Hats and scarves

My friend Amy asked me to make a couple of scarves and socks for her to give as Christmas gifts. (Yes, the socks that I've been moaning about.) After weeks of spasms, fits and nightmares, I had to finally accept that socks are beyond my current patience level. I compromised and whipped her a couple of hats to go with the scarves. She was gracious enough to take a couple of photos for me (while I sit, hoping my son has picked up on my hints that I want a digital camera for Christmas).

The scarves and the multicolor hat are made out of Lion Brand Homespun, which gives a nice nubby look. The red hat is made out of a finer sock yarn (forgot the actual brand at the moment.)

I now have a box of Boa yarn to whip up a few scarves for others for the holiday season.

Oh, and did I tell you that I've been commissioned to make a "goat wreath"? Yes, I'll be knitting for livestock! I'm actually looking forward to this one. My friend has a couple of pygmy goats for pets. Even though her husband put forth the effort to build them a nice shelter for the cold weather, they still prefer to hang out on the back porch, so she's asked me to knit them scarves (I'm thinking large cowl-neck - not a tie on scarf). I'll keep you posted.

Knitwit

Upside-down Life

Today I realized that life as we know it is completely upside down. When you are young (think school-age here), you have all the time in the world and all the friends you could ever want, but you lack the knowledge and experience to make the most of them. When you get older (think 40+), you have tons of experience and (hopefully) wisdom to draw from, but friends and time are incredibly hard to find.

Time can be found or made -- cut out that silly television program you watch every day just because, for example.

(Now, don't get me wrong here, I'm not advocating not watching television! I can't
imagine life without Lost or Prison Break or Desperate Housewives or HGTV or
whatever your personal viewing preferences might be. Being a human and
dealing with all the stress of life is a lot to handle -- we need our escapes! And, I
personally would much rather know that society at large is suffering from too much
television than to have society indulging in nightly drunkenness or a serious crack habit!)

My point is, that you can find or make some time in your life for what matters most to you. How does the old saying go, "You CAN have it all, you just can't have it all at once". You have to pick and choose what you spend your time on.

Friends are another story. When we're children, we are surrounded by other children and we're encouraged to play together. We have a huge pool of potential best friends to choose from and everyone-and-their-dog is encouraging us to spend time together and play together and share our favorite toys.

Not the case in adulthood. We have lives full of immediate family, children (or pets, or both), jobs, hobbies, health, homes to manage, finances to manage, automobiles to care for, personal care, etc. etc. And then add to that the extended family, the work-related stuff (whether it's ongoing professional training/education or participating in an organization, or going back to school for that advanced degree), planning and taking the family vacation (which never feels like a break from anything unless you are very lucky).

Jeeze! I've completely digressed! As an adult it is incredibly difficult to find and hold on to a great best friend. If you are very lucky, you will make friends with a select few individuals that you truly enjoy spending time with and would do anything for. If you find even one of these, even just one... hang on to her (or him) for dear life! Whatever it takes! I promise you it is worth it.

Friends are there for you when no one else is. Or when no one else is who you really want to talk to at the moment.

Yes, it's a give and take relationship. Sometimes you give and sometimes you take. And the giving and taking doesn't happen in an evenly measured back-and-forth style. Sometimes you get and get and get (cuz you're such a high maintenance chick, aren't you?) and your best friend is there for you all the while - giving and giving and giving. But then, once she's helped you get your crap together (finally... damn, I thought it would never happen), she hits a major crisis (or two or three -- hey, you don't have the market cornered on high-maintenance) and it's your turn to give -- your turn to be there with the Kleenex and chocolate, or the sage advice, or just the shoulder to cry on.

If you have one of these people in your life, treasure her. Stop right now (yes, I mean NOW) and give her a call or drop her an email and remind her (for no good reason except that I said to do it) remind her that you know she's your best friend and you know how lucky you are to have her in your life.

I promise tomorrow I will try to get photos up of the dreaded socks-in-progress! Only a knitter who has tried to knit a pair of socks can REALLY appreciate what this process is like, but for those of you who don't knit, I will try to impress upon you the neurosurgeon-like skills needed for this task by showing a photo.

Knitwit

Socks

Ever tried knitting socks? I'm making my first attempt this holiday season and boy, is it a challenge. You have to use four little double-pointed knitting needles and work in the "round". It's a major pain in the butt. I'm hoping that it's like any other skill -- that with practice it will get easier.

I'm not trying anything complicated, no fancy patterns or stitches, just normal socks! You wouldn't think it would be so difficult! Hopefully, they will turn out nice. I have a box of fun fur I bought that I'm dying to whip into scarves for the holidays, but I must finish the commissioned work first!

