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Today's topic is helping others.
It seems that every day there's a new tragedy or a new cause that needs assistance. It can be overwhelming, and sometimes it's hard to know the best way to help. Like many of you, I've been watching the devastation unfold in Houston. The stories are heartbreaking. I can't begin to imagine what those people are going through, and they have a long road ahead.
Knitters are generous and often find a way to respond to events like this. Designer Elizabeth Elliott is donating 100% of her pattern sales through Saturday to Harvey relief efforts. You can read about it on her blog and browse her Ravelry shop.
Since I'm on the subject of helping others, Corrine Walcher is a knitting designer in need.
Those of us who have dealt with a terminal illness understand the financial strain in addition to the physical and emotional stress. You'll find Corrine's designs here.
Every little bit helps. Today I'm doing my part while hoping for a better tomorrow.
It's late August and most of the summer seems a blur. I've resigned myself to the fact that some of the things I wanted to get done this summer aren't going to happen. Life has been a little scattered, but the extra time with family and friends has been good.
This past weekend was another busy one, but when I found myself with unexpected quiet time on Sunday afternoon, I put it to good use.
My Movie Night Socks. The first sock needed just a little work on the foot and then the toe. Easy, peasy. I'm smitten with the contrasting color.
After the last stitch was kitchenered, I cast on the second sock right away. This is one project I can make happen.
I'm often bouncing back and forth between several knitting projects. Usually that's a good system for me, but every once in a while I get stuck in a cycle where I'm doing a lot of knitting but don't have much progress to show for it. It's like an off-balance washing machine. It's still moving, but it's not very productive.
The ideal combination of projects includes at least one that's a quick mover because it's always a nice boost to finish something. If all of them are involved and fussy, it's hard to finish anything. That's when I get stuck in the off-balance cycle, and I'm working away but don't have anything to show for it.
And that's where I am right now. I'm still working on the first section of my Enfilade. It's getting bigger, but it's taking me a while to finish this part. I've decided that today is the day. I'm going to focus on just this project.
This week's color inspiration is straight from the farmers' market.
Hungarian peppers . . . bold and bright.
A knitting story as told on social media . . .
Over the weekend I saw this post on Twitter.
This system only works if you spread the word, so I did my part and retweeted.
I was curious about the outcome. I kept my eyes open and did a little more investigating.
A day later this showed up on Instagram. Once again I did my part and spread the word.
I kept checking social media, hoping for a happy reunion between knitter and project. Then this message landed.
Deep down I knew it would happen eventually, but it was fun to watch it unfold. Thanks to social media and dedicated knitters, this story had a happy ending.
Sometimes yesterday's knitting becomes today's knitting. That's what happened to me this morning as I was making up for lost time and
re-knitting what I had knit yesterday.
I've had stitch count issues with this project, but I sorted those out. Yesterday things went wonky again. Maybe it was the impending solar eclipse. Somehow I managed to work the wrong section of rows. The pattern was way off, but I didn't look closely until I was several rows in. All of that culminated in a late-night rip session.
This morning all is back in order, and I've knit up everything I ripped out. I think I'll put it down now until the eclipse passes.
I like to start my days with a little knitting. This routine doesn't happen each and every day, but when it does, I feel my day is off to a good start.
This morning I was working on a sock . . . knitting my way toward the toe. I think I'll wrap it all up with another splash of color.
Last weekend we had our annual blueberry picking adventure, and it provided this week's color inspiration.
Blues from start to finish.
My knitting has been a bit scattered the last few days. Family time can do that. Just when I was picking up steam again, I was interrupted.
This is Enfilade, and that's a sewing machine in the background.
My daughter asked for help with a quick sewing project. It turns out her definition of quick isn't so quick. For the next couple days I'll be sharing my knitting time with the sewing machine.
I like to have a variety of projects under construction. From the simple to the more involved, it's nice to have a selection. That way I can pick and choose based on the knitting conditions. For example usually an intricate lace pattern doesn't work well for knit night. A plain vanilla sock is probably a better option.
The last couple days I've been on the go with only scattered bits of knitting time . . . just enough for a few rounds on my Portland Sequence. This cowl is interesting but not too taxing - the perfect project when knitting time is in short supply.
I had my latest project off the needles and blocked when a live model walked through the door. Perfect timing!
Bendy Arrow.
This 2-color shawl features a combination of increases and decreases highlighted with a combination of fun stripes.
The yarn is Lillian, colorways Gourd and Sprinkles 506. The Sprinkles aren't listed on the website just yet, but you can contact me for more information.
This is an entertaining project with plenty of color combinations to choose from.
This week's color inspiration mirrors my Bendy Arrow.
Colorful carrots.
I'm sure we still have plenty of summertime fun headed our way, but just the other day I felt a hint of fall in the air. Taking my cue from the weather, I updated the right sidebar with my fall schedule. You can also find a list of my fall travels on the Events page.
In knitting news, I'm working on my Nakarra Wrap as time permits.
I've moved to the next colors in the gradient progression and am enjoying the shift. The only issue? Counting is a struggle and I've had to rip back twice in the space of ten rows.
I don't know how I've managed to get off track not once, but twice.
I suspect is has something to do with being under caffeinated, so this is my solution.
Signups for Yarn Knot 2017-2018 are open!
The format is the same as last time and includes 4 shipments - 3 fingering weight yarn, 1 non-fingering weight yarn. Each shipment includes a suggested pattern. Pay for the whole thing up front or choose the quarterly option.
This is an opportunity to sample new yarn bases, and all colorways are exclusive to the club for 12 months.
Looking for the sock version? Yarn Knot Socks is also open.
Follow the links for more details. Be sure to contact me if you have any questions.
Right now all my projects on the needles are multi-colored with everything from gradients to stripes to sprinkles. There's a lot of color play going on.
To bring some balance, my next project is going to be one color. After dithering about color combinations for so many projects, it's amazing how easy it is to choose just one.
Selecting more than one color can be quite a process. First I pick several colors - maybe a dozen. Then I pair them up or group them if more than two are involved. Then I narrow down the choices. There can be a lot of back and forth because every combination has its merits. Sometimes I even do an informal poll. Picking and choosing can be time-consuming.
It makes picking one color almost effortless.
Fall is coming.
This week's color inspiration includes high contrast. I love the deep wine color, but the contrast caught my eye.
Vivd green.
Every once in a while my morning plans swap with my afternoon plans. That's what happened today. All it took was one phone call to throw a wrench in the works. My morning of uninterrupted knitting and coffee became an afternoon of knitting instead.
It's easy to let that designated chunk of knitting time get eaten up by other things when it's pushed to the afternoon. Today the other contenders were laundry, paperwork and email, but knitting came out on top. Those other tasks can wait.
There's something soothing and relaxing about a long stretch of I-cord bind off.
