New Love

Check out one of my newest loves!

Recently, I have started to knit with wool for the first time I ever. If you read my previous blog, you found out that I started to knit again as well. ;o) I have never worked with wool before now, but I had a friend who had been making wool diaper covers, pants, shorts, capris, etc. for her two little girls. Now, I don't have any babies of my own, yet, but I was in love with these little knit clothes.

So, I took up knitting again, more determined than ever to figure it out, and I have now knit (and frogged) a pair of fingerless mittens, two skirty diaper covers (which I did not frog), and a pair of infant capris with a girly picot edging. These are my most recent project (and yes, there was a bit of frogging going on in the beginning...well...because I am still learning).

The author of the pattern seems like a wonderful lady. She wrote the pattern, allows you to download it for free, and on top of all of that, she encourages you to sell the items you make, especially if you are a stay at home type like me. ;o) I was so thrilled with this because all I have been finding lately are patterns you have to pay an arm and a leg for, and then you must give up your first born child just to be able to sell the items that you spent your own hard earned money and your blood, sweat, tears and time to make. I mean, maybe I'm being slightly melodramatic here, but the licenses do normally cost a pretty penny. Some authors even go so far as to put a cap on how many items you are allowed to sell in a year's time.

So now, you can see why I thought Annalea was a saint. I did e-mail her and tell her that in so many words, and when I was finished, I sent her another e-mail with a link to my Etsy listing. What I got back was so very sweet. She was very happy with my enthusiasm, and she liked my project enough to feature the picture on the pattern page! If you click on her name above, you will be taken to her pattern page where you will see my creation right next to a few others wonderful creations. I feel so grateful!

What Have I Been Up To?

It's been a little while since my last post, and man have I been busy! Recently, I decided I'd like to take another crack at knitting. I tried teaching myself once, but my heart was really set on crochet. (Don't worry, it still is.) However, I have finally managed to get the hang of knitting, and I must say that I love it, too. Here are a few things I have learned as of late:

• Kitchener Stitch: It appears to me that many people have been intimidated by the Kitchener Stitch, and I must assure you, it is unnecessary. I too, was pretty confused the first time I was reading about it, but it really does make for a very nice seam. I still have to refer to the directions each time I use it, but, like anything else in life, with practice, it is becoming very easy. Click on the link above, and it will direct you to About.com's pictorial directions of Kitchener Stitch. And believe me. If I can wrap my head around it, anyone can! :) Below is a picture of my second time using the Kitchener Stitch. I used it to seam the crotch of this skirty diaper cover/soaker closed.
  



• Knitting in the Round on Circular Needles: Knitting in the round on circular needles has been great for me because I despise using double pointed needles (DPN's). The first time I tried was horrific. Granted, I was trying to teach myself to knit for the first time on the same day I was trying to knit on DPN's. Call it what you will, but I would so much rather use circular needles. They are perfect for knitting something seamlessly. As a crocheter, I was used to working things in the round. I was convinced that knitting in the round could not possibly be simpler or even as simple as crocheting in the round. Guess what, though! It really was! If you click on this link above, it will again direct you to About.com's basic guide to knitting in the round on circular needles. The picture below shows my first ever project knit in the round. It is another skirty soaker, and I really love it!

• Magic Loop Method: Now this method, I am learning as I type here. It was just slightly confusing at the beginning, but this link will lead you to Knitting Daily website where you will find yet another pictorial guide. I am only doing my gauge swatch right now, but my next project is going to be Alice Cullen Fingerless mittens in a yarn I like to call Aqua Paradise.
  

I know it is hard to see, but here is a link to the free pattern on Ravelry. And below are a few

pictures of my gauge swatch in the Magical Loop Method.

And on a final note...All three yarns pictured here were hand dyed and hand painted by me! But that is an entirely separate post. :)

Damned Itchy Ears

Benadryl at 9:30 pm for inflamed rash on my ears.

Shower at 9:45 pm in which I scrub my ears with sea salt scrub, thinking possibly my husband is correct in thinking it is just dry skin. Felt the burn of sea salt in open wound at 9:50 pm.

Went upstairs to go to bed at 10:15 pm only to find that I wasn't all that tired. So, I read a little before bed to help me fall asleep. Great, except I get really into the book and read til what I assume was close to 11 pm.

Next to tears because of mental exhaustion, but my body must be quite resilient because it hasn't received the memo that we are tired.

Fall asleep and sleep through two alarms because that was better than smashing the phone when it tried to wake me up. Woke up at 6:50 am. Supposed to be at work at 7am. Was still only 15 minutes late (and I live 10 miles away from the job).

Dragging a$$ tired right now. Benadryl hasn't worn off. Best of all, guess what I have?

