Best Friends Forever

Knitting and I had occasion to visit Red Bug Yarn and Gifts, aka Local Yarn Shop, aka LYS a couple of weeks ago and we have decided that your LYS is possibly your best friend in the knitting world.  My own personal bestest friend was with me.  She is as good as Husband when it comes to the yarn shop: she's not a knitter but she lets me spend as much time as I want with nary a complaint.

Anyway, while visiting Red Bug, I was asked about the KAL (see previous post ARRRRGGGHHHH!) and I explained how the Knit Along was quickly becoming the Knit Alone as I was having no joy filling out the worksheet that is necessary to knit the sweater.  Red Bug ladies to the rescue! They offered to help me with the worksheet and get started knitting Emma from the CocoKnits Method book. In fact one of them is doing her sweater in the same yarn I am using, Evista.






This photo does not do Evista justice.  It is a soft, light, tape kind of yarn, with gradient color change.  I chose this color which changes from a gray-blue to a darker navy. Lots of yardage per cake (336 yds), 100% cotton, machine wash on delicate. 









If you are lucky enough to have a LYS that is really local, good for you!  Red Bug is about an hour and a half drive for Knitting and me - which is probably good for our pocket book but hard when we need a yarn fix.

So Knitting and I planned to return the next week for some much needed in-person help when - well, how to say this in a nice way?  All hell broke loose?  SHTF? Rona showed up?  Yes, the COVID-19 virus spread and Red Bug Yarn and Gifts made the decision to only offer curbside or pickup (from the front porch) service.  Knitting and I feel that Red Bug made a wise decision, and we, in no way, find fault with them.  But we were a little disappointed - not in our LYS, but just that we might be even later in the KAL (like 'finishing the sweater at this time next year' later).

Meanwhile, we started knitting a pair of socks for Husband.  Socks seldom let us down, and we hadn't knitted anything for Husband in a while. We are knitting them with Luxury Diamond Tradition yarn we bought at (yes) Red Bug Yarn and Gifts. It's a good, substantial yarn and we think they will serve husband well.

We are a good bit farther along on them than this picture, but you get the idea.  It's a nice, heathery gray color and we plan to do the toe in a coordinating variegated yarn from my stash.  Husband was pretty excited.  He likes it when the toe/heel are knitted in a different yarn.  Makes him feel snazzy!








Meanwhile Knitting and I have decided to soldier on with the KAL sweater.  Stay tuned for further developments.  And visit Red Bug Yarn and Gifts if you are near Murray, Kentucky or check them out on the web here:  https://www.redbugyarnandgifts.com

ARRRRGHGHGHG!!!!!!

Knitting and I have been spending some unhappy time together lately.  Oh, there have been some good times among the bad, but we've stressed out about a project we haven't really started yet.  It's a sweater.

Yep, the holy grail that proves you are a worthy knitter has got us feeling anxious and questioning my ability (I would never question Knitting's ability) to knit at all.  How did we get here, you ask?  Let me tell you:

It started with a KAL.  I've never done a KAL so I thought it would be fun. I was at the nearest LYS and talked to the encouraging ladies there and I decided to jump in, since I was only a week or so behind the start date.  I ordered the book.  A week later it arrived.  I spent a week wringing my hands over yarn choice.  Then I ordered the yarn. A week and a half later it arrived.  Now another week has passed during which I knitted four swatches, wet blocked one, abandoned the KAL pattern, decided on another pattern, abandoned that pattern, decided I would not let this defeat me ---- you see where this is going? I am all tensed up and feeling a little defeated just thinking about it.

The KAL ends in a couple of weeks and I feel so behind it's not even funny.  According to my latest email I should be in the home stretch, instead of at home staring at the yarn, thinking about the pattern, and wondering "how did I get here?"

Does anybody else out there have this kind of time with Knitting?

I sound a little whiney so I'm going to let that go for now.

 Meanwhile I knitted a lovely pair of socks for de feet (I know it's corny, but it made Knitting smile).  I used Malabrigo sock yarn.  Knitting and I love this yarn.  We've knitted about four pairs of socks with it and we just can't think about knitting socks with any other yarn.  And don't hand knit socks feel good on your feet?  Yes they do!

Yes, those are my feet, my socks, and my front door.  My jeans, too.

My husband says I can knit socks in my sleep, and I NEEDED to feel that Knitting and I could accomplish something, so we turned to socks, because they have seldom let us down.

Trust the Knitting

Knitting and I weren't planning to post again for a few days, but in light of recent events we offer some words of encouragement and prayers for everyone. 

Photo by rocknwool on Unsplash

In January of this year I was listening to the Jen Fulwiler show on The Catholic Channel. Since I was driving RB, Knitting was not with me at the time.  Ms. Fulwiler has created a computer program that generates random words.  Instead of making a New Year's resolution, she uses the program to generate a 'word for the year' that she uses to guide her throughout the year.   Brilliant!  I thought.  So I decided to find a word for my new year.  'Trust' was the first word that came to mind, and I decided that would be my word for 2020.

