Friends are Everywhere!!!

I feel like I am always apologizing to all of you these days ... I haven't posted in too long but I suppose that this is better than I have been in the past and I will continue to strive to blog regularly --- I promise!

I had a marvelous trip to the North Carolina mountains a couple of weeks ago to visit a little treasure of a yarn shop nestled in a small town full of personality, Burnsville, NC.  Yummi Yarns is currently housed together with The Design Gallery which was so much fun to see.  I was busy with Pastiche workshops for much of the time there but I did get the chance to wander around to see the fabulous artwork, pottery, jewelry and woodwork that owner Wendy Reid has gathered for all to appreciate.  Wendy will be moving Yummi Yarns to its own location just across from the local cafe - perfect!!!  It's hard to believe that the shop will be even better than it is but I can't wait to see.

Back to the original theme of this post... I met Wendy last year at SAFF in Asheville and immediately felt that I had a new best friend!  I made more best friends this weekend ... The ladies in my workshops were all so much fun (once again, was I really working?) Thanks to Katherine, Linda, Ruth and Laura for being such great students!...And one even graciously invited me into her lovely mountain home.  Myrna and I had a fun sleepover and I got to wake up to this...

And here is the view from the Myrna's living room!  We got to enjoy this while knitting and sipping coffee... I wonder if Myrna still appreciates the mountain beauty after seeing it every day!  I'll bet she does :)

I keep finding new friends everywhere!  Thanks to Yummi Yarns and its customers for being such a welcoming bunch :)

Does it count as procrastination?

If I delay doing one business task with another, does it count as procrastination?  I just have a teeny bit of work to do to finish the pattern for Collared Greens and for some reason I keep finding some excuse to do something else...oh, the human psyche...

MFSB Graciously Modeling the first Collared Greens (Berroco Vintage)

Collared Greens (Cascade Venezia)

Could there be a better "JOB"?

Good Morning World!  I was just thinking this morning how incredibly lucky I am to have the opportunity to be doing what I am doing... last week I "had" to go to a shop I haven't been to in a while, "Knit N Knacks", and "had" to meet a whole bunch of really nice new friends and knit with them while chatting and getting to know them.  Saturday I taught at Only Ewe and Cotton Too in Alpharetta where I "had" to "work" with some great friends on a really fun project - one of my designs - Pastiche!  Sunday back to Only Ewe for regular knit group.  Then "work", "work", "work" Monday on patterns, social media...  Tuesday I went to a regular knit group at The Yarn Garden Knit Shop in Lawrenceville where I "had" to, you guessed it, sit and knit and chat with some great friends ... oh I just thought of something, I can call it "networking" to sound more official and "jobby"!  Today I go back to The Yarn Garden to "work", teach the first in a series of workshops also for "Pastiche"and "have" to go to The Atlanta Knitting Guild tonight to "network" ;)  Next Tuesday I have to go to Lovin' Knit because I haven't made it there to the knitting group to "network" and it goes on and on.  What did I do to be so incredibly fortunate that I "have" to do all this "networking"???  I remember hearing something at least several times before, "if you work in what you love and are passionate about, you will never work a day in your life" - Wow! How lucky I am :)  Thank you all!!!

This is "Kudzu" - pattern coming soon ... it's taking over Atlanta!

One of My Favorite Things

It's been a while and I don't want to fall into my old habit of stopping blogging...so here I am to tell you about one of my absolutely favorite apps for iPhone and iPad.  It's called Knit Evenly  and it does a very limited, simple task that is INCREDIBLY helpful for knitters.  You plug in the number of stitches that are on your needles currently, the number of stitches you want to increase or decrease, and touch a button to indicated whether you want to increase or decrease and VOILA!  The stitches you should make are spelled out in 2 ways:  the easiest to remember and the more evenly spaced.  THe app will even walk you through step by step if you want.   Absolutely incredible.  I am immersed in "Pastiche" right now and it takes the guesswork and inevitable rework out when you need to change the number of stitches you are working with.  I give Knit Evenly a hearty "thumbs up"!!!  Here are some pictures of Pastiche Take 2.

