Crafting Balance 3KCBWDAY7

Today is the final day of Knitting and Crochet Blog Week – this post wraps it up for me. Today’s topic “Crafting Balance” as in- do you create in more than one area of fiber art and how do you balance that?

I’m going in a different direction here because I keep reading that phrase over and over- “Crafting Balance” and I think it’s piquing my interest because in my crazy busy life where I try to spin the creative stuff I do along with all the other plates - - - family- work- life – what it’s about is balance. “Crafting Balance” makes it sound like I might be able to practice it and get better at it. I create stuff because it's part of who I am and so I fit it in - sometimes successfully and sometimes awkwardly.

This has been a crazy fun week, reading new blogs, making new friends, and hoping my old friends don’t think I’ve gone off the deep end… If my blog is new to you thank you for visiting and I hope you'll stop by again- all I can be is myself. If you’ve been around awhile thank you for being there with encouraging thoughts and words – it’s good to know You are out there……

And the best way I now how to balance is to breath… Happy Sunday!

Improving Your Skillset 3KCBWDAY6

"I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it." Pablo Picasso

That about sums up the way I approach learning something new - I love challenges and love learning new things.

As someone who learned to knit back in the "olden days",I can say that the Internet and Ravelry have made learning new skills so much easier and fun. Being able to type a topic into YouTube is amazing. The availability of quality free tutorials is astounding. Run into a question about a pattern or materials – post a question on a discussion board and make a friend miles away on a different continent. It never ceases to amaze me.

I have to admit that some of my most intense learning has happened while teaching.

I stepped into teaching Fair Isle knitting a little reluctantly, but am so glad for the encouragement to take it on because through sharing what I knew I pressed myself to learn even more and in the end learned right along with the folks in my classes.

Tams were a popular project... but I had a few students who braved steeks!

I find myself spending more time on spinning right now and what I’m challenging myself to next is to work through Deb Menz’s book Color in Spinning.

I’ve wanted to work through the self-study exercises for a while now and this seems like a good time to make the commitment. I’m a little hesitant to give myself a deadline though…there are quite a few exercises. Ok... I' hereby commit to working through Deb Menz's book by January 2013. Hold me to it!

There's Something You Should Know About Me 3KCBWDAY5

Today is "Something A Bit Different Day". You can check out what other Knit and Crochet Blog Week participants are posting by typing 3KCBWDAY5 into your search engine.

A knitter For All Seasons - Not Really 3KCBWDAY4

I love winter and wool – summer and summer knitting – not much. 

Note- no pictures of our trees out front in summer.

I may need to start liking summer though….

Seems like most conversations have something about the weather in them lately. The weather has just been strange and it sounds like it's been strange in many places- not just my little corner of the upper Midwest U.S.

We had an unseasonably warm winter and more sunny days in a row since the first of the year than anyone could ever dream of in Michigan. So I risk sounding like Debbie Downer when I say WOW – could this be global warming? (not a popular thing to mention in a town where the economy is based on the auto industry) Awwwww maybe it’s just a fluke and we’ll be bundled up again next year...

Trying not to be too much of an alarmist, and to look at the bright side, and imagine my glass half full, and all that – I’m going to rejoice in the fact that if future winters are like last winter my sweaters will be seen because there won’t be a need for coats. I’m going to celebrate what Fall Fashion Week 2012 has forecasted - a season where shawls, wraps and cowls are right on top of the trend list.  Forget the coat- embrace the shawl! Just don’t ask me to start knitting linen or cotton.

Checking Ravelry there are 21,807 shawl patterns, 2,104 capes, 19,427 wraps, and 9,742 cowls. So much knitting to look foreword to..

Let me share a few of my favorite wrap/shawl type patterns from my project page in case you are looking for something for your warmer winter ahead.-click on the links for Ravelry project details.

Colourflow-Wrap ingenious construction- knit as a tube- cut it apart- unravel the fringe 

Every-Way-Wrap -so versatile!

Inspira-Cowl-a super creatively written pattern that you can really play with.

EZ PI Shawl -a classic – everyone should knit an EZ PI Shawl.

Happy Knitting! 

Knitting Heroes 3KCBWDAY3

My brother gifted me this beautiful vintage photograph-picturing women kitting for the men of the East Lancashire Regiment, dated 12/12/14.  These women represent to me the special ability craft has for bringing people together. These women were knitting for their boys in the trenches. They were providing a needed service, while keeping their hands and minds busy during a stressful period. They were caring for others, each other, and themselves in the process.

The photo below pictures the hands and work of the Prayer Shawl Ministry Team at my church - another group of dedicated women knitting to care for others, but in the process caring for each other and themselves. The year and the situations are different, but the caring is the same. My knitting heroes are these women, past- present- through time- doing what appears to be a very ordinary thing while demonstrating extraordinary caring.

My Brain On Yarn 3KCBWDAY2

I really enjoy being behind the camera more than being in front of it but I had a lot of fun adding layers to give this self portrait a collaged look. If you like my photo you can nominate it for a prize here.

Color- Sprouting Some Inspiration 3KCBWDAY1

Happy Monday and Happy first day of Knitting and Crochet Blog Week! Today’s topic is color and if you’d like to check out other blogs that are participating just type 3KCBWDAY1 into your search. I’m really excited to see what everyone comes up with.

One of my sisters asked “Does your knitting always match your outfit?”

Why yes it often does.I both wear and knit- burgundy, plum and grey in the fall and winter months...

blues and greens in the spring and summer…

I quickly realized that I was going to have to broaden my color choices if I was going to think about offering my handspun yarn to others.

I stumbled upon an excellent site that helps me to break out of color ruts and explore some color combos I would never experience in my daily rounds. I subscribe to Design Seeds - where Jessica shares her love for color through imaginatively created palettes.  Every day fresh color inspiration shows up on my reading list.  Her blog also includes a clever device for searching palettes by themes and related colors.

Now I’ve started collecting the palettes I’m most inspired by on a board on Pinterest.Then I dream about ways of translating the feel or mood of the palette into a handspun yarn.

Inspired by this ...

I made this...

I know- I know- still lots of blue and green……

Well I ran across this...

I’m really attracted to a sort of tomato red and chartreuse right now. So I played with some merino/silk blend this past weekend and dyed this….

"Design Seeds" have definitely helped me grow my color repertoire. Can't wait to start spinning this!