Playing To Our Strengths

When you think about it, playing to your strength, or other people's strengths is a key part of life. Whether at home, or in your workplace, if you can determine what someone is good at, and maneuver them into a situation where that skill is a strength, you'll have a better result. This has been proven over and over to me in a work environment where I had to constantly be evaluating people's strengths and put those to use. I've never found that their weaknesses (or 'opportunities') are as optimal to know until you have built their confidence up by setting them up for success in life, whether or at home or work by letting them succeed using their strengths.

It's no surprise then, that in the fiber world, we also have strengths we can play on. And each time we set up our projects to use these strengths we improve by being positively reinforced by our great results. If we ignore these strengths, we are frustrated by our failures.

For example, my Mom, who is an amazing crocheter, and has been reteaching herself to knit. Her strength is hats. She can make a hat, any pattern, any style quickly, easily and effortlessly. (I on the other hand have only attempted one hat which ended up looking like a yarmulke because I decided to reduce it too early. It's a cute yarmulke, but I have yet to determine whether it's politically correct to wear a multicolored yarmulke, religion notwithstanding.) However, I have yet to see her finish a scarf. They make approximately six inches before she gets frustrated with the pattern she has tried, which is inevitably some difficult lacy thing that I can read but not do. I am now steering her toward lacy hat patterns, so she can succeed with them and end up with more confidence.

I, on the other hand am a great scarf and shawl knitter. I can whip out a scarf in a couple hours, and estimate by the time that I actually succeed in moving to a warmer climate, I will have a scarf or shawl for every day of the year. Maybe they'll make nice belts. I am successful with things where gauge and tiny needles don't exist. Why therefore, have I tried to make socks? Which are gauge worthy, and tiny needle heaven (or hell). I am hereby RELEASING MYSELF FROM MY SOCK DRAMA! I have blogged about this, matter of fact I started this blog because of socks. I WILL NO LONGER BE A PRISONER TO SOCKS! If I want handknit socks I will pay one of you to knit them for me (Or trade a nice scarf with you.. Quid pro quo?) No longer will I sheepishly say 'yeah, but I can't knit socks' I will display my 2 mismatched, air conditioned socks with pride - I may even frame them.

Instead I am moving on to projects that I will enjoy, and love. Never one to shirk from miles of garter stitch, I am now working on The Log Cabin blanket. By working I mean I have one square done. Wanna see a complete blanket? Go HERE. Of course mine is being made out of Noro Taiyo, will be bigger, and have a crocheted border and edging. Buy anyway, it's kind of the same. And, I got my first square done today. Yup. One down, who knows how many to go. I am assuming that upon the completion of this, I will be ready (read thin enough) to knit myself a sweater. On big needles, probably a pullover. I can feel the positive reinforcement of playing to my strengths already building my knitting mojo. Yes! I am a knitter! And who needs socks anyway?

Ahh rows and rows of garter and Noro....

Sock It To Me

I am going to knit socks again. Note; the lack of the word try. The problem is, that just like schoolwork you don't really want to do, there are so many ways to avoid knitting you don't really want to do.

First, I determined I needed smaller needles. I knit as loosely as is humanly possible. This is partially due to the fact that I detest taking time on knitting, and I expect to see progress almost immediately. Now I successfully made items on smaller needles, so I am not completely opposed to them. But it was with difficulty I gave up my size 2 needles and procured size 0 needles instead. Even with those, the stitches are still slightly loose, but the idea of moving to a negative needle size just seems wrong.

Now the other option is to move to a heavier yarn done on smaller needles. But then, what yarn do I use? Actually this is a problem overall. I own a large quantity of beautiful handpainted sock yarn (impressive considering I actually have never knitted a matching pair). My problem with that is I don't want to waste that yarn on my sock knitting. It's being saved for shawls and such. The other problem is that I do have some Malabrigo superwash worsted weight. But really, do I want to waste that on socks? Of course I could get cheap yarn but who wants to knit with cheap yarn? See where this is going? So right now I have 4 rounds of sock done made out of a lovely (but not hand dyed) self striping commercially available yarn. Of course it'd make a really cool scarf especially woven but anyway.

