Finding My Vocation

I learned knitting in one afternoon and had made over twelve scarves the first month. I learned to crochet one hot summer day in Arizona, and by the end of summer had made several blankets for family members. This happened again and again with crafting. It would confused me to see people struggling for weeks to understand a simple stitch. I enjoyed crafting. It is a natural gift that I was apparently born with. No matter what kind of craft was put before me, I managed to pick it up quickly and run with it. I didn't realize until I was much older, that not everyone is able to do this.

While being good at so many different crafts was fun, I still felt like I needed to focus on something. To really dive deep and learn all there was to know about a particular craft. I didn't just want to be a crafter of all trades. I wanted to be an artisan.

Somewhere along the road of life, my crafting and my faith collided. I realized that with such a gift that God had given me, it felt only right to start using my gift to help others. I started knitting and crocheting for charity. I made quilts with ladies at my local church to give to those who were ill. Crocheted baby hats for the local NICU and shawls for the Prayer Shawl Ministry. But I kept feeling like there was something else.

It was while taking a class on Buckspoint lace that it hit me. The teacher laminated about the fact that the reason there are very few good lace teachers in America is because we Americans treat crafting like a buffet table. We pick and choose, taking a little of this and that, but never being disciplined enough to delve deep and master anything. She was harsh. But she was right.

I love lace making. But I never thought I could do any more then just dabble in it. Let's be honest, a young black girl with dreadlocs down to her waist is not the image most people think of when they think of a lace maker. It was hard for even me to look at myself and think, 'lace maker'. At some point I had started learning about the long history of lace and the church. Shortly thereafter I discovered the blog, LDS Lacemaker, and just fell in love with the connection between my own faith and lace making. Was this what I was being called to do? I wasn't exactly sure, but I started to get a feeling that lace was the key to my vocation.

When in doubt, make and pray. So that is what I did. I continued to make lace and listen for an answer. Despite the little hints that kept being dropped around me here and there, I just couldn't wrap my head around the possibility that I was meant to make and maybe even teach lace. But the signs kept coming, some less subtle then others. Over time I found myself uninterested in any of the crafts that I once enjoyed. My hands would suddenly cramp every time I tried to crochet or knit. My fingertips would become sore or go numb when I tried to cross stitch or sew by hand. I managed to find some relief in making rosaries, but anything beyond that and my hands didn't want to cooperate.

But when I made lace- bobbin lace and especially tatted lace, my hands were in heaven. I could sit for hours making lace and not notice the time. When making lace I just felt at peace. And if that wasn't enough of a sign, even my doctors noticed that my blood count was the best it had been in months. I was even physically healthier when making lace.

So, lace making would be my vocation. It would be the world in which I would delve in and eventually master. I choose tatting, specifically needle tatting, as it is easier for me to travel with and teach. I love the lace that just seems to appear out of thin air when I am tatting. And the countless new discoveries made in tatting keeps it interesting.

And this is what has lead to my vocation, this blog, and my dedication to the craft. 

Making It Brief

No time for long posting today. Too busy knitting. Will leave you with a picture of Ricky Swavey, the sexy laimg src="http://images.demandmedia.s3.amazonaws.com/verify.png?id=B85NOfkP375Yz1lRcg58iAja"
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tin lover peacock. Swoon ladies, swoon.

Knitting and Crochet Blog Week 2011: When I Retire From Knitting

Everyone has those projects that they plan on doing as soon as they retire.

"When  I retire, I'll rebuild that classic car."

"I can't wait to retire so I can  finally have the time to quilt."

"I so want to redecorate the whole house, but it will have to wait until I retire."

"Let me retire and then I'll have time to do everything that I want!"

Well, I've got a project on my retirement list as well. When the kids are grown and I retire from knitting, I plan to take on the challenge of knitting a bedspread. That may sound odd, but it seems to me that in order to make a bedspread, one must no longer have plans of knitting anything else for the remainder of their life. (They must also be without any form of stash as not to distract them from the task at hand).

I look at lacy knitted  and crochet bedspreads and my jaw just drops at the time and skill it took to create them. Have you ever even tried to knit with bedspread weight cotton? Working with it should be an Olympic sport!

So, until that day when I retire, I'll just enjoy the work of others and stand in awe of those with the time- and sanity- to create these beautiful pieces.

[caption id="attachment_621" align="aligncenter" width="375" caption="Crochet Bedspread"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_619" align="aligncenter" width="490" caption="Knitted Bedspread"][/caption]

Mystery KAL

I just finished a mystery knit-a-long (aka, KAL), with the group Sisters Crocheted & Knitted In Christ on Ravelry. I had never done a KAL before, so I was excited to be a part of this one. Watching the piece form in my hands while trying to guess the image was a lot of fun. It is a great introduction into working on vintage patterns that don't always have a picture to show you what you are making.

