$600 Hat

 

Monday morning started out like every other Monday, laundry day and I had a hair apt.  

Around 9am this flies by me:

Sunday I had cleaned out my church bag and put my current hat on the work center in the kitchen.  Somehow Chunky got up there and got the yarn chewed off in 2 places and wrapped around his tail.  I spent most of the day chasing him through the house and finally got the yarn cut down to about 12", there are 2 pieces here about a yard long.  He got under the bed and I went to see if I could see the yarn and cut it off. I noticed one piece was about 4" long, which meant the other part was somewhere, did he eat it?  So I called my vet to see what I should do, he suggested since it was almost 5 to take him to ER vet, so off we go in rush hour traffic.  

ER vet said since I did not know if he swallowed any yarn it would be hard to probably see anything with a scope or xrays.  He suggested I take him home and keep an eye on him for 48 hours.  There are no meds to induce vomiting for cats that really work.  So back home we go.

Tuesday morning I was awakened to hacking, figured it was Chunky, nope the kittens were all on the bed. It was BigBoy.  He tried to hack something up but nothing.  Then he walked a few steps with his back legs spread like maybe he had poop stuck.  Then he laid down and kind of froze.  My first thought was he had a seizure.  My vet was open so I scooped him and off we went.  Good news is no seizure and his numbers were the best they have been in a while.  Vet thinks he was overly stressed from Monday with Chunky.  He kept him a few hours to watch him and when I went to pick him up he was a happy little boy.

This morning all seem to be fine and Chunky has not delivered any yarn at either end. So I am thinking maybe he did not eat the yarn but now I wonder where it is.

So this hat was supposed to go to the homeless, but since it cost me $600 in vet bills, I am keeping it for the rest of my life.

Book 4: The Gentle Art of Domesticity

 I read this book a couple of years ago as a read along on a blog I follow.  You might want to check her out.  https://www.elefantz.com/

The author starts out talking about how women of the olden days had to knit socks, make clothes, make bread, make clothes, basically they had to make everything because there was no Wal-Mart or Amazon.  I sometimes think we should go back to those days.

Today you can buy anything you want and have it delivered.  I have a neighbor who hardly ever leaves her house.  During the lockdown there were several deliveries a day to her house and she has continued it.  

This book is about domesticity and the pleasures and joys of the gentle domestic arts of knitting, crocheting, baking, stitching, quilting, gardening and homemaking.  It gives us the opportunity to express ourselves.  When I was little I never sat still, well I still don't.  We lived in a little house behind my paternal grandmother who crocheted and knit to relax.  At age 4 she decided I needed to learn both in order to keep my mind sharp and mostly to sit still.  In High school I took Home Ec mostly cos I loved to cook and sew: it was an easy A class.  

You know how it is you go to the store and buy things and after you wash them they fall apart or they just don't last the year.  Yet I have dishcloths I have made for over 10 years now and my niece will probably inherit them some day.  There is something satisfying about making a new dishcloth and then using it, just a happy thing.

There is inspiration everywhere to do whatever art you wish to make your home your own.  How many hours do you spend on Pinterest?  This year's library winter reading challenge is right up my alley, works of art and my house is full of them.  Even that simple dishcloth is a work of art.  

This book is another one where I just like to look at the pictures and dream of the next "work of art" I will create.  The pictures are full  of color and there is a lot of humor in her life stories.

And So It Begins

 So I have a King size bed and in order to make my book afghan I did some measuring, yes there is math in knitting.  I finished my first square which is 7x7 and I need 15 in each row for 15 rows, so that is 225 squares.  Last year I read 124 books so this may turn into a 2 year project or I need to only read and make squares for the rest of the year.

I have read 6 books so far this year so I am gonna take a break this weekend and catch up on my squares and attach as I go.  

Do not even ask me how ends there will be to weave in, all the more reason to attach and weave in ends as I go.

Stay tuned. 

There Will Be Math

 There is very little needed to yarn bomb.  You need yarn.  Some prefer wool but I think the only yarn to use is cheap acrylic, the cheaper the better cos it is probably older and you can not destroy it.  If you find a thrift store that sells yarn you can get it really cheap.  However remember you may need a lot depending on what you are doing.  I know we used several thousand yards creating the item for the Irish Market.  Dig through your stash, you know you have tons of little balls of leftovers.  I think worsted works best.  You do not want to use a thin yarn or you will be working on it forever. 

