Category: Blog

Disney was wonderful, as usual. I love living the fantasy. I wanted to move into Cinderella’s castle, have meals everyday at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, and lounge around the day with the mallard ducks (they are everywhere in CA). I feel whimsical and artistic, so I have been writing and knitting a lot. Today on the bus I tried knitting with my eyes closed; it was breathtaking. I can’t go too many stitches with my eyes closed, but with more practice, I’ll be better.

But there is something meditative and soulful about feeling the knitting with my fingers and relying on my hands to move the needles and stitches. It’s like instinct. And memorization. Brain power. I’m sure the people sitting around me thought I was insane, but at least I was serene! Buses have been making me sick lately, so the knitting helps me with my carsickness (or bus-sickness??). I’ve been crocheting a lot too. No, I haven’t forgotten my first love–crochet. My project is getting underway for my folklore class, so I have been pouring over pattern books. Ah, inspiration.

Happy March! I will officially be 21 in three days, 13 March, and I’m going to Disneyland. We are going to have so much fun. So before we leave, I’ve been working on finishing up some projects. First, my mom and I finished our first joint project, a gift for my aunt’s wedding. I’ll post pictures after the wedding. Second, I finished my first blanket to be donated to Project Linus. Here’s a pic:This is my own pattern–a straight granny square done in rows. This is also the first large afghan that I have made all in one piece.

Third, I finished the baby sweater for my cousin’s baby. It turned out to be one of the cutest things I’ve made, hood and all. Here’s the pic:
I’m so happy that I’m actually finishing projects. I have a bad habit of starting too many new projects without finishing the ones I’m working on. Right now my new love is mitered squares (from Mason Dixon Knitting). I’m making my second blanket for Project Linus out of these wonderfully hard squares. No pictures yet, after vacation!

Oh, here’s a picture I took of my crochet hooks. These belonged to my grandma and I cherish them very much.Check in for more pictures. I have a (borrowed) camera now, so I’m dangerous. I’m also starting research and work on my project for my folklore class, which will be about crocheted afghans and include lots of pictures.

I haven’t posted in awhile because I have been so busy with school and my many projects that I forget that I have a blog.
*Exciting news! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is going to be released 21 July 2007. Yeah, I am proud to declare that I am an obsessed fan. Look at my sidebar for a countdown. I’m also excited because a knitter has come out with a book called “Charmed Knits” that are based on the books/movies, which will be released in April 2007. As soon as I get this book, I will be knitting away on my Harry Potter items. Brilliant.*
My mom and I have decided to make an afghan for my aunt who is getting married in March. We are crocheting a blanket that contains 315 3×3 granny squares that must be sewn together one by one. It is a lot of work, but a beautiful pattern–gingham. We are making it in dark blue, light blue, and creme. It is going to be so beautiful and I can’t wait to have it finished. We are nearly half way done and have only been working on it for a week. Projects definitely go much faster when someone else is helping.
I am also going to be devoting my semester project in my American Folklore class to the tradition of crocheted afghans in my family. My Grandma and her sister knit and crocheted, I crochet and knit, and now my mom crochets. I will be taking photos of the many afghans I have received and made over the years, so I may post the pictures of my wonderful family history later this semester.
I may be working at a bookstore soon. I have an interview at Borders and I hope that I will get the job. I want to work in a bookstore soooo badly, I can hardly wait. Wish me luck in my interview and I will post when I get the job.

I have become a blanketeer for the organization Project Linus, which donates hand-made blankets to children in hospitals and children who have lost a parent in the military service. I am so excited to be making afghans for such a worthy cause. I’m almost finished with the first blanket I am going to donate, and I’m ready to start on the next one.
I went crazy at Wal-mart because they had a no-name brand acrylic yarn pounders on sale for less than four dollars; so I bought as much as I could, which rounded out to be around twenty-five pounders. I always love buying patterns and yarn for afghans, but usually don’t have anyone in mind to make blankets for. Now I can make as many as I want and donate them to someone who will cherish my afghans. It truly is more blessed to give than receive: I’m having so much fun.

I started classes again on Tuesday. I am taking four classes this semester, three on campus, one online. Luckily I only have classes two days a week, but I will have less time to post on my blog, as apparent. I want to try to post at least once a week to keep up-to-date.
 
Good news: I heard from “Lux: the Undergraduate Creative Review” again. I will be having two poems published in the magazine, due out this Spring. I’m really excited. It is wonderful to have my poetry published and I can’t wait to see them in print.
 
