Knitting The Moment

Hey everybody,

Just wanna give you the heads up.

Knitting The Moment is changing addresses.

To this:

www.knittingthemoment.wordpress.com

The webhost thingy is just too expensive to maintain the DOT COM address, so Nicole (my sweet daughter) has worked to get it all changed over for me.  (bless her)

Me, at Radiator Springs in California Adventure

So everything is switched and lovely so if you’ve subscribed

OR

you put it in a reader of some sort (like google reader or feedly), you’ll need to change the web address to continue getting posts.

Everything is the same as before.

See you on the flipside.

Own The Day!

Laugh. Dance. Learn. Create. Knit

or whatever  you love to do!

I’ve got a hankerin’ to buy yarn.  It’s like when I get a craving for Good n Plentys or Peppermint Pattys-the world just won’t be right until I get some.  I’m craving new yarn. The problem is I haven’t really been able to find an excuse to buy new yarn.  I could be easily argued that I already have enough yarn. Which we both know isn’t true.

Lucky for me, I found this yesterday:

Pattern is here:  http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss13/PATTgaladriel.php

and the yarn they used for it is this:

Madelinetosh Prairie Yarn

Found here:  http://www.yarn.com/webs-knitting-crochet-yarns-madelinetosh/webs-knitting-crochet-yarns-madelinetosh-prairie/?gclid=CMqt0Mvs67YCFceDQgodUCgAzA

Isn’t that lucky?

Yes, I think so, too.

Here are the Arielle mitts done, ready to be blocked, photographed and mailed to Australia for their attendance at Medieval Festivals. And hopefully adopted and loved by someone far away.

I’ve got little coin pouches or herb pouches or whatever you want to use them for, swimming ’round in my head just dying to find their way out my needles.

Oh yeah, and there’s that yarn to buy.

Own the Day!

Laugh. Dance. Learn. Create. Knit

or whatever you love to do

I’ve been wanting to blog since the last forever ago blog I wrote.  And the thought has been overwhelming as of late.  But I got the nicest message from a sweet lady about dying with kool aid and it inspired me to just do it.  Blog it.  Whatever IT is right now.  (Thank you Michelle!)

I’m still knitting for the Medieval Festival in Brisbane.   I’ve got a few more mittens knitted and a few more patterns graphed.  But mostly I’m just enjoying the knitting and the creating of things.

I’m calling this pattern Christianna.

I have to tell you the happy thing we did.  We took the kids to Disneyland last week.  (All but one kid and spouse was able to go.) We had a great time meeting Pluto and Jessie and Tinkerbell, riding the little kids rides as well as the big kid rides and being at The Happiest Place on Earth for a few days. I mostly did okay physically, was walloped by the time we left, but it was worth it.

Dylan (20), Eric, Me, Adrienne (almost 11), Mike (16), Darren and Nicole (25)

Adrienne and I with Tinkerbell

New mitten pattern with “Disney” colors-I’m calling this one Arielle.

“Arielle” done in Medieval wool/silk blend and colors

My medieval folks at Black Wolf Caravan are busy making, creating, building and sewing stuff in preparation for their Medieval activities soon to start in June.  You can find all sorts of  their amazingness happening at

http://www.blackwolfcaravan.com/

For example–Look at these that the Shaman/Healer carries-

The blog post for these pictures is found here:

http://www.blackwolfcaravan.com/2013/03/29/medieval-medical-instruments-and-a-blogging-break/

I am hoping to get loads of knitting done this weekend.  So I’d best get back to it.  I hope you have a lovely weekend!

Laugh. Dance. Learn. Create.  Knit

or whatever you love to do.

It’s been forever since I’ve blogged.  I’ve still got health issues that have hung on since December that involve copious trips to the bathroom. I’m learning to live it with since I’ve no idea how long the symptoms are planning on being with me (which is way harder than it sounds).  Stupid stupid Bladder.

In the time since I’ve last chatted with you, one son has graduated both high school and college (with AA transfer degree) simultaneously, all our boys have celebrated birthdays-they are now 16, 20 and 22.  We celebrated Valentine’s Day and Easter and me turning 48 (for the next 4 months Eric will tease me incessantly about being older than him).  We’ve walked on the beach, played a dozen games of Spades and Adrienne has rearranged her bedroom–again.  Life rumbles merrily along, health issues or not.

In the last month or so I’ve been tinkering with creating and designing my own knits inspired by Medieval patterns.  I have been invited to knit items to be sold at Medieval Festivals in Australia.

I’ve been working on fingerless gloves…

 and coin pouches…

In spite of what we tend to think, Medieval colors, were bright and cheery.  Pinks, reds, greens, blues, yellows.  Although in my research, I haven’t found mention of orange really at all. Doesn’t that seem odd?

Current fingerless

My Box-Of-Knitted-Things has to be sent next month to have to get to Australia before the fun is over.  If you’re curious about Medieval Reenactments here’s a great site to check out (and I’ll have a few more to share with you in the next few weeks):

http://abbeytournament.com/blog/

You can read all about the Festival that takes place in Brisbane, Australia.

Laugh. Dance. Learn. Create. Knit.

or whatever you love to do!

 Our children don’t always love what we love.  Darn kids.  As Nicole, (my 25 yr old) was growing up, I taught her all sorts of handwork and other creative things in an effort to find some creative outlet that would bring her joy.  Cross stitch, embroidery, crochet, knitting, quilting, baking, cooking–in each case she completed a small project to give her  taste of the craft.  She hated all of it.  Or maybe just a strong dislike…nope, she hated it.

Nicole’s beauty.

