Gotta Knit!

Getting Some Luxury in Life

Long ago I read something from Erma Bombeck about not saving the good stuff for special events.   It hit home but took a few years for me to put in place.   Now I wear rhinestone earrings with my scrubs because I am not going to formal parties anymore.   I wear expensive perfume because how it makes me feel.   I learned a year ago that there truly is a difference from a well constructed expensive bra versus $20 version.  The quality eyeshadows depth of color is like an oil painting in a museum versus fingerpainting.  Quality clothes that cost more also fit better and make me feel better.

 

Small amounts of luxury go a long way to making me feel good.    I have been learning it is better to have one luxury item than a bunch of affordable  items of the same.   They never look right, do not last and do not make me feel special.

 

In the world of knitting this is why I do not go to big box stores for my yarn.   I get a lot of happiness out of wearing my knitted items but the time spent actually knitting the item with the yarn sliding through my fingers is full of joy.   There is a difference between a $3-6 skein and a luxury skein.   The feel, texture, color and how the knitted item will hold up is all very different.

 

Imagine my delight when Knitch decided to do yarn clubs.  Ah so many to pick from and I knew somewhere inside of me I was sliding into the no knitting zone.   But I decided to join their Luxury Yarn Club. 

 

 

I was stunned and thrilled when I opened the box and found Habu!

 

I have been wanting to try Habu for years but never have.    Part of the Luxury Yarn Club also includes a pattern.  

 

I have started to knit a Habu Merino stole.

 

If I Had My Life To Live Over

by Erma Bombeck

The following was written by the late Erma Bombeck after she found out she had a fatal disease.

If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television - and more while watching life.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love you's".. More "I'm sorrys" ...

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it ... live it...and never give it back.

© Erma Bombeck

 

Knitting Bag

 

This is a wonderful early Christmas present.   Should clarify that this was an early Christmas gift in 2010.  It is a Namaste Malibu bag.   Had been wanting it for quite a while with a certain cousin know this.  She and another gifted it to me which was quite lovely act in itself.   Have to say I do love it.  Very roomy and fashionable.  

 

Suppose this post should have been written long ago but there was a time when words and energy to blog were hard to find.   Would briefly think about the need/want for posting but it would slip away while dealing with everyday life.   As for knitting, it suffered too.   Would bring my knitting along and do a few rows.  Then I would just pull it out and look at it.  This of course was followed by just bringing it along.   Last time I really was knitting was over our snowed-in Christmas in Asheville.

 

But this week I received a package of yarn.  It was yarn from a company that I had always wondered about aka craved but had never taken the plunge.   And there it was sitting there in it’s glory.   Hoping my knitting urge is truly back.  Let’s keep our toes crossed on that one. 

Clubbing

Yarn clubbing that is.   

 

Was hanging out with Kim  last Monday and she was talking about maybe doing a yarn club and wanted to know if I thought there might be an interest.   She threw out some ideas that I thought were brilliant like "Get ahead for the Holidays" which is 11 very doable projects, using big yarns, sock yarn projects that aren't socks and luxury yarns.   

 

 

Imagine my surprise when Knitch emailed me with not one yarn club but SEVEN yarn clubs.

 

Damn you, Kim,  now I am going to get a headache just trying to decided and NO I can not do all 7 clubs.   I do have to work and sleep sometime during the day!

My Favorite Easy Scarf

Think we all have the comfort food of knitting patterns that is our go to when we need ease and simplicity.   Mine is a simple 2 by 2 mistake rib pattern.    The kicker is I knit it with my crack yarn aka Noro.    With Noro I have this unholy obsession with what the next color is going to be.   I can knit till my fingers almost fall off and I am nodding off only to shake my head and hands to do a few more rows.   Suppose I should mention on a weak moment one evening at Knitch I purchased about a trunk load of Noro yarn.   And you thought I was kidding about it being my crack yarn.

 

 

Last year sometime  Haley was raving about Shepard's Wool yarn.   Then suddenly everyone was talking about how grand this yarn is.  Everywhere I turned people were knitting with it.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then out with a friend who had knit the most beautiful and elegant scarf with my favorite pattern but used muted Noro yarn with a solid muted Shepard's Wool yarn.

 

 

In a flash I was hooked.

 

 

Pulled out my Noro drawer two somewhat similar balls of yarn and went to work with the Shepard's Wool yarn.   So basically Mistake Rib pattern with Noro for two rows and solid Shepard's wool for two rows.   Have a sip of wine, repeat till long enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funny thing about this particular scarf is it started out for a big beefy burly guy and ended up being perfect for a tiny petite woman  that cuts my hair.   Several friends were surprised I would give this to my hairstylist but she is a sweetheart and if you had long curly hair that she was making work you would totally get it.

 

Yarn available at Knitch of course!

 

 

 

Knitting is Back

Granted this unfinished project is almost as old as dirt in my knitting world.   I started this sweater several months into just learning how to knit.   The back panel took a whole winter to knit that year.   WHOLE WINTER and I was knitting up a storm.   Slow brewing storm but a storm nevertheless.

 

The next winter,   I was knitting faster so I was able to accomplish the front, neck and most of a sleeve.    The year after that  I finished that sleeve along with another.   

 

The following year I realized I had not done such a hot job teaching myself how to knit with two colors.   Proceeded to offer any amount of money needed to a dear friend that is a fiend of a finisher.   You could have her cross-eyed drunk, multitasking, talking on the cell phone while cooking and she still would be able to finish a project with making it be absolutely beautiful.    

