Write It Down, Get It Done

December is turning out to be the month of getting things done. I love it!

Quite a while ago, I began the sweater below. It's from a Rowan magazine, and it's a Martin Storey pattern. It appealed to me because I love anything with a cable, I loved the oversized aspect of the sweater, and too, I had yarn that would work. 

In progress. 

I finally finished the knitting!!! For those of you who knit, you know that the knitting is one thing, the putting it all together is another :/

The sweater is basically together, all I have to do is a bit of steaming, and then sew the cable to the hem. I have a pair of wool tights that I made using my own pattern, and a fabulous pair of over the knee boots. The boots look more gray in the picture. They are gray, but with a green undertone. I plan to get the piece finished up today, so pictures of me in the sweater will follow soon. 

The yarn I used as you can see in one of the above pictures is from Lorna's Laces. The warehouse is opened maybe 2 or 3 times a year, and small batches of mill end yarns are sold. I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase an entire bag of this yarn, so I had plenty for the sweater. While the ply and stitch count is the same as the Rowan yarn, this yarn is a little less drapey, so my collar doesn't come down as far on my shoulders, which I really like as it turns out, so all's well that ends well :)   
  

Quite a few years ago, I came across THIS pattern for knitted and felted clogs from Fiber Trends. They are so easy to knit, so I ended up knitting a boat load of them as gifts for friends and family. They LOVED them!!! In fact, all have been worn completely out, and all have been asking for more. 

My husband is one that has been asking for a new pair. I finally got a new pair done for his birthday. You should have seen the look on his face when he opened the gift :)

Even if you are a novice knitter, these are quite easy to make.
They are huge once the knitting is completed. 

You will need access to a regular agitating washing machine. The slippers are put in and allowed to agitate in hot water. It takes about 45 minutes. When they come out of the machine, they are fuzzy as you see below, but beautifully shaped. 

 A bit of a hair cut, and the slippers look fabulous. 

Now to get them off my husband's feet so I can sew on the leather soles. The leather soles are a must if you have tile, or hardwood floors. The slippers can be, well, quite slippery! You can find the leather soles HERE. 

When I finally get a project completed that I have allowed to languish, I always wonder why I didn't get to it sooner. A question I have yet to figure out. 
But, I will say this...
Back in January of this year, I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish in 2018. While there are things I have not accomplished, I have been amazed with all that I have. The trick was to make attainable goals. I listed things as small tasks that would end up as big projects being accomplished. 
Last year, I read the book, Write It Down, Make it Happen. It has had a profound affect on me. I highly recommend it to anyone who has dreams and goals that they would like to achieve, and yet has a difficult time making it all happen.

This year, I am adding a little something to my daily routine,

It's a simple daily task of recording what was important about your day. I love it! So often we have accomplishments that just become part of the fog of our past. Once I receive my book, I'll share a little more. Look for it on one of my book review videos :)

Have a wonderful day, and I hope it includes getting something done that will make you feel fabulous!

Rhonda  

Serendipity...It Just Happens

A very happy start to the week!

I had an incredible weekend!!! On Friday night, my husband and I attended an event called the Midnight Circus. It was 2 full hours of WOW! The troupe is an eclectic group of artists who have a shared vision that live performance has the power to engage and inspire their audience, the community, and even the world. A small circus tent is erected in the park, and inside the cozy setting you find acrobats, tightrope walkers, and even a dog!!! If you live anywhere near Chicago, by all means, try and make a performance next summer. The circus is performed in 28 parks across Chicago, from the poorest neighborhoods, to the wealthiest.  But, get your tickets early as they sell out!

Yesterday, a group of Haute Couture members and I made our way out to see the Fine Line fashion show, Uncommon Threads. It was a feast for the eyes. There were fabulous hand dyed and hand woven garments. We had such an incredible afternoon. Again, if you are anywhere near the Chicagoland area, put the fashion show on your calendar for next October. 

Maybe it's the cooler weather, maybe it's just the passing of time, but I am feeling more myself these days. I'm enjoying the creative process just for the sake of the process. 

