On my needles

Here's what I'm knitting now. Two feet done of a table runner, about 15 inches wide in Fiesta La Boeheme Carribean colorway. This is a mohair and rayon boucle double strand dyed together. The stitch is from Harmony Guides: Knit and Purl called Wave.

Pondering Pain

Does pain equal suffering? In the Bible Paul makes a big deal of suffering. Jesus, however, tries to dissuade his disciples from wishing they could be equals with him - or at least one on his right and one on his left - because he knows what suffering will ensue. Pain is a part of that suffering. Physical pain, mental pain, emotional pain, financial pain.

Pain is - well - painful. It hurts. Yet, we can become so inured to pain that we can ignore it - at least for a while. Dull aches, legs that twitch, backs that throb or mental/emotion anguish that goes on and on and on. After some length of time, we can function over and around that pain. We shrug it off as a part of life, like lost loves, deaths in the family, taxes, war.

However, that pain is with us and saps energy that might be used of other things like work or pleasure. We don't realize that we're missing some important things in life until one day, we just don't want to get out of bed. We have no meetings; we have no lunch dates; we have few internet friends; our hobby supplies are gathering dust; the exercise equipment isn't even plugged in. Then, someone asks - what brings you joy?

Yeah, right. Joy. We sing about that at Christmas. Joy to the world. Then we get a bit sarcastic and think about all the war and terror and wonder when the joy went. If we reflect on our own lives, we don't even know what brings pleasure any longer much less what brings joy.

So, we begin.

My life is full of beginnings. My fiber projects are so numerous that I can't keep track of all of them. I make some calls to friends and promise that I will stay in touch - until next Christmas I remember that promise. Several weeks ago, I said I wouldn't start another fiber project until I finished something already begun. Didn't happen.

But, I did finish this beautiful scarf with variegated red yarn - or did I post this already? LOL

And, I've acknowledged that my pain drains me. Adapting to my life situation with fibromyalgia will take a lot more time. My new C-PAP seems to be helping - too soon to tell. Until now, I've been suffering. Since I have a name for my pain, I don't feel as if I'm suffering. I hurt, I ache, but I'm okay...and I'm going to better.

Knitting at the beach

While I have been watching the ocean and listening to its waves on the beach, I've been doing handwork - crochet and knitting. We received a shipment of Lamb's Pride wool at the shop the day before I left, and I snatched up two skeins of variegated red on the way out. Here's the scarf I've begun with it - an older Noro yarn pattern that I found free on the web using short rows to make triangles. We also got the yarn in purple in worsted and bulky - so pretty.

And, before I left, my friend Nita gave me a bath mat that she had crocheted from double worsted Peaches & Creme cotton. It's much brighter than the picture shows - made with Gumdrops for those of you who know the P&C colors. So, I crocheted a couple of bath cloths for myself. The first was a bit lopsided, but the second turned out nicely. Well, almost anyway. Someday I shall learn how to crochet squarely. The mat is about 18 x 24 and the cloth is 9 x 12.

I also started a baby hat with Vanna's Baby Soft acrylic in blue - doing it magic loop - have about two inches done so far. And, cast on a Ty-Dy shawl in shades of blue, green and purple...only a few rows done yet.

The body is better; I get my C-PAP (machine that keeps me from having sleep apnea) next week; I'm getting over this virus and coughing; I have a great job; I have a great partner; and I'm so blessed that I spend a lot of time in prayers of thanksgiving. May 2009 bring the same joy for you.

More Alpaca pictures

Gin is trying to herd the white alpaca back into the other enclosure - unsuccessfully.







Mindi and the llama

















This wonderful baby is one of the show animals.Tom is part of the menagerie.














Baby Rhode Island Reds are also there. And, bees, and kittens, and their sons.

Ashwood Alpaca Farm Visit

sharecropper gets a kiss from Whiskey

Five of us went to Ashwood Alpaca Farm (they also have one llama) on Friday. We were warmly welcomed by Lisa Willis who is unbelievably excited about all her alpacas. They were recently sheared, and the blankets are currently being processed.

But, we were mostly thrilled because Whiskey was like a big lap dog. He followed us around and liked to eat carrots and be petted. Most of the alpacas were standoffish as we were laughing a lot and grinning from ear to ear. What beautiful animals they are and sooooo soft - even sheared.

I snagged two grocery bags of bits and pieces of blankets from the various animals and one from the llama...also some yarn from the cooperative of which the farm is a member.One friend found some yummy socks.

