Looking for Motivation

I finished the baby blanket for my nephew, which was actually quite paralyzing to me, since I wasn't working on any other projects when I finished. The blanket has been my go-to project for the last 7 months, and I reached for it any time I was feeling aimless in my knitting. I have purchased the yarn for several new projects thanks to a super sweet surprise gift card to Rosie's from my mother-in-law. She immediately won the role as my new BFF. So any of you desiring that spot in my life, you now know what it requires. So, with my yarn purchase, I easily have two go-to projects that will take as long as the baby blanket, if not longer. So, while I have been working on only a few projects, I have actually been reading more about knitting lately than actually picking up the needles myself. I've been looking to these sites for motivation, and it's working.

I'm fascinated with several talented knitters including Susan B. Anderson, who is the author of Itty Bitty Nursery and Itty Bitty Hats. She has an Itty Bitty Hats Knitalong that includes topics far beyond baby hats. She writes some of the cutest patterns I've seen - how cute is this?

Another fun website is Purl Soho, which is a tiny knit shop in Manhattan that I visited a few weeks ago while looking for an apartment in Brooklyn. It should come as no surprise that I was particularly enthralled by their Granny Square Project, which shows countless crocheted granny squares in various types of yarn, colors, and sizes. While my crochet is coming along, I haven't actually completed my project, nor have I taken on a project with anything but single crochet in the pattern.

Another of my favorite knitters is Brooklyn Tweed (Jared), who is as talented at photographing his projects as knitting them. I'm not his only fan, by far. There is a link to his website from almost all of my favorite knitters' website. He's a pretty busy guy, pursuing an arts degree, from what I can gather from his blogs. So in spite of living in the same city as him, I'll likely still have to visit his website to check out what he's up to. Not to mention Brooklyn's population is 2.5 million. Plus, he spins his own yarn, so it's unlikely I'll even see him in a yarn shop.

A site as sewing and fashion-centric as the above are knitting-centric is the artfully named Angry Chicken. She has a few tasty recipes worked in, too.

Not a knitting website, but almost as good, Mostly Dogs is a photography-only site that isn't updated nearly as often as I would like. Her pictures are absolutely beautiful.  You can see all of them if you click Browse on her home page.

Anyway, I'll post some of my knitting projects soon, but in the meantime, check out some of these great sites!

Paws a Moment for a Cause

My friend Sherry is highlighting a cause on her website that I can't help but share with you. If you know me at all, you know that I would adopt absolutely every stray animal, amphibian, and plant that needs a loving home. I was well on my way toward completing this goal when I got married and was forced to limit my collection of strays. Chris sternly informs me (often!) that we are at our weight limit in pets (and a little beyond the limit in plants). He said if I want another pet, a trade off is required. While I have the kitties on a serious diet (right, as if I am not their complete servant - "Why, is that a hungry look? Yes, of course I will feed you.), they haven't quite lost enough weight for me to get a Yorkie. I did get a fish, though!

Back to the topic at hand. It is quite easy for me to recognize the innate desire, which at times feels more like a physical need actually, to help these little critters, and this story hit home. My knitting friend Sherry has a friend who is telling her remarkable rescue/adoption story. Vinnie, her newly adopted puppy-dog, had a near fatal reaction to his post-adoption vaccinations. His condition deteriorated quickly, but here's where it gets amazing. The rescue/adoption center - 4 Paws Sake - that she adopted him from stepped in and took charge of his care and covered the medical expenses (which amounted - after considerable discounts from the vets - to over $1,000). His story is pretty amazing. You should read it.

If you can relate to this story as I can, you might paws a moment for this cause. Many of us knitters are joining together to help pay these medical bills back to 4 Paws Sake so they can continue this amazing work, which I only wish I could do on my own. A couple of very popular knitting stores have donated items for a raffle - $5 per ticket - to benefit 4 Paws Sake. Check out the prizes at the bottom of this page!

