cracking myself up

So… a couple of nights ago as I was knitting away on a present I noticed how far I had yet to go. I proceeded to lament, “oh my gawd I am not making any progress on this at all. It will never be done in time to ship it”.
Swift action was called for here so I decided to move the distractions out of the picture.  I switched from watching Will and Grace with my girls and moved to another room and put on some holiday type music. I love Will and Grace and when they aren’t bickering or torturing each other, my girls are hysterical and very distracting.
I also vowed to just knit (while humming along to the carols of course) and not stop so often (every 3 minutes or so) to love on what I was knitting. No admiring how the colours were playing so nicely with each other and no petting or stroking the lovely soft fibers, which honestly takes a bit of the fun out of it for me. Hey, I was on a mission with a deadline and well, I am pretty serious about my deadlines.  Ok, stop laughing.
I moved myself, got all cozy settled in for a long winters knit and “got down” to it. Some serious knitting time ensued and you know it did go a wee bit faster.  Heavy emphasis on the wee.
All of this knit time obsessing I was doing (I am sure we all see the procrastinating fact, that all of that moving and changing are valuable knit minutes) got me thinking and… .
At some point the acronym RPM popped into my head. Rows per Minute. Rpms get it? Ha ha… this tickled my funny bone pretty hard. My daughter Rabia says that these moments are only funny to me. Probably true but I don’t let that kind of deatail stop me. 
I had this whole knit-time measuring system going in seconds right? When it hit me rows per minute? Are you flippin’ insane? The row you are on has 160 stitches in it. Seriously how do think this is working out for you? 
I was a little (a lot) disappointed. So much so, that I even for a brief moment I entertained the possibility of starting a another very small project. A scarf for the dog maybe? Mittens… or hey socks even.
I did not, and I get credit for this, instead I kept eating away my stitches on my big project and as every stitch slipped by it said, “stitch per minute dumb ass?! Seriously what were you thinking? It’s stitches (steeeches) not rows you start with in this unit of time-knit-measuring madness thing you’ve got going. How can you start with rows when it is us you need to make those rows? We are the building blocks and frankly we are little insulted We expected more from you.” I will spare you the gory details of the rest of this tirade from the stitches or the tone they took with me. Just know they sounded suspiciously like my mother. Needless to say I had made a grand error and they were pissed.

Your knitting talks to you right?

In order to appease the stitch I decided that STPM stitch per minute was, of course, the only way to begin this system.  I then timed myself and came up with something like 41 stitches per minute on garter using size 5.00mm needles with my BFL sport weight.
I assumed that was slow. I have been under the impression that I am a slow knitter. I have been told this by many and I do hang with some pretty fast knitters. So… stands to reason right? My hands are sore from dyeing and do not move as quickly as they used to and I am easily distracted.  I know.. duh.

I then decided to work towards a personal best on this project and see if I could get to 60 STPM by the time I was done with it and believe you me I have ample opportunity to reach this goal.
As of this morning I am up to 49.5. It does vary depending on what is going on around me.
So my question to you is this: Is that fast or slow?
I really need to know because I am putting names to the speeds. I was going to be Slo-mo Newton but that won’t work if I am not in fact slow.
So what is your STPM?
Sounds like a really bad pick up line doesn’t it?

Also all of you speedy knitting friends of mine, and you know who you are… don’t make me send these st(b)itches after you.
I know time management. Whatever.

to give is to…

I am sitting here knitting on a gift I need to mail out soon, trying to stay warm (thank you sheepies) and thinking about the ways I love this time of year. The holiday part of it and the extreme you never know what you are to going to wake up to weather part.  I have a hard time sleeping there is so much energy the air crackles with it.

I love the music, the lights everywhere, especially the little white ones that line the streets. I love the aroma of winter with its frostiness nipping my nose and fingers and then the hint of ginger and cinnamon when you head inside where you are greeted by the warmth of baking cookies and hot cider.
So many things to love about this season but the one that keeps me awake the most (there is a deadline) and brings me the greatest comfort and joy is the giving.

I was blessed in my childhood with Winnie and Johnny my beloved grandparents. They both were lovely generous souls.  Johnny especially so, he would give you the shirt off his back if he thought you needed it . I grew up watching him make people happy and witnessing this spreading of joy.  And Christmas time, oh my goodness he was an angel a very tall, scraggly, chain smoking angel but an angel he most certainly was.
I was his elf...his helper. We delivered food to families in need collected gifts for children and volunteering where needed. He spread love and joy everywhere he went and it was returned to him twofold.
I will never forget driving home with him after one of these excursions, The radio was playing some holiday favorite, we were merrily humming along when I noticed it was just me singing. I looked over and there were tears running down his face.  I don’t think I had ever since him cry so was a bit shaken by this. He noticed I had stopped singing and looked over at me and registered my concern.
He chuckled and patted my leg and told me not to worry he just was so happy.
There are so many ways and places to give of ourselves.  From presents to loved ones to those in need to the planet we grace . So many ways and certainly not limited to a certain time of year.

