Vera's Crafty Blog

The Bee's Knees

Knitting and Crocheting Blog Week 4KCBWDAY1

This week, I'm partipating in the 4th annual Knitting and Crocheting Blog Week.

During the week, I'll write about a specific assigned topic along with the other participants.  It's a good way to get back into the swing of blogging and to meet other knitting and crocheting bloggers.

Today's topic is to choose a house.

Here are the choices...Which one do you think suits me?

The House of Bee: Bees are busy and industrious, but can flit from one interesting project to the next as bright and shiny things capture their interest.

The House of Manatee: Manatees are gentle, calm and cuddly. Relaxed and unflashy they represent the comfort and soft side of knitting and crochet.

The House of Monkey: Intelligent and with a fun loving side, Monkeys like to be challenged with every project presenting them with something new and interesting.

The House of Peacock: Peacocks take something good and make it brilliant. Buttons, embellishments and a bit of sparkle prove that perfection lies in the details – like a Peacock's Tail.

As you probably surmised by the post title, I'm going with the Hive.

I love flitting about from project to project from knitting to crocheting and back again. 2012 wasn't beeseque, but out of the norm as I slowly regain my mojo.  Window shopping for projects is one of my joys in life as I currently have 309 projects in my Ravelry queue and 340 pins on my Things I want to Knit or Crochet Pinterest board.

Here are some projects that may come into fruition...

Just Ribbing by Apple Laine. I've had the yarn and pattern for years, and I'm starting to get an itch to make a pair of socks again.

BFF Socks by the fabulous Cookie A. I've made these before, but not for myself, and it has come to my own attention that I'd like a pair.

The Back to School Vest by Stefaine Japel. I'm not a vest person, but I love this one. It's still the #1 project in my Ravelry queue.  I brought some Dream in Color for it, but used it up on something else.  

 Hey Girl by Bonnie Marie Burns of Chic Knits looks nice and comfy, and I need a go to sweater.

The Seaside Shawlette caught my eye recently.  As off this post, the site is down for aa few weeks due to a family emergency, but once it's back up, I'll get the pattern.

I love this Latte Baby Coat.

 

...and then there's Rogue, the sweater I've always wanted to make.  I'm not frightened of her anymore.

What!?! No hats?

No hats.  While I do have hats in my queues, I tend to knit or crochet most of the hats I want to make.

Okay, I hear you. I still haven't made Dulcie by Woolly Wormhead. I have plemty of the hand staining Potluck by Cherry Tree Hill for it.

Tomorrow's topic: A Mascot Project

 

Potpourri 4/21/13

Tiger Eye Afghan Progress

I'm continuing to make slow, but steady, progress on the second baby afghan. Not crazy about some of the pooling, but overall, I still like the blanket.

Knit Knacks

I spent a little time at Knit yesterday.  Still hard to believe that the store will close in less than two weeks now, and I still have yet to wrap my head around it. The sadness hasn't hit me yet.

Single sheet patterns were 75%, and I can never have too many hat patterns.

Also brought a couple of skeins of Cascade 220 Paints that I every been eyeing for a long time and my favorite knitting book, The Knitter's Companion. 40% off.

This is my third edition of The Knitter's Companion, and I still have the other two. This one has a couple of DVDs to boot.

I love the size of the book, the fact that it's spiral bound and portable.  I like the table of contents and the illustrations.  I refer to it often, and feel that every knitter should own one.

Since I probably don't need three, I'll give the second newest one away.  Just comment to enter.

What Say You?

I brought a pattern on Ravelry for a cute shell, but it didn't give a suggested needle size-- just said to choose a needle that gives you the gauge.  While I realize the importance of being on gauge, I do like to start a swatch with a suggested needle size and work from there.  It just made me grumpy.

I emailed the designer and she told be the size that she used.  

What do you think? Should I have gotten so out of joint about something I was going to do anyway? Should the needle size be part of a pattern?

Hamlet in a Hoodie

After leaving the yarn shop. I went to see Holy City Shakespeare's production of Hamlet.  I adore the play, and seen many versions of it.  It's unfortunate that Shakespeare sometimes gets relegated to the snobbery and "dead white mans" bins because I find it to be fresh and full of language that we use almost every day, and for the people. Each time I see the plays, I see something new.

I guess I'm somewhat traditional and conservative, so I sometimes give a side eye to modern productions of the Bard. While I fervently believe that Shakespeare's plays are universal, I don't like someone "moderning" them up just for edginess sake--it had better work. This one had cell phones, cable news broadcasts, tunes that included Garbage and the Beastie Boys, and a female Horatio.

