Knitting Update

I've had busy needles since my last post and as of today have sold 5 headbands and 4 wine totes! I've also managed to make headbands for both granddaughters and am working on more. It's been so much fun to see people excited about my work. I love how happy they are when they get excited to wear it!

Such A KnitWit

I have an addiction... yep...

My name is Claudia and I'm a knit-aholic. Can't walk past a yarn shop or craft store without sneaking down an aisle where I can put the squeeze on a few skeins of wooly stuff. Have two Rubbermaid bins FULL of the stuff at home too. My daughters pray that before I die I use it all up - but they have NO idea the extent to which I love to look at yarn. I bring it home with me from wherever I get to travel, I read magazines devoted to the hobby, and I am an active member of Ravelry.com which is like Facebook for knitters/crocheters (yeah, I do that too, just not as much!)




This past week, I finally opened my very first Etsy site and whether I ever sell anything or not, I love putting my stuff up there to showcase and hopefully attract a customer or two. I have several secrets dreams that go with this addiction... so this might be a good place to put them out there for real....

First, just like Ed has his winery... I dream about owning a yarn shop. Actually, a combination bookstore and yarn shop. I think reading, talking about books, and knitting go together quite nicely and it would be endlessly fun to own a shop.

My second dream is more bizarre than my first. If I couldn't own an actual shop, I would LOVE to own a few sheep and at least ONE alpaca so that I could learn how to spin my own yarn from my OWN wool source! Now this one would be pretty do-able if we ever were to build a house out at our vineyard.... I could easily keep a couple of sheep and an alpaca on the space we have.

Now that you know what a knitwit I am, I'll quietly go back to working on the hat I am making. Just had to post this out there... cos' today has been a perfect knitting day out at the vineyard. I have been sitting in the sun, knitting away to my heart's content, and yes, - RELAXING. I challenge any of you, dear readers, to pick up a pair of needles, grab a glass of wine or mug of coffee, and join me!

I Think... therefore I Knit

I haven't said too much about my knitting as of late... but I've been doing a lot of it lately. Somehow, no matter how hectic life gets, knitting centers me and helps me relax. Some folks maintain there is a meditative or zen-like aspect of knitting and even go so far as suggest that it lowers blood pressure and protects the brain from things like Alzheimer's (I hope!)

So today, I switched on PBS (my favorite channel) and what is on? A KNITTING SHOW MARATHON on the Create Channel (9.4 here in St.Lou) and I thought, Huzzah!!!! I also popped a DVD into my recorder and tried my first attempt at recording directly from the television. (hoped THAT comes out!) I am getting inspired by all the ideas I am seeing and the hardest thing is not to immediately stop grading papers (which is what I SHOULD do) and start knitting (which is what I WANT to do)!

Anyway... I have been busy making some cute things lately.... I think I posted my wrist warmers a few posts back.. but here's my latest... a cabled hat. It's cozy and I could make it in one night!

Syd, Spring, & Socks

It's the "little things" in March and April that make you convinced you just might be able to hang on until Spring fully arrives. Some of these include early blooms of daffodils, spending time with a toddler who finds eating a zwieback cracker while spinning in circles in her Papa's big desk chair the most entertaining thing on the planet, and new socks. So here are some shots of those things....

The daffodils bloomed under our maple tree in glorious abandon this March. I love their delicate tenacity; these even survived a late March snow of about 2" that fell on them and melted quickly away.


Syd and Ed had a delightful time recently while whooping it up in the office on his desk chair. She has figured out how to climb up into the chair all on her own and takes great delight in yelling "Wheeeeee!" at the top of her voice while we spin her about. I've tried the same trick for myself, and find the true "wheee" is just not there at 53.... sigh... but I sure get a charge out of watching Syd spin joyfully!



Finally, I did it! I completed the "biggest socks" of my knitting career to date... I made Ed a pair of lovely SIZE 13(!!!!) washable Merino wool socks and he LOVES them. He's going to wear them to school tomorrow and tell everyone his talented wife made them for him.

It was a good weekend, all the way round!

A Knitting Grammy's Reward

Here you have it.. and it doesn't get any better than this. My little buddy got his hat that I made him in the mail on Friday. His mom reports that he slept in it for his naptime. Logical thinking on his part; it is cold in Michigan right now. But here's the pay-off - by my book, this is an offical 1 million dollar grin. Makes me want to go right back and knit up a storm!

So Much Depends - a tribute to Williams and warm socks!

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

-william carlos williams

so much depends
upon

a small green-socked
boy

dimpled with cozy-footed
glee

upon the pink wooden
chair.

with tribute to william carlos williams - the poet with 3 first names!

Asher got his grandma-knitted socks today.. he chose the color himself!
Poetry and Yarn... a good "go together"!

Love you, buddy!

A weekend in the North

We zipped away to the cooler North this first weekend in October... and visited Katie, Nathan, and the grandmunchkins! What a beautiful time! We celebrated Rhylah's upcoming first birthday just a few days early and just RELAXAED! I will be posting her birthday pics on the actual day of her birthday (Oct. 8th) but I couldn't resist posting just a few. In many of these she's wearing the new sweater that I made her. She looks so cute in it!

We also got to visit with Uncle Carl. He's Ed's bachelor uncle who has been such an important part of the family for over 80 years. He came for dinner on Saturday night and he and Rhylah had a great time chatting with each other.

Rhylah models her new cardigan.
I absolutely LOVE knitting for my grandkids!

Working the remote... 1 year old style.

The Harrmanns by their fireplace.

A sweet smile while swinging in her baby swing.

Rhy and Uncle Carl share some conversation and smiles.

How Knitting is like Life

As most of you know, I love to knit. I love it for a variety of reasons ranging from the smile I get from a grandchild the first time they try on a pair of new wooly mittens all the way to my inability to snack and knit at the same time (which makes TV watching a safer dietary activity.)
I knit in the car, I knit in the park, and I knit pretty much any place I can. All this knitting also allows me time to think and unwind... or unwind and think... whichever is less stressful at the moment.

Knitting is a great deal like life... sometimes the going is smooth and the stitches come out beautifully, and other times the pattern is confusing and you find yourself having to back up and start over. (I must say that do-overs are a bit easier in knitting). Finding your work has flaws can be a painful thing... especially if you've gone several rows PAST the error before realizing you've made it. The colors of the yarns usually relate to the mood you are in... or the special person you are knitting for... so in that area, knitting makes you a bit more sensitive to others. Life is that way too... it doesn't always go smoothly, it finds ways to teach us patience and awareness, and making mistakes is a painful lesson sometimes.

I have this theory that if more people in higher places took up knitting, the world might be a different place. I suspect it might; they might have more time to ruminate on things before acting or making big decisions. Hmmmm... I wonder if Hilary or Barak or John ever picked up a pair of needles?

Easter, Socks, & Grandpuppies!

Since Easter, which was a strange day by the way, I have been a total bum! I have been doing only the things I enjoy doing... which is pretty much the perfect way to spend an Easter break! Today I told myself, "Self, you better get busy and get some things done around here!" My self didn't listen too well. However, the break has not been without it's accomplishments... see the following....

Ed made a magnificent rack of Lamb for dinner on Easter Sunday!

Our Easter table looked awesome!


I have been making socks! Check these spiffy ones out!!!!




These greyish/purple ones are my first pair of socks... they are made of Merino wool... very soft and cozy. I love the color!






These are the ones I am currently making... with this very cool yarn that makes the stripes as you go! I think they are quite cool!




Bailey Jameson, our grandpuppy, is staying at our house while his parents are off playing in Hawaii. He's a good dog... and he likes watching me knit socks!