I have been cleaning out...SO MUCH!!! I sent 3 very full bags of clothing to the resale shop last week. My closet has been paired down, and now I am ready for some new items. While cleaning/clearing out, I came across a box of items that for the life of me, I can't remember why I put them in a box. I found this dress that I started, whew!, I don't even remember when.

It's a gorgeous navy and red iridescent knit. Why I didn't finish it, I have no idea. But, I tried it on, it looks fabulous, so I am set with a wonderful party dress for the holiday season.

For some reason, the shawl below from Purl Soho spoke to me. 

Two different yarns are used to create the piece, Flax Down, and Linen Quill. It was 353 stitches of knit one row, and purl the next. I would typically find a project like this to be especially boring, but, I found it to be so therapeutic. Mine is below...in my favorite color :) If by chance you think you might enjoy a very simple project, you can find the pattern HERE.

A few years ago, I knitted this vest. I haven't worn it all that often, and thought of giving it away, but so glad that I didn't!

It's a perfect match to my new shawl! I just couldn't believe my luck!!!

The shawl below is a lovely vintage mohair piece from Scotland. Again, I have had it for years, but just couldn't part with it. I have only worn it a few times as it is just not quite as long as I would like for a shawl. 

Again, a perfect match to my new shawl. There is plenty to make into a skirt, so now I will have 3 fun, mix and match pieces.

I truly believe serendipity was on my side.

The skirt should be finished soon as I can't wait to wear it.

Have you had anything just materialize right before your eyes without any planning? It sure is wonderful when it happens :)

I hope a little serendipity finds it's way into your life this week and brings about some wonderful gifts!

 Rhonda 

I Need A Break From Cable!

When I was a child, there was always one night during the week that I looked forward to watching television. Living out in the country, we had 3 stations to choose from, and there was usually something interesting, except when the president decided to give a speech. Inevitably, he would be on ALL 3 channels!!! Couldn't they spare us just one?!! Those glorious days of finding something interesting to watch, at least for me, are sadly over. A few nights ago, I sat down, scrolled though over 100 channels, looked at my husband and said, "all these channels and there is nothing worth watching." One show that I do enjoy is Alone. It's a contest where 10 people are placed out in the middle of no where, and must build a shelter, hunt for their food, and they are not allowed to have a gun :/ The person who lasts out in the wilderness the longest wins some amount of money. My husband finds it interesting that I enjoy the program as I do not like to be dirty, and I don't like to camp. I had too many nights in a tent sleeping on a rock when I was a child. It seemed that wherever we camped, that same rock was always there waiting for me ;) 

A you have probably figured out by now, this post is not about watching too much television :)

Back in February, Purl Soho showcased the shawl below as a free pattern. I thought it was especially pretty, so I ordered the yarn. I thought it would be nice as a combo shawl/scarf.

Here's my almost finished piece. I began working on it in March. All those little cables, and always the same. I'm about to go cross eyed!!! Actually, I'm bored. But, I am almost there, about 60 more rows and I should be crossing the finish line. As I knit, I keep trying to tell myself that I am really going to enjoy this piece once it's finished. And I will :) If by chance you are interested, HERE'S a link to the free pattern.

I can have the attention span of a gnat at times, and that's how I get myself in trouble. Rather than just start one project and stick with it, I usually have a number of pieces going at one time. All I have to do is sew up this little summer sweater and I can enjoy it.

It has 2 lovely cables that run across the top. I knitted it with a strand of linen yarn and cotton yarn. It was from a Vogue Knitting Magazine pattern. Jean Kaori is the designer. HERE'S a link to the pattern on Ravelry.

  

One week ago yesterday, Mr. Berkley came home with us. He has been nothing but an absolute joy. I think he has completely forgotten his past life. He even likes to curl up in my knitting :)

My goal is to finish both of these projects this week. Can't wait!!!

Something Sweet to Knit and Eat!