A Fibery Corner of the World

As y'all can tell, I must have had a wonderful time in Asheville, NC last week!  I visited a couple of yarn shops in the area and had a blast.  Got to stop in at Paradise Fibers (downtown Asheville) while the driving rain kept their regular knitting group away -- boo hoo --- but on the positive side I got to have a nice visit with Renee and her buds!

Friends and Fiberworks in the Biltmore Square Mall got the majority of my time during my hasty visit --definitely stop in if you are in the area!  It is rare that I get to feel so completely welcomed and I was tired and bedraggled after a long drive so I am certain that I didn't really do my part :)  Thanks to Lisa and her crew - I had a blast and was only sorry that I couldn't stay for the Winter Retreat!  As you can see they got it all (including More Than Knotz Patterns!) - I did take a picture of their store front but my iphone ate it!

Asheville LOVE

I love living in Atlanta, I really do, but...there is a city about 4 hours by car away that captured my heart several years ago.  Asheville, North Carolina - A small city at under 100,000 in population was ranked several years ago as #1 for fall foliage, #1 in top 25 small cities, Beer City USA ( I am not sure whether that matters to me :)), #6 for business and career, #2 arts destination (:)), and was included in the top 11 for baby boomers active retirement destinations.

Now, I do truly understand that statistics can be manipulated to reflect whatever the statistician or marketeer desires.  Here's why I tend to believe most of this propaganda...First off, I do need to say that I am in disagreement about the #1 ranking for fall foliage!  I am from the northeast originally and have to contend that New England beats Asheville hands down in this regard - sorry!  Not everyone is as dogged as I am in getting up to New England soooooo for those living in the South who want to get some good leaf peeping in, Asheville is arguably a marvelous choice!

Now on to to my own brand of Asheville edification.  Upon arriving in Asheville, I get the happy homey feeling that used to only be reserved for Boston and my childhood home in Pennsylvania.  I immediately and consistently feel wholeheartedly welcomed by all those I come across in my travels.  Asheville is artsy with a capital A - down to earth and people actually wear their art on the sleeves ( literally) - love it! It is a visually stimulating place to be - makes me happy!

Lastly ( and this list is most certainly not all-inclusive but this post is quickly becoming a book) --- SNOW!!! Being a Yankee transplant to the South, I miss the snow.  Not the everyday, gotta get to work, scrape off the car and shovel the driveway variety but the wonder and beauty of new falling snow that actually leaves evidence on the grass, rooftops etc!  In Atlanta, this happens very rarely, a little too rarely for my tastes.   Well...Today (we are due for some snow even in Atlanta) in Asheville, they might get 4 inches!  I will put this aside for now and hopefully will have some pictures of a winter wonderland to share with you.... I'm baaaack, can't wait any longer for pictures...maybe I will wake up to snow in the morning :)

Social Media

My 2013 all-encompassing goal is to dive into all (maybe not all ) the different social media venues out there for fun, learning and to give me something to do other than writing, editing and posting my knitting patterns during my "office hours".  Yes - office hours are another major goal of mine...I can design and knit (especially knit) til the cows come home but getting truly organized and intentional in my business is a little trickier.  I need to force myself for a while until it becomes a habit.

The sites I am starting out with and will be focusing on are Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, a little bit of Instagram, YouTube.  Here are links to my profiles / pages / whatever (Guess I need to learn the lingo too :))


I have learned a few things about social media so far

1. There are a lot of people that are pretty into it
2. I have a LOT to learn
3. It's FUN and One can spend too much fun time looking around aka it can be a time suck 
4. I have a LOT to learn....
5. I need to learn how to make those icons above be links.... :) For now, you will just have to search for me ...

Anyway, I hope that y'all enjoy, "like", "follow", and mostly just be my friend. Oh, and join my Ravelry group (More Than Knotz) to be sure to hear about special promotions in my Ravelry store... Check soon - there is one coming up!

Talk to you soon :)

Perhaps????

