It's in the bag...

Something that I've always tried to maintain is a level of organization in my knitting toolbox.  I hate it when I'm snuggled down in my knitting chair, and I need a pair of scissors, or a darning needle or a piece of waste yarn to hold thumb stitches of a mitten in progress.  Here's my list of must have items.

1. The bag is tiny enough to fit in any project bag I have, so it can go with me wherever I'm knitting.  I made it, which makes me feel super crafty.
2. Gauge tool, needle sizer and mini ruler.
3. Tape measure ( the cutest little peppermint that you ever did see!)
4. Scissors.
5. Chibi darning needles.  I really love that they came with a little case.  I would have lost these needles years ago if I didn't have it.
6. Stitch markers.
7. More stitch markers.  I lose a lot of stitch markers.
8.  Another pair of scissors.  Just in case I lose the first pair.
9. Crochet hook for dropped stitches, or just for hooky goodness.
10. Waste yarn for holding stitches.
11. Mini cable needle, just in case my fingers get tired of cabling without a needle.
12.  Row counter.
13.  Two kinds of split stitch markers.


I hope you enjoyed a peek in my toolbox!  What's in yours?

Skills, and an FO.

Today I will come clean about my creative block.  It's been going on for a while now.  Take a deep breath, because you're about to hear a doozy- 

Knitting doesn't do it for me anymore.

Gasp!


I know.  It really sucks, and I hate it.  But there's part of me that is just not into it anymore, the old passion isn't there.  In the past year I don't think I've really learned anything more about knitting.  I still love yarn, and woolly goodness and the act of making things, but the pointy sticks are less irresistible to me now.  


I know that one can never learn everything in a particular field.  But where I am right now, I feel as though I've learned what I want about knitting.  Every new technique was attacked!  Lace, mosaic, felting, colorwork, intarsia, entrelac, socks, mittens, sweaters, hats and scarves.  There are tons of things that I haven't done, like knit a sweater in pieces and sew it up (eeek!) that I don't want to do.  


I've been trying to work through what this means to me as a person.  For years I've thought of myself as a Knitter with a capital K.  It's been a large part of my identity.  I take pride in the creative process and being part of a long line of knitters.  


I don't really want you to call me the "C" word, but it has become more tempting to me lately.  Crochet.  About a year ago I took a crochet class, and although it was a two hour balls to the wall "Learn to Crochet NOW!" experience, I've had a really great time casually playing around with the stitches and experimenting with the craft.  


Don't get me wrong, I'm not trading in the needles for a hook.  All I'm saying is that I have a wandering eye right now, and it feels good to look.  

Pattern: Granny Bunting (Rav Link)

Yarn: Cascade 220 (the purple is from my stash)

Hook: 3.5 mm

I had so much fun making this silly little bunting.  I really love the act of learning, of figuring out how to make a stitch, or turn at the end of a row.  I love feeling a challenge, even though this is an entry level project.  


I'm really happy where I am with my creative journey.  It's been a long time since I've felt that spark, that adventurous "I need to make that now feeling".  Hopefully, all I need is a short break from the needles, and it will give me the motivation that I need to be inspired by Knitting once again.  

Tales.

I'm participating in the Knit and Crochet Blog Week.  Check it out!

I have a confession to make.  I posted about my favorite yarn here when I first started blogging in August of 2009.

Dyer: Hello Yarn

Yarn: Fat Sock

Colorway: Vegetation

In the linked post I was saying something along the lines of "Yes oh yes!  I'm definitely going to knit that up pronto!  Right away!  Soon!"  I'm such a liar.  Both 50 g skeins are still unwound, patiently waiting to be knit.  I still feel like I might mess up the yarn if I knit with it.  Maybe next year I'll get around to it.


But it's not just Hello Yarn yarn that I'm hoarding, I'm also holding onto bags and bags of spinning fiber.  Yes, it's true.  I was part of the Hello Yarn Fiber Club for a little under a year, and I still have not spun a single skein.  I finally had to drop out- I couldn't justify spending the money if I wasn't working with the materials.  Take a look at a sample of the colorways in my possession:

Fiber: Targhee

Colorway: Garland

Fiber: 85% Kid Mohair, 15% Nylon and 2% Fine Merino
Colorway: Loch

Fiber: 60% Superwas Merino, 30% Bamboo and 10% Nylon

Colorway: Grim

Isn't the fiber beautiful unspun?  I know I should spin the fiber, and then knit with it, but it looks amazing just the way that it is!  I think the last fiber, Grim, is my favorite. I really love how the bamboo picks up the dye differently, so that there are pale wisps throughout the fiber.