I don't know about you, but if I ever have the weight limit in my household down enough for me to adopt again, I'm definitely going to consider 4 Paws Sake.

Here's how to get a raffle ticket, if you're interested:
(1) Go to http://www.4pawssake.org/Paws/donate.html.
(2) Click "Make a Donation".
(3) Enter $5.00 as your donation amount (or more, as you desire).
(4) PayPal will walk you through the rest of the transaction.
(5) Forward your PayPal confirmation to FriendsofVinnie@gmail.com to be entered in the raffle.
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A Little Progress Report

Well, I've just been chugging along on my projects. Here is my crochet progress, which I am so pleased about. Tomorrow night, Courtney will help me complete my bag with the pink handles. I've decided to line it so it is reversable as well. No pictures of the fabric yet though, so stay tuned.

Lisa J. has joined the rank of Patient Angel along side Courtney, as she patiently walked me through almost every one of the stitches on my needle...after she pulled out the countless wrong ones that were there before. Thank you Sweet Lisa. You're my hero!

And, for the biggest news, I have four inches to go on my nephew's blanket. I can hardly believe it. So, it will have taken me almost as long as my sister-in-law's pregnancy to knit it. So, in a weird way, it has grown with him.
So, nothing enormous to report, just steady progress. But, as sweet Marissa reminds me, "Slow and steady wins the race." I have such great friends. It's the greatest feeling in the world. ...well, perhaps second only to completing a baby blanket.

Entre-what? The life of a slow learner.

Some students should come with warning signs, don't you think? I had a professor in one of my master's courses who taught about the engineering involved in network communications, and when a topic was particularlly involved or complex, he would pull me aside after class, or even ask me point blank during class, "Mindy, did you understand what I was talking about?" He went on to tell me why he asked me this - because if I could understand it, he knew that the rest of the class probably caught on.

I don't know what my warning sign would be exactly, but for Jim, who taught me Beginner Socks, it would have been "Beware of Impending Melt Down". For Lisa M., who taught me Beginner Crochet, it would have been "Beware - 3-weeks to Learn how to Chain". Now, for Hope, who taught Entrelac today, my warning sign would have been, "Beware - 1 hour to create the I-cord required by the pattern just to begin the Entrelac portion, which will then completely blow my mind." I'm not even going to try to make one for the Sweater Class.

Entrelac is quite beautiful. Lisa J. has the most beautiful felted entrelac bag ever, and this is Quant from Knitty, the pattern we were to make in class today.

And here is my progress after 4 hours.

Robin was whizzing through the pattern like she'd made a hundred entrelac headbands. The I-cord? It took her a minute or two. Personally, I think she was sandbagging the whole time.

Really, all I have to say is, Remedial Entrelac is in store for me once I pass Remedial Crochet. Is it possible to go backward in learning? If it is, then I'm about to get arrested for speeding - in reverse!

Back to Crochet

One last thing about the biker vest first (more pictures below). I added a bit of fringe to the back of it in order to hide the fact that the "H" is a little too low. I'm mailing it off today, in hopes that my dad will get it and deliver it to my brother this weekend.

I'm excited to have started a new crochet project that is turning out pretty good, thanks of course to Courtney at Rosie's. She's having a $20 drop in crochet class every Monday night. There are a few of us who attend regularly, and we love the smallness of the group. The individual attention is incredibly helpful, especially since this is remedial learning for me. Nevertheless, I hope you guys stop by sometime, or tell your friends about it. We're thinking of making it a little Crochet Circle. Who knows. Courtney's just going to see where it goes.

Anyway, I started a pattern from Carol Meldrum's Easy Crocheted Accessories. It's a little purse/shopping bag, and I'm making it for myself. I have a rule that my first attempt at a new type of project (other than simple swatches) should be for myself...just like the sock monkey that is pictured. The odd balls are for me to look at and be encouraged as I improve. Of course, now I need to make a cuter sock monkey for you to see, so I can prove that I can make one that doesn't look like a third grader put it together.

