Scrap Cap

As 2013  comes to an end I am determined to get a grasp on my knitting supplies and unfinished projects.

You know how this goes, we see a lovely yarn and buy it hoping we have have enough for a future project.  These beautiful yarn purchases can add up.  I hope to be very resourceful this next year and use all of those beautiful yarns to create fun, amazing, beautiful items.

As I was cleaning out a scrap basket I came across little bits of Manos Del Uruguay yarn that was left from the Manos Four Season Throw I made five years ago. 

 Manos is by no means a cheap yarn, I just could not throw it all away.

I spent Christmas Day knitting up This scrap cap. A perfect projects for all those bits of wool.

Happy Knitting!

Knitting Methods

I think there are as many different knitting methods as there are knitters.  I remember when I was first starting to really knit I got frustrated at a small error in my stitch composition.  A friend who had been knitting a little longer than I said....

 "oh don't worry about that, knitting is an individual activity and those small things in your stitching is what makes your work unique."

I recently have been knitting up a lacy cowl, and I was questioning why some knitters lace have big holes and some knitters lace has small holes.  Intriguing really, so I was off to try and find out the answer.

I knit "Continental style" so I decided to watch videos on line of Continental style knitting and I discovered that I was making my stitch differently than those in the video.

When I took the stitch off the left needle with my right needle I wrapped the yarn from the back to the front of the needle clockwise. In the video they wrapped the yarn counter clockwise. 

As I examined my work I saw that by going clockwise I was putting a little twist in each stitch therefore decreasing the size of my hole in my lace work.

I have since been wrapping my yarn counter clockwise however I have knitted for a couple of decades now using the clockwise wrap and the garments turn out beautiful.

This really can equate to us as individuals just as each hand knit item is unique, each knitter is unique, there is not a right or wrong way really just "your way".  I encourage you to explore the world of knitting methods you may discover something exciting that you can incorporate into your work.

Whatever you do just knit!  Enjoy it, it is an expression of who you are.

The Knitting Together Of Our Home

Our family has been making a big transition from living in Singapore to living in WI, U.S.A. 

A transition from being an expat, to being just your ordinary member of the community and work place.

A transition from sky rise condo living, to quiet country living.

We are blessed to have been able to keep our house while we were living over seas. How nice to come back to our home!

When we were living in Singapore we were blessed with a roof top garden, an outdoor patio,  and our very own private (sort of) outside space.

One of our favorite things that happened on that private space 11 stories above the ground was watching this TINY little bird family build their home. 

They worked SO very hard bringing up each little piece of grass, down, leaf, string, etc...

We watched the knitting together of this "house" for a few weeks and then.... it was done: the perfect home for these little birds.  Scott was able to capture our little friend at home in it's new house.

Sure enough a baby bird soon appeared..... and then..... the storm rolled in.  Not a small storm, a big storm, with huge winds and very large, hard, pounding rain.

The house began to fall apart, this family was in trouble. The stresses brought in from the outside world were simply too much.

The house came apart from the top and fell to the ground.  Oh no, this is trouble!  We rushed out after the storm to try and place the house back together. The mama bird had fled during the storm leaving the baby bird "home alone."

It reminded me of
Psalm 127:1-3
"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved. Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord."

I know that as our family goes through this transition we are working hard to assure that it is indeed the LORD that builds our home and our family.  The Lord is always there in the midst of any storm that may come our way.  It may feel like our home is about to burst apart due to the outside stresses and the storms of life, but the Lord is faithful, and he holds together those things that He himself has knit together. 

Happy Knitting.