Pickled Radishes.

I've been trying to keep busy the last few days.  I've been cleaning the house, reading like a fiend, cooking and pickling.  Radishes.  And Good God are they good!

My Mister gave me Momofuku for my birthday last year, and I've been pouring over it and drooling all over the pages.  Chang outlines a basic formula for making pickles, and basically says to go ahead a pickle what you want.  Pears?  Sure!  Watermelon rind?  Absolutely!  I had a couple of bunches of radishes on hand and pickle them I did.  And it was so simple, so shockingly easy.

These are refrigerator pickles, so they only keep for about three weeks, but I don't think that really matters.  I know that you're supposed to wait for the full pickling effect to take place- but we just couldn't wait.  The jar is empty.

Pickled Radishes
Adapted from Momofuku

2 bunches radishes
3/4 cup rice vinegar
4 T sugar
1 t salt

Wash radishes and remove the ends, and slice them into quarters.  Place radishes in jar.  In a small sauce pan heat the vinegar, sugar and salt.  Swirl the sugar and salt until they dissolve.  Pour vinegar mixture over the radishes and wait for the magic to happen.  I waited overnight and they were quite picklicious.

Tidepooling.

It was a balmy 43 degrees F today.  Mister and I went to the ocean and walked the shoreline and talked about life and death and aging and immortality.  It's talks like that that make me realize how lovely our relationship is, and how much I value his ideas and support.   We explored tide pools and admired the colors and the life within.

When we first stepped on the beach I told my mister "I want to find a tiny sand dollar today".

I just finished reading The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, so the periwinkles were especially interesting.  I never really thought I would call snails "interesting".  But I just did.    

My Nanie died today.  She had a stroke in her sleep and passed away early in the morning.

She had been sick for a while- Parkinson's disease robbed her of her memory and left her a sweet shell of the person she once was.

I am who I am because of her.  She taught me to knit, cook and bake.  She showed me that domestic things weren't to be disparaged, but done with pride a positive attitude.  She was an avid reader her whole life and "didn't have much use for television".

When I was little I would spend the night and we would play games (she wouldn't let me win, which I loved) and she would make me popcorn in the air popper and she would drizzle LOTS of butter on the top and salt it really well and we would sit together and eat popcorn and play skip-bo.

I love and miss her.

Little things...

...Making me happy.

~~My little potted Daffodil.  The flowers haven't sprung from the earth here yet, but there's a little bit of spring in my $3.99 purchase.

~~Tea with a good friend.  We went to Jacqueline's Tea Room and had the best time relaxing and eating and drinking amazing tea.

~~It was my bosses birthday this week.  He got "Cock flavored soup".  I have the best bosses in the world.

~~Loving The sound of a Wild Snail Eating so much I don't want it to end.  I never knew snails could be so interesting!  And she's a fellow Mainer!

~~I've been giving myself manicures and pedicures.  I always thought that was a lame way to give yourself a boost of morale, but I totally get it now.  Pretty nails make me feel like a lady.

~~I've been hooking again.  I'm loving it this time.  My goal is to make this.

~~Daylight savings time.  Hallelujah. 

Fantasies.

I've been having the most amazingly vivid fantasies lately.  I'm walking down the beach, the sun is shining and the breeze is cool and gentle and rustling in my ears.  The light is reflecting on the ocean and playing with the waves.  There are people enjoying the day, kids are building sandcastles and playing chicken on the edge of water and sand.  

And here's where it gets very specific-  I'm wearing summer clothes.  I've found a lovely little bathing suit in case I feel like braving the cold ocean.  There's a pretty small sundress with a tiny floral print.  It skims my thighs and threatens to blow up, but I don't care because in my fantasy I'm not self conscious in the least.  I'm wearing cute new sandals an have a satchel slung casually over my shoulder.   I have my camera in hand, just waiting for the perfect shot to present itself.   

I'm just filled with such longing for warmer weather.  I've been online shopping, something I really never do. I'm looking a dresses and sandals and cute sun hats and sunglasses.  I can't wait to just soak in the sun and feel the warmth and relax and enjoy all the summer has to offer.  

What parts of summer are you fantasizing about? 

There's hope!

The trees are budding.  The snow is melting.  The sky is blue with fluffy white clouds.

Slowly but surely, spring is on its way.

Are you seeing any signs of spring?