Do you ever take a long, hard look at your wardrobe and realize that something needs to be done? Well, I recently looked at my spring/summer wardrobe and it looked tired and in need of some fun new pieces. 

I subscribe to the Webs Yarn Store website. About a month ago, they showcased a yarn from Berroco called Medina, along with the knitted pullover you see below. I liked the pullover, so I decided to take a look and see what other colors the yarn came in. I love peaches, greens, blues, so the Rabat colorway was right up my alley. 

The video below shows the full top. The piece is really nothing more than rectangles. It's worked entirely in garter stitch, so although the pattern states that it's for an intermediate knitter, it's really quite easy. The pattern is free if you purchase 4 skeins of the Berroco Medina. To knit this tunic, you will need 4 or more skeins. You can find the information on getting the free pattern booklet HERE.  


My front and back are finished. I need to purchase a circular needle to do the sides. That's on my agenda for today :) I just can't wait to get this piece finished. I absolutely love the yarn. It has such a gorgeous drape, and it feels so soft against the skin. 

I added the picture below so you can see the fiber makeup of the yarn. 

Now for a little something sweet:)

I enjoy a cookie from time to time in the afternoon along with a cup of tea. In my book, there's nothing better than a homemade cookie. The cookie below is dark, rich and satisfying, so one will do the trick...usually!

I'm having a little fun with the name of the cookie as you can see below. It's really just a basic cookie dough recipe with the addition of cocoa powder, with chocolate and butterscotch morsels.  

Moose Drop Cookies
printable recipe

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup butter softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate morsels
1 cup butterscotch morsels

Directions;
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Combine butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture 1/2 cup at a time. Stir in chocolate and butterscotch morsels.

Drop by rounded tablespoon full onto ungreased cookie sheet, 2" apart. Bake in preheated oven for 8-11 minutes. Allow to cool. 
Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies. 

**If you would like, 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts may be added to the dough before baking. 

Hope you enjoy the cookies!!!

Rhonda

Kinda Making It Happen

Back in April I shared that I have a goal to complete 12 knitting projects this year. Well, it's September 1st, and at this point I have only completed 3 pieces. I'm just a bit behind ;) Ya gotta be optimistic!

After the lace shawl that I completed, I really needed to do something that was less monotonous, and faster. 

The sweater below from Rowan, a Martin Storey design was on the list and I thought it would make a great next project.     

A few had asked to see my progress, so here it is, front, back and 1 sleeve. At this point, I am very happy with how it is turning out. One more sleeve, the neckline and the cable and woo-hoo!!!, it's finished.  

In my original list of 12 items, I had mentioned a bag. 
It's done in some leftover Rowan Tweed wool that I had. At this point, I need to sew it up and I would like to lightly felt it to give it a little more body.

Here's how it was knitted. The top portion is actually a band that will turn down. The tongue at the bottom of course will be the bottom of the bag. I have enough of the yarn to knit handles, but I'm just not sure if that's what I would like. 

Not quite half way to my goal. Oh well, just keep trying :)

Learning What I Do and Don't Like

Since I learned to knit, knitting has been a way of keeping my hands busy, and making me feel productive even when I'm in a situation where all I can do is sit. As a teenager, it was also a means of making a little extra money. I would knit bags, and scarf sets to sell at Christmas time. Now mind you, I was by no means compensated for my time, but extra money was extra money. I did a lot of babysitting, so once the children had gone to bed, I would make the most of my time, knitting until I could no longer stay awake. 

Just recently, I was sharing some of my "adventures in babysitting" stories. It's amazing what a kid can do to you!!! If I had known then what I know now, I don't think that dollar an hour would have looked quite so good ;) 

Back in April, I shared THIS post where I talked about my knitting goals for this year. My goal is to finish 12 projects. At this point...I have finished a whopping 3 :/  

In that post, I told you about the Lorna's Laces factory that is very close to where I live. From time to time, the owner hosts an open house. Along with the open house, she includes a tour and demonstration. I found it to be especially interesting. She even did a little dying for us. Well, going to a yarn factory for me, is a little like going to an animal shelter to "just look" at the animals. Talk about playing with fire!!! Although, I only purchased yarn for 2 projects, and until I get a few more projects finished, I know better than to go back!

