Isn't She Pretty?

I know she has nothing to do with knitting other than I did knit some on the 5 (ish) hour drive down to Albuquerque to fetch her. There was no knitting on the drive home as I've yet to figure out how to (safely) knit while driving.

I've got to bring some color back into my knitting

I've been sort of a knitting funk lately. I'm coming out of it as I do have some projects that must be done (the deadline is April so I have plenty of time to procrastinate, waste time and surf pattern ideas). I have some socks on needles. But in the past three weeks I've been hung up on white hats for the hospital. My mom gave me the yarn for the hats trying to rid herself of some of her stash so I really can't complain, but I'll tell you that bag for the hospital looks mighty pale. Maybe this week I'll knit up a zippy yellow one. The nursery often will ask for no green or yellow hats (they seem to prefer white, pink or blue), but I figure that with a nice lacy pattern, or a basketweave pattern yellow or green should be just fine (especially lace). Youngest boy came home with a white hat, girl child came home with a pink and white hat, I could have cared less about the color, I was touched that someone actually knit the hat that the babies wore home for the hospital. I think that it's fun to knit the hats. I've yet to see one of my hats on a baby, but then again, I rarely have the opportunity to see newborn babies nowadays.

Two steps forward, one step back

This has been quite a week. Chris's boss Rudy died unexpectedly on Friday which throws life into a weird spiral both emotionally and creatively. I did not know Rudy well, having only met him a handful of times over the past few years that Chris worked with/for him. I knew that when Rudy came to the company it was a bumpy transition for him, but he worked it out and became much liked amongst his co-workers/employees. He'd had cancer, but was given a good prognosis and yet, now he's gone. He was 49 years young and leaves behind a wife, 5 kids and one grandson and many devastated employees/co-workers. Chris had mentioned that perhaps I could knit him a beanie to keep his newly bald head warm. I was thinking of buying the softest yarn for a hat, something he could wear to church, but still with a bit of fun a whimsey. But now I'll send a card to a grieving family.

Creatively, it's socks or should I say the same damn sock over and over. I refuse to rip this poor sock out again, the yarn is going to get tired of being knit, ripped and knit again. A lovely package arrived at the post office today from Knitpicks containing the yarn I plan to use for a friend's 50th birthday present. I am knitting her a smoke ring, since she hikes/runs and I thought that something to keep her neck warm would be perfect especially since the yarn I chose is called "Flower Power". Perfection. Sometimes that slump in creativity can be forced out of retirement and sometimes not. For me. For right now, this second in time I feel at least a little creative. (That and in the last 2 weeks I've knitted 4 hats to drop off at the hospital).

Ah the beginning of a new year, the ups and downs of life. And knitting, always knitting.

Socks are the answer

Trying to dig myself out of the rut, you know the "what do I feel like knitting" rut. The inspiration rut. The "I've knit 4 hats for the hospital" rut (which, while it's nice for the hospital, and keeps my hands busy, it's kind of a no-brainer activity). I don't need intricate lace projects to feel productive, just something fun and interesting to knit. I do have a shawl on needles, but with a couple of hundred stitches per row it's slow going. No. I'm looking for something quick or at least not so agonizing when I mis-count and must rip a row or two (or three). Do you know how long it takes to tink 2 rows of over 200 stitches? Let me just tell you it isn't fun. Or quick. Which brings me to socks. They're a quick knit (relatively). Simple, yet impressive, especially when you turn the heel, portable (you can throw them in your purse to take with you to the park or dance class or doctors offices). They don't take up a fortunes worth of yarn (a sweater can be a very expensive proposition). Yep, socks are the answer. I have knit several scarves as of late, and while scarves are fun, and work with the weather we have here, socks wear out and truly there is nothing as luxurious as pulling on a pair of hand knit socks. Critics can say what they may about buying socks in bulk cheaply, but the feel of a seamless handknit sock........heaven.

Stuck in a rut

The holidays are over and it's a new year. Full of possibilities, new patterns, new things to knit, places to go, people to see and neverending cornucopia of possibilities. And here I sit with 4 miles (or more) of lace weight yarn (what was I thinking), several skeins of lovely sock yarn....well you get the picture, I have yarn and so far no creative thought as to what I want to knit with said yarn. Nothing is jumping out there saying "you are inspired to knit me in this pattern", the yarn just sits there and taunts me. I've knitted 2 hats for the hospital the last few days and a couple of rows on a lace weight shawl and I've waited. I've waited for the inspiration to hit me.

I'm stuck in a rut.

To be fair the kids went back to school yesterday and I'm not back in my "one kid still at home to keep me company groove" and it's a busy week....dance and karate yesterday, volunteer in a classroom this morning, then pick up a friends son to get his braces off at lunch time today, tomorrow will be karate and racketball in the afternoon, so the groove seems to be more of a tap dance or a good rousing game of dodge ball lately, but still no inspiration.

And now the 4 year old girlchild and I must go to her 7 year old brother's school and stuff the folders that go home with each student every Thursday. Maybe being in the elementary school will give me some inspiration (or just a headache)....