Most of my knitting ventures are taking place on the bus. Due to my car-sickness, I tend to avoid doing homework on the bus if I can. So, my knitting is always in my backpack, ready for the bus ride and the waiting between classes. I’ve seen some of the same people on the bus that I saw last semester, few which know me as the “Knitting Girl.” That is a wonderful title to have, isn’t it? I love it. I always get good reactions when people see me knitting on the bus. Most people are really interested in what I’m making.
 
Right now I’m working on a scarf that is basketweave pattern, made out of brown yarn that has dark brown flecks in it. My sister started working on it, but didn’t want it anymore, so I took it over. I really wanted the scarf to begin with, so now I’m finishing it. It’s easy to keep with me when I’m out and about because it is only using one color and it is a simple pattern. It’s been winter weather here in Arizona, which is surprising. The cold winds blow, the rains fall, and the clouds keep the sun away. I can’t wait to have my scarf done so I can wear it.

I have found my new love: my new “Needlemaster” set from Boye. I can make any combination of circular or straight needles for sizes 2 through 15. It’s wonderful. I was making the “Nina” shawl from “Mason Dixon Knitting” on straight needles, but wanted to use a circular. I couldn’t find a circular in a small enough size until I got my new set. I switched over to the circular, and now the shawl is working up faster and easier.
For my Nina shawl, I’m using baby sport weight yarn with a size 3 circular needle. I picked colors in shades of pink that are really close together: melon, bright pink, light, light pink, and white. I finished the checkerboard part at the beginning and have moved on into the striping. It looks cute since the colors are so close. I’ll try to get some pics up later.

I can’t decide. I’m obssessed with both for different reasons. Crochet has sentimental value; it was my first love. I know crochet so well, I do it in my sleep. I know every stitch, I can look at a piece and memorize the pattern, I taught myself everything I know about crochet. My grandma crocheted. My mom crochets. I have memories and heartstrings tied in crochet. Timeless, classic, contemporary, forever.
 
But knit, oh knit. How do I love thee? You are stealing my heart. Knit is hip, trendy, popular, fashion-forward, today. When I create knitted objects, it looks like they came from a store. The books are oh so wonderful. The challenge oh so enticing.
 
I am trapped. I am obssessed with yarning (definition: term used to describe knowledge of both knit and crochet, if not other crafts associated with yarn). I could never choose. They are two of my three children: writing, knitting, crocheting, in no particular order. You can’t play favorites with children.
 
“I could no sooner choose a favorite book than choose a star in the heavens.”

Here is my beautiful, award-winning afghan. I created and crocheted the pattern myself. This is a tribute to my grandma, Margaret, who inspired me to crochet. She was the only person in our family who crocheted and it was one of her trademarks. She always made gifts for new babies, usually a layette set, blanket, and mobile, and handmade Christmas gifts every year for all the grandchildren. Her favorite things to make were afghans and doilies.

When I was thirteen, I realized that my grandma wasn’t going to be around forever. I knew how special crochet was to her and how much it meant to the family. So I picked up a “teach yourself” book, a set of basic hooks, and a blue/creme variegated ball of Caron Simply Soft (not the best choice for first-time crocheting, I might add) and taught myself to crochet. The first day I tried, I wasn’t doing the single crochet stitch right. Instead, I was doing a slip-stitch and my little square was just one dense mess of yarn. I was frustrated and afraid I wasn’t going to catch on. I went to bed, then started fresh the next morning. I realized my mistake and made one awful potholder. I wish I would have kept it, just so I could see where I came from. (Yes, a couple months later, I tore the potholder apart and harvested the yarn for another project.)

For Christmas one year, I made Grandma a cross bookmark. She was almost brought to tears when she held it in her hands because she said, “This is the first crocheted gift that someone has given me. I’ve always been the one giving.” After that, I continued to make her stuff. The last thing I made for her was a lapghan in green and brown and blue and red. It was beautiful. I don’t know if she ever used it. I hope she did.

When I made my first afghan for the Country Afghan Magazine Contest, I showed it to Grandma and she replied “I think you are better at this than me.” I always wanted to make her proud and live up to the legacy she created.

After she passed away, I taught my mom to crochet. She had tried several times before, but never managed to catch on fully. Full of determination and stubbornness, she taught herself to crochet with my help.

My Grandma always said we should crochet together. We never did. It is one thing I regret. My mom and I crochet together. I decided that I don’t want to have that same regret with her.

Here is a writer, staring at the screen, unable to find the words to start. So what do I do? I knit. I crochet. That’s what this blog is about. Writing, knitting, crocheting. I’m not exactly sure how far I want to go with these, but here I am at the starting line. I just submitted a knit pattern to Knitty Magazine. That got me thinking about starting my own blog. So this first one is just to get something on my page. A start. Where everyone has to be.