Category: Thoughts

Knit Back Together

by T, posted in Thoughts

What does it mean to put yourself or in my case, knit yourself back together. I’ve said this many times, but this time it’s true. I’ve had to deal with quite a bit the last three plus years and even longer. My family has dealt with loss upon loss, cancer, cross country moves, Covid and even the murder of a loved one right as Covid began in 2020. Knitting or crafting in general is one thing in a sea of things that has carried me through the last few years. Way back in 2020, I grasped on to new hobbies hoping they would save me, one by one. I picked up spinning again, bought a table loom, bought fleeces, bought combs and cards to process those fleeces, and tried, tried, tried. I’d hit a road block, such as being unable to figure out how to comb long curly Coopsworth wool fleece, and give up. Then I’d try again, dyeing said fibers and finally, finally weaving them into a rug using a peg loom. Was it pretty? Not exactly, but I learned!

In 2021 a generous woman who I had sold my mother’s table loom to gave it back – and refused to take money for it. Then I found a Schact Wolf Loom for dirt cheap on Facebook leaving me with one rigid heddle loom, one tapestry loom, two table looms and one floor loom. I purchased a warping board off Facebook marketplace but I never received the screws that went along with it. I went to the hardware store and made do. I couldn’t figure out how to warp it and wasted tons of yarn in the many attempts I made. Two weeks ago, I took a class online and have wound my third warp since then.

I bought a merino fleece and couldn’t figure out how to clean it properly. In 2022, I took not one, but three classes on how to prep a fleece. In 2023, it finally clicked and I’m still working through a Tunis fleece I started processing in March. Wash, comb, spin, ply, repeat.

When I was little, my mother tried to teach me to crochet. I’ve never been the type to learn by listening. I have to figure things out on my own. She got frustrated and gave up, leaving me home with my grandmother for the weekend. When she returned, I had crocheted a set of slippers. Then she really got frustrated!!! I never really learned to crochet properly but I spent a month last year in New York attending the murder trial of my family member. Knitting needles were expressly forbidden and enforced so I learned to crochet again. I made close to fifty sunflowers and even wound up making a stuffed pokemon for each of my kids. Not too bad if I say so myself.

In February, after the second trial ended in conviction, I broke down. I fell apart. I went out on FMLA and couldn’t find the energy to knit, to spin, to think or hardly to breathe. I cared for myself, my kids and my life as best as I could. It was hard and painful. I attended the sentencing and said goodbye to my life back in New York, one final time. Every time I say it’s the last time. I said goodbye to the loved one I never got to bury and to the memories, good and bad. I walked away at the end, driving slowly and stopping frequently, hoping my mind would come back to me.

March and April passed. May and June. July is here and I’m in full craft mode. I’m trying to find the balance again, between family, work and the projects that call to me. I’m knitting a scarf, a pair of socks, spinning and prepping Tunis wool fiber for a potential sweater, and have a warp ready to hit the loom. You can indeed knit yourself together again. I have. I am still.

Catching Up

by T, posted in knitting, Spinning, stitch, Thoughts

It’s happening again. I’m falling into that void where depression meets crafts. Normal people get depression, stay in bed for days with no motivation. Not me. I turn my grief, my anxiety, my huge amount of anger and drive it into a need to create. I have a Facebook feed filled with my creations. The worst part was after Christmas my arm hurt so badly (tennis elbow = knitting elbow?) that I couldn’t knit for about six months. I’d try only to be unable to flex my wrist or twist for days.

What have I been doing since my December knitting madness?


January & February were devoted to skiing. You can’t think while you are skiing. It’s waiting, waiting, waiting, followed by an intense one to five minutes and back up again. I put my audiobook on and let it rip.

May be an image of one or more people, outerwear, people skiing and snow

March was just intense. I received some devastating news. I attempted to backpack my way out of the anger and grief. Then my body said, you haven’t been doing this for a year, WTH! Then I flipped to planning my garden and starting seedlings. I finished my cross stitch cross from last year. I also, painfully, finished my kids green sweaters.

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April was when I really did a lot of work in the garden, doubling it’s size. Plus we got back into camping and I pulled out the spinning wheel again.

