in person that in the picture.

4.  And another Cable pullover. from Knitty.  I have a thing for cables and pullovers !!

I do have other projects in my stash picked out from a previous yarn sale, but that's not what I want to start first.  


Keep your needles ablazing.

"Never let your sense of morals keep you from doing what is right"  - Isaac Assinov

Alice xox



How Things Change

Do you remember when I posted this picture?

Here is the same lake over the weekend.

This pathway, strewn with leaves.

Now crunches beneath the feet

This pretty archway of branches

Now hangs heavy with snow

Or makes you hesitate to go any further

The fence made with stacked logs

Becomes hidden and disguised

We quickly forget what has gone before us until we are reminded.   It makes life easier when we can let go of the old and make way for the new.   Nature really shows how things are always transforming themselves to something else right before our eyes.

"When you listen to nothing..you can hear everything"

Alice xox

A Tart in Progress

This has been my current project.  I called it "My Saucy Tart".   The yarn is Madelinetosh DK "Tart     The pattern is Favourite Cardigan, by Wendy Bernard in the book Custom Knits  It is a very different colour for me to choose, red and black.    I have done a few modifications mostly in the length of the body and as you can see I am now working on the sleeves which in the pattern is short sleeves, so I will be making it full sleeves.  Works much better for me.   I'm still skeptical of this size, I seems so small, but it is a fitting sweater.   This will also block bigger, so I will wait and see.

Have a great weekend everyone.  

And this our life exempt from public haunt,
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in every thing.
- William Shakespeare

Alice xox

What the heck

Hello my friends.   Apparently there are many of you do my read my blog..and personally commented on my absence of posts in January.     I honestly can't believe that much time has gone by in January.  Even though I have been knitting, I have nothing to show for it yet.    I'm getting picky with my pictures too, which doesn't help.  Now that I have given you lots of poor excuses for my absence, I was touched that people were reading my blog.

On monday night we started up our local knit night  after an absence from holidays, which is held at the yarn store.  It was packed with happy, friendly faces and also some new people from a distance.    It's fun to watch people interact with each other, helping one another if need be.  Sharing their skills and years of experience.   What struck me as the most intriguing was the fact the new crowd were women probably in their 55+ age who were being helped by woman in their 30 's age group.  The stereotype of an old granny style knitter, has been taken over by a fun, youthful, eager to learn and break the stereotypes of women knitters  Also in our group was a young woman , maybe 18 -21 yrs old, wearing one of her own creation, pink fashionable beret..came on her own.   Woman supporting and sharing with each other side by side with no barriers, but just for loving your art.

So since I didn't have any pictures taken of lately, I looked over at my cat moxie who was gravitating toward my knitting basket (picnic basket) found her way as before, but I couldn't resist boring you one more time with a picture of this... 

I'm sure I could close the lid, and Moxie would not budge.  Contentment wrapped in a furry body.

Alice xox

It Doesn't Look Like Knitting

 I completed  the Milk Run Shawl for my mother-in-law for Christmas.  I squeaked so close to completing it for Christmas that I wasn't working on anything else, as in no other knitting.   This shawl was the only knitting I did as gifts.   It seemed that anything small was already knitted for previous Christmases, and this shawl consumed most of my hours.    A picture is still coming of the shawl.

So, in between knitting this shawl, I went to purchase someone a gift at Beadworks, which is a local beading store.  I saw these beautiful beaded ornament glass balls.  I asked if they taught classes in them, and did not ..so I proceeded to get written instructions and purchased the beads and supplies. 

The short and long story of this project is that I  spent a couple of hours at the store, while a very patient employee of Beadworks helped  me get started.     I managed on my own ok at home, while breaking thread, needing a magnifying glass to thread the itsy bitsy needle, and chasing seed beads.    But this darn ornament consumed me..I needed to work on it.    I had planned on offering this as a gift to someone, so I could at least justify my time with it.  After patching a string of beads that broke off and I didn't know how to fix it except with glue, I couldn't give this away to anyone and be totally happy with my work.  So I'm keeping it !   I'm thinking of one in pink now !

Christmas is now over and I am happily picking up a few knitting things for myself that I would like to complete before looking at some yummy yarns that I spotted at the yarn store today.

Hope your Christmas was a wonderful one and the New Year is looked upon with a sense of anticipation of all good things to come.

Alice xox

Sundays

This is Moxie sitting on Jim's lap.   If this isn't the look of relaxation, I don't no what is.     She looks like she she couldn't care less what happened around her, but I'm sure if a bowl of ice cream was to appear she would be wide awake in attention.

What do you do next when the lap disappears?  Well, find the next available pillow of course !

"I don't need you now..unless you appear with a lap or icecream" look.

"Now, I don't even know you exist pose"

Big sis Pixie, also taking the role of " do as others do on Sunday afternoon"

Pixie, is known to not like Moxie too close to her, and this is "too close".  On the same couch !!!   She quickly awakens from her slumber.

I do remember a time with our first stray cat we adopted, she was not allowed up on the couch.  My, how things how now changed with these two  Or maybe it's more about how we have changed.

Alice xox



Blooming Surprise

I had taken this picture of a mum that was being attacked by slugs over the summer, but still managed to produce a flower.  But...

 

Look what I found yesterday, the mum was blooming in December !!!   Not just one little flower but the whole plant was thriving !!!   What a treat to see.

 

 

 

       What a great way to enjoy this time of year with colour and beauty still outside in the back yard.

Let's switch gears and talk about shopping...which I don't do much of in the mall.  Went to the mall today to do some Christmas shopping, and found that I was very impressed with the service of a particular store that I was in.   Not only did they have lots of staff, but.. WOW..they were so helpful, don't know what they are like when it's not Christmas season, but if they are like this all year, no wonder it is a growing company.  Young, trendy..and high end.      I told the young lady who served me that I appreciated her help and that it was great to see that.   You gotta tell people when they are doing a great job..

I better get back to my knitting, which I'm not getting highly motivated to do.   I'm hitting a wall with this particular project as I plan on gifting it, I want to pick up other things, but I know I'm falling behind on time.   Does this happen to you?   Having to knit something and losing the motivation to keep going ?

Bye for now,

Alice