And I liked it.

It was also cool to chat with the cast after the play and get served cupcakes.  If you are in the Charleston area, check them out.  Next week is the last week of performances.

This time, I felt bad for Laertes. He got caught in the spider web and lost his father, sister, and his own life--collateral damage.

Another modern take on Hamlet that won me over is the RSC production with David Tennant and Patrick Stewart.  It has surveillance cameras and even a helicopter!

 Here's the final scene.

 

Good night sweet prince, for now.

A Blanket for Ayesis

Baby Blanket Bingo

Earlier this year, I resolved to make blankets for my four pregnant co-workers. There's always something special about creating things for babies, and my knitting/crocheting mojo was badly in need of a kick start.

BabyAyesis was born last month, and I've already made her a hat, and her mom comes back today, and she'll have this diagonal stitch crochet blanket waiting for her.

On the Diagonal

The diagonal box stitch is a favorite pattern of mine although I haven't broken it out in a while.  I made this afghan in 2004 for a friend's granddaughter, another one for my sister, and this one won a ribbon at the local fair, but I cannot remember who I ended up giving it to.

I love how fast it works up, and it makes up for a strechy and cushy piece of work.

I hope she likes her blanket as much as I do.

And Just Because Neil is Fabulous...

I have to share this video.

 

It brings me relief.

Fingers of Love

Chelsea Market Hat

This week, I finished another hat.  

Except for l'affaire des mains bleu, which can be easily resolved, it was an easy, breezy, beautiful knit, and just the thing I need to awaken my sleepy mojo, and I'm placing it in my arsenal of "go to" hats for gift giving.   The designer, Caryl Pierre, has some other cool patterns that I need to check out as well.

Just in Time

I don't check my mailbox (physical, snail mail, USPS) as often as I should, so Ididn't find out about my friend's baby shower until it was about a week away. I wanted to knit her a cute hat and socks, but I was pressed for time and baby socks and hat, even though they are small, will take a bit of time with sock yarn and small needles.  

While stash diving, I dove up with this.

I brought this in 2007 to make a sweater for a co-worker's grandson, but because I had already made two of these sweaters recently, I didn't want to make a third so soon, so I made him something else.

That grandchild should be in by kindergarden now. 

Anyway, I pulled out the yarn, wound it and started the sweater Wednesday afternoon, picked it up again the next day, and worked on it late into the night on Thursday and Friday, and finally got it done Saturday morning.

It made it to the shower on time.  Hope she likes it.

I want to make at least another one soon.

Fingers of Love

Anyone who has read this blog over any reasonable period of time knows of my obession with Neil Finn.  In our balkanized, deeply stratified and divided society, it may occur to some why a middle aged, Southern, American black woman would have such a pechant for the musical sytlings of a middle aged white guy from New Zealand of all places.

I could drone on about the humanity in all of us and reaching out beyond race, class, tribe and nationality and so on...

But eff all that.  His video features knitting. (At the10 second mark)

Take it away, Muse. 

 

Color is its own reward/The chiming of a perfect chord/Let's go jumping overboard/Into waves of joy and clarity/Your hands come out to rescue me...

And his videos kept me going as I fought sleep watching my fingers, needles and yarn create the baby sweater.  I thought about knitting, the colors, the planning, the process, the bragging, the giving to others. 

Then the revelation fell upon me.

I have fingers of love.

And I can't look up/Fingers of love move down/And I won't be hit/Fingers of love move everywhere

There is time yet/For you to find me/And all I want/Fingers of love move down

Fingers of love knit all around.

 

 

A Pocket Full of Potpourri

It Doesn't Have to be Hamlet

One of the reasons why I go through such blogging droughts is that while I always have a post or two or even three--even now--in my head, I often think I don't have enough to say. Then the peak moment passes, and their blogability expires.

I often get annoyed with pundits and social media mavens who decry the silliness of most of the content on the internet--mostly cat videos and memes (even better if there is cat meme).  I don't mind, everything doesn't have to be Hamlet.

Suddenly I realize, neither does this blog.

By the way, have you seen cats trying to figure out a threadmill? Perhaps that's the real reason I don't blog is that a get caught up in the vortex that is cat videos on YouTube.

Anyway, relieved somewhat of presenting War and Peace, here's a little potpourri to sprinkle.

Flower Power

Sping has come to Charleston. Why not some flowers? The "vase" on the left is a bottle I snagged at a beer tasting.  I'm not a beer drinker, but the bottle is too cool. The flowers are from Trader Joe's.

