KCBW Wild Card

All Tooled Up

Do you have a particular knitting/crochet tool or piece of equipment that you love to use? Maybe it is an old bent pair of needles that used to belong to someone special, or a gorgeous rosewood hand-turned crochet hook that you just love the feel of? Write about what you love it.

This topic is the one I couldn't wait to write about. As much as I love knitting, I think I might even love the tools of knitting even more. Sort of like school supplies for knitting. I'm addicted.

This rooster pitcher is just perfect for holding my wooden straights, although it's starting to get a little crowded in there. I have some handmade roundtop needles, Brittany needles, and some lovely rosewood needles from Lantern Moon that my husband gifted me with. I love working with all of them and I love the whimsy of the rooster.

I bought this little felted zipper bag before I started knitting, I think, but it has been invaluable for keeping all the little things safe in my project bag or purse. I keep a Chib needle in it's case, a wooden cable needle, many stitch markers, and a small pair of scissors in it. I love it.I just recently started collecting vintage aluminum needles, so they have their own storage area, although I don't think this vase is their permanent home. I'm looking for a slightly taller container; although the rooster pitcher sets the bar quite high, I'm hoping to find something equally whimiscal for these beauties. Finally, although this picture is crap, I couldn't leave out my pewter stitch markers and my Blue Sky double point needles tin. I love the tin even more than the needles, truthfully, although I use them. I have a #5 tin and a #2 tin, as those are the needles I use to make socks, but I wish I could justify buying a tin in every size, since they're so cute and useful. But at $30 a pop, I'm holding off.

There are many more tools of my "trade" not shown, like my three basket yarn holder from Lantern Moon and my circular needle case that Steve bought me the first year we were married, my double needle container, my many project and yarn baskets, and the Susan Bates circular needles that I enjoy using (see, it's not all snob appeal here!), but I'm running out of time.

Cause I'm headed to Maryland in an hour or so to attend the MS&WF! I'll be back with more photos and maybe even some more knitting tools. Yarn? Could be.

Blue Day

I had my physical therapy appointment yesterday for my neck. One of my bosses pointed out that I now need medical attention from head to feet, including my stomach ulcers along the way. He has a way with people (insert sarcastic tone here).

The thing is, going to physical therapy really pisses me off. When I went for the first time two years ago, I blamed my therapist, but deep down I knew I had a bad attitude, even if I didn't know why. Yesterday as I sat there and realized how truly unsettled I was feeling, I made myself focus in on the particular emotion I was feeling and identified anger. So then I had to think about why I was angry and I think it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of aging and fear of losing the mobility and vitality I have always taken for granted. I resent that my body is not what it used to be and I'm angry at it and at myself for not having appreciated it nor taken particularly good care of it. And fear that this is just the beginning.

The rest of the day was a struggle to stay positive with my students and not take my anger out on them. I managed fairly well, but I was definitely feeling more than a little blue. And as luck would have it, I had to stay for an AVID parent meeting from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Lucky indeed, as it turned out, because five of my former AVID students had come to speak at the meeting, to give the rising ninth graders their perspective and some idea of what to expect. And it was a wonderful reminder, at just the right time, of why I am so very, very grateful to be a teacher. It's because of the kids.

And my blue day was over, just like that.

KCBW #5

Location, Location, Location

Where do you like to indulge in your craft? Is your favourite arm chair your little knitting cubby area, or do you prefer to ‘knit in public’? Do you like to crochet in the great outdoors, perhaps, or knit in the bath, or at the pub?









This one is easy: I like to knit everywhere! I knit on the couch in the sunroom, on the deck, on the beach, in the car, at restaurants, and at school during homeroom monitoring and on test days.



I also liked it when I knit on the outside mall in Charlottesville, on a trip with Steve,on the deck at a vineyard, also on a trip with Steve,sitting with my parents and husband listening to the symphony at the botanical gardens,and on the train to New York after visiting my daughter.








Isn't knitting wonderful?

Thursday

A New Skill

Is there a skill related to your hobby that you hope to learn one day? maybe you’re a crocheter who’d also like to knit? Maybe you’d like to learn to knit continental, knit backwards, try cables or attempt stranded colourwork.

Oddly enough, I just purchased The Happy Hooker, so that I can relearn some crochet. I want to do it primarily so I can help my oldest step-daughter make granny squares, but I've also been drawn to it over the past couple of months as I've read about the pot-holder swap that many bloggers are participating in. Also, there are some knitting projects that suggest a crocheted edge, so I want to have that particular trick in my bag.

As for knitting? Stranded colorwork is probably the next goal but I'm not itching to do just yet. Call it a distant goal.

KCBW#3: Wednesday

One Great Knitter

Write about a knitter whose work (whether because of project choice, photography, styling, scale of projects, stash, etc) you enjoy. If they have an enjoyable blog, you might find it a good opportunity to send a smile their way.

There are so many out there that have added to my enjoyment of this craft, but the first one to really inspire me was Yarn Harlot. Reading about her adventures in knitting and love of yarn is always entertaining and encouraging. She reminds me that no one will be harmed if I try something new in knitting and fail, something that my perfectionistic self needs to learn over and over again.

But check out my blogroll for many, many other fabulous and encouraging knitters, like Ruth, Stephanie, and the Mason-Dixon women, Ann and Kay, my oldest daughter, M1, and my stepdaughter, S, just to name a very few. My thanks goes out to all of these women.

And thanks to my youngest daughter, M2, for this photo of me, doing what I love.

Dinner Reservations

Thanks to the plans I made yesterday, I now have a chicken cooking cockspatched style, which apparently means you cut out the backbone, flatten it out in the pan, and cook at 500 degrees for thirty minutes for a crisper skin. I've added sundried tomatoes, eight or ten cloves of garlic, and a cup of white wine. I love cooking with wine, cause you always have some to drink while you cook, the epitome of good living in my book. I'm also steaming some redskin pototaoes, to which I'll be smashing when done, and adding olive oil and lemon zest. I have my new (thrifted) apron on and I'm listening to a Bon Iver cd. A nice Tuesday evening, eh?

KCBW#2

An Inspirational Pattern

Blog about a pattern or project which you aspire to. Whether it happens to be because the skills needed are ones which you have not yet acquired, or just because it seems like a huge undertaking of time and dedication, most people feel they still have something to aspire to in their craft. If you don’t feel like you have any left of the mountain of learning yet to climb, say so!

This one is easy; I'm still working on the big one, an adult sized sweater. I started the Farmer's Market Cardigan as part of a KAL back in September, but gave up. I think the pattern was a little too daunting for me as a first time sweater knitter. So for the Olympic Challenge, I chose a ChicKnits pattern, the mondo cable pullover, and have made it as far as the body and half of one sleeve. Her pattern was a good choice for me as it's so easy to follow. And even though I didn't finish in time for the closing ceremonies, even though I haven't finished yet, I'm quite pleased with myself. I know I will finish this one and it's a milestone for me.

Meanwhile, I continue to start projects, finish projects, and give most of my knitting away as gifts, all of which makes me a very happy knitter indeed.