Hooks or needles, I prefer wood or Karbonz, much easier on my hands but use what you are comfortable.  Get different sizes cos we all know if the label says size 4 it is not always a size 4.  I once ordered yarn based on what the pattern called for which was worsted and when I got it it was more like sport.  Not a good thing.  Once again you can get hooks and needles at thrift stores, but be careful because a lot of them are the Boye medal needles and plastic hooks. If you can not work with these wait til places have them on sale.  Of course you probably have several in your stash.

You will need yarn needles to sew pieces together, make sure you get the metal ones, don't ask how many plastic ones I have snapped in half pulling through stitches.  

Tape measure. I told you there would be math. If you are doing a piece for a specific item you want it to fit so you will need to take measurements. You also need to get your gauge down, so you have to make a dreaded swatch or two. 

Lots of scratch paper.  I can not tell you how many pieces of paper we went through drawing up our plans, color coding, etc.  Colored pencils are needed if you want your colors to look good together or for creating charts.

First you need to know what you are "dressing."  Then take the measurements and start the planning and drawing.

The book talks about stealth knitting/crocheting and hanging the project.  People may ask you what you are making.  I don't agree with that. Tell people what you are doing, they may want to help knit/crochet or help you hang it or let people know so the work can be admired.  

If you have a basket of swatches and do not know what to do with them, use them in your yarn bomb.  

The book has several patterns in it.  There is a chapter on rectangle tags (they call the pieces tags).  The book is full of beautiful pictures showing what all you can do.

How about making flowers and planting them in a flower bed in the dead of winter?  How about wrapping trees in vibrant colors?  Wrap a fence post.  Wrap a bus stop bench.  

There are several interviews with yarn bomb groups.  You may run into police or security who will charge you with littering or graffiti and you will have to pay the ticket.  You may find people will steal or damage your work.  

It is a fun book. If you have every thought  of yarn bombing get the book there are tons of ideas, lots of help and just have fun.

 

Snow Matter What

 I finished my gnomes for the 2025 January GKAL. I did Snow Matter What which is a two-fer.  I decided since we got more snow overnight I would take my pictures in the snow.  The snowball fight is about to commence.  Yes there is an extra carrot in case the snow man loses his in all the snow.  

And you have to make snow angels right?

These were fun and I can see how they can be addictive, now where do I put them so inquiring little paws do not think I made new toys for them.

Happy 16th Anniversary

 16 years ago 6 of us took a Top-Down Sweater class.  The yarn we used had part alpaca in it and I chose a gray/black color.  The class was 6 weeks long.  We did not finish our project so we decided to stay together and finish it.  We met at the different houses until it was completed. 

We wanted to stay in touch so we created the SSK knitting group.  (Sometimes Sunday Knitters)  We took on the February Lady Sweater as our next group project.  We then moved to meeting once a month, we were all still working and it gave us more time to get our "homework" done when doing a group project.

We have had people come and go from the group but today 3 of the original 6 still remain.  We meet once a month still on Sunday and often just sit and visit and catch up.  We have been through a lot together.  I love this group because we actually care about each other.  When it is our birthday month the birthday person picks a restaurant and we all go to lunch.  We often do field trips and other things.  Lately not much knitting has been getting done when we meet but that is ok cos we get to catch up and just hang out for a couple of hours.

Here's to at least 16 more.

Book 3: Yarn Bombing The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti

Yarn Bombing is really graffiti with yarn.  It is an unexpected piece of happy when you discover it.  It can be about anything the artist wants it to be.  While graffiti is illegal in a lot of places, is yarn bombing really illegal although it is a type of graffiti. The great thing about yarn bombing is you can remove it and it does not damage whatever it is covering.  

  Oh look there is a 10th anniversary book out.  How fun would it be to yarn bomb the bull?

 When my Irish Center knit group found out Browne's Irish Market, just down the street, had been the victim of a hate crime, we wanted to do something.  One of the group members had been at the River Market that weekend.  Someone had yarn bombed a bus stop and the bench and a bike.  The person who did this came and talked to us about doing a yarn bomb for the Irish Market.  (Sorry I can not remember her name).  After some brain storming we decided we could do this. 