But every time I pick up the sock, I get a sudden urge to do something else. Some of these are really good things, like clean my bedroom (which is always an abyss), clean out the car (another good thing), or delve into my pile of marinating roving to actually spin a bunch. This has the self rewarding factor of making more yarn, which I can add to the pile. Of course the ever growing yarn stash (that Shop Hop was a really bad idea) is an issue in and of itself. Everywhere I look I see yarn. Every bag I open I find a skein of stashed yarn. I am simultaneously delighted and yet slightly overwhelmed. Add to this the fiber stash, which is overflowing the closet, and I need to do something about it.

Tuesday night it hit me like a bolt of lightening! The kids are no longer using their playroom. They play in the living room, after all, they're 11, they don't spend hours with toys, they spend hours online or playing games. So, we don't need the playroom anymore! The playroom, (which actually used to be an office/workroom) has a lovely futon, and great light. It's right off the living room. To sell the idea, I told them we could keep a card table set up in there permanently, and said it was going to be an 'art' room. By the time I had one of them at Target picking out shelving, they were so sold on it, they even ignored the fact that the shelving was to be for yarn - except to suggest we buy more of it (shelving, not yarn). Of course this project is just in the starting phases, but I can picture it in my mind. Yarn displayed lovingly in labeled shelving, sorted into colors, and weights. A work table in the corner, and I'm thinking even a way to organize needles. I might even be able to move a spinning wheel in there (if I can figure out a way to get the kids to organize their stuffed animal stash, that's a total go).. And this is a great way to procrastinate on my sock - again.

Happy Halloween!!

Our Halloweens generally consist of scary movies, trick or treating, and candy eating. This year we added a pumpkin carving marathon to the mix. 4 pumpkins = 40 minutes to clean and carve. Not a bad record.

Then off to the houses with a Wizard and Scot Deathblood, a level 50 wizard on Wizard 101.

With 2 Wizards, dueling was a given

The great wizard Deroca!

Scot Deathblood in the flesh

I took the time to work on finishing a sock. I shall leave you in suspense as to the result of that!

Dressed as a robber - or a Minnesotan in winter

Halloween is exhausting!

Love's Labor's Lost..

Or the lost Labor Day weekend.

I love Labor day, doesn't it always bring back memories of school starting, new opportunities, and seasons changing. School may have sucked, but the first few weeks were always fun. Kind of like New Years, but not. It brings to mind the State Fair, greasy food, cool mornings and the promise of frost.

All of that was before I moved to Minnesota. Minnesota Labor Day brings to mind cold blizzards, and the knowledge that in a few short weeks we won't see grass or any color other than white and shades of gray for weeks at a time. Months I tell you!

All of which is immaterial this year, because I worked every day of Labor day. Yup. Took it literal this year, so I worked 2, 10+ hour days, and one 2 hour day. And yes that last still counts. Unless I am absent from my work for 24 hours, I did not get a real day off.

Goodbye summer, goodbye State Fair

So in protest to the end of summer, my lack of a Holiday weekend, and having to squeeze in the State Fair in a few hours I started spinning some of the roving from thepaintedtiger.com I love these colors, and it's mesmerizing watching the colors change. I also finished up, the bright batt from knittyandcolor, oh, do I love this! I should have plyed it after finishing it, but I just needed to start more color in my life.

In other news, Sock is still researching suitable partners, and looking rather forlorn while doing so. My mom strangely is knitting a scarf, she of course is using a pattern IN LACE right away (show off).

Lance feels sorry for poor Single Sock

Random picture of Oscar, the fish, for a random post

SSF Seeks Perfect Pairing

Ad as seen on Sock Harmony

Single striped scarf, seeks perfect pairing. Like minded mate, preferably made from the same merino/angora fiber as she is.

Candidates machine knitted need not apply.

Winter is here in Minnesota. Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration - but not much. It's hovering there, waiting to swoop down and shock us out of our mosquito infested humid summer directly into blizzards, below zero temperatures, and permafrost. We do have 4 seasons here, they just consist of winter, just winter, almost winter, and start of winter. Have I mentioned how much I hate, yes hate, this place?

Anyway, sometime in the just winter season (aka April), I knitted my masterpiece. A sock. A sock that striped, and curved, and actually fit quite well. Said sock was placed on my bookshelf. It is still there. Making occasional forays to show people, and then returning to it's place of honor. It was my suggestion that it try Sock Harmony in hopes of magically pairing up with another therefore relieving me of the need to actually knit another sock. So far no dice. Stupid internet dating. Of course the entire reason I originally knitted the sock was the winter problem and my hatred of it. That reason has not gone away. Hmmm

First sock in the works - can I really manage another one?

