A new project ....

My favourite on-line shop, The Woolly Thistly, is having a knit-a-long on Ravelry ... TWT Vanilla Sweater .... Corine, the owner designed the Vanilla sweater ... a simple sweater knitted in Finull Rauma.

Anyway, I think I need a course on reading knitting pattern because I found this pattern anything but easy to understand. It took me about seven tries to understand what I needed to do. This is not a complaint about the pattern writer, but more about my frustration with my ability to properly read knitting patterns in general.

Reading/understanding knitting patterns is a challenge for me. I think it's just a matter of getting comfortable with the language.

On another note, I found the yarn I needed for a winter hat I want to knit for a special someone.

If I get frustrated with the Vanilla Sweater ... I'll get going on the hat! ;)

Keep well everyone ... Catch you all later! Cheers!

Snood ....

Remember the snood I started a couple of weeks ago?

Well ... I've been working on it .... and it's done .... mostly!

I still need to weave the ends together to make it continuous. That can wait ...

I wanted to start a new project and felt because this was colour work, I needed it completely knitted so that my tension would be consistent. When I knit with more than one colour, I keep my tension looser than usual ... otherwise the design looks tight and I don't like that. I also need to think about how I'll go about weaving the two (2) ends together. Any ideas ... techniques?

This was such a fund project to knit. I loved using Jamieson & Smith yarn.

Thank you so much for stopping by my little corner in cyber space! Cheers!

And the beat goes on .....

The other day, I was chatting with my friend Gina. We were talking about the global situation and the need for compassion. Many are experiencing an increase in stress ... these are challenging times ... Covid 19 circumstances, reduced work hours, pay cuts etc ... however, on the surface there appears to be a calmness ...

Gina brought up the analogy of a calm lake. When you look at the surface, it is calm, serene and yet underneath are the currents, the turbulence ... sometimes the chaos surfaces and at other times it just is ... that's how I feel at the moment ... calm on the outside and yet, on the inside I'm affected by the situation.

I am truly grateful that I have a warm home, food, employment, my family and to be surrounded by wonderful friends. I do miss my family terribly ... and so wish I could visit. My parents are aging and I'm not there. I cannot cross the border. My inability to be there for both my parents is the underneath turbulence ... what the others do not see. Time is precious!

On another note, I started a new knitting project. The En Voyage shawl is still in the works ... I just wanted a little bit more of a challenge ... perhaps a good thing! lol

I purchase the kit from The Woolly Thistle, my favourite on line store. The pattern is called Foula Snood by Donna Smith.

It is from the book Shetland Woolweek - annual 2018. Lovely book/magazine ... Lots of wonderful projects!

I'm using Jamieson & Smith Shetland Wool from the Shetland Islands. Lovely wool!

I'm truly enjoying these various knitting projects I've been working on. Particularly enjoying learning about the various sheep breeds and the type of fleece they produce. Loving it!

Thank you for stopping by! Enjoy the moment! Cheers!

Self awareness ... Self acceptance ...

How is everyone doing? I do hope that you are finding time to connect with loved ones.

As I mentioned in a prior post, I am using this time to get to know my self better ... becoming more and more comfortable with who I am, working with the areas that need some attention. Self awareness is not always easy ... actually, rarely is it. It's takes patience, gentleness and courage to face ourselves.

You might ask, "why am I bringing this up?"

Well ... A few days ago, I came face to face with my imperfections. Some of you might not know but, I'm a perfectionist! I know, it comes as a total surprise to you! lol ... Not in an obsessive, compulsive sense, but more in a need to continuously improve upon myself; striving to become a better version of myself.

I set high standards for myself and work towards achieving those standards. I don't always succeed, but I learn from them. In my mind, it's really about what you are willing to live with. Can I live with that mistake in that quilt? Sometimes, it's a yes and sometimes it's time to take out the seam ripper!

I started a new knitting project. I needed something mindless, yet beautiful, to keep me occupied. I purchased the kit from my favourite yarn shop in Montreal, (Espace Tricot) on line of course, as the borders are closed. The pattern is called En Voyage by Espace Tricot and can be found on Ravelry ... It's a free pattern.

Photo from Espace Tricot

I began knitting, checking my work as I knitted along, making sure I was doing my cables properly...

It wasn't until I was into my second skein of yarn (that would be over 275 yards) that I noticed a mistake .... in the beginning of my project! I'm missing a cable row, making the V shorter than the others.

Well, as I looked at that mistake I started to tear up .... not from my having noticed my mistake so far up into my work, but from a position of total acceptance ... completely surrendering to my imperfections! It was such a wonderful feeling ... so liberating!

After I finished savouring the moment, I thought about unravelling my work to correct my mistake ... which would not have a been a big deal for me .... but I chose to leave it as is, serving as a joyful reminder of this beautiful moment of total surrounding.

I am now five (5) skeins into the project ... and just loving how it's turning out.

I'm using Scout yarn by Kelbourne in Charcoal Heather. I love that yarn and am planning on knitting another shawl in Navy Heather for someone special! ;)

What have you been up to?

Thank you for stopping my little corner in cyber space! Stay safe and healthy, both emotionally and physically.

Cheers!