Smooth, itchy ears......................................fml.

New Creation

I just have to say before I go on that I am very tired. I am feeling very sad today, and I'm positive I overworked myself yesterday whipping this up. I was so excited yesterday that I just couldn't help it, though. I'm afraid if I don't post about it now, it will get hidden off on my (non-existent) to do list and I will never actually post about it. So, this will not be as wordy or as wonderful as I had hoped, but you have to see my new creation.































So you see, 11 and 1/2 hours at the sewing machine really does pay off. I am so in love with this purse, but I still can't wait to make another one. This is not my design, though. The desing came from an obvious sewing genius named Rebekah Lambert. I bought the pattern at her shop Artsy-Crafty Babe on Etsy.

I have never sewn a purse in my life, and I had never sewn pleats in my life. There are some obvious "whoopsies" in my purse, and as I continue to make them, they will get better. However, this pattern was so easy to understand, I was able to actually create this beaty. What's more, if I so choose, I can make these to sell because the designer allows that. How great!!

You will also notice a picture near the beginning (hopefully! All I can see is scripted words that mean nothing to me, so I'm assuming the pictures are where I want them to be.) there is a picture of a coffee cup from McD's and a Reese's Peanut Butter Egg. Later on, you will notice some tea and the same Peanut Butter Egg. I waited until well in the afternoon to treat myself to that little baby. And Deb, if you are reading this (check her out at Works in Progress) I decided to instate "afternoon tea" by myself yesterday. I believe I deserved it! :)

"Train Ride"

I've just returned home from an afternoon coffee date with some lady friends of mine. I sort of lolly gagged on my way home, stopping at a local store to look at yarn and things I don't need. It is a rainy day today. I did eventually convince myself that I was on the verge of spending money I didn't have and should go home. I grabbed the 7-Up I promised my husband, as he has been sick since Thursday this week. Then, I strolled out into the chilly rain.

There used to be a time in my life that rainy days made my day. I don't know what it was about a rainy day, but you could always guarantee that I would be most happy and most creative on a rainy day. Some time over the last year, something has shifted inside of me, though, and I don't so much like the rainy days anymore. They make me feel awfully nostalgic. I do, however, like how the rain makes me think.

As I was driving out of town today, on my way home, I caught up to a train, not a people-carrying train. It was just a train with cars and tanks, for commercial purposes I suppose. As I caught up to it, I was driving fast enough that I just continued to pass the train cars with ease, and this saddened me. A feeling deep inside of me was telling me to stay at pace with the train cars. And that is just what I did. Something about this train was majestic today.

I was enamored with the wheeled black cylinders. This train had been traveling in the rain long enough that it was completely wet. Isn't it funny how water on surfaces changes the appearance of them? The rain made this train look as though it had a fresh coat of paint, as if it were brand new.

As I'm riding along with this train, I can start to hear the subtle clack-clack of the wheels on the tracks through my car windows. In the background now, I hear the rustic vocals and the acoustic sound of Anna Nalick. Rainy days are perfect days to hear Anna Nalick. Suddenly, this train was reminding me of my life.

Sometimes it seems I slowed down, and the train cars began to pass me. As one train car would pass me, there was a slight tug at my heart. "Don't let it pass you by," I could hear my heart saying to me. So, I would ebb gently forward to meet my train car again.

Sometimes, I would speed up just enough that my train car was just behind me. "Don't get ahead of yourself," my heart would say to me. So, I would let off the gas pedal just enough to meet my train car again.

Each time I met with my train car, I found it beautiful. The rainy sheen made the black shine like a metal stallion.

Sometimes, I simply drove along next to my train car, allowing the clack-clack to become sweet music to my ears. Sometimes, I would turn my head sideways just to get a glance of the beautiful black stallion. Those times, I would see the reflection of the slowly melting snow, see the reflection of life on the ground. Sometimes, I would find myself singing along with the song:

Forever love
Say you'll love
Digame, Digame
Tell me so
I can hold you in my soul
If I go
I'll know

It was a beautiful moment as we ebbed closer to my rural home. The train and I moving ever forward, never looking back. We both pulled into my rural town at the same moment. I turned on to the street and slowed to a stop when I met the tracks. The train moved so quickly past me. I was not sad to see it go, just happy to witness its majesty. The last train car pulled up the rear and passed in front of my eyes.

I could have driven next to that train all day long, just to see life through its eyes, but I was content to stop where I did. That train is my life, ever moving forward, but for now, I have stopped where I am supposed to be.

Lent

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, as many of you may already know. Ash Wednesday turned out to be a day full of emotion for me, and not such a good day by the end of it all. It was just a bunch of financial stress, job stress, and marriage stress rolled into a ball and thrown directly at my face at warp speed. Today, however, is a new day, and today, I would like to share with you all my goal for Lent this year as well as a few other thoughts.

