The accidental vacation

Hello! I accidentally took over a month off from blogging. It wasn't due to lack of things to discuss, but between travel and family commitments I had no time to compose a thought, let alone a blog post.

I got back to Denver yesterday afternoon and am feeling lonely already, so I'll get back to blogging on a regular basis. I want to show you one thing. The photo below was taken just before we left for the airport yesterday. See the beautiful scarf my husband is wearing? My mom knit it for him for Christmas. I got two balls of yarn and some knitting needles. But, as you can see, I have a new scarf now too. Good thing because it is cold and snowy here in Denver!

Happy New Year! May it be a good stitching year.

 

 

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My nephew the tiger

Remember my nephew Simon who loves tigers? I made him a pillowcase for his birthday. Well, my mom took the tiger theme even further and knit him a tiger vest for Easter! This is a cell phone photo since I wasn't back home for Easter, but isn't he cute? Don't grandma's make the BEST gifts?

 

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Knitting soothes the soul

I read this lovely article on the health benefits of knitting last week. It confirms something that I think every knitter feels, that knitting is a good way to relax. But it was interesting in that it also speculated that knitting is a good way to overcome stress--even post-traumatic stress syndrome--and can actually slow down aging of the brain. This explains why in the most stressful periods of my life, I always turn to knitting.

 

I am not an avid knitter. I subscribe to my mother's mantra to find a body to fit your knitting rather than deal with gage, but sometimes knitting is the only thing that can calm an inconsolable mind. During a particularly long and stressful period of my life I had a roommate die, another roommate who was less than ideal move in, and negotiated my own move along with a divorce, a job change, and a major disease diagnosis. That's when I started knitting again. The physical rhythm of knitting soothed my anxiety and helped me think straight. It provided relief from the churning thoughts in my mind, and I was both surprised and happy to wind up with something in the end--even a simple baby sweater or hat. It was a way to channel my negative energy towards a positive outcome and I know my health benefitted from the practice.

 

DI find when I knit, I breath to the click of the knitting needles. I have tried yoga, which is quite difficult for me since my spine is fused, but have never been able to pursue it because I hate the breathing. It frustrates me to the point of wanting to scream. But knitting soothes me into a meditative state without my even noticing. It provides the quiet time that is so needed in times of stress. Recently, I've found myself itching for knitting needles again--I think contemplating the move is getting to me.

Someone else is sick of moving too, but at least he and his brother are now safely in Rhode Island, whereas my things are still in Denver!

 

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A handmade gift comes from many hearts

This week I set aside my embroidery for knitting needles and knit this little sweater and bunny set for a friend and new mother who I haven't seen in many years. We went to graduate school and then worked together. This new baby is lucky because my friend and her husband are some of the calmest and kindest people I have ever met. As I was knitting though, I reflected that this gift comes not just from me, from a whole host of mutual friends.

 

Ten years ago we worked for the Massachusetts State Historical Commission with a group of really smart women in their 30s. One was a avid knitter and held knitting classes during lunch to teach the others. I already knew how to knit, but the enthusiasm among this group was very high and we all shared patterns and finished products with each other. One of these women brought in a finished baby sweater one day, along with the free pattern from Plymouth Yarn Company. The pattern has a hood, but she had modified it and produced a sweater with a darling collar. She shared her modifications with us and it has been a favorite of mine ever since. The chunky yarn works up in an evening.

 

The rabbit came from another friend in the knitting group who had seen a free pattern online that purported to make a bunny out of a square and two triangles. Knowing how much I loved bunnies, she challenged me to figured out how it was done. I did, and was delighted with the results. I've made MANY since then, for babies as well as for rabbit rescue organization fundraisers. It is just an adorable, fun to work pattern.

 

So this gift comes not just from me, but from all of us who worked together at that time. None of us are still with the state, and many of us have moved far away, but we are still drawn together by our collective love of historic preservation and the camaraderie of needlework.

 

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Summer knitting

It has been cool here over the last few days--in the 70s and low 80s--so cool for Colorado, that when my local knitting shop advertised a free cowl class, more than 15 people showed up. With a social stitching night going on at the same time, there were at least 30 people crammed into the shop on a summer's night, all knitting away.

 

Between my birthday and several days of food poisoning, I haven't got much stitching done this month, so I thought the class would be a great way to get my creative juices flowing. It was! I stayed up late Friday and finished my cowl.

 

Here it is.

 

And here it is on!

 

I hope to make a few for gifts this year, so it was good practice for me. By stitching with the group, I got to see how different yarns worked up, how much yarn the project takes, and what the final product looked like. If you want to knit your own and are a Ravelry member, you can download the pattern for free.

 

Happy stitching!

 

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Fun in Fort Collins

Over the weekend, my husband and I went to Fort Collins, CO. He always wants to go there when he visits, but my car isn't air conditioned and an hour long drive in 100 degree weather isn't something to look forward to. This trip, however, I really wanted to go because one of my favorite fabric artists, Sally Mavor, had a piece exhibited at the Lincoln Center.

You can find out how Sally made this 3-D piece on her blog at the link above.

 

The Birds of BeeBe Woods was inspired by the woods of Falmouth, MA. I love the piece so much that I bought a poster of it several months ago, and I couldn't wait to see it in real life. Rightfully, it won the Juror's Choice award. In fact, every person who came into the exhibit while we were there did a beeline for the piece, oohing and ahhing from all the way across the room.

 

Up close, the piece, done on embroidered felt, is masterful. I thought my poster showed the details, but seeing how tiny and even her stitches were, for example across the wren's wing, was flabbergasting. It is a perfectly delightful work of art and is on display in Fort Collins through August 31. I'll write more about the wonderful quilts that we saw there later!

Green chili beer. YUM!

 

In between samples of craft beer (Fort Collins hosts 10 craft breweries) we also stopped by to see LambSpun--the Fort Collins knitting shop made famous by the mystery novels of Maggie Sefton. Boy was my mom excited to see photos! It is a lovely shop and there was an afternoon tea & stitch going on while we were there. Roger didn't take a photo, but seeing all the knitters sitting at the big wooden table gabbing away while they knit was just like the books!

Finally here is some eye candy I saw at one of the Fort Collins shops--every sewing room needs one!

This clock made by Allen Designs really caught my attention. It is so whimsical!

 

All in all, it was the perfect marriage of both our interests and I saw a lot to inspire me.

 

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