I've made two scarves now out of HomeSpun - it's kind of nobby -- and they've turned out great. Nothing real fancy, but nicer than just plain yarn scarves.

If you have any great tips and tricks for socks, let me know! I promise to post a photo when I get a pair finished. (assuming they are good enough to photograph)

Knitwit

New Links

Okay, I've upgraded my blog. All-in-all, I have to say that it was relatively easy, even for a complete blog-novice. I'm so proud of myself for upgrading and for figuring out how to start a little list of links on the page.

Now, about the links... I admit freely to total geekdom: I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan. Read the books way-back-when, re-read them in anticipation of the movies, re-read them again after the trilogy, LOVED the movies (got a huge thing for Aragorn, even if he did spend the entire movie looking like he was in serious need of a shower and shampoo) and will continue to love all things LOTR until I die. (I know, I know -- complete geek -- but I admitted this up front.)

The other link is to my best friend's blog. She's a mixed media artist and she does some fabulous work. She's also the major reason I started blogging. She has such an incredible gift -- I swear, you could throw just about anything in front of her and she could turn it into a piece of art. I was impressed when I met her years ago and she was making her own greeting cards. She's explored and grown and now she does so much more and I am constantly amazed by her talent. (Not amazed that she has talent, just amazed at the things she envisions and then creates.)

Well, that's today's news - blog update, new links, and a little more insight into this crazy knitting freak with a blog!

- Knitwit

Patterns

Let's talk about knitting projects and patterns. (If you don't knit, think about your crafting hobby.) (If you don't have a creative hobby, what are you waiting for? run out and get one right now before your right brain atrophies!)

How do you decide what your next project will be and where do you get the pattern for it? Do you decide "hey, I want to knit a scarf for auntie Lyn" and then start looking for a pattern for a cool scarf that auntie Lyn would like? Or do you constantly peruse patterns and one day you see one for a gorgeous scarf that you simply must make and decide "hey, that would be a great gift for auntie Lyn"?

Where do you look for patterns? Do you have a huge stack that you've been collecting over the years? Do you run out to the bookstore? Check the latest magazines? Spend hours surfing the net for them?

I usually decide I want to make something for someone and then start looking for patterns. My problem is that I always try to vary the pattern. I find something I love, but it's done with a yarn I can't afford, so I use a different yarn. Or, I don't like the size, so I use a bigger/smaller needle and change it up. Sometimes I am successful, but then sometimes . . . well, you know.

Knit, craft, create and laugh today - you deserve it.

Health

Okay, I know health isn't a knitting subject, but it is something that is on my mind right now. I am 40 years old and except for a few years of my life, I've never bothered to take care of my health. I've smoked most of my life and rarely been involved in formal exercise. Now I find myself facing some potentially serious medical problems and suddenly health is in the forefront.

Dont' get me wrong, this isn't the first time I've thought about. I've been progressively gaining weight since a bad car accident in 1996 limited my mobility. Every year I put on a few more pounds and get a little more sedentary. Every year I vow at New Year's to lose weight and get some exercise. And every year, before the end of January, I'm calling myself a total failure.

But health is more than weight. And it isn't a 'plan' you do for a while and then forget about. I'm learning (albeit very, very slowly) that health is a daily effort, a way of life, a way of thinking. You treat your body well and hopefully it rewards you with long life and a body that will help you achieve your goals.

I know that isn't true -- look at all the people who die of lung cancer but never smoked and the smokers that live to be 100. But I can't assume that health is something I have no control over -- I have to believe that I can make a difference.

Knitwit

Why do you do it?

Why do you knit? If you don't knit, but you have some other creative hobby that you love, why do you do it? Is it the joy of creating something? Which do you enjoy more, the act of doing the project or the finished project itself?

I enjoy the process - the fact that I'm using my hands to create something. I'm not good at visualizing things, not a good artist, can't draw a straight line if my life depends on it. But with a knitting pattern, some yarn and needles, I can leave the everyday stress behind and become a creative person.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the finished project, but the process is the most rewarding. It's therapeutic.

Yesterday we celebrated a co-workers birthday and I gave her a mohair poncho I had knit. It was a little large for her tiny frame, but she seemed to like it.

-Knitwit (aka knitwit-less)

I know, I know.... yet another knitting blog. Don't worry, we'll have lots of fun anyway! I have a full time job as a marketing butt monkey for a fortune 100 company, I'm working on my bachelors degree, I have a 20 year old son that I've raised by myself and I knit to avoid completely going insane -- partial insanity is a given.

I have a dry, sarcastic sense of humor and I have no shame -- I will make fun of anything -- including myself. I will often post useful words to help increase our communication skills (see image for my "word of the day" at the office today).

Looking forward to blogging.... but I have my doubts that anyone will actually read. :-)

-g