Guess I need to find that yarn and those directions again. Or a sock knitting machine.

Tomorrow is another day

Or as Scarlet so succinctly put it, "I'll think about it tomorrow!".

But tomorrow is indeed another day, and I am set.

Exhibit 1 - New sock making book titled: Socks are easy 3 ways or something like that.

Exhibit 2 - New Addi Turbo lace needles, with glossy sharp gold points just waiting to make yarn pretty.

Exhibit 3 - 20.00 skein of Angora/Merino sock wool. After all, it's easier to use expensive yarn than cheap (strangely true).

Exhibit 4 - An entire day to devote to sock making. Ok, in reality I should be devoting it to cleaning but whatever.

Exhibit 5 - An Ipod with twenty zillion Kenny Chesney songs on it to listen to.

10:00 AM Well armed, I sat down on the couch to start knitting. I expertly cast on the required stitches and then the book wisely said: "Join". Join? Join how? Why? WHAT? Oops. I didn't know how I was supposed to join this into the magical circle that will magically make a sock appear on the magic loop. But obviously this books thinks I know things already, like how to join 2 straight lines to make a loop. Sure.

Insert Youtube video on joining in the round.

Back to sock. First 10 rows are easy, I'm knitting away, but then I realize that my join is disintegrating, and looks horrid. I rip the sock out and start again.

2nd Youtube video, new joining technique.

Cast on again. Knit again, yucky gap again.

RIP OUT AGAIN.

Repeat.

Repeat.

Cast on again, knit again, decide to yank the life out of the yarn and ignore any gap in the hope it will go away.

12:30. Ribbing of cuff completed.

I am insanely proud - as long as I turn it so the gap isn't visible. Minor detail.

2:00 Cuff is completed. I am making an ankle sock, either because I like them, or because, more likely, I like a minimalist approach to knitting (aka I get bored knitting quickly).

And then I realize I am at the heel. The heel.

I realize the first part is easy, except I don't have a clue how to SSK. It sounds like some weird defunct group, one I wouldn't want to join, and I decide to frankly ignore it. Or rather research it later.

So I make the heel, and get to the gusset. The directions call for you to use the front needle to pick up the right hand stitches and stitch them down. Ok - first of all, which is the front needle? Second of all, which is the right side? I mean, this is a circular object.

3:30 - 4:00 Youtube vids on gussets. I charge bravely forth and get the entire thing done in one fell swoop (after I decide what is front, and what is right), but promptly realize I totally forgot to insert stitch markers. So do I rip out my lovely gusset, or continue on markerless? Any guesses?



Sock after 10 hours of knitting.

And here beginneth the sock quest

First let me say I am a spinner. My knitting is simply a way to utilize the yarn I spin. Spinning is relaxing, spinning is a way I keep in touch with the earth. After all, the earth spins too.

Knitting was a rebellious thing. First see above about utilizing yarn. Second, I came from a crocheting family. A conservative crocheting family. I am a liberal knitter. It was my version of mild rebellion. Besides, crocheting involves counting. Inevitably when I crochet my straight lines become curves, knitting I don't have to count - as much.

So I am a champion scarf knitter. Thick scarves, skinny scarves, short ones, fat ones. My scarves are a veritable Seuss book of variety. I never wear them, I simply gaze at them where they sit in a drawer interspersed with hats, and crocheted items done by my fiber talented mother and sister. My knitted scarves simply exist to be.

And then there is the sock dilemma. I have no interest in championship fair-isle knitting, or in learning entrelac technique. I am quite thrilled with my knit and purl stitch. But I posses a burning desire to knit a sock. Actually a pair of socks. This has sat in the back of my mind for 2 years now while I churned out yarn and scarves. Just a basic sock is all. I did attempt it once.. I got about an inch in, realized it was too small and set it down never to find it again.

But lately, I have refocused and resolved to knit a sock. Actually a pair of socks. Socks that I will wear on the cold frigid Minnesota winter nights. This is late April. That means I have approximately 4 months or 16 weeks before winter nights are here again.

And so begins the sock quest..