Sheep To Shawl

I got a new book today! After I got my hair cut, (thanks Katrena, awesome job once again) I ran over to Hobby Lobby. Their book/pattern section looked like a tornado had hit it, so I kind of fumbled through looking row after row and then finally I seen Sheep To Shawl by Patricia Kim for Philosopher's Wool. It was the only shawl book I could find and they had no books with lace. So I flipped through it and was inspired. Though none of the patterns are what I had in mind for the Reunion donation, I definately have Christmas and a few Fall birthdays taken care of. ;-)

If you haven't seen this book look it up on Amazon or possible Barnes and Noble. If you have it and have made some of the shawls in the book, I would love to hear from you, and find out what you thought their patterns, and if you substituted a different yarn for it.

Blessed Be

Last night after karate I finished this shawl. It's made with the Rainbow Boucle from JoAnn's. Though I love the effect of the yarn, and the price ;-) it never pulled smoothly from the skein. That was a little frustrating. Anyway, I all ready have someone in mind to give this one to, so it will be in it's new home soon.  

Pulling my hair out........ Any suggestions???????

What a week it has been so far. I haven't hardly had time to breath. It looks like (hoping to not jinx it) life will be slowing down a little and I won't be to damn exhausted to blog.

Ok, here is something that is driving me crazy. I think part of the madness is that I haven't been able to really take time to decide so here is the thing. In August, my mom's side of the family is having their annual family reunion. Every year they have an auction to raise money for a charity usually the Alzhiemers Association because that disease runs like water through the family, anyway, everyone makes something and donates it to the auction. This year I want to make a shawl that everyone stands there and goes WWWWOOOOOOWWWWW!!!!!!!!! Now the hard part I come from a long line of VERY GIFTED artisans. Everything from wood carvers to oil paints. Those that knit and crochet in the family are excellent. So I am trying to find a shawl pattern that is fairly simple, (so that I can have it done by August) and yet with the right yarn combo will have the WOW factor. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Of course once I decide on the shawl there will be photos of the process on the blog and on my web site.

Blessed be, knit in peace

NEW Web Site

I got tired of messing around with all the limitations I was facing with my FREE web space from my ISP, so today I got my own space. Now I can have unlimited photos.

Here is the URL. www.knittingsatori.com

I'm Pissed

Over the passed week there have been some things happening in Georgia government that just aweful. (If I got started on each and every issue they would kick me off this blog). I am still waiting to see the day when government is FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, instead of for the group and Lobbyist with the largest financial contribution. Right now I know that my needs are not being represented by NO ONE. So here is one of my favorite political quotes, and actually it can be applied to anything you compromise and give up your personal rights and powers to.

"When one too easily surrenders his (or hers) liberty to obtain security, soon he (or she) will have neither liberty or security. " Ben Franklin

I am now going to go knit and cool off.
Happy knitting to all, blessed be

Just an idea

I don't know about other people who knit, but there are some times when I just don't like making the same thing over and over. Like, each pair of socks I make is altered in some way, though I love the basic sock pattern that I use, it's still versitile enough that it lets me play around with it, and I love that. But, change is good. Well, the lastest shawl that I'm knitting is the same Comfort shawl pattern as the creamy ivory one that I just finished, but to make it a little different I am using two differnt needles. One is a size 15 (10mm) and the other is a size 11 (8mm). The look is really fun and just different enough that I'm not tired with it. Others may not see the differnce, but I can and that's what matters. :-)

Be good to yourself and knit a lot

Another Sale purchase. Michaels had their Moda Dea on sale for $3.00 so I had to get some. LOL I got three of the blue mix and 2 or the red mix. So many ideas other than socks came to my mind when I say the yarn that I just had to get it. (I have a wonderful gift for rationalizing anything.)  

Still Under Construction

Ok, so I am about to pull my hair out over getting the web site set up so I can share my photos and links and other stuff. But it looks like I have it to a place where I can share a little bit. Here is the link to it. Knitting Satori Gallery .

I do have a funny about the site. By the time the site got ready to upload to the server, the items I have in "In The Works" had gotten finished and so I had to pull those photos. LOL. Now I have to make a page of finished items for 2005.

