Writing Fiction

I live in the stories.
The ones I build around myself,
Telling me, someday
My world will be right again.
I construct each story
Piece by piece
With silver linings and golden dreams,
Trimmed with sky blue hope.
Each story is interlocking-
Entwined with each of the others.
A card castle waiting to fall
With a slammed door
Or a raised voice.
And they do fall,
Over and over.
And I rebuild-
With greater skill each time.
Making each new piece of architecture
More difficult to part with
Than the last.

I started my spring sweater last night! I'm about 8 rows in and so far so good. School is closed today for the weather, so I expect to get a good bit done. I am using Lion Brand Fishermen's Wool in Nature's Brown and intend to trim the neckline and sleeves with Natual. I'll post a pic once there is actualy something to look at.

http://www.lionbrand.com/cgi-bin/yarnInfo.cgi?yarnPage=1419777

Chullo Hat

Felted Flower Toddler Hat Etc

Here is one for my stash! It is a small toddler size wool hat with a felted wool flower. The flower is knit, but the stem is crochet chain stitch...I just didn't feel like making i-cord.

Speaking of stash, somebody loves me! Look what I got for Valentine's Day!

Fusion

Cast on the rhythm
Leaving enough tail
To weave in latter-
Neat and tidy.

Knit the words
And write each purl
In capital letters.

Slip, Slip, Knit
To shape the verse,
Pulling together
The variegated strands of life.

Create on paper
The human experience
For all who care
To try it on.

Real Men Knit

Use the title of this post to see some manly men with knitting needles. Just too cool! I have an uncle who knits, I guess it's getting to be quite a thing.

Day Dream

When I grow up
I will no longer be a mommy,
I will be a princess.
Then I will wear a satin gown
And a glittering tiara
While I dance at a ball.
I will live in the moment
And smile for my own prince charming…
When I grow up.


Some childhood dreams are just too good to let go of, this is one of them.

Toasty Toes

These are the Valentine's for my little lovies!

Awhile back I promised further sizing for these slippers and here it is!

• children's size 8-12 use 2 strands worsted weight yarn and size 1o.5 needles
• children's size 12-3 use either 1 strand super bulky and 1 strand fingering weight or 3 strands worsted on size 11 needles

Woven Transverse Herringbone Stitch

I decided to learn a new stitch pattern today. I was looking for a pattern that included slipped stitches to help prevent pooling in the beautiful variegated yarn I added to my stash last week. This stitch works beautifully, but is rather unwieldy with the super bulky yarn. I am now using worsted wool for my learning sample. Once I have finished my swatch, I am going to design a hat pattern using this stitch in worsted on #9's. I intend to knit it in the round, with the WTH around the band.

The instructions for this stitch were found at http://www.knittingonthenet.com/stitches/wovenherringbone.htm.

Night Science

What do I care of biology,
"The way of all living things"?
For it tells me not of fairies
Nor their tiny dancing rings.
And it overlooks the elfin men,
Who on their reed flutes play
Songs that fairies dance to
Until the break of day.


*my girls are fairy crazy and I guess they must come by it naturaly. I wrote this poem my sophmore year of highschool, most likely while I was supose to be doing biology homework.

Romantic Country Memory Books

Fun and Funky Memory Book

As you can see, I've been busy making memory books. They are all for dear friends who have been absolutely wonderful the past few months (but then they are always wonderful). Since paper is not my usual medium, I have no fancy scissors or cutting gadgets, but I think they turned out quite well anyway. The first two were made using scrapbook paper and embellishments, but the third was created from scavenged materials (old books, newspapers, junk mail envelopes, etc). Over all, the Fun and Funky version was the most fun to make.

For archival purposes, the memory books can be viewed via these links. When I try to edit the posts to include labels and notes, I loose my slide shows.

http://quilandneedle.blogspot.com/2008/02/fun-and-funky-memory-book_10.html

http://quilandneedle.blogspot.com/2008/02/romantic-country-memory-books_10.html

Felted Handbag

I made this bag a few years ago for my sil, bff, birthday twin. I found the pic while sorting through my pictures yesterday and thought I'd share it. The entire bag is made from a wool sweater my mama pulled out of a give away bin and I machine felted. The pocket on the front is the perfect size for a cell phone. Hands on time for the entire project was less than 45 minutes.

