Knitting and Meditation

Talk about a day of mind, body, spirit, ... and knitting!  The Shambhala Center in DC had a day-long program on knitting, meditation, and a little bit of yoga thrown in also.  It was really a nice way to spend the day, and I feel like I got a lot out of it.  Though not really a part of the program, the first thing I learned was the "Portuguese knitting" technique, which was a breakthrough for me.  It's a method by which you wrap the yarn around the back of your neck (to control the tension) from right to left over your left shoulder and then use your left thumb to flick the yarn around the needle if you are a right-handed knitter.  I guess this is similar to continental or English style knitting.  I found it pretty easy, with a lot of economy of movement.  Now, of course, since you are using different small muscles, I have the feeling there might be some new twinges as a result, but I really enjoyed playing around with this technique.  Crochet will always be my first love, but I'm looking forward to adding some knit elements to future designs.

Next step, slipping stitches!

Silver?!

I meant to keep my promise to myself not to buy more yarn, but you know where this is going...  I was in Looped Yarn Works the other day and came across a yarn made from 95% Turkish cotton and 5% real silver!  It's called KB Cotton Sifa, which is a natural, untreated cotton that contains silver, said to have healing properties for many ailments.  As a result, you can work up projects like booties or mitts that are both beautiful and health-building.  The non-slippery, woven chain ply keeps cool in the summer and warm in the winter.  And, on top of all that, the yarn is sourced from the town of Golcuk (on the Northwest coast of Turkey), which was devastated by a 7.6 earthquake in 1999 but since rebuilt, in part by the fact that the Golcuk Art and Culture Center has given the women of the community the opportunity to express their talents and generate needed incomes through arts and crafts.  The founder of The Knit Box has her own wonderful story and provides stockist information in the UK and US for this and some other really beautiful Turkish yarns, so please check it out! Oh, and what should I make from the Cotton Sifa -- booties/socks, mittens, or something else?!  Visit my Facebook page and let me know!!

New Laptop!

So, I finally have the luxury of getting a new computer without having had the old one crash on me!  It's giving me the chance to actually clean through files, choose the programs I really need and want and just load those on the new computer, and really set up this thing the way I want it rather than just desperately trying to get up and running.  But, it really takes so much time, loading and resetting everything...

But I am loving it!  My new Acer laptop is fast and pretty :-)  What more could I want?!

Give me a little time, and I'm hoping my technological progress here is going to really help me bring better and more beautiful content to you!  In the mean time, stay tuned for our monthly newsletter -- that too has gotten a bit delayed with the transition.

Crush

Mmmm, I still have a crush on my husband!  He's just so cute, inside and out.  And today is our anniversary, number 6.  I'm very fortunate -- despite some crazy work hours lately and being behind on projects, housecleaning, etc., life is still pretty good.

I was reminded of this yesterday when a single friend of mine was bemoaning the dating life.  It's easy for me to talk, but I was encouraging her to just try to enjoy each day and each encounter and try not to think about where it could lead, what it all means, etc.  But, it's true for all of us, single or married.  We're not promised tomorrow, we just have this very moment, to make the best of it as we can.  I tell myself that when bending down for the upteenth time to pick up that man's balled up socks (see, married life isn't all perfect either!).  But, I'd rather be bending down for those socks than dealing with some of the challenges that I know lots of people amazingly deal with every day.

So, no matter what your situation is, please stop today for just a moment, and think about one bright, positive thing going on for you and relish it, squeeze it tight, and "be thoughtful" about it.

Tunisian Crochet Challenges

You know, after coming up with the Tunisian instructions and scarf pattern, I really haven't been working with the Tunisian crochet technique lately.  But I'm getting inspired by Dorcas, a crocheter from Scotland whose jumper/sweater pictures I posted not too long ago.  I got the chance to follow up with her recently to get to know her better and find out more about her frustrations with the lack of Tunisian crochet patterns:

Dorcas, tell me a little about yourself

I'm married with no children at home and one grandson in Florida.  I live in Livingston, Scotland, which is half-way between Edinburgh (my home town) and Glasgow.

When did you start to crochet and experiment with Tunisian crochet?

I became interested in crochet when I heard about "Tunisian Crochet" about 20 years ago! However, trying to find suitable patterns was a "no go" - until, now, and having broadband at home. I managed to find a VHS Video on Tunisian Crochet (still have it - but not the video machine!) however, never managed to stay awake through the whole video. After trying local shops for tunisian crochet patterns, I actually gave up! Till now. I was re-inspired when I came across Phyllis of Many Creative Gifts and re-started when given Left-handed instructions.

What technique or idea do you want to try next?

Being in Scotland is probably the reason why I cannot find any patterns of interest to myself. Its strange really, as two main shops where I occasionally buy my yarn, sell Tunisian Crochet Hooks - but, NO patterns! Although I have made a Tunisian Jumper - home wear only - and in Tunisian simple stitch; I would like to make a traditional raglan sleeve, high neck, jumper - but have not yet found a pattern. The next techniques I would like to try are the honeycomb stitch and the x-stitch.

Confession

They say confession is good for the soul, so here goes!  I've been knitting.

It all happened when I decided that I should make a birthday present for my friend Jocelyn.  She's been so great about sending me crochet ideas when she comes across them and providing some business tips too.  So, I knew that there were these pillows that she really liked from a site that she sent me.  I tried to make her a crocheted pillow but it just wasn't turning out the way I wanted (and it was just eating up yarn!).  That's when I broke down, picked up the knitting needles, and made this:

I have to admit, it was pretty easy and felt good!  Whew, well, that felt good to get off my chest.  I'm not promising I won't slip again and pick up those needles :-)  In fact, more confessions -- I'm knitting a scarf for the Special Olympics, and I bought some round needles to experiment with.  Ah, I'm hopeless, but I guess I should just accept myself and use this new-found habit for good rather than evil!

Arts and Crafts Plaza

I have a new follower on Twitter -- www.artsandcraftsplaza.com , so I had to go and check them out.  It's a fun site with all sorts of links to various resources on crafts, festivals, and how-tos.  I'm definitely bookmarking it to go back for more exploration :-)

In the mean time, I'm making great progress on a little baby girl sweater in brown, pink, and green.  I got the idea from some paint combinations published in last month's Real Simple magazine!  It got me thinking about color theory, and you'll be able to read all about my research and findings really soon in our monthly newsletter, which is almost ready for release!  But here's an interesting tidbit from www.colormatters.com:

"Pink is a combination of the color red and white, a hue that can be described as a tint. It can range from berry (blue-based) pinks to salmon (orange-based) pinks. Its symbolism is complex and its popularity is subject to so many influences.  We can begin an analysis of pink by looking at natural and contemporary souces of this delicate color. First, regardless of your skin color, some part of your body is pink. So are sunsets, watermelons and Pepto Bismal. Depending on your age and culture, you may remember pink Cadillacs, pink flamingos (once considered in bad taste in American culture but now retro-chic), Pink Floyd, and the Pink Panther."