The links page is still a work in progress. I have so many of them and they are some fantastic sites. But, I want them to be really organized well so that if someone wants something specific they can go to it and not take all day searching the links. Recently I was at a knitting site where the woman had her links page so organized it was a dream come true. I know she had to work a long to not just to get all the links but them to be set up so easily for everyone.

So it's back to coding I go, Blessed Be

MY SOCK YARN ARRIVED FROM ELANN! After the yarn arrived I went back to their web site and found a great pattern. Now, I'm a 1x-2x depending on the pattern and of course this pattern I found didn't come in my size and I noticed that a lot of them didn't so I emailed Elann about it. Within a couple of hours I had the greatest email reply. Now I don't really enjoy resizing patterns, but the lady who emailed me gave me all the information I needed to make it a little simpler. It was some of the best directions I have ever gotten. SO, the yarn was FANTASTIC, getting it in two days is totally AWESOME and the customer support is EXCELLENT. If you need anything I completely recommend www.elann.com  

Stop and.......

It's the weekend and I am so happy about it. It must be a leftover from school days. LOL.

My Elann yarn delivery came today. I haven't had a chance to get it out and play with it yet, but that it is next in line to get done.

The thing that has been on my mind today was an awareness (satori) that struck me last night AGAIN. I was sitting in my favorite knitting chair and I was knitting like a 100 miles per hour. I was thinking about how I just couldn't wait to get the sock finished and all that stuff. Then it hit me, I knit because I love the process of knitting. Unlike anything else I do, I DON'T have to be a speed demon. I get paid to deal with deadlines. I enjoy the rhythm of making the stitches. Yes, the end product is an achievement and brings it's own joy, but there is the joy of making, the joy from watching a cast on become something. What I found was that I was bringing my craziness from work and running kids around town into something that I hold very dear. So I took a deep breath, relaxed my shoulders (that were so tense you could have broke a board over them and I wouldn't have felt it), and started becoming aware of each stitch, the movement of the yarn as it was wrapped around the needle, and the next thing I knew I was breathing better, my shoulders weren't hurting, and my over all attitude had made a jump into pleasant. I really want to be more mindful of each moment, be more in the right now, than what I have to do in an hour.

Enjoy your Saturday to the fullest,
Blessed Be
Satori

The Shawl is Finished

I am so excited. The shawl that I am giving to my hair stylist is finished. (Photos soon) It turned out better that I hoped. Giving it to her and seeing her face when she opens it, will be a thrill. I'll take my camera if I can.

Of course I started another one late last night after I got back from karate class. This one I am making out of that huge skein of Rainbow Boucle from Jo Ann's. I wasn't sure how I would like working with it, but so far it's really easy to knit with.

My sock order should be here either tomorrow (Saturday) or worse case Monday. I will be in sock heaven once that order get here.

Blessed Be

~*~ More Yarn ~*~

Ok, this is pretty cool. Elann.com has their Esprit on SALE, $2.88. I just ordered several colors. Speaking of which, they still have several beautiful colors available, so click on the link and go shopping!

Happy Knitting

~ Working Way Too Much ~

Time is flying by and I hate it. Over the past couple of days it seems like I haven't had a free minute to myself for anything. Work is good, working for yourself sometimes has a down side. Like, knowing when to stop and take a break.

Anyway, enought complaining, I am very grateful that I have skills that keep me working and supply my yarn addiction. :-)

Last night I got a great email. It was about my facination with socks. LOL. A very good point was brought up about getting to the turn of the heel and gussets. That is my favorite part, and that is what I look forward to when I am sock knitting. I guess it's just the fact with a few magical decreases in speacial areas you end up with this great item to wear. Also the fact that it's small enough to go everywhere with me is a wonderful benefit. This morning, I realized too that, I like working with more than two needles. I got kind of board knitting with just two, while I was trying to wake up. So thank you, Anonymous for the email and thank you for visiting my blog.

Peace to you and yours.

Some of my new novelty yarns. There is a beautiful ribbon yarn, that is textured, but you can't see the texture in the photo. and then above it, is this fantastic light purple yarn that reminds me of bird feathers. I can't wait to start playing with it. :-)  

The Stash. I thought I would show off the "Guys". The only yarns not included are the recycled yarns that are currently being put into hanks and the skeins from the current works in progress.  