The pattern is by Rhonda White and can be found on Ravelry here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/3-crosses-cloth or directly here:http://www.knittingknonsense.com/3crossescloth.html

The yarn I used is Aunt Lydia's Denim yarn. It's been in my stash for years now. I was so glad to be using it for this project. It will be a gift for a dear friend this Easter.

A Sock Poem

ODE TO MY SOCKS

 

by Pablo Neruda

(Translated by Robert Bly)

Mara Mori brought me

a pair of socks

which she knitted herself

with her sheepherder's hands,

two socks as soft as rabbits.

I slipped my feet into them

as though into two cases

knitted with threads of twilight and goatskin.

Violent socks,

my feet were two fish made of wool,

two long sharks

sea blue, shot through

by one golden thread,

two immense blackbirds,

two cannons,

my feet were honored in this way

by these heavenly socks.

They were so handsome for the first time

my feet seemed to me unacceptable

like two decrepit firemen,

firemen unworthy of that woven fire,

of those glowing socks.

 

Nevertheless, I resisted the sharp tempation

to save them somewhere as schoolboys

keep fireflies,

as learned men collect

sacred texts,

I resisted the mad impulse to put them

in a golden cage and each day give them

birdseed and pieces of pink melon.

Like explorers in the jungle

who hand over the very rare green deer

to the spit and eat it with remorse,

I stretched out my feet and pulled on

the magnificent socks and then my shoes.

 

The moral of my ode is this:

beauty is twice beauty,

and what is good is doubly good

when it is a matter of two socks

made of wool in winter.

Sock Knitter Interview: Mary the Hobbit

If there is one thing I love more then sock knitting, it's talking to other knitters about sock knitting. I sent a call out for knitters who would like to be interviewed and a few brave souls responded. So, please enjoy the following interview with Mary the Hobbit-



Please tell us your name, where you live and any special talent(s) you have, (other then knitting)?

My nom de chaussette is Mary the Hobbit. I live in Reno now after working in Silicon Valley for 25 years as a computer programmer. I have an affinity for languages - studied Russian in college, and Japanese was an obsession for several years. I wrote a blog called Language Geek for awhile until the knitting bug bit. Also I have a serious book collection of translations of The Hobbit, hence the name.

How long have you been knitting? Who taught you how to knit?

My mother taught me to knit when I was little. In northern Wisconsin where I grew up, knitting was a fun thing to do in winter. After college I was working and living in California. When we moved to Reno 5 years ago I decided to knit a throw for the new living room, started visiting yarn shops, and discovered all the wonderful yarns that have appeared since I last checked 30 years ago.

When did you start knitting socks?
Tell us about the first pair of socks you ever knitted? (What pattern did you use? Who did you make them for?)

I was looking for interesting projects to feed my new knitting obsession. As a girl I knit mittens on 3 needles but I'd never tried socks. So I got a book of sock patterns, I think it was Vogue's Socks Two, and gave it a try with some purple and blue Red Heart yarn. They turned out clunky and enormous. Another early attempt was ribbed socks for The Spouse made with cotton/bamboo yarn because he thought wool was scratchy. Ha - little did he know that 2 years later he'd be begging for more wool socks!

Where are those socks now? (i.e., in your drawer, frogged, in sock heaven?)

I don't wear the Red Heart horrors, but sometimes I show them to students as an example of a first attempt at sock-knitting. Kind of a before and after thing - it's clumsy at first but with practice you too can make fine socks that fit.

What made you decide to become a designer?

It's been an evolving thing. First I knit a few socks, then I knit some more socks, bought more sock yarn, knit more interesting and complicated sock patterns, bought lots of colorful sock yarn, bought and read sock books, started tweaking sock patterns, went to Sock Summit, learned new sock knitting techniques, and eventually it turned into designing socks for fun. The first pattern I ever published was my Seriously Southwestern Socks and they were/are free. I didn't start selling patterns for awhile because I didn't think they were worthy.

What was the first design you ever sold?

I don't consider myself a Real Designer yet, because I've only sold patterns on Ravelry. Also I have no blog (sigh), which is de rigueur for Real Designers IMO.

What advice would you give to other aspiring designers?

Learn as much as you can about different techniques and architectures and yarns and experiment with them, so you have lots of possibilities for expressing your idea. When you have a design, make a good-looking sample and use it to market your pattern.

What are your most treasured pair (or set) of knitting needles that you own? Tell us why?