Let me tell you, trust is hard. And sometimes the bigger the thing, the harder it is to trust.  Some might think that trusting in Knitting is silly or unnecessary, but they don't know Knitting. There's a certain amount of trust when you spend time with Knitting.  Knitting does what Knitting does, but the sticks and string sometimes seem bent on making us knitters miserable, so we know something about trust.  

• Will the yarn behave and do what I want? 
• Will I be able to master this new technique?  
• Will this garment fit, even though I have gauge? The last one didn't.  It should, but still...….
• Will my eyes be crossed before I finish this project?   

We all trust that the answer to these and similar questions is yes (except the last one).  

During times of uncertainty Knitting is there for us, as simple or complex as we need.  So right now, Knitting invites us to spend some time with sticks and string and pick a project that will bring us inner peace and hope for the special someone who will enjoy that project.  

• No yarn?  Knitting and I find that hard to believe.  Any knitter worth their needles has a stash.  Spend this time knitting up your stash  for charity.  
• Got a hankering for some new yarn?  Visit your LYS.  We promise they will work with you to get the yarn you want. If you are in the Murray, Kentucky area, visit Red Bug Yarn and Gifts. Check out their website here https://www.redbugyarnandgifts.com/ and sign up for their weekly newsletter.  
• No LYS nearby?  Get online!  https://www.yarn.com/  (our favorite online yarn store) will take care of you.

Let us not allow fear and uncertainty to hold us hostage.  Instead, Knitting and I hope that knitters everywhere will take sticks and string in hand and make something beautiful and unique.

I offer my prayers for everyone everywhere everyday. May God bring us peace and healing, and may there be a prayer in every  stitch.

Someone (maybe me) is going to enjoy this pompom ombre hat when fall rolls around. Get the free pattern here: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/quick-ombre-hat

Two Sticks and a String

Oh Knitting!  How I love thee!  At your most basic you are two sticks and a string.  At your most challenging you are five sticks and many colored strings.  At your most frustrating you are two sticks, two strings, a dropped stitch (or three) and a lot of frogging.  But still I love thee.

You and I go way back.  I was just a little girl on the school bus when I first met you.  Sandy Richmond introduced us and it was love at first sight.  I had an instant crush and ran out to buy two sticks and a string so we could get to know each other better.  I hadn't met Pattern yet, but I made up for that with enthusiasm, and so I cast on a few stitches and knitted a brown scarf.  I think it took me most of a year to finish, but finish I did and wore it proudly.  We made it together!

Photo by Vahid Moeini Jazani on Unsplash


We got to know each other pretty good while I knitted away on that scarf.  Then I met Pattern and discovered a whole new dimension to our relationship. It never had to end. We could be together forever!  Sigh....... We would never have to part because there was always something you and I could do together.  So we made a bright lime green poncho.  People saw us coming at midnight - it was that bright.  But I loved it and I loved you, and I learned more about you and what makes you tick: the knit stitch, the purl stitch, put them together and you've got ribbing! Oh joy!  You and I were making something that looked like the picture in Pattern book.  I was so proud of myself and so happy that I had met you.  I never wanted it to end.  But then life happened.

We took a break back before 'taking a break' was a thing.  We didn't break up, we just wanted to see others, and I started Sewing. But I never loved Sewing the way I loved you. Sewing didn't feel 'right.'  I had to use a machine that was cold and uncaring.  It did what it did regardless of what I wanted it to do, and the fabric went places I didn't want it to go.  I couldn't touch fabric the way I could touch string. When I cut fabric and put two pieces together they didn't add up. I was not happy with Sewing, but continued in the relationship for a number of years.  Finally, we broke up and called it quits for good.  Whew!  Even now I'm glad we're through.

Then I reached out tentatively to you.  Were you ready for our break to end?  Would you be willing to see if we could make it work again?  Maybe we could make it better than it was before.  You said yes (!) and you and I made a pair of socks for my new husband.  Oh Knitting, my husband is so good!  He wore those socks and never told me how awful they were!  Not that it was your fault - oh no! The fault lay all with me: bad yarn, slippery needles, new technique. Yikes!  I was in over my head, but you patiently let me knit away and we got to know each other even better. Increase, decrease, K2Tog, SSK -  who knew?  I never dreamed it could be this way! The stitches and techniques seemed endless and we were together again.

Husband's socks are over 35 years old - older than our child. 

Doesn't all that cheap, acrylic yarn look sad?

As I look back over the years, I realize you've been with me through many seasons.  There have been times when I didn't like string very much and I might have hated sticks, but through it all you've never let me down.  I might get challenged (sometimes a good thing) or frustrated (deal with it!) but you are always there for me.  You can be as simple or complex as I need you to be.

Who would have thought that little girl on the school bus with her two sticks and a string would still be with Knitting after all this time?