We did try to recreate the Irish Market, Redemptorist Church, the VFW, and the Irish Center and then placed some houses in between.  

NPR came one day and did an extensive online story about it.  We were not quite done but laid out all the pieces:

 

 I found my post of April 1 2019 where my previous knit group hung our yarn bomb.  Browne's Irish Market about half a mile from the Irish Center was the victim of  a hate crime.  They have a fence that runs along the side of their property and so it was the perfect place to hang it.  After literally 9 months our "baby" was born and hung.  

One of the priests from the Redemptorist Church across the street came and blessed it.  We had news crews, NPR, and some of the Irish consulate was in town so they were there as well.  Needless to say it was a great day.  It hung til October 1 when it was replaced with over 100 hats for the homeless to take.

We were all surprised it was not damaged at all, not even one of the buttons was taken, we knew the angels were guarding our piece.  The whole purpose was to show support in the Irish community.  

I have always wanted to do another one, but my knit group said no.  I have thought about doing some in my yard.  Maybe I will think harder on this one.  

 

Monday, April 01, 2019

One of Those Days

Today was one of the best days of my life.  We hung the yarn bomb.  We had a priest bless the piece after it was hung and several of the businesses in the piece came as well as we hung it to be enjoyed by the community.  For those who don't know the background.  Last June Browne's Irish Market was the victim of a hate crime but it has turned into a love crime for all the love and support they have received.  We at the Irish Center wanted to do something to show some support and love and this is what we came up with.

It took us about 9 months from conception to completion, so the baby was born today.  It was a labor of love, wondering if we could do this, and some frustration along the way, but... it is done. 

The Rest of Crafting A Patterned Home

 We move to the Living Room and Library. Did I mention there are a few pictures of her cats in the book.  She starts out talking about how their house was built in 1751.  Can you imagine living there?  This chapter has a lot of patterns for making the pillows, and a painted table top. She talks about seeing needlepoint pillows and turning the pattern into a knitted one.  Did you know she worked for a yarn company and has many patterns out there?  

A lot of their furniture is 2nd hand, is there any better.  Older furniture is built so much better than the stuff today.  Like walls sometimes all you need to do is re-upholster and voila you have a new piece of furniture.  

How about creating your own wallpaper.  The wall in the library has quite the stenciling and painting.  Looking at it I have to wonder how she kept the colors from blurring into each other.  Reminds me of trying to polish my saddle oxfords - you can not get the black on the white and you can get the white on the black. I hated those shoes and as hard as I tried I could not destroy them.  While the paper itself is busy she also puts some framed pictures up which are busy as well.  But it works, the frames separate the wallpaper from the picture and breaks things up so you see the picture more than the wallpaper.  

The bedroom has these huge sunflowers painted in muted golds and greens.  It does make it look very cheery.  She has the cutest little door on one wall. I wonder what is there?  There are patterns for decorating a lampshade, a stool, more pillows ( I love the polka dot pillow on her bed), slipcovers, and even her closet doors are patterned.  

I imagine there is not a wall that is bare in her house as well as each piece of furniture covered in warm comfortable afghans and pillows that just invite you to lay down and take a nap.

Let's move outside. I remember she would post the beautiful sunflowers on her blog.  There were hundreds of them in all colors.  She has a pottery shed and garden shed.  I would love to have both but my HOA would have a cow.  Besides living in the city I am not sure how safe it would be.  I do have garter snakes that live under the shed and I sure would not want critters living in my craft/garden sheds.  

My favorite part of the book is about Maud Lewis.  Look her up.  Briefly Maud was a Canadian Folk Artist born with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.  She was in a lot of pain and could not do much.  Her mom taught her to paint and so she made Christmas cards and sold them. Her parents died and she lived with her aunt.  She met Everett Lewis and got married. They lived in a one room house and every inch of it was decorated in some pattern and color.  She continued her painting and sold them.  When they both died concerned citizens did not want the home destroyed so it is in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. 

The book is full of inspiration and patterns and how-tos to make your house more your own.  In the back are templates to help you get started.  I enjoy sitting and just looking at the pictures and getting ideas.  Maybe someday I will get brave enough to decorate some of my walls.  My library carries this book so go to the Library (get a card if you don't have one) and check it out.