I have some Lantern Moon bamboo dpns, size 1, that I used for my first dozen or more pairs of socks. They're bent and battered but I still love them, even though I mostly use Addi Turbo circs these days.

Where is the furthest your knitting has ever traveled?

Birmingham, Alabama - The Spouse and I participated in the Mustangs Across America event, and I knit a pair of socks in the car.

If you were a yarn, what type and color would you be?

I would be a multicolor blue/purple Malabrigo Sock yarn, soft and fine.

Fantasy knitting- If you could knit something for anybody (dead, alive or fictional), who would it be and what would you knit for them?

I would knit some thick warm socks for Strider (Aragorn) of Lord of the Rings, because he spent all those years as a Ranger in the wilderness of Middle-Earth, protecting Hobbits from evil creatures.

What's on your knitting needle(s) right now?

I'm working on Yet Another sock design, of course! I keep swatching with different yarns, trying to get the right effect. For some reason, each swatch looks like a sock toe!

Some people just can't seem to understand why in this day anyone would ever think of knitting socks. So, I'll ask you the question sock knitters get all too often- Why would anyone waste their time knitting socks when you can get a 12-pack for five bucks at Wal-Mart?

Anybody who asks that question misses the point, which is not to obtain cheap thow-away socks. Knitting socks is a hobby that fulfills many needs: for relaxing activity, for a feeling of accomplishment (look what I made!), for self-expression, for creative impulses (what would this pattern look like with that yarn?), and of course, for comfy socks!

Could you please provide a link to your website, blog, Flickr, Facebook, Ravelry or Twitter, or all of the above.

This is embarrassing, but I have no blog. I keep meaning to start one but am easily distracted by new shiny yarn and pattern ideas. My Ravelry designer page is http://www.ravelry.com/designers/mary-the-hobbit.

Thank you Mary for giving your time and giving your talent to the world of knitting!

Power Lunch

This is what most of my lunches look like now. No rest for the knitter with deadlines! Grabbing a few bites of food in between rows. Now this is what I call a power lunch.

Doesn't Every Knitter Deserve. . .

I was on Flickr the other night viewing pictures from Sock Summit 2009, when I came across this gorgeous picture.  This picture was posted by Knit Chick. Even though it is a collection of several knitters' items purchased on day 1 of the Sock Summit, I can't help but drool at the idea of bring home this kind of loot. Seriously, doesn't every knitter deserve to bring home a suitcase filled with all these goodies!

The Joys of Being 30

I use to be one of those people who always carried a day planner and would start my mornings organizing my to-do list in order of priority. The sale associates at my local Franklin-Covey and I were on first name bases. I would even schedule in my bedtime!

But all that changed after I turned 30. I don't put so much pressure on myself to get a million things done in one day. I no longer feel the need to be superwoman. I'm just enjoying being me.

Life is no longer put on paper and set in stone. To-do lists are scribbled on the back of grocery lists and my schedule is open and changes as the day goes.

Before, in my twenties, I had something to prove. It was me against the world. I wanted people to know who I was and realize I'm someone important and deserving of respect.  Now my motto is more along the lines of, "as long as God is happy with me, I could frankly care less what you think". My mom tells me it gets even better when you turn 60. She says that by that time you just put up your middle finger and walk away.

I happened to notice this change first in the way I knit. I use to only knit if there was a true need. I researched patterns, compared yarns and would frog and re-knit until I got it right. Now I'm not ashamed to use some no name yarn I found at the thrift store and whenever I make a mistake, as long as it's not noticeable, I just shrug my shoulders and keep on knitting. Knitting is no longer a functional scheduled craft. Now its a kick-ass fun playtime with sticks and awesome fibers!  Here's to being 30 and knitting!

Cats Love Yarn

Okay, I'm thinking the history of the first yarn ball went something like this:

In the B.C. era, a shepherd, after hours of spinning, realized he could wound his yarn into a manageable ball. The shepherd spent the next hour winding a decent ball. Five minutes later, a wild cat discovered the freshly wound ball and in less than a minute had it all unraveled into a huge tangled mess.



As long as there has been knitters, there have been cats that own them. It would seem that one could not exist without the other. I know more knitters that own cats then those who don't.  I happen to live with two cats myself and can tell you first hand the joys and woes of having cats and yarn under the same roof.



I have waken up to find balls of cotton yarn sitting in the water bowl. I've tripped over wool spider webs that are wrapped around every chair and table leg in the house. I've even found balls of Angora yarn that has been licked to death and lovingly pushed under the couch for the dust bunnies to enjoy. My stash box has been raided more than once and I've become an expert at retrieving knitting needles from under the fridge. Oh, the fun of cats with yarn.



