Knit Me Some Happiness

I wanted to share with you this little video that I found in my web travels. It really did make me feel happy and thought it might have that effect on you too.

Tools of the past

I have missed your company here on my blog. Busy with this and that, I often come across a creative inspiration and think — this would be great to share, I want to remember to talk about that idea with my blog friends. So you have been on my mind.

Since I have been knitting and crocheting,  a memory came to me of my first knitting needles

Being thankful for little things

I love little sewing tools. Funny how little things can add to the pleasure of your crafting experience. I made this small needle case out of 3 layers of felted wool folded like a book and then tied together at the folded edge. I embellished the tie by tucking in some colorful wool roving.

Inside are all of my tapestry needles for sewing knits together.

This needle case gets a lot of use. Adding some color and texture to it makes it so much more fun.

Surround yourself with the things that you love, and you will love being there.

Have a creative day ~ Karen

 

 

Spinning with the summer sun

Sometimes when the weather is perfect, friends gather for a garden party. Today we spinners are meeting at Lu’s garden. It is such an inspiring place, full of flowers and vegetables and bunnies. Breathe deeply and take in the aroma of the Corsican mint beneath your feet. Small wonders and simple pleasures are on today’s menu.

Knitting with cheap yarn takes the pressure off me

Sometimes knitting can be a total waste of time. I am the first to admit that I do not like many of the things that I knit for myself. And I have read many of those books about how to make sure you have a gauge swatch or take your measurements or study your profile for what looks good on your body type. But all those books still leave room for the imagination. I sometimes imagine that a project is going to look like something it really doesn’t come out to look like. And I hate it. This happens more often than I would care to admit. Maybe I am just unrealistic. A knitting dreamer.

So you may understand why I bought cheap yarn for my latest sweater project. Buying cheap yarn really cuts your losses in half. You aren’t wasting much money, you are only wasting your time. And if you figure into the formula how much time you are relaxing and loving knitting, even that isn’t a waste. Cheap therapy is what it is. 

A little trick for saving your hands

My hands are my most important tool. When I get a cut on my hand I feel impatient as a band aid reduces my sensitivity, and seems to get in the way of all that I do. I sometimes overwork my hands, and create skin cracks or sensitive spots. It is so hard to be patient and let my hands heal. I have found a product that helps in some circumstances.

Black and White

The graphic quality of black and white excites me. I have been working with this contrast lately and wanted to share with you a couple of projects that have turned out to be favorites. I went to the thrift store looking for a stool. I almost passed this one by. Imagine dark wood stain, overlooked by everyone because of its depressing blah everyday-ness. But I liked its bones, and it was sturdy with no structural issues.

Into the holiday season with Pinterest

It is easy to get into the holiday mood on Pinterest. Pinterest is like an online inspiration file that you create for yourself. When you are surfing the web, you can pin images to your pinterest page. That way you can revisit them, or simply see them in one easy place. Here are some inspiring images that I have pinned to my Christmas Mood board. All of them that take me to a serene place, the kind of place I want this time of year. All of these images are from different blogs across the world. 

Hint for knitting a repeated pattern

Here’s a silly little hint for working with a pattern repeat, such as in lace knitting. I used this tool when I was knitting my Little Leaf Shawlette.

Cedar Leaf Shawlette is soft and cozy

Fortunately summer is long in coming to Eugene, so in the coolness of the morning I can model my latest knitting project, the Cedar Leaf Shawlette that I started at the Black Sheep Gathering a couple of weeks ago.