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May and June were gardening, camping, backpacking, vacation and so much more. I started to realize I was overscheduling myself and coming off the worst of the March shock.

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Hallockville Fiber Festival – First in person (for me) event since March 2020
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July and August were overscheduled again, but well worth it. The garden was abundant and we have jars of tomato sauce for the winter. I finished my rainbow blanket from knit picks and started a sweater but more importantly, picked up spinning again.

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I’ll post about my spinning and dying and sudden returning intense interest in all things fiber in the next post!

Super Bowl Sunday

by T, posted in Thoughts

So here we are on Super Bowl Sunday. In between cleaning the house, studying for my test, reading up on Micro Economics and cleaning the mess of gasoline that spilled on the garage, I am getting ready for the Super Bowl. My husband worked last night and this morning, so we’re not too eager to go out today. Despite the fact that I am not a football fan myself, I do look forward to this game. While I can let you know my affiliation, I think it is best if I remain neutral in the matter.

Isn’t it funny how family affects us? I grew up in a certain area with two teams for each sport. My mother and uncle were the ones who determined my teams. I remember when I told my mother I was dating (my now ex) a new boyfriend, she was more concerned that he was a (deep breath) Mets fan, then anything else.

My uncle passed away in May. He was the biggest sports fan in the family. He lived in the basement of my grandmother’s house and many times I passed the staircase to hear him yelling. I’d jump or react only to realize he was yelling at the tv, whether it was at the offending team or toward his own. He was the one I remember going to live games with. He had a passion for his teams like no one else I’ve ever met. I wish he was here today to see his team one more time.

Enjoy the game, be safe and if you can manage, knit something pretty as well.

Saturday Afternoon/ Words with Friends/Pinterest

by T, posted in knitting, Thoughts

So, it is Saturday. I’m sitting in my living room experiencing a serious problem. I have recently become addicted to words with friends. Now I understand how Alec Baldwin could be kicked off a plane because of this. It probably wouldn’t be that big of a deal if that was my only recent addiction. I am now riveted to the Pinterest page. If you haven’t experienced this website, stay away. At first I thought it was nothing but a time waster. There are pictures of everything from how to organize your home office to creating candles from tangerines. You create different boards and pin pictures to your board. You can follow other people, like “pins,” and of course, repin. My big discovery was that on most of these “pins” you can click through and it will take you to the website. For instance, a few of my patterns are posted. So, if you are new to pinterest and stumble upon a picture of my wedding garter, you can click on the picture and keep clicking until you get to my website. You can follow people with similar interests and organize your boards for different parts of you life.

I have several boards going:

Health and Fitness: I need to lose weight and am even drinking a green smoothie now. 

https://knitwerks.com/2012/01/28/green-smoothie/

Current Projects: I’m working on a shrug with my homespun. This is on hold because my wrist has been bothering me. Maybe that’s why I’ve been spending all my time on Pinterest and Words with Friends.

Crafts: I’m too busy pinning to start any of these.

Cooking/Baking: Pinterest in an awesome recipe source.

Fashion: I don’t know if it counts, but I found homemade biore strip “recipes” that I used and it worked wonderfully. Ooh, it is time to do that again!

Now I really have to get some home work/studying done. And more Words with Friends. I’m a lost cause.

Follow Me on Pinterest

2 Years

by T, posted in knitting, Thoughts

I’m happy to announce that I have renewed my domain for the third year. That means I’ve already been posted for a whole two years! It is a wonderful feeling to know that I’ve been sharing my adventure in knitting and spinning. While I still feel like a beginner, I’ve learned a lot and hopefully taught others something as well. While I do have patterns up, creating new patterns is as much a learning experience as a teaching one. These are not advanced patterns that you would find for sale in a knitting shop but more of “a look what I can do and you can too” shared knowledge. I hope that I have sparked some interest to try something knew.

I was about 16 years old when I first started knitting. My high teacher thought it would be good teach a group of us who were hyperactive and overstressed. I remember sitting in the TAG room at our school with the old metal knitting needles. We three girls didn’t really listen so much as kept yacking away. I didn’t pay attention and as usual, chose to do it myself my way. A few scarves later those needles went under my bed into the mess of assorted objects.