Baby Blanket Bingo

The baby blankets are nearly done.  I'm glad I made the baby girl blanket larger, and while most people liked the way the yarn pooled on the first attempt on the baby boy, I'm feeling this much more.

Still Life: Brown Woman with Blue Hands

My Chelsea Market Hat is coming along quite well-- except for the yarn making my hands blue. It's some Potluck Worsted by Cherry Tree Hill Yarns. I love the colors, and the pattern has been stress free. Still the hat will need a good washing and a little vinegar to set the color.  

Anyway, I won't need to wear it anytime soon.

A Refreshing Knit

About about this for some seasonal knitting? 

It's Vodka Lemonade by BabyCocktails. It's top down, so there's little to no seaming; the lace panels add interest, and I'm a sucker for a sailor collar.

Brag Book

Note to people who get handmade babygifts from me. Please take a picture of your little bundle in my creation so I can post it and brag.

Doesn't my Little Sister hat fit perfectly on Baby Ayesis? So smooth that she didn't bother to wake up.

Shake It Up

One of the positives about passing the half century mark is that I can blame being totally off trend on my age.  Once the cool kids were "so done" with the Harlem Shake videos was the time I started to watch them.  Here's my favorite.  It makes me smile every time.

 

And reminds me that there's nothing new under the sun.

Remembrance of Things Future

At My Knits End

My dearly beloved LYS, Knit, is closing.

We all knew it was coming, but the official announcement still stung  a bit, and May 4th is sooner than I'd like it to be.

Play it Forward

Earlier this week, I got a call from the owner saying that if I wanted a sample that I had made for the store a while back, I could come pick it up.

It was the Bonfire Shawl.  I stopped by the store earlier today and recovered her.

As I touched her, a proustian flood of memories rushed in--the colors of the shawl, the orange top with the wonky neckline (fixed later), crocheting at Barnes & Noble and during down time at my brother's wedding rehearsal, giving another shawl away to a fire victim...

It was a good time to take a walkabout around the shop and examine objects and my memories--the Saturdays, Taco Boy, the jokes, the yarn, needles, hooks, projects, and most of all, my knitsibs.

(I have first dibs on these hooks, y'all!)

Sometimes, the way I deal with things is to project myself forward, beyond the event or crisis, and try to see things from a vantage point. As I write this post, my ever so thoughful and weepy May 4th post has already taken hold and become a future memory. 

I can see my last purchase and hear my knitsibs--the stories we will tell. 

Hugs and tears.

I can feel myself drive away one last time from an empty shop.

An end and a beginning. Thanks for the memories.

I did manage to make a purchase--more Addi Swing crochet hooks.

Yes, they are pricey (luckily 40% off, though), but, for me, as "tool sensitive" as I am, the right hook or needle is every bit as important as the yarn or pattern.  I've had projects full of misery because of the wrong tool only for thing to turn 180 degrees with the right one.

I still need a G, J,K, and L hook to complete things, but I have a good start.

The Reel Thing

I love movies and film, and I can watch a good documentary on almost anything.  I also love film criticism.  A good review goes beyond"I like this" or "I hate that." It explains why, gives shape and substance, pedigree and provenance.

I have been swayed to see a good film because the reviewer liked it, or have gone even though the reviewer didn't like it but I knew that I still would, or wanted to go and was stopped by a review.  In short, I make my own decisions, but I find a good review to be a valuable tool.

Roger Ebert's reviews did that for me.

Even after the late, great Gene Siskel, I watched the television show although it was never the same--although I do like Roeper well enough.

Later, I was delighted to later find Ebert on Twitter and Facebook. Cancer had taken away his voice and part of his face, but he remained sharp and insightful, funny and combative as ever.  I may not have always agreed with his reviews, but I always learned something.

His thoughts on life and death moved me the most. The beauty and sadness of this essay still leaves me gobsmacked.

My logical, skeptical, agnostic mind doesn't believe in a heaven or hell, but  my spiritual, meditative mind want to believe that both Ebert and Siskel are in some place, with a projector, films, a screen, and cushy seats, catching up. 

I want to live a life in which I can, in some small way, be remembered as fondly as Ebert.  I hope that it doesn't sound too melodramtic that I'm already mourning the closing of the yarn shop too.

 

From his final column.

So on this day of reflection I say again, thank you for going on this journey with me. I'll see you at the movies.

Let the Groove Get In!

Sister Act II

Now that I tamed the gauge monster that was the Little Sister pattern, I added buttons to the hats. The ladies at work informed me that the violet one will fit the 10 month old and the other one will fit a 0-3 month old.  

