This month…

At least once a month I will try something new and different…that’s goal number 4 for 2010.

Last night’s adventure was attending a painting class at Painting With a Twist in Grapevine. I had purchased a Groupon Coupon back in December for a night of painting for $20.  I figred that was cheaper than a movie night with popcorn and thought it would be fun.  Whoever came up with the concept of adding wine to craft classes is a genius!

I had a bottle of wine that I purchased while visiting the hill country in Texas last summer.  The wine was a Muscat Canelli from the Sister Creek Vineyards in Texas.   It seemed a perfect fit to paint the Dallas Skyline.

The class was full with 40 people attending.  There were groups of women having a girls night out, couples, and a few single people like me just there for an evening of fun.  Many people had done the same thing I had done and purchased the $20 coupon.  The owner of the store said they had sold over 600 coupons through their offer on Groupon.com.

I arrived early, opened my bottle of wine, and poured myself a glass.  I put on my apron, admired some of the other paintings in the room and pondered taking another class.  It was a lively evening with lots of laughter and fun.  It was very cold outside (especially by Dallas standards) but there was only one empty seat.  I had a great view of the instructor and didn’t have to turn my back to watch what she was painting.

At the end of the evening we posed for a group photo with our paintings.  No two paintings looked alike, some were better than others, some were *very colorful*.  The one thing that was constant were the smiles on every face around the room. Every person in the room had a great time and went home with a reminder of the evening to hang on the wall.

I plan to frame my work of art and hang it in my apartment.  Not because it is a stunningly beautiful painting, but it’s a reminder of a fun evening, and stepping outside of the box and trying new adventures.  The teacher said last night they are working on a companion piece that will be the skyline of Fort Worth.  Sign me up!

Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.  ~Pablo Picasso

Gettin’ my green on…

I had a great mail day today, the photos from the Willie Nelson concert arrived in the mail.  I think that’s the nudge I need to finally assemble some scrapbook pages and begin putting together a scrapbook of my life in Texas. Things have happened so fast, and I have many great memories that need to be tucked away so I can remember each and every event.

I also received a prayer shawl book that I ordered from Amazon, The Prayer Shawl Companion.  I’ve made 3 prayer shawls in the past, each time I felt such a nudge from the Universe to do it.  This week the Universe nudged me to make two more shawls for people who I think could use that extra love and comfort from a prayer shawl.  The designs are incredible, there are lots of stories about the prayer shawl ministry and some nice blessings to put with the completed shawl.  I will head to the yarn store this weekend to buy the yarn for shawl number 1.  The challenge is going to be which pattern to choose.  I’ll have to ponder that one.

I made over a dozen scarves for friends for my Christmas scarf-a-palooza project.  The scarves were on big needles with fat yarn, and the recipient’s were all very appreciative.  A shawl, takes a bit longer and more of a commitment.  But I know from past experience that until I knit those shawls nothing else is going to seem like a worthwhile project.

In preparation to start the shawls I finished up some baby booties to send off to one of my charities.  Being eco-friendly I made cute little gift bags and filled them with the handknitted booties and a few other baby items.  I found myself smiling a lot as I put them together. I will take them to the post office on Saturday.

Last night I decided to spoil myself and Googled a recipe for Blue Chees Macaroni and Cheese..it was simply amazing and put a big smile on my face.

Hmmm..my face seems to be having lots and lots of smiles these days.  I see that as a very good thing!  Off to country and western dance lessons tonight.  It’s become one of the many highlights of my week.

…now I just need to find some time and get those cowgirl boots bought!

The long lost sweater…

I bought the yarn for this sweater in June of 2006.  It’s been started more than once, frogged and started again when I lost some weight.  The yarn is from Knit Picks, their Shine Worsted.  For some reason I kept the invoice together with the yarn, other wise I would have no clue how long ago I started this sweater.  I think I have tons more yarn than I need, but given the fact that I’ve been working on this sweater (3.5 years) it’s probably a good thing to have extra yarn. 

The pattern is the Inside Outside sweater from Saturday Sweaters.  I bought the book while attending the Blackboard Conference in San Diego a lifetime ago.  I bought it at a very cool knitting store Knitting in La Jolla. 

Next up on the needles some charity knitting baby stuff!

It’s just knit and purl…

One of my team mates at work asked me if I would bring in some of the scarves I have been making to do a little show and tell.  This morning I remembered to tuck them into a bag and carried them off with me to work.  I guess I forget that not everyone knits.  To me, these scarves–my scarf-a-palooza scarves–are meant for friends.  A hug around the neck to show them how much I appreciate and care for them.  They aren’t really Christmas gifts, who needs the pressure of knitting for the holidays.  They are meant to be cold weather surprises, and yes they show my love.