At 18, I wound upstate in college with a roommate who knit scarves. Before I knew it, I was at Wal-Mart buying yarn and a new set of metal knitting needles. Drama ensued and after a tumultuous year at college and transferring to a closer one to my home, I was still knitting away. My grandmother told me she used to knit and also mentioned that she hated scarves. (Months after I gave her one for Christmas.) The knitting needles went back under the childhood bed.

I was 23 when a trip to Wal-Mart brought me back to knitting. I can’t remember exactly why I picked it up again but do remember that it was a difficult time for me. I made scarves for everyone I knew. In fact, I used to sit at work when it was slow and knit away (I miss THAT!) I met my now husband and remember sitting in his kitchen, talking all night long, while I knit away. We recently found the old scarf I had made for him so many years ago.

We moved to South Carolina not long after. I had stopped knitting but wound up out of work far from anyone I knew. I was tired of scarves. With the internet at my fingertips, I found a pattern for socks. I found straight knitting needles at Wal-Mart (again.) I still have those red heart, red and green, acrylic socks. They weren’t my best socks but they are my best-loved. I have been knitting ever since, learning step by step. I’ve had my spinning wheel for almost a year now and am enjoying a new adventure.

Florida Fiber In 2011

by T, posted in knitting, Thoughts

The 2011 Florida Fiber In was last weekend up in Orlando. I’ve been anxiously awaiting this all year and I wound up sick the night before and barely slept. The early morning part of the Fiber In was great. I sat and listened to the lesson on dyeing yarn. She demonstrated how to dye yarn using Kool-Aid and a microwave. It’s too bad my microwave has been broken for over a year now. I may be the only person in Florida without one. I did get a few ideas. I also learned a few other things about spinning. There were a lot of interesting people and many more vendors than last year. There was plenty of wool and alpaca. I just wish there were more fibers like cotton. I found a woman who had an old spinning wheel like I originally bought over two years ago. She only spins cotton and absolutely loves it. If anyone would like to donate cotton for me to spin I would appreciate it! By the end of the day, I was too tired to really enjoy much. I wound up leaving early a little cranky.

In the meantime, I had not unpacked my spinning wheel or even knitted anything in the week after. In fact, I’ve ripped two projects that weren’t coming out correctly and lost my size six harmony needles. I’m suffering from the fiber blues. At least today was spinning group day. I am still not feeling well and was tempted to skip it, but am glad I went. It is great being around others who think like I do. It is so rare, especially down here.

Podcasts

by T, posted in knitting, Thoughts

I’ve recently been introduced to knitting podcasts. I never knew there were people out there that took an hour of their time and talked about knitting. I have an i-pod and decided to download some of these. The first few I chose were mostly disappointing. The Knitpicks episode I listened to was informative but slow. I had to stop listening if only for the fact that they were talking about weaving and I cannot afford another hobby. Yes, I was feeling that itch of I want a loom!!! The angel on my shoulder said, “No Tracy, you have enough crafty hobbies. You don’t have time or money for another.” Then the devil on my other shoulder said, “Hehe, I want one. Credit cards are proof God loves you.” Then my boss came in, the i-pod went off and a stack of work was pushed my way.

A second podcast was quite disappointing. The girls were advanced knitters who were complaining about all the people who post patterns on Ravelry using different terms. Then they continued complaining more, interjecting apologies every once in a while in case they offend anyone. I may be biased, but isn’t it a good thing that people can learn and share on this vast resource known as the internet?

A third podcast was filled with talk of expensive yarns that even the devil on that shoulder just shook her head and said no. Sigh.

Finally, I found two thanks to good advice from new knitting/spinning buddy. Stitch It is from the same person with the website The Art of Megan. I learned to spin on my first spindle from her. Of course, she doesn’t know this. I liked listening to her talk about her garden and her house. The second was the The Knit Wits. They were hilarious! They are a married couple who moved to Oregon. I love how they communicate and the fact that the husband interjects his opinion with the crafty, knitting, spinning wife. I relate to both of these two more than the others I’ve listened to so far. I look forward to downloading lots more episodes.