This year marks the second year that I am observing Lent. Growing up, I didn't attend church regularly, but I remember as far back as being in grade school and talking to my friends about God. For whatever reason, I always knew that I believed in Him. Through my teen years, I found a home church that was non-denominational, and they didn't stress Lent so much. They pretty much stressed living your life every day knowing and thanking God for his sacrifice for us. If we all did that, I suppose there wouldn't be much need for Lent.

Anyway, now I am a member of a Methodist church, and while I'm sure I have expressed before that I don't necessarily agree with all of their "traditions," I am where I am supposed to be. I do agree with this idea of Lent. I think it is humbling to take something out of your daily life that you normally would do/eat/think about/say/drink/etc. without paying a second thought to. Every time you reach for that something you gave up, you will be reminded of why you gave it up. You will be reminded that Jesus gave his life for you, and it really isn't that much to ask for you to give up chocolate for Him.

It seems menial, but we are selfish, we humans. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you I didn't slip up last year during Lent when I did give up chocolate. I have the ever present issue of eating my emotions at times, and chocolate is a BIG emotion in my life. Some days, I felt that like that chocolate fix was just more important than God. That reflects my true attitude during my daily life, though. There are days that the temptations are so strong, and my prayers are so quiet that I am able to push my faith to the side as if it is just another old pair of shoes I used to sort of like.

That is why this year, I took suggestions from friends and family about what I should give up for Lent. I was told things like caffeine (coffee), chocolate again because it is still a relevant challenge, refined sugar, etc. Most people said chocolate, so I was resigned to go with the vote of the People. I started to really think about it, though, and I did some "research" on the internet. What I found was interesting to me and not something I had learned in the past. There were a few people that said instead of giving something up, you could take something on, like adding something to your daily schedule such as exercise, stretching, Bible study, etc.

It hit me then that, yes, Lent is about learning about sacrifice, but Lent could also be about establishing new and better habits that would, in turn, help to remind me of Jesus' sacrifice for me. That is why, this year for Lent, I have decided to instate a minimum of 15 minutes of daily Bible study, and I am vowing to myself to read through all four Gospels during this Lent. I did some figuring, and there are 89 chapters in the Gospels. Therefore, if I read a little more than 2 chapters a day, I will get my 15 minutes in and I will manage to read through four books of the Bible.

I will be reading out of the Message Bible. Throughout the next 39 (including today) days, I may at times post blogs concerning what I have learned that day, post short blogs with a verse I found interesting/helpful that day, or post my thoughts about what I have read each day. This is going to be a very humbling experience for me because I have never read my Bible daily, and there are many days that I deliberately avoid God because I don't want to confess my sins, because I have too much pride, because I am just sure I am right and because, most of all, I want to think that I am in control. (Ha! If only I would learn...Silly Rabbit, control is for God!!)

I hope that in this, we can all learn together and that my blog may serve as a community for open discussion. You don't have to agree with me, but I ask that you respect my beliefs as I respect yours. Please do not leave malicious comments. Please do not tell me that I am a "stupid-head." If you have questions, I will be happy to attempt answering them, but lets be mature about this and explore our differences. :)

New Cowl/Scarf From Leftover Yarn

Recently I stumbled upon an awesome website called
Prudent Baby, and every so often, they post some really fun and easy crochet patterns. Did I mention that they are free patterns? Oh yeah! I am a huge fan of free patterns, and I'm especially a huge fan of free patterns that allow me to use up left over yarn. I am even more especially a huge fan of free patterns that allow me to use up left over yarn that isn't really left over but more brand new-ish that I absolutely had to buy when it was on sale for $4-ish instead of $7-ish because I knew that at some point I was going to want to use said yarn and would not be able to justify spending $7-ish on a small skein of yarn.

Wooo! Inhale! I swear to you I said something very much like that last paragraph to my husband and MIL just this morning in one breath! It shouldn't come as any shock to those of you who know me. My sister's husband so kindly refers to it as the "Trish Syndrome," in which he is lovingly referring to our crazy Mom that we all miss so much. She used to do a lot of "mile a minute" speeches. Thanks Mom!

Now, moving on, if you crochet and like to crochet with two strands of yarn, ahem, Momma B, or chunky yarn, this is the perfect pattern for you. If you like to crochet and like to crochet quick projects, this is the perfect pattern for you. If you like to crochet and like to crochet scarves/cowls, you guessed it, this is the perfect pattern for you. And of course if you love to wear cowls/scarves as much as I do or even know someone who loves to wear cowls/scarves as much as I do, then for the love of God, go check out this very, very simple and quick pattern!

Um, you know, just a suggestion.