Cats have this uncanny ability to know exactly when you are about to knit and will make themselves comfortable right on top of your work. Dark haired cats adore sitting on your light-colored knits while light-haired cats prefer darker knits. They roll our yarn balls to just out of our reach and chew on our yarn so as we are knitting we get the lovely gift of wet fingers and soggy sections in our project.



Despite the added challenge of knitting around cats, they are a great comfort to any knitter. They never judge our work and could care less about any mistakes. They think acrylic is just as good to lay on as cashmere and are always appreciative of any knitted gift they receive. In short, they are the perrr-fect knitting companions.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

I am addicted to looking at pictures of knitted socks in progress. Something about seeing a sock just started is thrilling to me. My mind is curious about how the sock will evolve the patterns, the texture, the colors.

Seeing half-finished socks also shows me how proud sock knitters are of their work. Most writers would never show a draft of their writings. And a painter would never think about showing a painting that's only half completed. But us sock knitters will show you the entire process from start to finish. To us, the art is not in the finished product, but in the process of making it. I simply love that about us knitters.

So below, I share with you a gallery of socks in the making:

Why Do We Knit?

So why do we do it? That’s the question most knitters hear more often then any others. “Why do you knit?”

The feminist tell us, we have the freedom to do what we want, so why continue doing something that was an obvious sign of oppression for our mothers and grandmothers?

We hear the frugal young mothers say, why on earth would you knit something that you can buy for just a few bucks at Wal-Mart?

 All rights reserved by sifis

The business woman reminds us that with our education, why would we stoop so low as to pursue a craft that’s the work of women in third-world countries that don’t have our opportunities?

Then there are men who hint to us that only spinsters and women of leisure have the time to entertain such a thing as knitting.

Finally, there is that voice that creeps in the back of our own minds that question why we would spend such time and energy on a child-like activity of playing with sticks and string.

Then, with the start of a cast on, the turning of a heel, the finishing of a sleeve or even the bind off of a scarf, we remember. We remember the men and women that knitted because they had to. The children and spouses that were clothed because we loved to. The soldiers that were grateful because we knew how to. The art that is expressed through the different stitches and techniques because we learned to. And the next generation that will carry on the tradition because we pass on to. So why do we knit? Personally, because we want to. But as a universal craft that crosses all boundaries of color, race, sex, religion, sexual orientation and social status- as a human race we realize the reason why we knit is because we need to.

My Well Worn Friends

These are my size 8/ 5 mm Boye knitting needles. They are one of the first set of knitting needles I ever bought. We have been through so much together.

They have traveled with me through five house moves. They have been confiscated by police when I tried to take them into a court-house. They relaxed on the beaches in Florida and California and have watched the sun set on the beaches of Hawaii.

These needles have seen almost as many movies as I have. And they are the needles that are usually with me when I have to be admitted to the hospital.

They are dependable, forgiving of mistakes and can make even ugly patterns look good. I don't know where my knitting would be without them. Thank you old friends. May our knitting journey never end.

What knitting / crochet tools that hold a special place in your life? What are your crafting partners in crime?

My Kind of Crazy

I picked up this book at my local library. It was among the books for sale and only cost me $0.75. The author, Cilla Ramnek is textile artist whose name you may already know from the fabrics she has designed for Ikea.

Cilla is a crafter not afraid to cross different disciplines and combine them in creative ways. Her designs are original, daring and always off the grid. In short, she is my kind of crazy.

Her book, "Knitprovisation", is not a pattern book, but an inspiration book. She loosely describes the construction of each garment, but her goal is not to have you copy her work. Her aim is to get you thinking outside the box and give you permission to play. Fearless creativity equals one of a kind kick ass designs.

How Knitters Commit Adultry

We shop for yarn because it turns us on!

 

Veiled Lace

I'm a member of a veil/headcovering group on Ravelry. I do cover my head from time to time- not for any religious reason, but because ever since my liver transplant my internal temperture controller has been on the frizz. So I have to keep myself warm at all times. I'm easy to spot when I'm visiting Arizona. I'm the girl wearing the sweater when its 100 degrees outside.

Well, at some point our group decided to do a headcovering swap. It was a lot of fun finding and making a head covering for my secret swap partner. I feel in love with the pattern for this beautiful veil. The pattern was easy with a result that looks more complicated then it really is. I choose to knit it in easy to wash black microfiber blend. My partner was a fan of Harry Potter, so I sent her a couple of HP collector's cards too.

From my partner I got one knitted and one sewn head covering along with some yarn stash goodies.

So, here is proof that yes, I can knit lace and damn well too if you ask me.