Wanderlust

by T, posted in Thoughts

So, less than a week out of the summer classes (accounting for all of you who don’t know me) I am already in daydreamy wanderlust mode. I’ve moved from New York, to South Carolina to Florida in the last five years. I’ve currently lived in the same place for the three years, the longest since I left my childhood home. My mother and her boyfriend used to travel a lot when I was a child and I was used to sleeping in a different hotel each night. The wish to keep moving hasn’t left me. I’ve been relatively happy in Florida, yet three days ago this idea flourished within me and it is has bloomed within me. Where is this place I am lusting after????

Portland, Oregon

Yes, the girl from the east coast has fallen into love. Does this have anything to do with Sock Summit taking place there last weekend? Maybe? The three main reasons I have fallen in love with this city in the last few days are 1- most microbreweries in any city in the country 2- fiber friendly area 3- nature. Yes, my husband and I would probably go broke in beer and knit shops (especially if occuring in that order) but I think I would love this city. It is a liberals dream land. Yet I am stuck in school and three years away from being vested for a government pension as long as it does not mysteriously disappear.  I’m  just in love lust with Portland, Oregon

Knitting and Yoga

by T, posted in knitting, Thoughts

Bella in cat pose

Knitting and Yoga go naturally together. Both have meditative qualities. There are a couple of things that I reach out to when I am ultra stressed. Knitting is the normal every day stress reliever. Then of course, there is tea. I have tea to wake me up and tea to calm me down. There is the glass of wine or a really good beer. But there are times, almost phases, when I reach out to yoga. I am not a guru or even the least bit good at it. I am a dabbler. I like yoga when the mood fits. I like certain poses but am still not fit enough to keep up with the dvds. This is something I want to work on and then life gets in the way.

I stumbled upon a pose the other night when I couldn’t sleep due to neurotic worrying over school, money, work, life and the nature of good and evil. http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/2767

This is a modification of  Matsyasana (Fish Pose). If you work in an office, use a computer often enough, spend hours studying or are hunched over knitting needles you may have pain in your neck and shoulders. I do all of these.  In From the Neck Down, by Roger Cole, it states “But when pain and tingling spread beyond the hands and wrists to the arms, shoulders, or neck, the cause may be another, less commonly known condition—thoracic outlet syndrome. TOS is caused by compressing or overstretching nerves or blood vessels far from the hands, near the top of the rib cage. It can develop from repetitive stress and unhealthy movement patterns, like playing a musical instrument for long hours or typing with your head pushed forward and out of alignment with the rest of your spine, or from an injury such as whiplash.”

Think of your knitting. Does this sound familiar? I did it with just the one block and I felt the release (spasms) immediately. In the days afterward, the result was not so obvious but I believe that over time, this will benefit me. I also am trying to straighten my posture. I try.

Memorial Day Thoughts

by T, posted in Thoughts

It’s the last Monday in May. For most of us, that means an extra day off from work, maybe a barbecue with friends or a day at the beach. We’re supposed to think about those who fought for our freedom on this day. I hear on the radio, on tv and even via the internet how we’re supposed to honor those who fight. The truth is that I cannot possibly understand. I am lucky because I don’t have a spouse or a parent or a child fighting in another country and never have. I’ve never woken up in the middle of the night wondering if a loved one was hurt or worse. I don’t know how I would handle that, especially since I’m a natural worrier. I’d probably give myself an ulcer. Sometimes I feel like I should apologize for not having the intimate understanding.

This is Memorial day, a day to reflect on our nation and those who support it. So, thank you all those who have fought, members of the military, and the families of those members. Thank you from someone who has not shared that experience and hopes not to. Now, I’m off to the beach!

Sunday Afternoon

by T, posted in knitting, Thoughts

It’s Sunday afternoon and after a busy week, I’m sitting on my couch with a sleeping cat curled up beside me. I have two chapters to read and outline as well as a group project to e-mail my group members about. I have phone calls to make, laundry to check on, vacuuming to be done and dinner to make. The week has flown by in a mass of to do’s. I have spent over a week working on a sock which I’m finally at the heel. I love the yarn but I’m using size 1 needles doing two rounds at a time in periods of five to fifteen minutes that I can find through out the day. If only I could knit while on the treadmill or elliptical but I have a feeling that experiment would end in a trip to the emergency room and a messy stab wound. I like sharp knitting needles. I spend dinner time talking to the hubby while flipping through knitting books and magazines that are conveniently layed out on the table. Life is busy, even on a Sunday afternoon but knitting is an addiction that can fit into even the busiest of schedules.