Maybe, just maybe, I could get blogging again ... I have been knitting, spinning and designing a lot and need a place to document it.  Things on the job search front have not panned out yet but I am still hopeful that the perfect career will make itself known as I keep putting out feelers... In the meantime, tell all your friends to buy patterns!!!  I have recently added a few and there are more to come so check it out.  You can search in patterns for More Than Knotz and find them all easily :)

Chaotica

Wow...I don't even remember how to blog anymore...it took a little while to get to the right spot (and a LONG while to get revved up to post :))!!!  My life has been somewhat chaotic recently -- not really the reason for the latest knitting design but seemed to be an appropriate name for the project!  I have had this great cotton / rayon blend worsted weight ivory-colored yarn in my stash for quite some time and it has wanted to become some kind of cable-y, swingy kind of cardigan...I searched through every one of a gazillion free and otherwise patterns on Ravelry and absolutely none of them inspired me -- either too constructed, too cable-y or not at all cable-y sooooo, even though I really didn't want to design another sweater ... here I go again! 

This is a top-down, raglan-sleeve VERY randomly cabled cardigan-jacket.  I don't know yet whether it will be cropped or a-line, with or without ribbing but it is F-U-N!  I hope that I will be able to build a pattern around the creativity!  Sizing the pattern, which is my nemesis with a capital "N", should be straight-forward because it can be made-to-fit...yay!!!

More news..no longer at the grind ...needed to have the time and presence of mind to find a real job so am now fervently looking for my second career - wish me luck!

Also I am placing a link to MFS's spinning blog www.spinningsarah.com - congratulations Sarah!

Muses...

The knitting muses are strong as ever but the writing muses are alas...wimpy ... (at best)... WOrking on a white cropped cotton cardi for DDK - top-down raglan in Provence cotton...yummy!  Also (just so I don't feel as if I am out of the group-knit groove, I decided to join the knit-along of Hemlock Ring Blanket at OE...I have been teasing MFD (who is graciously leading the knit-along) that intentionally creating heat is not really that smart :)  We had a heat index of 99 degrees here yesterday (actually only 96 or so) and here we are knitting with 100% wool, heavy worsted no less...we will see how far we get :) before a little timeout for the project!

Almost done with the patterns but time got away from me last week...I will keep on plugging away on them...I just want to make sure that the sizing is acurate...

Have an awesome day ... talk to you soon...

Interesting...

Take a look at this :)  I have been listening to some podcasts while working (knitting :)) recently and came across graffitti knitting - much better than traditional graffitti I think :) who would have thunk?  Maybe a new use for no longer used items ???  I have been trying to come up with where long term extended care for knitwear will be... maybe donated to the guild for raffles ... I have given to a knitting group before just for their own personal use and people seemed pleased with that... anyway the house is getting overrun so...

Here's the latest - "Solstice Shell"

Technology ...hmmmmmm

My technical muse aka Elyse is inspiring me to get with it and start tweeting and facebooking more regularly...I have no idea how long this will take me but inch by inch it's a cinch so just need to start looking into it...I did some self training on inkscape (the free technical graphics tool I will be using) the other day and while I learned quite a bit, I will be publishing a couple of sweater patterns without the schematics (but WITH good measurement info so I don't get hung up any longer) ... "Bella Color-Yoke Tee", "Swinglet Cabled Cardi", and "Flock"  will be finished and up on Ravelry by the end of the week (as long as I can put the needles down long enough to type :))

Blocking and Rocking...

Dragonfly "Wings" is blocking...it's always a little scary when you are working with a fiber that grows when wet...but happy when you get to make up the pattern such that it takes that into consideration :)  It blocked to measurements perfectly!  (My math skills are rusty but in working order :)) I have totally enjoyed working on this and it will be so light and soft when complete.  Next step will be to knit edgings and decide just how many wings a Dragonfly should have :)

"Magical" is progressing nicely...I finally decided on the colorwork pattern and partially completed the pattern around the lower hem - a little tricky when knitting the body flat in one piece AND decreasing for an a-line shape at the same time but I chose the colorwork band taking that into consideration so the decreases will be hard to spot - yay...pictures soon :)

Of course, the project count briefly dropped so I am swatching for a little vest / shell out of Cotton Supreme - think cables and seed stitch - great yarn - carried at Only Ewe and Cotton Too...

