January 2010 – Knitwerks

Kindle

January 30, 2010January 31, 2010 by T, posted in books

I am having trouble with the kindle set up and am currently waiting on a response from Amazon.

I am so excited. I discovered that anyone can publish their blog to Kindle very easily. I probably shouldn’t advertise this fact now that I will have competition- but I’m too excited to care. I’m going through a rough patch now and any good news is great news for me. Deep down, I am an author at heart. I may not have a best-selling novel as I had planned since I was little, but my words are my soul. I can write a thousand times better than I speak.
Here I am, a blogger. Is a blogger a writer? Is a blogger an author? I don’t think that is for me to answer. I have won minor awards and even have been paid from contests, but does that make me an author. In a digital age, I believe the definition will ultimately change. According to Merriam-Webster online an author is one that originates or creates OR the writer of a literary work (as a book). Ok, I’m an author. A broke author. Thanks to my chef/husband I’m not starving.
I already subscribe to two blogs on my original kindle and am not sure if they will let me subscribe to my own free. I love regular old-fashioned paper books and my walk in closet is filled with books instead of clothing. What I love about the Kindle is that I can get things that I don’t want to wait for. With my piteous salary I cannot afford to spend $25 on a book. I can’t really afford $10. I use the library and farmer’s markets to keep me supplied. My mother gave me a gift card to Amazon.com for Christmas and I read all four twilight novels in under two weeks. I can read blogs, magazines, newspapers, and samples. Did I mention I love samples? What a fantastic idea? It’s like sitting in a book store flipping through the first chapter except I’m in the car, or on my lunch break and I get to read a few pages or even chapters for FREE. I love FREE.
In the meantime, I’m working on the novel my mother originally downloaded, Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky. I love that it incorporates knitting into it. I’m a few chapters in and I like it. It’s beginning to captivate me finally. I recommend to go beyond the sample for this book. The first few pages did not grab me but now I’m getting into it.
It’s time for bed. Happy writing, reading, knitting and imagining!

Knitting on the Cheap

January 28, 2010 by T, posted in knitting

Many of us are feeling pinched in this long economic downturn, some more than others. Whether we are experiencing job losses, pay cuts, furlough days or simply the endless stretching of a dollar, we’ve all had to cut costs in some way or another. As many of us yarn lovers realize, knitting can be extremely expensive. Go to your local knitting shop and walk around. Look at the price tags and take a deep breath. I recently visited a place who didn’t even bother pricing their ware. It’s not a place I will be going to again!

There are many different levels of tackling the economics of knitting. However, before I delve into these ideas, I do want to announce that I fully support LYS! Local Yarn Shops are centers of creativity, socialization, and entrepeneuralism at it’s best. I deeply wish my pockets were bigger so that I could support them more. More and more shops are feeling the pinch and as with many businesses now adays are sadly closing down. My dream is to open a knitting/book/coffee/tea shop which is not likely to ever come to fruition.

Make friends with your local yarn shop. Join clubs, discount programs, and search that clearance bin. Let them know that you aren’t financially able to buy that handpainted silk. Most will gladly work with you and point you in the less expensive direction. Look for sales. Remember, the owners are people just like you.
Get the Sunday paper. Cut out coupons for Michaels, Jo-Ann’s, A.C. Moore (if you still have them, I don’t). Check the clearance bin. Did I mention that I have a bins stuffed with .50/1.00 yarns for scarves that I’ve sold/donated.
Go on e-bay, ravelry, and other online sites. Bid or join groups that trade their stash. I have a set of cheap circulars from Ebay that cost $10.00 for size 0-15. They break easily, but they do the job. Sigh.
For the truly desperate who need to knit to stay sane. Unravel! Yes, unravel old sweaters, go to thrift stores and pull out that knit sweater. Remember, you can knit anything- even plastic bags. For how-to go to http://www.cocoknits.com/info/tutorials/plasticbagknit.html
Visit your library for patterns. Many have a huge supply of knitting and crocheting books. Also, search online and of course- join ravelry. It’s a great source ideas, patterns, and community. Think facebook for knitters/crocheting.

Remember, you are not alone. We love what we do and that fantastic alpaca blend will be there when things turn around. The most important advice is to make friends with fellow yarnies and always be creative.

Julie and Julia

January 23, 2010January 23, 2010 by T, posted in knitting, movie

I am completely in love! I am in head over heals, heart pounding, lightbulb flashing in love with the movie Julie and Julia. I cannot wait to download the book to my kindle and to eat that word by word. Amy Adams in great but Meryl Streep is simply extraordinary. My husband was less than excited when I said I had rented the movie Julie and Julia from the $1 blockbuster machine at Publix. I put it in the DVD player as soon as we got in and luckily did not fast forward past the previews. Jeff went to the computer, plugged in the title, and saw the words Julia and Child, and rushed out to watch.

For me, Julia Child is a name, like James Dean or Doris Day. I recognize her name and know why she is famous, but have no real connection to her. But he grew up watching her, idealizing her, with the foundation of his every night masterpiece dinners from her lessons. Of course, with that thought, I am truly grateful to her. I loved watching Meryl Streep’s enthusiasm and learning about what it took for Julia Child to become who we know her as today.

I had to blog about this because I too am a non-writer who is working for a government agency feeling like life has not panned out. I too have a hobby/passion for something that is less than understood. I love to knit and began my website to share my ideas and to tackle designing. I’m not a professional, but I enjoy what I do. I only hope that I can be as dedicated as Julia Child or Julie Powell.

In the meantime, please bear with me. I will be posting and knitting away. At this time, I am attending classes at FGCU for my second bachelor’s degree in Accounting while working -, attempting to care of a house, a husband, and four cats, and juggling as much as possible. I will be knitting as stress relief of course. I am working on my second sock with Misti Alpaca using their pattern as my guide. I hope to design a shawl when I’m finished with my gorgeous sock!