The third project that I just recently finished is a shawl using the Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace yarn. OMG!!!, this yarn is like knitting with thread. Not quite that bad, but the project taught me one thing, I don't especially like knitted lace projects.

The shawl has a pretty little picot edging.

To create the rounded shape, the shawl is knitted with short rows which forms wedges. When I purchased the yarn, the woman at Lorna's Laces had said that it was a 1 skein project. I remember looking at the skein and thinking that there was no way it would be enough. As I worked, it seemed that the yarn was somehow multiplying as there always seemed to be more. The instructions said to create 6 wedges, I had enough for 8.

My finished shawl. Please forgive my clothing and my lack of makeup. I thought I would quickly do the post before I head out for my walk. 

In the end, I was happy that I had enough to create 8 wedges as the shawl now has a lovely drape.

    

I really love how it drapes over the shoulders.

Crazy me, always looking for other possibilities! I think it will be fun to clip it at the waist and wear it over a pair of leggings.

This is one project that I am VERY HAPPY to have finished. Now that it's completed, I love it, but there won't be another!

There are lots of projects on Ravelry using the Helen's Lace yarn. So check them out if you are on Ravelry.

If by chance you think that you might like to make a shawl for yourself, you can find the free pattern HERE at Love Knitting.

Now back to my sweater. 

Nice bulky yarn, now that I like :)     

Publishing

Happy Friday!
I am so very happy to finally be back with an all new episode of Sewbussted's Material Witness!!!

There may be a few of you who have thought, "I have a great idea that I think should be published," and yet, you aren't sure just how to take the first step. And then there may be others that would just like to know what goes into the process.

I recently had the opportunity to meet published author Laura Farson. She is the author of 5 books, 3 on quilting, 

And 2 fabulous knitting books.

I had a wonderful time talking with Laura. She's very inspirational, and I think that if you've thought that this is something you can't do, Laura will prove otherwise!



Although Laura's quilting books are out of print, you can find them all HERE at AbeBooks. It's a wonderful website that I found where the prices are great, and the shipping is free!!! You can also find her knitting books there, but keep in mind that they are used. Of course you can purchase a brand new book HERE at Amazon. 

The book that Laura mentions reading before she began her publishing journey is How To Write a Non-Fiction Book Proposal. I suggest looking into your public library for this book. 

Laura talks about writing articles for magazines as a way to get your feet wet before jumping in to an entire book. You may remember that Ellen March, editor of Sew News invited anyone who would like to submit articles. You can find that video HERE.  
One thing that Laura wanted me to pass along to you is that if you do have an idea for a book, the entire book does not need to have been written when you submit your proposal, so keep that in mind :) 

I hope this has been helpful to some and enjoyable to others. I know I had a great time!

Be sure to stop back by next week as I have a fabulous surprise for our next episode of Sewbussted's Material Witness!!! 

Cables, Seeds, and a Sweater

A big thank you to all who have commented on the post I did yesterday. I love reading your thoughts :) 

Anna asked if I would post more info on the sweater I'm knitting. She said that she is looking for a new project to keep her hands busy while watching television. Since she asked, I thought that more might be wondering as well, so here's all the info:

The sweater is actually featured on the cover of the Rowan Magazine Number 46.

A number of things caught my eye. First of all, the cable around the hem of the tunic. 

You may remember the sweater I did a few years ago, I'm a nut for cables!!! 

I also loved the simplicity of the pattern. I think that the stitch throughout the tunic is a seed stitch. I always have to look up the names of stitches. Anyway, it's a very simple to do stitch and perfect for an easy knitting project that will also travel well. 

As you can see below, the design is by Martin Storey and it's called Halifax.   

And last but not least, I had the yarn. 