My needles seem to be going non-stop here lately. I am knitting slippers for my lovies this Valentine's Day. The pattern is easy and mindless, so it is a good one for a mama with a stuffed up head. The gift actually serves multiple purposes. 1) It tells my babies that I love them. 2)It keeps little feet warm. 3) It keeps them out of MY slippers.

Poll Winner

http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter07/PATTdahlia.html

Here is the spring sweater I will be making! Yah! Now to find a yarn shop and some beautiful yarn to work with!

BTW...#3 was a close second, with #2 only recieving 2 votes (one of them by my 9 year old son).

Linking to another farmgirl blog.

Tell Kay what you love about spring and she will enter you in her drawing of loverly, rustic, farmgirl goodies (the exact handmade yumminess yet to be disclosed).

http://therusticcottage.blogspot.com/2008/02/spring-fling-contest.html

I have found the most amazing knit-designer. She is only 13 and does awesome work! I am so impressed, I just have to share the link to her blog. This girl is going somewhere in the world of fiber art! For a frame of reference, she is the designer of Sweater 1 in my poll.

http://indieknits.wordpress.com/

Nana

She went to him,
twice each day
and fed him
from a spoon,
baby-sized bites of banana.
Some days he called her, "Mommy,"
others he saw her
as a stranger.
Very few days
did he call her "Dear."
Still,
everyday she went to him
to hold his hand.
For nearly a life time before
she had promised,
"For better or for worse."
And although he
would have known no diffrence,
she would have.


I wrote this poem in highschool, about a long time family friend. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I felt compelled to share it now. It has been published under my maiden name.

New Additions to My Stash

Hobby Lobby had a .99 cent yarn sale I just had to get in on. I got each of these $4-6 skeins of yarn for .99 cents each. Yay! The sparkley red will be valentine slippers for my babybug. The other two have uncertain futures, but I'm sure they will be well loved.

As long as there is yarn, someone will be knitting!

Shimmer Fingerless Gloves

These fingerless gloves were made for a dear grandmother who has been experiencing artharitc pain in her hands. The body of the glove is very loose to allow for swelling of the nuckles and wrists many elderly folks experience. Since this dear woman is allergic to wool, this pair of gloves is made from cotton/rayon blend yarn and worked up much better than I expected. The following pattern has directions for both the looser version shown and a more fitted version.

Materials

• 1 skein Aunt Lidia's "Shimmer" Fashion yarn in Lilac
• 1 skein Aunt Lidia's "Shimmer" Fashion yarn in Lt. Linnen
• 1 pair size 8 needles
• 1 pair size 10 needles
• yarn needle

Note: numbers in () are for more fitted gloves.

Using smaller needle and holding both yarns together, CO 32 stitches.

Knit in 1x1 rib stitch for 3 (5) inches.

Switch to size 10 needles and knit in seed stitch for 5 (3) inches.

Return to smaller needles and knit in 1x1 rib for 2 inches.

BO

Stitch up side seam, leaving a 1 1/2 inch opening just below 2 inch ribbing for thumb hole.

One of the girls at MJ's farm mentioned that she would like my pattern for the wool fingerless gloves I posted last week. It is as follows:

Materials

• 1 ball worsted weight wool yarn
• 1 pair size 8 needles
• 1 pair size 10 needles
• yarn needle

Using smaller needles, CO 32 stitches.

Knit in 1x1 rib for 2 inches.

Switch to size 10 needles, continue knitting in 1x1 rib for 6 inches.

Return to smaller needles, knit 1x1 rib 1 1/2 inches.

BO.

Stitch up side seam, leaving a 1 inch opening 2 inches below top for thumb hole.

*both patterns are worked from the bottom up.

Romantic Poet like Mick Jagger?

John Lithgow thinks so. In his brilliant poetry complitaion, The Poet's Corner, John Lithgow gives this facinating and insightful look at the man behind some of the most beautiful love poems ever witten: Lord Byron.

"Byron was an aristocrat by title but a scalawag by reputation...I imagine Byron as the Mick Jagger of his time. Famous the world over, he left a swath of passion and creativity and scandalous relationships in his wake. One of his paramours, Lady Caroline Lamb, notably described him as 'mad, bad' and dangerous to know'...Byron was a poet who lived his life unapologetically with the pedal to the medal-the English tabloids would have loved him."