A lovely good day to all.
Well here it is: I've already skipped a week of posting.
I think it quite forgivable, though, considering I was on
a beach enjoying many beautiful sunrises with my coffee.
No, that wasn't the only time I spent there but it was
my favorite time. I'll never miss an ocean sunrise.
My husband knocked out 3 books on the trip, a number
I would surpass normally but this time I was more focused
on my knitting. One of the times (yes, there were many!)
I was doing some particularly tricky mistake-fixing
("Shhh! No talking, I have to concentrate!"),
hubs asked me if I was enjoying my vacation knitting.
("Of course I am, dammit!" <---Just kidding. Sort of.)
It was a fair question. Was I enjoying holding my breath and
tensing every muscle while I let 5 or 6 rows of 4 stitches drop,
just *poof!* disappear, praying I could replace them
correctly, working UPward? That moment was pretty much
life or death for this ambitious-for-me project, started about
8 years ago. I had to really think on what hubs had asked.
And I'm still thinking on it as I near the end of my tricky little hat.
(Yes, it's still alive!)
I've been reading a lot about enjoying the process rather than
focusing only on the end result. In quilting, I know there are
parts of the process that I don't enjoy so much. I love to pull
fabrics, to cut and organize. I love to begin the piecing, seeing
the blocks come together. But sometime after that, the novelty
can begin to wear. It's in putting those rows together that things
start to get a little tedious and dull for me. Next in line is adding
the borders but at least it's rewarding to frame out all of
my work and know the completion is near.
Maybe it is because there is so much yet for me to discover in
knitting that I'm able to enjoy the process of it. The mistakes
can be frustrating but I'm unusually patient. Figuring it all out is
unbelievably rewarding! I'm just so grateful to be able to make
stitches that once upon a time I could only admire! If I ever
become a proficient knitter, I hope I never take the ability
for granted like I tend to do with my quilting.
This enjoying the process will likely not come back to my quilting
as much as I feel it with knitting, but I'm not worried about it.
I'm working on fitting it into the stitches of my life instead.
It's quite kin to being present in the moment, and I tend to think
sure, I'll be in the moment...just as soon as I get everything done.
(Psst: that never happens!)
I'll always be someone who tries hard to get it right the first
time but I'm learning to enjoy how I get there just as much.
If it takes a little frogging, well, I might as well learn to
enjoy that too.
I enjoyed every sunrise on this vacation with my knitting in hand.
Sometimes I was unknitting instead of knitting--oh well.
Someday I'll see my work and remember the sun peaking over a
horizon, making a long trail of yarn light across an ocean to me.
I'll hear the waves and the wind and feel my feet in the damp sand.
"Oh that's when I figured out all those stitches of that hat."
I'm back from the tropical weather and enjoying my coffee on a
lovey snow day. How about a look back at the progress made
over weeks 6 and 7?
Weeks 6 & 7 Goals
1) Finish pics and get all 4 (!) quilts listed in shop.
This includes finishing West Point Stars #'s 6 & 7.
MOSTLY DONE.
WP #7 is completed (similar quilt though larger)
but still needs its photo session.
Fallspice has been pic'd...
...but Christmas Star Twist needs a few more.
(I may wait until early fall to list all new winter quilts
all at once anyway so no hurry there.)
2) Look for fabric for this heart quilt which will be a baby gift.
NOT DONE: Haven't had a chance to hit the LQS.
3) Post Week 3 of Lisa Bongean's (Primitive Gatherings) QAL
DONE.
I was actually behind so here are weeks 3 & 4...
and week 5 is now posted; weeks 6 & 7 are in progress.
3) Make thread decision on red/ivory quilting job; order if nec.
I can't figure out what thread to use on this customer quilt.
Neither of us is big on colored thread on white fabric so
white thread it is for the top.
However, with a backing like this, just what color for the bobbin?
I'm not comfortable using a dark color (already tried it) so I'm
thinking if I can find a pale version of any color in this red-ish
fabric (orange? or pink?) perhaps it will at least blend better,
and I do use Glide thread which tends to blend very well.
But I sure I don't like that it will conflict with those printed
black stitch-swirls. Open to any thoughts here.
Knitting Progress
I added a few books to my small collection, mostly reference.
The Internet provides more patterns than I'll ever want.
I received help on UFO #1 and it's so close to completion.
(Thank you ChrisKnitsSews for putting up with me!)
It's far from perfect, especially with all the backing up
and mistake-fixing. It was an aggressive choice for a
vacation project, to be sure, and you know what added
to the struggle? It turns out that salty sea air makes
yarn kinda sticky--meaning it doesn't really slide on
the needles like it should. (Gotta remember that one!)
All that aside, I still had a blast working on it.
(I'm hoping the tension will even out once I put it on.)
So finally I'm off and running with my knitting! Before the year
is out I WILL knit an actual sweater, which has always been
my goal. That, and lots and lots of socks.
Lastly, a quick look at Week 8's goals:
1) Start on a new quilt
I'll be starting on "Nestled in the Trees" using the leftovers
from the FQ set used in my recently finished Star Twist.
2) Complete QAL weeks #6 & 7; post #6.
3) Hit LQS for baby quilt fabrics and look online.
The recipient is already a month old so I need to get on it!
4) Finish photographing and listing all 4 quilts
5) Finish knitting UFO #1; look into #2
Happy quilting. And knitting.
And enjoy the process.
A NOTE to Word Press users:
A NOTE to Word Press users:
I'm struggling to get comments on some Word Press blogs,
though not all. Sometimes my comment simply won't post
but most of the time I just show as anonymous, even though
I've signed in. Not sure what's up but it's sure a struggle to
keep up with everyone!
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