the knitting buzz

new year

With 2012 just around the corner, I find myself looking toward the New Year to seek out ways to improve ...... a better way, better habits, in short, a better me......

So my resolution for 2012 is to be INTENTIONAL. Intentional in everything I do.  Specifically, I want to turn my knitting design patterns into an intentional source of wealth. 

I want to thank all who have followed, supported and offered words of encouragement to me over the past few years.  For this I am eternally grateful.  And until there is a word that is capable of expressing all my gratitude, THANK YOU will have to do.

To get started, I took some time and gathered together all the thoughts & ideas, knitted swatches, drawings & sketches and that I had scribbled down on note cards, on loose sheets of paper or even in a notebook.  Then compiled them together into a three ring binder utilizing sheet protector sleeves for each project idea.  My "cocktail napkin" approach or random scraps of paper to jot down ideas or making sketches had resulted in ovewhelming clutter, disjointed thoughts and even lost or misplaced thoughts, now has bloomed into an intentional organized course of action. 

By the way, much to my own surprise, this gathering and sorting process resulted in 20+ new lace shawl/wrap & cowl designs and a dozen or so sock patterns.  Now this should be a good place to start for me to be intentional ;-) 

Next, I have also started keeping track of expenses.  I had never done this until now, always thought that I should but just hadn't done it.  To be intentional this seems like a prudent practice..... especially for tax purposes.

I'm really happy with this new "system" because its simple and gives me an excellent place to reference, as well as, update. Easy to intentionally add to previous thoughts and ideas, edit changes on projects in progress and its in a simple format to intentionally add new ideas, sketches, swatches, etc.  Feeling very liberated today.

NOW....all that is left for me to do is to some test swatches and start knitting my sample pieces to be photographed.   Its time to get busy knitting.

Knitting every chance I get......

Happy Knitting!!!!

christmas countdown

Its amazing how a cold snap, a little snow, out-of-town gifts have been delivered and all the knitted gifts completed, can get me right into the holiday spirit.  I feel jubilant!

I still have a couple of last minute gifts to get, once that is completed, every thing is done..... EXCEPT... the wrapping. 

Wrapping gifts is funny.  I love a well wrapped gift, including a hand-tied bow with pretty ribbon.  History has showed me that the first of the gifts that get wrapped look beautiful with hand-tied bows, .... but then,..... the task gets tiresome and burdensome and my efforts seem to wane.

So this year, I bought a lot of pretty decorated boxes (so I could eliminate most of the gift wrapping) and focus on the pretty bows.  Well its a plan...... Lets see how that goes.

Before the gift wrapping gets into full-throttle, I still need to photograph all the knitted gifts, so I can share them on Ravelry.  In years past, this has been one of my shortfalls,  good intentions that didn't play out.  One year, I realized I didn't take any pictures until they were all wrapped.  No problem, I will take pictures of them once opened...... well that didn't happen either.

I will try to keep the camera handy this year in my gift wrapping frenzy......

 

Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas and the time to enjoy those closest to you.

nose to the grindstone

Why is it? The happy thoughts of Christmas, holiday parties, holiday treats, the gathering of friends and family can easily turn one from happy & loving......to grinch-ey ....but  luckily......can turn back to happy & loving again.

It seems like every year, the thoughts of knitting gifts for my loved ones seems like an incredibly great idea..... BUT it never fails, once in the throws of my gift knitting I start feeling like my knitted gifts are more like chores (I don't really mean this, because I do love it). Adding pressure and tension by the looming deadline and sometimes even some resentment (I really don't mean this either, because I really do love it). That is, resenting that I'm not working on something lace or one of my own designs.

This year.  I have severely limited the amount of gifts I committed myself to knit.  Particially because I started much later than I would like to admit and secondly, I eliminated some projects/gifts that I had originally queued up, knowing that I just couldn't pull it off. 

But still like clockwork, I have gone through all of the positive as well, as negative emotions but am pleased to say, I am rounding the corner with and end in sight

12 Gifts completed.... 2 Gifts to finish knitting...... 2 Gifts to start knitting

 

KAL Stockholm Update

Completed Cowl using 2.3 hanks of Cascade 220.  I knit a 12" width verses 13" as written in the pattern.  It required little to no blocking......just a little misting to get all the stitches to "play nice".  It looks quite good and I think its recipient should love it.....

 

FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT, another random picture...... I don't know about you.....but I would love to find this under my Christmas Tree....... It's beautiful!