Giving has many forms and faces in as many scenarios.

I have need thinking about the gifts I am making for friends and family for Christmas.

Giving gifts...whether it is going to my one of my favorites stores and purchasing just the perfect thing for the person I want to gift or making something with my very own two hands for them or even writing a note from my heart or diving into my present stash.
(I swear I have one. Don’t you?) there is not much other than that whole color texture thing that I enjoy more.
And I don’t mean to toot my own horn here but I am pretty good at it too. Ask any of my friends and family. Gift giving is one of my superpowers. Thank you Johnny.
A friend told me a few years ago that though I was great at the giving end I was not so great at the receiving end. I have thought a whole lot about this and I do not think it is true.  Giving is receiving. Isn’t that one of the universal truths?

When we give a gift we usually add a note or card or are there to tell the person what about them inspired us to think they would like what we have given them.
Sometimes the moment is so perfect this step is unspoken The love and magic fills the air between you. She opens the box that holds the sock monkey cookie jar and is so delighted and tickled because of course she loves sock monkeys beyond measure and a sock monkey cookie jar. Seriously outrageous . She is happy to have it but more than that happy that she is seen and appreciated and loved. And… in my experience that moment there is brimming and you both have received a gift.

How can all the joy and love you see on a child’s face when they get that one thing they wanted in their heart of hearts not make your own heart sing.
How can you not feel warmed to your toes when you walk next door to give your neighbor a box of cookies or a flower you picked on the way to the mailbox or a hug.

I am knitting gifts for Christmas. Just a few because time is short and I am a slow knitter.  I do not feel bad about being slow. I am fast at other things and well this is my peaceful place so slow is ok with me. I would like to be more efficient with it though.
As I knit these few fists for loved ones I was thinking that a really nice addition would be the story of this knit.  Since we pour so much of ourselves into what we create would in not enhance to share this part.

Something like this;
Leslie ( I have changed the recipients name to protect the innocent) I am gifting you this scarf I knit for you for Christmas, because I noticed that you are always putting your collar up against the cold to warm your neck. You still seem to be cold though so I am assuming this tactic is not working very well for you very well.
So I picked this very soft wool since you will be wrapping this around you neck and I want you to be cozy. I picked this shade of blue because you love blue and I though this would match the coat you wear and you do look really lovely in blue.
I made it a little extra long so you could wrap it around a time or two.
I was sitting watching Will and Grace the other night with e girls and working on this for you. I was thinking about that first time we went skating on the canal when we were teens and how even then your neck was cold. The I worried even though I have known you forever that maybe you secretly like you neck cold and well you can see where this is going.
Since you love words and I am hanging with “Rabia the wordsmith”, so there are a lot of them floating around. I am snagging some of your favorites and knitting then in here for you. You know the ones; raging, fundamental...brisk.
Whenever I work on this I feel like you are right here with me.
So my dear friend this is your new blue scarf knit by me for you and your cold neck.
p.s.  This scarf has been knit on the MAX, in Seattle, at a conference and late night in bed watching a movie.
love you
me

Something like that.

I decided on a walk recently that me theme for this holiday season would be comfort and joy. They seem to be in short supply and since we usually give out what we need them most then I think I might be covered on that whole not receiving thing.

gotta knit!

All my yarn balls are not in the air.

There are not enough hours in the day. There just aren’t and if there were I do not think I would have the energy to keep it going anyway. I intended to give you a play by play from SOAR and really I have great photos and had a good time.
And then there is that Brown colour study I owe you and we are about to finally add spinning fibers to the website and I want to tell you in great detail why we are adding the ones we are and show you why I love them so and how I think you will.
We are also going to have an online sale soon and you need the details on that and the 2010 Sock Club.
But I have to leave here Wednesday morning and head to the airport to pick up Steph and then it is off to Port Ludlow and the “Dye to Knit and Knit to Dye Weekend” of fibery goodness.
Please don’t get me wrong I am really excited. It will be a blast but it is a lot of prep and packing and prep to leave here. The list is massive and I should be working on it as we speak but I had to tuck in girls and then say hi to you if only for a brief moment.
So… I am asking you to bear with me for just a bit longer it is all coming I promise.Cross my heart and hope to dye!
See some of you real soon.

thank you for your patience


Here are some pics of the scary Halloween thing we had going on in the barn.
Haunted Dye Barn

little silk ghouls

If you are int he Port Ludlow this Saturday between 1:30 and 6:30 we will have out little store open to the general public.
The store is Carolina Homespun and Blue Moon. We are bringing all sorts of goodies including spinning fibers and Rare gems.
Morgaine is bringing all things fibery which means I am in trouble. I have the loveliest little spindle from the last time I saw her.
Turkish Delight

and the packing continues.