I also finished up an adult hat.

I do want one in white/cream as well.

Just Let the Groove Get In

Now that my knitting/crocheting mojo has kicked in somewhat, I'm feeling this as my next project.

It's the Chelsea Market Hat, and I'm in love.  

I know that it's April, and while it's odd that the mojo wishes to make a wool hat, I'm so glad she's back that I will not argue matters of seasonality with her.

Any way my knitting groove can get in is fine by me. 

I'll dig out some Dream in Color and get to work on her this weekend. Hoping for a smooth knit with no gauge issues. Still working on the baby blankets too. Pleased with the progress.

I know that the latest Justin Timberlake album, The 20 20 Experience isn't supposed to appeal to my demographic*, and some may feel that it doesn't have the right hipster factor, but overall, I kind of dig it.  True, the songs can go on too long and the themes can be repetitive and way, way overproduced, but it has its share of good tunes.

This one in particular.

 

I hope it's my comeback theme...

*Then again, what does?

A Bolt from Beth

(This is a reworking of yesterday's post, which has been deleted.)

My Moment of Zen

As I refashion the baby blankets (more on that in my next post post), I'm delighted to feel traces of my long lost knitting and crocheting mojo returning. It's a warming feeling that starts as my fingers work the yarn and it moves toward my heart, and I lose myself in the work.

The other day, I was hanging out with some knitsibs, working on the one of the blankets when a friend asked me the other day if I like knitting or crocheting better.

It wasn't just any friend, it was Beth Parrott, one of the best knitters I know and a published author. She's also generous with her advice.   If you want to know why one cast on is better than another for a project--or any any of those knitting questions you are afraid to ask, just ask her; she will know.

Anwyay, I started with my standard response that I love both knitting and crocheting (I do), and I find different purposes for both (true).   She said that although I knit well, when I crochet, I visibly relax, and it seems as if the crocheting is effortless--a part of me.

Something hit me; I didn't know what to say; I blabbed something I forgot. It means so to me coming from her. Also, tears welled up in my eyes because I realized that I have found it.

I'm not a religous person, and I have tried meditation, but normally, in spite of all the good advice, videos, and book, I usually sit there and worry.  Beth's remarks struck me like a bolt out of the blue. I've had my way of meditiation all along.  

My own moment of Zen.  It's what I knit and crochet for. I know it seems silly that I'm just getting around to this relevation, but there you have it.

Is my mojo back?

One Stubborn Sister

I saw this on my Facebook news feed the other day and I just had to make it. 

It's the Little Sister hat pattern, and I need something quick, cute, and easy to keep me on the mojo track.  A co-worker has a 10 month old daughter, and even though it's springtime, she could get some wear out of a little cotton hat.  I don't sew, so I'll crochet a flower accent instead.

I normally so this so for a hat, but I grabbed some yarn and set about a gauge swatch...or two..or three.

(BTW, I love my gauge wizard ruler.)

The pattern calls for a 3.75 mm hook, so I since I crochet on the tight side, I started out with a 4.0 mm, then went to a 3.5 mm, then a 3.  Still not quite the gauge.  Going to a smaller hook wouldn't work well with the yarn, so I tried a toddler size with the 3.o.

Thought I would run out of yarn, and looking too big.

Switched yarns and tried again.  Made abut 90% of the hat, more than shown here.

Yes.  Too big.

A baby size with a 3.0. Added an extra row to make it look better and whipped up a small flower.

Cute, but more a child size.

Next, I modified the pattern, taking away a repeat and tried the baby size on a  3.0 mm again. 

Feeling better now.  I made a flower for the violet one from my favorite flower pattern from Dot Matthews. I skipped the last last of petals, though.

Here are the finsihed hats.

Decided to make a larger flower for the cream colored hat.  

So much for a quick and easy project, but with the mods, this may be a good project. I'll take both to work tomorrow, and see if the sizes work, but all of this makes me realize just how much I love the process.

And it is a process...

Back in Fashion

Music is another form of mediation. I love so many types of music.  Tunes are always running in the background of my thoughts, and I often pick one up and run with it.  I share some of it with others on social media. I would do more, but I feel that what I share makes me seem crazy enough already.

My obession with the band Depeche Mode began back when I was in the Air Force, and a friend lent me the cassette tapes of Depeche Mode 101. While I knew a couple of hits, I really didn't follow the band, but upon listening, I became obessed.  I listened to nothing else for a month or so.  Then I went retro, and brought all their previous albums. 

