Giving Back

 Today was my annual trip to Walmart to fill a shopping cart with toys for a reasonable price.  They do it with yearly sales this time of year on a wide variety of toys and sports equipment.  I shop carefully to try to include as many age groups as possible.  I always include at least one Elmo stuffed toy in memory of Eric, who was a big Elmo fan.  I only fill one cart  to keep within my budget and space in my car.  I always include at least 6 Soccer balls in a variety of sizes and colors, soccer is very popular here in Tucson.

Not surprisingly at all, no one wants to get behind me in the checkout line.  It takes a while to put a whole basket of toys on the conveyor belt. I am getting more efficient at packing the shopping cart. The cashiers always ask how big is my family?  Then I explain that I never removed the yearly budget line for toys.  I figured that since my kids are out of the house I might as well use that money for toys, anyway to help the kids in Pima County have a better holiday season.  

So after I check out and load my car up.  I head to the nearest Fire Station to drop off the toys.  This year it took 3 firefighters one trip to empty the entire back of my car.  I thanked them for collecting the toys to help the kids and they thanked me for bringing the toys and sporting equipment.  

All the helpers were doing a good job today.  Please consider being a helper this year for your favorite charity project.   Because of the economy, I personally feel the need will be greater this year.  This is my personal guesstimate since I don’t have any empirical data to back this up. I certainly hope I am wrong, but I don’t think so.

The Perils of Designing

 When I start a new design I have an idea in my mind of where I want things to go. Sometimes I even have a very crude outline of the design.  I have stitches in mind. This is all well and good until two weeks into working on a design element, it is not turning out the way I want it to be.  

Then I spend some time thinking about all aspects of the design. First and foremost. Can I turn it into a design element? Would I actually wear it with that particular design element? Can I further modify the design element to make it look better? Can it be blocked out? Would it look too wonky? Would anyone else want to wear it?  Sometimes this takes weeks. Sometimes just the length of a television show.  

All I know is that 2 weeks worth of stitching comes out in about 40 minutes.  This includes winding the yarn into balls. Sighs! Then I pick up the next yarn and try something totally random and different.  

If at first you don’t secede, skip the chocolate cake. Pick up your yarn and needles to try again.  With  the hopes that it will come out even better than the first design.  

Enter the design world at your own risk. Please leave your egos at the door.  

A Fantastic Day

 Today was one of the best days of my year.  My friends and I at Old Pueblo Knitting Guild were very busy knitting this year.  I was very excited and privileged to be able to deliver a trunk full of hand knit hats and scarfs.  Along with blankets, school supplies, and socks.   I was very excited to deliver everything to the Flowing Wells School District for their Clothing Bank. The staff was so excited that they emptied the back of the car for me.  I think they already had plans for most of the hats and scarfs.  

Holiday Gifts

 My holiday gift creation was in full swing this afternoon.  I was supposed to be resting, however I figured since I was sitting down while working that was the same as resting.  I got one set of gifts completely finished and in a box waiting for December.  Another one only partially finished due to broken and missing pieces from the kit. A trip to the craft store is in order.   By the way they wanted a review on the kit, I gave it a one star.  I very rarely do that.

I also spent the morning with friends. It’s always nice hanging out with friends.  Since this was my crafty group I took my oak shawl and added a few more rounds.  

A First for Me

 Today I had to have a root canal. Normally they make me cringe and then I get all tense. Making the experience trying.  Today I did something different, I started taking slow deep and relaxing breaths.  I kept taking slow deep breaths. It seemed like just minutes later the dentist was pulling out all the gear. I had actually slept through the root canal.  I’ve got to say that was the best root canal that I have ever had. I highly recommend sleeping through your next root canal. Also the dentist did not mind at all.  I think it made it easier for both of us.  

Also not a drop of knitting was done today. I promptly fell asleep after dinner.  I will have to try again tomorrow.  I am calling it quits for the night.  

My Tunisian Crochet Shawl

 Tonight I am working on a one of a kind shawl for myself.  With the work I did tonight, I have enough of the next section done to show off a little bit of the silk.  The orange and green silk work well together.  The orange and green combination helps bring out the color of the gold Llama yarn.  

You might have noticed that I filled in the corners using some of the techniques that I learned in the Tunisian hat class.  I have still not finished that hat yet.  I am getting closer.  I just have to be at full spoons to work on that project.  

Since I am giving myself some grace, I will not be writing a pattern for this shawl for many reasons.  The first being that I have not kept notes on the project as I have been working on it. The second being that this is a stash dive project, all the yarn in the project has been discontinued.  Third, I just don’t have the spoons to do the hours of back end work to get a pattern out.  Forth and foremost is that I wants one of a kind pice of wearable art that no one expect me has.  This is the artist in me speaking out.  Last but not least is that I am using some of the most expensive yarn in my stash for this project. I am at least $150 USD in and I am only halfway through.  I like to make my patterns affordable and this one is in the I am not affordable for the majority of knitters.  

So it’s time to take a peak.   

R & R

 I am taking a few days of R & R.  See you on the flip side.  

Be productive for me.