Taking the Plunge — again!

Four and a half years ago, I branched out on my own as a marketing communications consultant. I love the variety of the work, the flexibility in my schedule, and the ongoing learning about the industry and new clients. And I especially love my "commute" up two flights to the tiny storage room my office. …

Save the Date: Sheep Ahoy Knitters’ Cruise 2014

I'm thrilled that the amazing Shelley Leahey and Patti Crooks, wonder travel agent, have organized the third Sheep Ahoy Knitters' Cruise. October 19 - 26, 2014 (not 2013 -- you've got time!) Ship is the Royal Caribbean's "Brilliance of the Seas" from Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia; St. John, New Brunswick; Bar Harbor and Portland, …

All Knit & No Play? Never!

On Wednesday, our final day in Bermuda, we had a mellow morning -- at least, I did. I had a lovely, 3.5 mile walk around the ship, about 11 times around the 7th floor deck. Then breakfast and a couple of hours of writing work for a client. I made a quick trip to a …

Bermuda Knits

As promised, here's a photo of Barb's triangle scarf. She is one speedy and talented knitter. Mom, Cathie, Barb, and I have spent the past 2 1/2 days enjoying Bermuda, someplace I've never been before. After we arrived mid-day Sunday, we walked around the King's Wharf Royal Dock area, a former military installation that's been …

Knitting Cruise

I know that most people don't understand knitting. It's not just that they don't know HOW to knit (although I'm pretty sure almost everyone could learn); it's that they don't understand how someone could enjoy knitting -- and the company of fellow knitters -- so much. You can see it in their eyes, When I …

Surprisingly finished.

The Illusion Cube blanket is more than I thought it'd be. I knew the design was dead clever -- 56 individual hexagons, each knit to look like a cube. I knew the colors would be surprisingly lovely. Eight colors, each pair knitted twice in slightly different combination. Sure, each cube had about six ends to …

Knits by the sea, by the beautiful sea

I love coming across yarnbombs, those surprise public works of knitted art. They're usually colorful and often whimsical but occasionally political. Which takes us to North Yorkshire, where Susanne, my friend and college roommate, and her family have been living in England since last fall while she and her husband are on sabbatical. She regularly …

Knitting Reacquaintance

"I'd like to take some time during our visit to get reacquainted with knitting," my dear cousin Meg wrote in advance of our getaway weekend in Chicago. Her words were music to my ears because there's nothing a knitter enjoys more (this knitter, at least) than sharing the joy of knitting with others. I know, …

My Kind of Scarf

Many of the beginning knitters I've taught think their first project should be a scarf, more often than not, a basic garter stitch scarf.  I generally counsel them against this, pointing out that scarves are really, really long and can get veeeeery boring very fast. I've written about moving beyond scarves before. I might suggest …

Taking Flight (with Needles)

"They let you go through security with those?" the man asked, somewhat incredulously.  We were on a plane, about to take off for a 90-minute flight, one I take for work a couple of times each month. I glanced down at my size 8 circulars, nestled among the softness of the Every Way Wrap, and …

Boy Wonder

The longer I've been a mother, the more I side toward Nature in the whole nature-vs-nurture debate. My primary, completely unscientific data are my three children, each with a distinct temperament, each of which was pretty much discernible shortly after birth. Case in point: my dear Kevin, who turned 15 yesterday. It's a pleasure and …

Beyond Scarves: Ideas for a First Knitting Project

When asked what they'd like to make for their first knitting project, many of my students suggest a scarf.  I encourage them to try something else. It's not that I've got something against scarves (in fact, I'm particularly partial to the Noro Stripe).  It's that a scarf takes so darn long to finish.  By the …

Size 9s

Nearly every morning, I get up before anyone else in my house and slip out for a run.  I don't track distance (really) and only roughly do I track time.  The important thing is that I'm out by myself for a while -- moving, thinking, praying, mind-singing, mulling -- and that I get home by …