I saw the video of Personal Jesus, and went to the BX the next day to buy Violator, still their best album, and how I love Enjoy the Silence.

 

The video reminds me of an episode of Babar when he couldn't find any place where he could be left alone.  I don't know if  that was on the director's mind when he produced this video, but that was the first thing that came to mine.

Also Corbijn's use of color and scenery are spectaular.

Last week, the boys released their latest album, Delta Machine, and while it's no Violator, isn't not bad.  Here's the first video, Heaven.

 

The nearest they come to Charleston is Atlanta in September. My knitting, crocheting, and I should go.

Walk it Back

Blanket Boo Boo

I finished the body on one of the baby afghans and was working a foundation row around it to set up the ruffle, when I realized something  fundamentally amiss.

She's too small.

How could I be so unaware of something so obvious!?!  I pride myself on having an intimate, creative relationship with the items I knit and crochet, yet I abandoned basic geometry by measuring her on the diagonal instead of the sides, and thought she was wide enough, so I blissfully began the other half of the diagonal, and came upon my mistake well after I finished.

Really, it's no big deal. I'll rip it back , make it wider, set the ruffle, and I'm done. I won't take long.

It's A Lot Like Life?

Wish life could be so easy.

This past July, I turned 50, a milestone birthday.  Nearly seven months later, However, I can't remember what I did that day (the aging process has started), but I know it was nothing special.

I'm grateful to generally have a quiet life, a stable marriage, and good health.  Still, I am beset with the nagging feeling that I could I have accomplished more, been more, seen more. I feel that I ruined my life with a queer cocktail of inactivity and headstrongness. Mind you, I was never one of the beautiful people, but now I'm black, a woman, a geek and old. What place do I have in society? I feel embarrassed that I frittered away so much, and all I have to look forward to is the inevitable end.

I know I'm being a bit dramatic, but I wish I had a do over like the one I'm going to give the afghan. Rip it up; start over; walk it back.

I came across this article yesterday. So nice to know I'm not alone with these feelings.  While I can't go back and start again, I can begin again from where I am and try to stop beating myself up over the past. I only have the present monent and that's better than being a blanket. I can grow from here.

By the way, while I'm at it, I'm going to frog the blue and brown afghan in yesterday's post.  I'm unhappy with the color pooling, so I'll try another pattern. 

It's all good.

See just how profound needlework can be?

 

Time/Reverse and rewind/Erase and revise/And try to start again...

Happy Pi Day too!

Back II Life

A Trip Around the Sun--And Then Some

It's been only 437 days since my last post, but never a day has gone by without me thinking of doing so. While I love expressing myself via Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, when all is said and done, this chick still digs the long form of blogging, and I still find TypePad the easiest and most professional way of doing it.

I'm also fairly lazy and don't feel like looking for anything else.

The Year without Mojo

Not only did I not blog last year, I barely knitted or crocheted.  Like blogging, it's almost always in my head, but the transition from brain to fingers got blocked.  I didn't stress about it, and mostly took a Zen approach to the whole thing, and it's returned in drips and drabs. I also had some end of year drama I could have done without, but I made it through intact.

Recently I finished a hat--just in time for Spring.

(I really need a new wigstand)

It's Sirle, and you can get the free pattern as a Ravely download.  I found the pattern very pleasing and quick  to work.

 

And I'm working on some baby blankets in diagonal box stitch for some co-workers. I love this stitch. It's just the mindless spark I need. 

I'll be ready to start the border on the pastel one soon.

I've even picked up a blanket I started a couple of years ago.

It's the Crocheted Shell Stitch Blanket from Elann.com.  It was originally for a friend's son who is now two years old.  

Dilemma: Should I give the blanket to her son or gift it to a new baby who is due in July?  What's the etiquette?  I'm not certain.

Back II Life

Last night, a friend posed a question on Facebook...

What would you do if you weren't afraid?

I responded that I would be a writer.  I've always wanted to write a memoir of sorts, mostly about my mother and my childhood and stuff.  Although I don't come from a background of privilege, I don't have any of the blockbuster revelations* that move the needle in the publishing world.  

Mostly, I want to share the observations and bromides of an odd duck girl in the big bad world, and amongst the knitting and crocheting, I'll do that.

Really, I've always been doing that, but this time, it will be more of a conscious party.

 

*Actually I do have a revelation of sorts that may come as a surprise to some, but not to anyone who reads me carefully enough.  Perhaps it's one of those things that everyone knows already, and I just didn't know that you knew or something like that.