Are these intricately knitted pieces of art? Nope, bulky yarn and giant needles, but very very very good yarn.  Each scarf that comes off the needles has impressed me more than the one before.  It really is in the yarn, and how with just some simple knit and purl combinations magic happens.  I still have more yarn and more scarves to go.  As I get them done I put the scarves in the mail and send them off to surprise friends.  Tonight as I was wrapping up my latest creations and wrapping them in tissue paper and ribbon I realized I was grinning from ear to ear.  I have always hated knitting scarves, but there’s some sort of scarf-a-palooza knitting magic happening this year.

The Universe seems to be nudging me along to get these scarves finished and in the mail.  I trust the nudges, pull out the needles and know as soon as the scarf as finished who it would be perfect for.

The knitting an purling continue…Nothing special, no fancy stitches just a little bit of love, and maybe that is what is really the magic?

“Let your heart guide you. It whispers so listen closely.” ~unknown

Now to have a little fun knitting…

It’s time to pull out some of that really really nice yarn and work on a few Christmas gifts for friends.  No agenda of gifts to knit, I will knit what I want, and randomly gift people with handknitted items.  I had some light gray Cascade chunky alpaca yarn that was super soft.  I decided that it was going to be a scarf and started looking for patterns.  I found a great pattern online for called the “show-off scarf” that was so easy, even a brand new beginner knitted could do it.  I moved up to size 10 needles, and with the chunky alpaca yarn it was perfect.

I am not a big fan of knitting scarves, I get bored easily and the end up feeling like torture.  This scarf only took about two nights of knitting.  I worked up very quickly, and I had enough yarn left to make a hat.

I’ve started a new scarf with Highlander Alpaca with a Twist.  I increased the stitch count to 24.  Of course by the time I have finished with this scarf I will be bored with this pattern, but if you need a scarf that knits up quickly, you might want to give this one a try.

I went to the library today to track down some Christmas type crafty ideas.  I found a few things, but nothing earth shattering.  I may need to look through the books I already have, or maybe a Google search.  I’m thinking some sort of super cute ornament.  Sooner or later something will call my name.

 

 

Mission Accomplished…

I set a goal to knit 10 pairs of slippers/socks for one of my Hospice groups.  They wanted to give their patients something special during the holidays.  I did my best to use washable yarn, so the slippers/socks are all washable and easy care. They are a variety of sizes, and I hope the recipients feel the warmth and the love knitted into them.

Me? I’m just glad to be done knitting slippers.  I did do a pair of waffly looking socks there on the left that was a fun pattern with no heel that might be a thought for some knitted Christmas projects for friends.  If I have time, and if I feel like it.  No worries, and no deadlines.   If I get things made, I do, if I don’t the recipient’s will have no clue that they missed out on anything.

Ohhhh soft chunky gray baby alpaca it felt nice to pull you out and think about your possibilities.  I have two very nice skeins of yarn from Brooks Farms Yarn that are beautiful, and will make great scarves and hats for two special Texas men in my life.  More than likely I’ll do a very simple pattern, this yarn speaks for itself no matter what I’ve used it for in the past.  It’s fun to knit with, and makes it worth suffering through a very long scarf project.

Any great, simple, manly scarf patterns that you think might work?

Today’s thought….What are you thankful for?  A friend put down the challenge that from now until Thanksgiving to come up with one thing to be thankful for every day.   I think I should have started this long before Thanksgiving, I think I have a great life, and I am thankful for so much.  Today it was the surprise card I got in the mail from my friend David in St. Louis.  A few days ago I had a 2010 calendar in the mail from my friend Susan the Red Dirt Knitter.  I am in awe at times at how lucky I am to have so many special people a part of my world.

Can you meet the challenge? One thing to be thankful for every day between now and Thanksgiving? How about from now until NEXT Thanksgiving?

All this and she is crafty too?

I decided it was time for a change.  A few years ago I started my Wandering Cyberspace from the Cornfields blog.  I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I don’t live in the cornfields anymore, I live in Texas.  So, I’ve decided to start transitioning my crafty type stuff to this blog.

Right now I’m up to my elbows in slipper knitting for one Hospice group.  I have promised ten pairs of slippers by early December.  As of right now I have 8 1/2 pairs made.  They are a variety of patterns, and when I am finished with them I will post photos.  I’m sure that their patients will appreciate my handknitted efforts.

I’m also working on a scrapbook of bereavement cards for Hospice number two.  A few weeks ago they gave me a stack of cards, an empty scrapbook and some paper to put into the pages.  I had no clue how to put this all together, but seemed to come up with something that pleased them.  It was a challenge, and I figured anything was an improvement over the folder they were all stuck in before I got them.  I’ll make a trip to JoAnn’s tomorrow to get some more printed paper sheets and etc. to do the new pages.  It looks like there are some letters this time, that will give me a new challenge.

I’m starting to think about making Christmas ornaments and Christmas gifts…

..any ideas? great patterns?

Ann