Here are the pictures:
alpacas in background, us in foreground












Whiskey, up close and personal

New Knitting

Our friends Gin and Mindi from Denver have been visiting, and I've been knitting while we talked and after dinner each night. I offered to make Gin a pair of socks once I learned how to make socks. She said she had socks someone had knitted hung on her wall- they were artwork, not wearables.

So:













And, Mindi is getting a case for her Touch-pod. (front and back views)

knitting stuff

Went to a new shop today and found some interesting display ideas and lots more open space than we have at the shop where I work - but lots less yarn...and everything, almost, was on sale. Here's a picture of the stuff I bought today as well as some stuff that's hanging around my workroom.






And, here's the finished red cable scarf before it is blocked.


























And here's D's soft lavender scarf which is still packed in the box to be shipped - same place it's been all week. And, listen, kiddo, if you don't like it, you can't send it back - give it to someone else, okay. I have way too much stuff in this office.





So, yes to all to who have asked. I'm feeling much better, getting over a several day headache, running a humidifier and air cleaner and doing hot compresses and cold packs and pain killers, and..... well, you get the idea. But, basically, I'm good. Looking forward to a pretty day tomorrow when I have no responsibilities.

First Cable Stitch

Now you might not think this is such a big deal, but, let me tell you, I dreaded this process for a long time. Then today, I sat in on a class for learning how to cable stitch. While there, I did two cable stitches, but they were too close together for the scarf to be flat. So I ripped it all out and reknitted just past this first stitch. I am soooo pleased.

un-knitting update

Okay, D, I forgot to go to bed. I turned around and there was this yellow thing - so I finished off the back. Then I remembered that you wanted a pix of the gray shawl. So here they are - not good pix - will do better in daylight and sanity.

Yellow remainder




















yellow squigglies



















grey shawl

As I straighten my study

I picked this up from Knitting Novices Yahoo group and have adapted it to fit me:

Craftaholics Anonymous
12 Step Program
Newly Revised to 13 Steps
Original © 2001 by Shirley Thomas @ CraftSayings.com

1. I will not stuff craft supplies in every corner of my house.
2. I will not keep nine projects going at one time.
3. I will not buy more yarn, beads or fabric, even if they are on sale, until I finish the projects I have.
4. I will not let my study/work room look like a junk yard.
5. I will not confiscate the dining table or the sofa for crafts.
6. I will not attend craft (bead, yarn) shows or shops just to pick up more ideas.
7. I will not buy more storage carts for my craft stash.
8. I will not spend all that I make working at the yarn shop before I leave the shop.
9. I will not check every day to see what's available on eBay.
10. I will not stay up half the night crafting.
11. I will not save dryer lint, toilet paper rolls, detergent scoops, old shirts, pretty magazine pages
12. I will not buy every craft magazine I see.
13. See you at the yarn shop (bead show).

More knitting commentary

The Hat pictures are below. This was a fun project; my first time to follow a pattern, and possibly my last. I'm not good at following patterns. LOL

Now, I am knitting a shawl to wear here at home (guess I could wear it out) that will tuck into my pants and not get in my way like the sleeves of my flannel shirts do. So, it's grey alpaca grande - a nice thick yarn that is silky soft and slides right off the metal needles I am using. I've have developed more fine motor skills this time in grabbing the stitches as they slide off the needle and before they sink into the previous row of stitches. That would be problematic with this silky alpaca. Very hard to correct dropped stitches.

Anyway, I don't much care for repetitive work - too many knit stitches and not enough purl stitches or other variation. And, shawls take a lot of stitches. You knit from the tip of the shawl up to the shoulder. So, you start out with two stitches and increase every other row by two stitches. I got up to about 83 stitches and decided it was surely big enough and I was tired of doing the same old thing. So I bound it off, but I was smart enough not to cut the yarn.

I grandly flipped it over my back and, alas, it barely covered the tops of my shoulders. Ugh. I could either give it to a very small person or I could try to get it back on the needles - those same metal needles (called circular turbo needles). I opted for getting it back on the needles.

Other than having every stitch turned backwards (not a real problem to change but tedious), the re-needling went smoothly. And, I now have about five more rows of it knitted. I suspect I have many rows to go before it is the right size and many more knit stitches than I have any desire to do. But, I shall persevere, and we will eventually have pictures of my grey alpaca grande shawl. Of course, the weather is going to be 70 degrees here today; so I may never need it again.

The Felted Hat

The Hat before felting in December 07

The Hat after Felting in January 08

sharecropper in hat after more shaping. Now it has a flat top and a brim that is flat.