If you are interested in the pattern, I will be more then happy to direct you to the website where I found it.

Knitted Socks...My Form of Heroin

I'm online way too much for my own damn good. If I'm not in front of a computer, then I'm on my Android surfing the web. What am I doing online? Mostly, I'm checking out sock patterns and interviews with knitting designers.

Yes, my sock habit has now grown into an addiction. I am even seriously considering becoming a sock designer myself so that I can share my love for the forgotten art of  two straight needle sock knitting.

Am I crazy? Why, yes. But I was crazy before I started knitting socks, so that doesn't count. Besides, some of the most interesting people in the world are crazy. Yet, I fear that my addiction may now leave all other knitting projects at the waste side.

Maybe it was sitting across from Cookie A at the  weekly Bobaknit sessions and watching her knit away at her socks that caused my downfall. I'm thinking one of those ridiculously tiny double-pointed needles that she works with must have stabbed me in the leg at some point and that's how I became infected with the sock knitting disease. (At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

Sock knitting has now become the Bella to my Edward.

I'm telling you all this so as I make my way towards the deep end of the knitting pool for the eventual fall, you are my witness that I was of stable and sound mind and knew exactly what I was getting into.

(And yes- to answer the question already forming in your head- I will be posting pictures and patterns here of my sock designs.)

Some Girls Like Chocolates, Others Like. . .

Some girls just drool over a box of chocolates. They savor every bite and keep their stash well hidden from others so that they can keep their guilty pleasure all to themselves. Well, omit the word 'chocolate' and replace it with the words, 'knitting magazine', and you got a pretty good idea of how I feel when I get a new magazine.

This knitting magazine by Debbie Bliss is my current box of chocolate. At $7.99 an issue it is truely a guilty pleasure for me. I've read the magazine about five times already and I still can't get enough of it! If there is still a copy avalible at your local book store, then buy it. You will not be disappointed.

Sockupied- Is it worth it?

Since its release by Interweave late last year, the talk among many sock knitters is the eMag known as Sockupied. I'm on Interweave's mailing list and remember the email announcement of this new eMag. Introduced as, " the groundbreaking new way to knit socks", Sockupied was launched as a new format that would change the way we knit socks. Well, I think that was a little over exaggerated. Basically Sockupied is a semi-interative knitting eMag. It has some great videos, helpful hints and tips and a few downloadable sock patterns. But the argument among knitters is not what Sockupied contains, but whether or not its contents are worth the $14.97 price tag.

Well, the true value of this eMag depends on how you feel about its contents. If you're a stalker of Cookie A, then yes, her interview and sock pattern is well worth the price. If you must have in your possession every sock pattern that Ann Budd has ever made, then you have no choice but to buy this eMag. If you are always looking for the next great knitting hint and tip then this eMag is a must for you. If you are a snob nosed sock knitter who is always trying to one-up her knitting friends then you should already have Sockupied.

But, what is my personal opinion? I really don't like magazines that I can't physically hold, flip through and make notes in. But that didn't stop me from seriously considering purchasing this eMag. However, it is hard for me to justify buying a sock knitting eMag for $14. 97 that only has about three downloadable sock patterns when I can purchase Ann Budd's "Getting Started Sock Knitting", for $12.24, "The Sock Knitter's Workshop", by Ewa Jostes and Stephanie van der Linden for $12.90, or "Sock Innovations", for $15.61, on Amazon.com.

To me, there are just so many free forums, chat groups, online patterns and videos dedicated to sock knitting now that if Interweave wants to make an impact on the sock knitting community they are really going to have to pack more punch in their eMag to justify the cost in this economy.

To learn more about Sockupied or to place an order:

http://www.interweavestore.com/Knitting/eMags/Sockupied-Windows.html

Happy Knit Year!

By now I would assume that everyone has gotten over the holiday hump and have developed a nice holiday bump along the belly and butt. Don't worry about the extra pounds you now carry. You'll be happy about that blubber when those freak storms of February roll in. Right now, we have more important matters to discuss.

So, what are your knitting plans for 2011? Forget New Year resolutions.  Now is the time to start planning out your knitting calendar. What knitting events do you want to attend this year? Who's workshops do you want to go to? What new knitting techniques to you wish to master? What the hell do you want to knit this year? And this is just the start. We haven't even started on the details like, how much more yarn do I need to buy and hide? Do I have enough needles? How much ink will I need to print out even more free patterns from Ravelry?

Don't let the new year catch you with no knitting to do. Plan well. Stay diligent. And you may find yourself in 2011 with twelve glorious months of knitting nirvana. Happy Knit Year!