Hope Your Holiday was Memorable...

I have to be quick because I just had a schedule change at the grind but I wanted to make sure to post since it's been a few days...

Finished "Flock" but gotta block the "Flock" before getting a final pattern picture :)  - no calculations for sizing required so I will get the pattern up on Ravelry in a few days...  just so you know this will be prettier on a body and the color is great (not through my camera's eyes...)

I also finished the second sleeve of "Dragonfly Wings"  ...  I LOVE this and can't wait to get it blocked and assembled...  this probably won't get published for a couple months as I don't think people will mind waiting for an, although lightweight, wool sweater :)

A few more calculations for "Swinglet Cable Cardi" (remember that one?) and the pattern will be available and I can bring the sample to Only Ewe!!!

Next on the pattern finishing agenda will be "Bella Color-Yoke Tee" - it shouldn't take as long as "Swinglet"  not too many crazy calculations...

That's it for now folks...see you soon!

The Flock is in Flight...

Flock (pre-ruffle) is complete - these are pictures of the piece dry-blocked...because of my shaping, this will take some heavy blocking but I like how the seed stitch arches...hopefully you can see in the pictures...

That's all for today - gotta ruffle before shopping with DDK :)

One Can Never Have Too Many Projects?

I officially have cast-onitis :)  Of course, I did finish Botanica Medallion Cardi (pictures on Ravelry) and Raglan Leaf Tee to satisfy my need to not think ... :) But anyway...these are the new kids on the block...thanks to MFG and MFL and some Malabrigo Lace in my stash, I had to cast on Citron

A fun and easy knit ... only that there's a LOT of purling...I don't really mind purling but in the ruched (sp?) areas, there are a lot of stitches and my Citron hasn't even gotten very big yet!  I know someone who may not want to attempt this one (you know who you are :)) because of the massive amount of purling...

Next on the roll we have "Flock", a shawlette with a simple lace ruffle planned...my Madeleinetosh "Pashmina has been calling to me ever since Stitches South!  I didn't even plan the shadow puppet!

This yarn is amazing once I got past the spat we had during the winding process...I am dreading winding the second skein but I will let you know how that goes - maybe the first was a fluke!  The yarn has cashmere and silk - very soft and nice to knit with!







And then, of course, "Magical Swing" is out of the gates.  I am very excited about this one, a high hip-length A-line jacket using DK Superwash Merino from The Knit Witch.  I am planning some textured colorwork on a backdrop of stockinette stitch and am knitting from the bottom, the entire body at the same time until the underarms.  I love this because, even though the rows are long in the beginning, by the time you get to the underarms, you are really close (and of course less finishing!)

Well...I also have started the second sleeve of "Dragonfly Wings"  ... getting close!

So can one have too many projects?  Cause as you guys (y'all) know, there's probably at least 10 that I am not telling you about (but they are kind of sleeping now so ... they DON'T count! :))

Hi Ho the Derry-o...

Here's a few pictures of our farm...

So much for K.I.S.S.  :)  We have 2 varieties of cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, banana peppers and strawberries and plans are underway for a salad lover's and salsa garden!  I will keep you posted as our crops come in. 







Now here is a real farm!  Dad of Knitwitch invited a group of outdoorswomen from Only Ewe for a "Paca Party" on Saturday.  We had a great time!

Jake and Bella (big (as the miniature horses),white, fluffy Great Pyrenees) were almost as big a hit as the Alpacas, Pot-bellied Pigs, Goats, Mini and Big Horses, Donkeys, Chickens, Peacock and other creatures living right in the heart of Alpharetta!  (technically Milton now :))

Here's a few more pictures to give you the flavor of our wonderful day!

This is my favorite ... makes me think of spinning :)
Of course Sambuca is pretty cute too...

Hee Haw!