Stuff, etc,

Today has been pretty laid back, of course there have been the things that I didn't expect crop up. (that is a daily given) I did receive an email that the new Knitty is published. There are so many things on that web site that I would love to make. And as usual this edition is filled with great stuff There are about 4 things that I would like to start on right now. LOL.

Between laundry loads I have been working on the next pair of "cheap" socks. I am still trying to figure out the mystery behind my facination with knitting socks. What is it about socks that are so much fun to make? If you have it figured out please leave a comment or email. I would love to hear from you.

The web site is coming a long. I worked on it this morning with the first cup of coffee. I won't tell you what cup I am on now. It's almost time to switch to a good glass of wine.

Next on my list is to go through all my stash and pick out what I want to use for the Head Huggers caps I want to make. I have a ton of left overs from all the boas that I made to sell for the holidays. so I want to match those colors up with so solids. If you aren't familiar with Head Huggers, please click on the link to their site that is in my side bar. It's a great program.

Blessed Be

It's The WEEKEND!!!!!

I love the weekend. For me it starts Friday. Time to catch my breath, relax a little, knit and throw the schedule out the door.

Since Wednesday I have been working on a web site. I decided that since I have some free web space with my ISP I would create a Photo Gallery of my finished and in the process knitting. I hope to also catorgorize all my knitting links and have a whole page of organized knitting links for everyone. Anyway, it would have been nice if I had started photographing my work earlier. But most of my photos have been taken since October of 2004. Some of the items sold so fast that I didn't really have a chance to photograph them. But I do have some photos of my first socks I ever made and a lot of photos of the scarves and boas that I sold over the holidays. Now I still have to photograph the shawls. Anyway that's what has been taking up my time lately.

While making the web site I started another pair of simple socks. They are done on size 2 double points and I am using another skein of Magic Stripes from Lion Brand. This skein I found at Michaels for $2.00. It was their last one. By the way, they had Moda-Dea Sassy Stripes for $3.00. It looked like they were closing the self striping yarn out.

This isn't the best photo of GT, but it's one of the latest. You can see how he has grown. He is an advanced green belt in Isshin Ryu karate. The karate school had a seminar and here he and some other underbelts are finishing their katas.  

Today is my son's 16th birthday. He is a great guy and I am really proud of the choices he is making and what he is doing with his life. This photo is about a year old. The girl with him is my daughter who is 18. Happy Birthday GT! 

Here is Shadow with the two little kittens.  

This is my German Shepherd, Shadow. He just turned 10 years old on March 25th.  

Socks

Today I found another great Sock web site. (http://www.socknitters.com) It's added to list on the side bar. The resources on this site are amazing. The database of socks can be searched by size, yarn type, man, woman, child, etc. I believe that once you click on the Resources link you have to click again on Sock Patterns Galore.

Yesterday I started the mate to my magic stripe sock. Socks are so much fun. Today I have gotten a lot done on it. I am about into the 3rd round of decreases on the gussets.

When I was doing the ribbing for this sock, I was wondering, I tend to always go with the K2 P2 cuff. I guess it's just out of habit. what are some of the other cuffs that other knitters use and why? There is a sock pattern that I seen on the web site I mentioned above that has to be my next pair. The cuff so cool. Tomorrow I will get a link to the sock so you too can see it.

Till tomorrow

Time Change & Other Stuff

For those of us who get to "enjoy" the time change this morning, I hope that you adjust better to it than I do. Though the Spring change is easier on me and the schedule I keep than in the Fall. Oh well on to the other stuff.

Last night I spent a hour or so visiting other knitting blogs. I had a great time. Made myself a cocktail, and sat down and did what I have been meaning to do for a long time. I knew there were some great blogs out there and I found some of them. This week I hope to join in on some of the other web rings out there too. A couple that I found that I really liked, (one not having anything to do with knitting) is the Redhead web ring and a sock knitting web ring. There are also some fantastic goth knitting blogs out there that are fantastic. In fact I got so many ideas about next knitting projects that I had to start writing them down. Creativity is alive and flowing freely and it's a beautiful thing. Seeing something take form that just started out as a thought is amazing.

So watch under the side bar for some new links to different rings. I hope to list some great places for you to go really soon.