Lorna's Laces is based in Chicago. The owner is so very gracious about opening her warehouse and hosting an ends shopping day. She will usually do a wonderful presentation on her process of hand dying her yarns. Be warned though if you do attend one of her sales, it's quite tempting to walk out with bundles! 

I was actually fortunate enough to be able to purchase an entire bag of the yarn I'm using for the sweater. Below is all of the yarn info. The Rowan yarn that was used for the sweater is Cocoon. It's also a bulky yarn and has the same stitch per inch as the Lorna's Laces Sheperd Bulky. You can find other colors of the Lorna's Laces Sheperd Bulky HERE at Love Knitting. 

What attracted me to the yarn was the color combination and especially the addition of the teal blue. It's my favorite color :)

I wasn't sure how the color combination would knit up, but I'm quite happy with how it is turning out. I'm especially excited about getting to the point that I can add the neckline. I think it will come together quite nicely.

I'll keep you posted with my progress. 
Happy Knitting!
Rhonda

Empowering Others

One of my favorite television programs is, "Pit Bulls and Parolees." If you haven't seen the show, it's about a woman, Tia, who is committed to saving pit bull dogs, and giving those who have been incarcerated a chance at making it once they leave prison. Not all of the dogs can be saved, and not all of those who come to work at the facility end up a success story. But, many do. 

A friend emailed me about an event that will take place here in Chicago on April 29, 2017, called Knit Around The Clock. This is a fund raiser for a group called Committed Knitters. You can check them out HERE on Facebook. They are a   group of women who once a week, teach women how to knit and crochet at the Cook County jail. The outreach doesn't end at the jail. When the women are released, the group continues to follow up with them to ensure success once they are back out in the world.  

They do need donations. A downtown store called Loopy Yarns will accept donations. You can also find them HERE on Facebook. If you attend the event on April 29th, donations will be accepted then as well.

On Tuesday, I shared my goal of completing 12 knitting projects this year. Many need to be completed, so they are not start to finish projects. My initial goal was to complete at least 1 project each month. The only problem is that it's now April, the 4th month of the year, and none are completely finished. Close, but not finished :/

I felt that I needed a jump start, so I went through my selected projects and decided that I could get one completed, a scarf. 

I had taken a class with Nora Gaughan while I was in Maine a few summers ago. She had given us a set of 6 different samples to do. I had thought that I would do the samples, but make them into a scarf. I didn't like it, and there it sat. So when I looked at it on Tuesday, I realized that my only option was to rip the entire thing apart, but choose a pattern that I like and just do the 1 pattern for the entire length of the scarf. I'm happy!!! I sat down over the last 3 evenings and knitted away. So now I can mark at least 1 project off the list. 

What I am the most excited about is finding out about the Committed Knitters program. So inspiring. What a wonderful resource for duplicate needles, and yarn that I know I am not going to use. My initial goal was just to thin the stash, but I also wrote that one of my goals was to find a home for the things I could not use, or did not want. See, this whole thing of writing it down really does make it happen. And even better, the resource came to me, I didn't even have to look for it!

If you know of resources like Committed Knitters that needs needles and yarn, please leave a message. If there are enough, I can compile them into resource list.  

Write it Down, Make It Happen

A quick update on the sewing adventure that Helen Haughey and I will be hosting in June. All of the information will be up on the blog first thing tomorrow. I'm really excited as I think it is going to be such a fun experience. 

It seems that if you are creative, it's rare that you enjoy doing just one thing. In the past, I've shared that I began at an early age doing embroidery and hand sewing. That lead to knitting, crocheting, and ultimately tatting, taught by my grandmother, and all of which she did beautifully. While I love to tat, my first passion after sewing is probably knitting. Crocheting has a never been a real passion, just something I know how to do, but not super well.

Quite a few years ago, I met and became friends with a wonderful woman who had the most incredible knit shop in Houston. This place was simply amazing. Friends of mine in Chicago were always surprised to hear me say that I waited to do any yarn shopping until I got back to Houston. After all, Houston is not exactly the sweater capitol of the United States. Maybe a few light weight wool sweaters, and cotton pieces, but not the heavy duty things we need in a colder climate. But, my friend carried it all. Her shop was like a knitting wonderland. And trust me, my eyes would glaze over when I entered the store, and all memory of the projects I had waiting at home seemed to magically jump right out of my head. 