Biker Monkey

I took these pictures while on the phone with my dad. His low, baritone, "ha, ha, ha" is his signature way of saying how much he likes something. I'm thrilled. The back is a little big, and the "H" is a little low. It's probably more a 6-9 month outfit, rather than the intended newborn. Something tells me he'll wear it at lease once as a newborn.

Now, as for the monkey. This was my first sock monkey, and it was actually a total whim while I was at my folks' house a couple of years ago. I stole a pair of my Dad's socks, and started cutting. Anyway, this poor malformed monkey was born. Don't make fun of him for his deformities, such as a tail that is twice as long and three times as thick as his leg. He just doesn't have the best genes, I fully admit. I'll try to make another sock monkey before I leave Philly, so you know I can make a properly formed one.

A Different Kind of Baby Knits

It's a good thing that we're close enough for me to be over my concern about what you guys think of me, and that I'm resolved in knowing that to you, I'm the odd, eccentric, matchy-matchy southern girl. So since we're close, I'm revealing to you that I'm making my nephew (due in May) a little motorcycle outfit. My father recently purchased a new motorcycle. He sold his last one to pay for a semester of my college education - undeniably sweet, isn't it? My brother has also been jonesing for a bike since before the baby was a twinkle. Just to put you over the edge and seal your opinion about me and my family, I thought I'd also let you know that my sister-in-law has ridden Dad's bike several times throughout her pregnancy.

All right, go ahead. I know what you're thinking - Shock! Awe! You're crazy! I knew something was wrong with you people from the other side of the Mason-Dixon. This just further proves that ya'll are all nuts!

I'll spare you from the rest of our strange ways, or I'll at least vow to introduce them to you gradually - for your health's sake.

My dad has been hunting everywhere for a little biker outfit for the baby to wear when he holds the baby on the motorcycle for a photo op. His hunt has been unsuccessful, so I am making Dad a newborn biker suit to give to my brother. This is the vest. The britches are next. It's Berroco Suede, and I'm having a lot of fun making it. I'm more tickled about giving it to my dad than to the baby. It's my attempt to repay him for him sacrificing his favorite toy for my college education.

Matchy-Matchy Ruffles

A ruffle hat for my friends' baby,

who is four days late because she

was waiting for me to finish.

Philadelphia Flower Show

The Philadelphia Flower Show is a convention-sized indoor garden.

Because it's such a large event, I dug for the gems and found a few of my all time favorite plants. Here is a sampling of my 100+ pictures.

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Witch Hazel

African Violet

Cymbidium Orchid

(My wedding flower)

Butterfly Orchid

I also purchased two orchids, which I'll photo with my next knitting success.

That's More Like It!

Well, with Emily's help, I've completed the newborn Emily mitts. I'm so pleased with how they turned out. Emily and Lisa were surprised at the edging, which I thought was exactly according to the pattern's instruction to wiggle the I-cord "in and out of every other rib".

Just another example of me not reading a pattern correctly. Fortunately, Emily liked it, and the others thought it was cute. Sometimes it works, and (as the below blog entry exhibits) sometimes it doesn't.

The Koigu was the key, and Wendy helped me pick out the colors. Wendy is quite funny. She picks yarn, buttons, and patterns that are anything but standard, and I'm what she describes as "too matchy-matchy". I'm a cliche in my color choices, and Wendy is trying to help me think outside the box. I do think about the colors before I purchase, but I usually still end up with matchy-matchy options. I am working on it though, Wendy!

I'm working on a matching hat, which is cast on at the right of the small picture above. Lisa Myers' pattern called "James Dean Hat". The baby is due Sunday, so I better get busy. It's the last piece of my gift package for the baby. Then, I'm hoping to start something fun for myself, and keep working on my nephew who is due in May.