 

Except for my Skull and Cross Bone sleeves in which I had taught myself how to knit with two colors.   Well minor correction there, the Finishing Fiend could have finished my sweater but she seriously doubted my arms would fit through the sleeves at the Skull and Cross Bones site.   You would think a desperate knitter trying to fling money at the problem would make it work.  

 

It didn't.

 

So now more than a year after being told this horrible truth I finally had the courage to pull the sweater back out.   I spent last night eating, drinking and ripping the damn sleeves out.  

 

By the way my friend Nell aka Fiend of Finishing can be found at Knitch.  

Still Breathing and Knitting

In case there was doubt that I still knew how to knit.

 

There sits my somewhat neglected Linen Raglan that I had hoped by this time Summer 2010 I would be near the end of knitting.  As it stands, I am just at the tippy top of my shoulders.   Got a great new start on the drive to New Jersey but it languished in D.C.   Now that I am back I seem to only knit on it for short spells a few times a week.   There always seems so much to cram into a day and knitting though it is important to me usually falls to the end of the list.  By the time I see that end of the list I am wanting to veg out.   I am going to have to figure out someway to fix this.

Thoughts?   Ideas?

Last Weekend

 

Last Thursday,  we jumped in the Mini an sped Northwards headed to New Jersey.   The Man's family was throwing a bash for his Grandmother's 90th birthday!

Isn't his tee tiny Grandmother a doll!    There were over 40 people at the restaurant to honor her and fun was had by all.   She left the restaurant with the coolest sunglasses on looking all of the Rock Star that she is.                     

We spent the rest of the time visiting family and me knitting up a storm.   I had to rip out what I had previously knitted on my linen raglan sweater and start all over again with a smaller needle.   Turns out I did have correct gauge.   With my issues with gauge I had not one but two master knitters check my gauge which also included the designer.   She thought I needed to drop down a needle since the yarn was known to stretch.  Figured it was a good idea to follow her advice.   Quickly ripped it out somewhere in Georgia and cast on somewhere in South Carolina.   By the time I was headed home, I had almost doubled what I had ripped out so was pleased with the progress.   Would show you but decided to leave the knitting with The Man.   Didn't think security at the airport would like metal cable needles trying to board a plane.

                

Which brings me to my incredibly brief fling with New York City.

We are headed to the New Jersey entrance of the Lincoln Tunnel here and what a great view of the city.   The Man was trying to convince to stand up in the car through the sunroof to take the shot.   Decided that was a wee bit to touristy to me.     The entrance is gorgeous and would love to have taken a photo but last time I tried that I received a very stern lecture from a none to happy police officer.   Think it was my wide-eyed look with my Southern drawl and not fitting a Terrorist profile that I was able to keep my camera that day.                  

Once in the city there was of course TALL buildings

                     

                                 

                                         

and taxis galore.

                  

as we zoomed down 34th street,  I was able to see the Empire State Building.

    

then we were in another tunnel headed to Queens for my flight out of LaGuardia.   The Man dropped me off and was headed to Rockaway Beach to go surfing with his sister.  

As for my knitting and The Man,  they both are meeting at another airport in two days.   I'm trying out the Jet Set lifestyle and headed to another big city this week.   In the immortal words of Austin Powers  "Yeah Baby!"

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Originally uploaded by Gottaknit!

My obsession with the Louet Linen cone of rich navy blue yarn has begun to come to fruition. Sunday it was a slow start with triple checking of everything including the best way to cast on in the round and with some stretch but not to much for a sweater. Then I knitted merrily away until the next step. Luckily I am friends with the pattern designer for in my oh so very linear way of thinking I was tripping myself up. I kept reading the next step and no matter how I looked at it what I was supposed to do just was not going to work. With a gentle laugh my friend pointed out I was knitting the sweater from the top down. I had never even considered that angle. Great reminder that when I am stumped in life just in general there just might be a whole 'nother way to look at things that will put everything in crystal clear focus. I had to laugh at myself.


This is a Knitch original pattern for a gorgeous classic raglan and with linen yarn it is perfect for our hot summer days.

Extroversion in the Muggle World

Thanks to Knitch, I received an all points bulletin that this Saturday is World Wide Knitting in Public day.  For those of us in metro Atlanta,  Knitch is having the throw down party for all the extroverting  fiberolics which is also known as Atlanta Folks knitting in public at Park Tavern in Piedmont Park.  Crocheter are welcome too.                       

                        

I do hope to be there exposing my knitterly ways to the general public like I usually do.   Get a thrill thinking that all over the world others will be doing the same.   Where will you be knitting in public this Saturday?

Knit Stuff

Figured it was long over due to throw up some knit related stuff on this blog.  Little over a week ago came the day when I suddenly woke up an became one year older and hopefully wiser.   One of my cousins was in town and a local cousin came up to help me celebrate my day.   We had a grand ole time but I wanted to share what Kathleen gave me.

It is a knitted washcloth made with Aloo yarn which is sorta like a loofa but softer and in yarn form.   She'd made me one years ago but I had used it so much that it was now worn down to a super soft washcloth.

The really cool thing about the washcloth is the pocket the soap goes in!  Brilliant pattern design if I do say so.  Wasn't she sweet to throw in the soap too?

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But that wasn't all!   Think she was tired of seeing my Tesco shopping bag as my knitting bag.   Now I'm a styling and profiling knitting machine.

 

Sorry about the sideways photo.   Just got a brand new camera and have to learn a lot including how to make the photo's act right.