Thanksgiving, History & Thoughts

by T, posted in knitting, Thoughts

Thanksgiving is a day of showing gratitude, of family and of eating. It is also a day of reflecting on the past. We celebrate two cultures coming together and sharing a bountiful harvest. America is built on that ideal of plenty. Many will gather whether in front of the family table or in restaurants through out the country but so many are less fortunate, especially recently. Be grateful for what you have and remember those who have less.

Aside from that, Thanksgiving is about the past and I was just flipping through the latest Interweave Knits magazine, I came across an article Taking Flight by Bethany Lyttle. The article remarks on a mill in New England. It is about Pam Allen who created a yarn company, Quince & Co. The article was intriguing but it made me think about the history of knitting and how much we’ve changed.

Knitting is about creation, now and then. Most knitters know that it is actually less expensive and time-consuming to run into the local Wal-mart and pick up a $1 pair of gloves then to put the hours, the attention and the more pricey yarn into a pair of homemade gloves. Yet, once upon a time, this was a necessity. Can you imagine the pilgrim’s knitting socks and gloves to keep warm in the cold Northeast winter? Did they have sheep around so that they could create their own yarn to make into protective clothing? Of course. My closet would be a lot smaller if I was required to hand make everything for my family!!

On that note, I am going to watch a movie and knit a pillow for my Grandmother. Happy Thanksgiving.

Unaccomplished

by T, posted in knitting, Thoughts

Well, two weeks ago I set up my Etsy shop. http://www.etsy.com/shop/knitwerks After checking it two, three, four, nine times a day, I’ve fallen into a slump. I’ve accomplished nothing after getting everything set up and posted on there. I currently have, half a carrot knit, a too too small wedding garter, another wedding garter ripped several times over, and three rows of a pillow. I’m lost and brain dead. Work has been crazy, school is time consuming, and my mind has gone to that place where the static on tv is soothing. Christmas is coming and I really need to get moving. I need original ideas but how do you get them when your brain is on autopilot? I’d really love to know. . .

Etsy Heaven

by T, posted in Thoughts

It’s a week before my mother’s birthday and once again, I have no idea what to give her. First thought, Amazon gift card! But, is a gift card, even one from amazon with those billions of books to choose from, tacky to give your very own mother? Second thought, something to do with socks. Until recently, she only knit socks. Yes, this is one of those rare cases where I taught Mom (from a distance for the most part) how to knit because she saw me wandering around my apartment with my red and green homemade socks at Chirstmas time. She decided, I want socks.

Three months later, she realized that I wasn’t about to make them for her like I said I might, and she went on her own journey to learn how to make them. In my defense, I learned how to make gloves for her. Yes, I sent her hand-made gloves (two right-handed gloves but a pair nonetheless!) Then, for years, she only made socks. Now she’s onto hats but she’s not the diversifying type. I went on to knitpicks and looked up sockblockers. But, a women who likes to collect so much probably already has a set. Do I ask? That will ruin the surprise. I remember last year I went onto Etsy.com and found sock shaped stitch markers and she loved them. I won’t post what I found this time (although I did make her swear she wouldn’t read my blog. . . but that’s a story for another day!)

Etsy is a great site to visit if you are out of ideas and need a gift. These are handmade or vintage items that have a unique flair to them. They don’t scream ‘I ran into Walmart at the last minute and got you this lint-remover.’ It’s a great website to just browse around as long as you haven’t had three glasses of wine and a paypal account linked to your credit card. Then it is a bad, bad, bad site. Go to the Etsy Showcase and browse around. I found the flowers for my hairdo on my wedding day off there and they were absolutely perfect. The picture is of the three plumeria hairpins created by Butterfly Enchantress on Etsy. I’ve also bought beautiful unique earrings from Lowcountry Beadworks. They have everything from jewelry, to fabric, to toys, to pet collars. Take a look and don’t blame me if you charge up that visa bill.