Life seems to take twists and turns that we never really expect, and the same held true for my friend. She had never wanted or expected to have a baby, but as fate would have it, she became pregnant and her passions changed. She no longer wanted to run the store, she wanted time at home with her child, and who could blame her? 

Her closing the store was probably a favor to me as well as I amassed quite a collection of projects. A few years ago, I learned of Lorna's Laces and that she has a warehouse sale on occasion, not the same as my friend's store, but this too added to my collection. And it also doesn't help that Lorna's Laces is merely blocks away from my home :/

So this year I decided that I am not purchasing anything new, I MUST begin to thin the stash. My goal is to finish 12 projects by the end of the year. I'm already behind. But, if I have nothing else, I do have blind faith :) 

I began the year with this scarf project from Rowan Yarns. If you subscribe to their magazine, you get a free project(just what I needed!). This is the first time that I have not been happy with a Rowan yarn. It's the Rowan, Alpaca Colour yarn. If you look at the picture below, you can see how the yarn does not have a consistent color. The dye lot was the same on all the skeins. 

I decided that I would weave a small cord of coordinating yarn through the lacing, so I purchased a yarn that picks up the darker color in the yarn. I'll also use it in the fringe. So much for thinking that I had a project finished.

The next project that I have been working on is a shawl with yarn from Lorna's Laces. The yarn is lovely, but it's like knitting with thread, and there's nothing to the pattern to hold my interest, so I am bored beyond belief!!! The only saving grace is that I think I will really enjoy having the shawl once it's finished.

Once I get the shawl completed, I have a few quick to knit projects that will hopefully get me back on schedule.

This one will be super fast, it's just a little neck piece from Classic Elite Yarns. It was a thank you gift for attending the Yoga and Knitting Adventure in Maine a couple of years ago. 

A number of years ago, I knitted a pair of felted clog slippers for my husband. He LOVED them! So much so that he completely wore them out. He'll be thrilled to get a new pair.

When I went to the Knitting and Yoga Adventure in Maine, I ended up skipping the knitting as I preferred to hike and then go to the yoga classes. The project that we were supposed to do was a cabled neck scarf. 

I've only knitted 1 pair of socks in my entire life. Like many who begin to knit socks, I enjoyed the first, the second was a bit laborious, but I am determined to get this pair finished. The yarn is really quite lovely, so maybe that will help.

I really need to get this little sweater finished as I think I'll truly enjoy having it in my wardrobe. Here again, it's rather boring, and nothing to really hold my attention, but the yarn is so lovely, so once again, I'm determined. At least I hope so ;)

This will be the bigger project of the year. I purchased the variegated yarn below at a Lorna's Laces warehouse sale. 

 I finally decided upon this sweater from a Rowan  book. This is something I know I will enjoy on cold days.

I could have paddled to China faster than I have moved on this sweater!!! It's done in Rowan yarn and it's from a Kaffe Fasset book. I know I am going to enjoy throwing it on with jeans, just a matter of buckling down and getting it done. Basically, the front and back are finished, I just need to do the sleeves.

The last 3 projects are a scarf, a hat, and a bag, so not intense projects. I'll share those once I get to them.

Last year I read a book entitled, "Write It Down and Make It Happen." A few years back, I wrote down a dream that I had for our church. What I had hoped for was huge and not something I could accomplish on my own. But, I wrote it down, and I was amazed to see how it all came together last year. I had a part in making it happen, but seeing how it all unfolded was exciting and renewed my faith. 

Another day, I'll share a book that I put together a month or so ago where I can write and dream for 2017, and maybe beyond. My knitting list is in the book, so I am believing that this will happen. Then next year I can dream about 12 more projects. Yep, there's at least 12 more waiting in the attic!