Sock of the month

Taking the lead from the remarkable Yarnharlot, I've started the year with a Self-Imposed Sock of the Month club. I took a couple of hours to wind 6 or 7 skeins of sock yarn from my stash and matched them with a few patterns. Usually I'm a plain sock recipe or Vanilla Latte sort of …

Something new

Longtime readers know that I love to knit socks. I've explained part of the fun from my perspective -- the portability, the structural engineering, the wonders of self-striping yarn (aren't yarn dyers amazing?!), and the almost-infinite variety of patterns. Do the recipients of my gifted socks actually enjoy and appreciate them? I like to think …

Sweater for a little one

Oh hello, friend! Has it really been more than a year since my last post?! Apparently, it has. I may not have been writing, but I have been knitting. I'm not a resolution-setting sort of person, but not dropping off the blog grid seems like a commitment I can make. Deal? There's a baby-to-be in …

Patching up – finally

When I first found the missing knit gloves that Michael had been searching for, I knew immediately that they had a few moth holes. On more careful inspection, however, I discovered there were quite a few -- some might say, many -- holes. With a bit of reframing, the situation shifted to "all the more …

Patching up

"Where are those gloves with the leather?" asked Michael when the weather turned a couple of months ago. We searched in all the usual places but came up empty handed. (Yes, that was intentional) Last week, during a fit of New Year's decluttering, I found the gloves -- in his brother Kevin's room (or should …

The more things change

What is my password to this blog? Is anyone still out there? What have I been doing for the past two years? Some questions just can't be answered. I can -- and do -- live in a space of not knowing. And fortunately, I found my password, which I promptly changed since it was essentially …

Slip Stitch Stashbuster Hat

After my moment of self-awareness about circular knitting preferences, I made pretty quick work of the Slip Stitch Stashbuster Hat.  Slip Stitch Stashbuster, designed by Carolyn Little for Knit on Pearl The generosity of knitters never fails to warm my heart -- and expand my skills. Thanks to everyone who shared their tips for knitting …

Getting Out and Up

Getting outside first thing in the morning has been my routine for years. Every morning, usually before anyone else in the house is up, I've slipped out the front door, rain or shine or snow, slush, wind, cold. As poet-artist Brian Andreas captured so well: "I've always liked the time before dawn because there's no one …

The thrill of a yarn bomb

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I love yarn bombs. These colorful, durable, public bursts of creativity never fail to make me smile. On my walk yesterday morning, I spotted a bright, stripe-y wrap around a home's lamp post. Was it there the last time I walked on that street? Maybe, maybe …

A knitting confession

I don't like Magic Loop. There, I've said it.  Before you wonderful knitters reply to share your love of this knitting-in-the-round technique, I know. I know. You love it...for so many reasons. It's not as fiddly as using DPNs. One never has to worry about dropping a needle. Perhaps I'm just not doing it properly …

This Year’s Ornament

Each year I give Hannah, Kevin, and Michael their own Christmas tree ornaments. Sometimes they're similar -- like the year each received a musical instrument corresponding to the one they were playing or the year I knit mini socks. Sometimes I'll find an ornament over the course of the year that just seems to fit …

Knitting Light

When it comes to knitting, I'm not a big planner. On the rare occasion that I finish a project and don't have something else ready to cast on, I'll start a pair of socks. In fact, I almost always have a sock-in-progress. In the Before Times, I'd throw a sock into my bag whenever I …

What I miss most

Despite the fear, anxiety, and tragedy of this pandemic year, I've managed to keep my spirits on an even keel for the most part. The privilege of being able to minimize my personal risks is the main reason. Meditation and prayer help, as does getting outdoors as much as possible. Finding purpose in work, helping, …

The gift of knitting

You know the saying, "chopping wood warms you twice"? I propose a knitting corollary: knitting a gift for another is a gift for yourself. I've long known there's joy in the making and was recently given the chance to experience it. Last month, my nephew and godson asked if I'd be able to knit a …

Cap it off

In a "what is time anymore?" moment, I realized recently that it's been nearly two years since I've knit a sweater for myself. That gave me the spark needed to finish the body of On the Grass and move on to the sleeves. I've knit sweaters with raglan sleeves and set-in sleeves, but this is …

All sorts

During what I think was my first visit to another person's home since mid-March, my friend Barbara gave me some wound sock yarn that she no longer wanted. During her sock-making efforts, she hadn't been feeling like the Fearless Knitter she is -- the repeated laddering was vexing her. The ball bands were missing, so …

Early May Musings

The weekend here in Greater Boston was gloriously warm and sunny, the kind of weather that makes you want to be outdoors even if you're just sitting on the steps. Because you can. You don't need to be doing anything (although you might). You don't need a jacket or hat. You don't even need sleeves! …

Unplanned Design Elements

The "mistake" tag gets a fair bit of use on this little blog. As I tell fellow knitters -- whether in a class or a friend or knitting group companion -- the reason I'm able to fix a lot of knitting mistakes is that I've had an awful lot of practice. Recognizing your mistakes and …

Bit by Bit

Adding to the sadness and loss of this wacky time we're all living in is Mom's slipping away. It's a normal part of dementia's progression, but it is truly brutal, especially since we've not been able to visit her for the past six weeks or so. The wonderful staff at her memory care residence have …

Practicing Patience

I remind myself at least once a day that I'm grateful to have developed a meditation practice over the past year or so. In the midst of the uncertainty and fear of this global pandemic, I'd be a hell of a lot more cranky, anxious, and weepy if I hadn't learned how to bring my …