 I didn’t try to guilt her into liking things that bring  me so much joy.  My mother spent my growing up super frustrated with me as her intense love of sewing and quilting did not transfer to me.  She tried to make me love it.  I have the baby quilt I made to prove it.  What she didn’t understand was that it wasn’t that I didn’t inherit her desire to create, I just didn’t inherit her desire for sewing.  I hate it. Truly.  And it hates me back.

Nicole’s hand-painted original cartoon

I’m glad I own a sewing machine in that I’ve been able to repair clothing for my family and if I get a hankering for some pretty cloth napkins I can make my own.  (which isn’t going to happen before pigs fly, just sayin’)  

Nicole’s wallpaper

Nicole’s creativity comes in the form of drawing, painting and flower arranging-and other amazing things.  She drew and painted a cartoon the other day that just astounded me.  She is so full of creativity.  And I’m glad it’s  not mine.  I get to enjoy a whole other aspect of what creativity looks like and I totally love that.

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Nicole’s flower arrangement

Go out and enjoy the difference in creativity today.  Look for it.  It’s all over the place…some of it is very cute…

“Thank you…for joining me in the rain.”

Laugh. Dance. Learn. Create. Knit

or whatever you love to do

Nordic patterns, especially for mittens, get me inspired and enthusiastic to knit. When I can’t find enthusiasm, this is one of my go-to books and like magic, the world is a more beautiful place.

So when my friend, Phryne,  who participates in Medieval reenactments with authentic handmade garments, tools, shoes, foods, etc.,  asked if I’d make her some Nordic mitt I was all over it.

Since Phryne chose red and pink, I chose the mitt pattern that has hearts on it. I got the cuff knit and started on the wrist and it became obvious something needed to change. You can see how the color values are too close, the pattern is not discernible.

So I ran to the store, got more yarn, and began again:

Now a lovely light pink and red.

Thumb gusset knitted and awaiting a thumb.

Laugh. Dance. Learn. Create. Knit

or whatever you love to do

 A party happened at my house last week, (mostly) planned and executed by Adrienne.

She decorated cupcakes.

And set the table and made name cards, carefully seating all 8 girls around the table in places that they would feel most comfortable knowing that the girls mostly didn’t know each other.

The girls had a great time and Adrienne is already planning her next event.

Laugh. Dance. Learn. Create. Knit.

or whatever you love to do

We only had 4 of us at Knit Club last night, but we are creating some pretty amazing things.  Here’s proof:

These are products of Lola’s amazingness.  Lola was Nicole’s Sunday School teacher, when Nicole was 2 yrs old.  I own crocheted baby blankets that were made by Lola for my boys that are safely tucked away in their baby boxes from 20 and 22 yrs. ago.  That hat above is for her granddaughter and during Club last night, Lola started the sweater to match.  The lavender on the right is a crocheted scarf.  On the left, is a KNIT scarf she cranked out “just cuz she felt like it”.  (I didn’t know Lola knitted.)  Aren’t they all lovely?

This huge pile of knitted loveliness belongs to Rebecca.  Rebecca hasn’t been able to be at Club for a month or so and in that time she has cranked out all these lovely dishcloths, each with a different stitch pattern, and that cute bobbly looking variegated scarf in the middle AND the dark brown cowl in process at the top. She just kept pulling projects out of her bag.  She and I must have about the same number of projects on the needles–which made me feel better after someone asked me last week how many I have in process and I had to confess to at least 10.

Nicole’s wallpaper-she’s been working on it for several weeks.  Nicole draws at Knit Club.  (Look for a post in the next couple days on Nicole and her creativity.)  I love that she brings what she does, what makes her happy, and it’s  not knitting, or crocheting or anything close to it.  I love seeing what she’s working on.  In spite of the fact that I can’t draw at all (although I totally rock the stick cow when we play pictionary), I am completely inspired by seeing another’s handiwork.  She is crazy talented.

That sweater I’m knitting for Adrienne-only 1 sleeve to go…what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?  I’m crazy bored with this pattern.

Laugh. Dance. Learn. Create. Knit

or whatever you love to do

Last Saturday, Nicole and I took Knit Club on the road to Anacortes.   Our goal?  To encourage a sick friend and help her learn to knit.

She was ready for our visit with brand new knitting needles and lovely yarn that looks like spring has burst into life in a tulip field…

The yarn is called Amazing by Lion Brand.  I’ve used it myself and it’s a delight to knit with.

Underneath weak and shaking hands, lies a beautiful crocheted afghan that Carrie crocheted herself.  Now those hands are learning to knit a hat.

This is Livvy.  Isn’t she sweet?  Nicole literally showed her how to knit 3 stitches and she was off and running like she’d been doing it forever.  

Kids learn so fast.  I don’t think it occurs to them to think, “That looks hard, I don’t know if I can do it”.  Instead, they think, “That looks cool, I can’t wait to do it”.  And off they go full of confidence and excitement.

We laughed and talked and knitted.  I hope we can get down soon to visit again.

Laugh. Dance. Learn. Create. Knit

or whatever you love to do

…Once Upon A Time at Woods Coffee, Knit Club met creating all kinds of lovely things…

Adrienne still crocheting ruffle scarves.

I’m knitting sleeve #1 for Adrienne’s sweater.

Finally got good pictures of Karen’s scarf.  Isn’t it gorgeous?

Look at the pretty beads.  Karen. Is. Amazing.  I’m so glad I finally got pictures that do her knitting  justice.

A lovely Wednesday all ’round.

Laugh. Dance. Learn. Create. Knit

or whatever you love to do.