Off The Face Of The Earth...

Ok, so I just realized that it's been 2 1/2 months since I posted anything on my so-called blog. Oops. Sorry. Of course, I don't actually think anyone reads this....except me, when I proofread it. So who gives a shit?

Kids started school in Sept--and since then we've had non-stop colds, pink eye, etc, running rampant in our household. I feel like I've fallen off the face of the Earth. Fallen into some exhausted, angry, over-worked, abysmal "Mom" chasm.

So there you have it......we're getting by. We're living day by day by day. Kids are great--still knitting when I have the energy, and if my over-tired joints aren't too achy in protest of my guilt-induced knitting frenzy.

Nothin' new to report.....if you actually read this--check back next year. I'm sure I'll be WAY wittier & even more clever then. Sure. Whatever.

Knit One, Panic Two...

Ok, so we leave for our "Family Trip" in less than a week. And I am trying to get it all ready & done & packed & good-to-go...without succumbing to the usual pre-travel panic. Good luck to me!

I haven 't posted in a loooooong time. Just never seems to be time to blog. I don't know how serious bloggers do it. I'm too busy living to sit down & type about living.

I also don't know how people travel with children. One of my in-laws has 4 kids--and they fly all over the world with their children. Like it's no big deal. Hello?!?!?! It's a HUGE deal for me. And we're not even flying!

In a mere 4 days, we leave, in our oh-so-loaded minivan to drive across 3 States for a "Family Reunion." My husband's family will ALL be there--and we're going to join the gang for 5 days of mayhem. It will take us two days to get there--kids need a lot of potty stops.

And the worst part is that all I can think about is "What knitting project should I take along???" Granted, it's unlikely I'll have time to sit & knit & wow my in-laws with my knitting prowess....at most I may get a few rows knit here & there in the van, while we drive through city traffic from one far away destination to another far away destination.

But I can't help it--my knitting is my touchstone. It's like a childhood blankie or favorite stuffed animal....having a knitting project soothes me. It keeps my hands busy & my head occupied. It passes the time & keeps me from feeling panicky & overwhelmed. Some people do yoga to soothe stress. I create stuff....I knit.

Plus I find it gratifying to knit in front of people. I find my confidence in my own knitting surges greatly when I "show off" my skills to others. Non-knitters are fascinated by we who knit. They'll watch from across the room, awestruck by the almost-hypnotic, fast motions of the needles as they dance with the yarn. They'll sidle closer, just to "get a better look." And to a person, they will ALL remark, "Wow....that's awesome--I wish I could do that!" To which I always reply--"You can! It's not as hard as it looks!"

So I will need that project with me. Even if it's just some scrap yarn, some old needles & my trusty Easy Square pattern. I will make squares like no tomorrow if need be. I will fill bags with squares. Squares that may never see the light of day again once I am home. Fine. So be it. Just give me something to DO to make my loooooong journey with the in-laws pass a little faster.

Knit one, Purl two, Smile three.................and Keep Crafting!

Knit One, Purl Two...Meditate!

So what do you do when life hands you lemons? Make lemonade? Ha--hardly. I know very few people who react calmly, rationally & patiently to added stress in their lives. Most of us have varying reactions--screaming, arguing, crying, throwing things...are just a few of the possibilities.

I've found, when my kids are driving me nuts, and my husband comes home from work & tries to push me even farther over the edge, there's only one answer....start knitting! (Assuming dinner has been cooked, eaten & cleaned-up after, that is!)

I love nothing more than sitting down in my favorite recliner, putting my feet up, & reaching for my yarn basket. Doesn't matter what I knit--just that I KNIT! Which is one of the reasons those "Simple Squares" I posted below are so popular with me right now--they're completely mindless, but really feel like I've accomplished something.

Even doctors, scientists, and those "in the know" are now saying it--meditation works! And knitting can be a real form of meditation. You get very wrapped up in the simple action of knitting, purling, etc....and before you know it--half the evening has passed. You'll have created something, and spent time NOT thinking about the day's stressors. And that's worth more than it's weight in gold--yarn, that is. :)

So pick up those needles & some fabulous yarn--and get crackin'! You'll make something AND feel better about life in the process. Who could ask for anything more?!?!?

Knit one, Purl two, Smile three..............and Keep Crafting!!!

Hip To Be Square

Sometimes you just hafta be a little square. Or knit squares, at least. :)

A good friend told me this simple pattern over coffee during a morning playdate with our respective kids....and I thought it seemed too easy to give much thought to. Until I tried it! This "Simple Square" pattern is fast, easy--and can be used as a building block for a gazillion different craft ideas! Just try it!

So far I've used these squares to create blankets, purses, kitchen hot-pads, washcloths, AND fun toy balls. Give it a whirl--you'll be as addicted to this pattern as I am!

Simple Square
Cast on 3 stitches.
*Knit 1, yarn over, knit to end of row*. Turn work.
Repeat *.* until you have a triangle as large as half your square (however large you make it is entirely up to you!)
*Knit 1, knit 2 together, knit to end of row*. Turn work.
Repeat *.* until last 3 stitches.
Slip first stitch knit-wise. Knit 2 together, PSSO.
Cut yarn & tie off! Presto--a simple square!

You can choose any weight yarn, any size needles, the options are endless with this pattern! You can sew them together for multi-colored scarves, baby blankets, or quick purses. They can be doll blankies, hot pads, you name it! It's a super-easy pattern--cast on 3, knit 1, YO, knit to end....then reverse for the other half. Knit 1, knit 2 together, knit to end. Piece o' cake!

Knit one, purl two, smile three........and keep crafting!

Busy Hands...

I think there is some old-fashioned saying about "idle hands" being the devil's playground. Or something like that......at any rate, that statement has a modicum of truth to it. If you're stressed out, overworked & underpaid (aren't we all?), then why is it that sitting around doing nothing actually makes the stress worse?!?

The simplest solution to the problem, I've found, is to KEEP BUSY! And the most-enjoyable way I've found to stay occupied has since become a daily obsession. I knit!

I'm not JUST a knitter...I'm a wife, a mom of twin girls, and an at-home-full-time Domestic Goddess. But once the hubby is stretched out on the couch, well-fed, clean-clothed, remote in hand.....once the kids are happily playing with whatever is the favorite toy-du-jour.....then I am MORE than just Momma. I'm a knitter!

I started trying to knit a couple years before my kids were born. It just didn't click with my brain. I couldn't tell the difference between the knit side of a piece, and the purl side. It seemed hard & slow & frustrating.

And then one day--Voila! It clicked! I 'got it'--and all was right with the world. Suddenly my free moments were happily filled with click-clacking needles and fabulously colored yarns. My house started to fill up with hand-knit "stuff"--and my stress levels dropped. Life was good.

Life IS good. And I will attempt to pass on some simple knitting ideas and whatnot to anyone interested in reading this blog....why not? It's free, and fun, and nothing beats sharing with others!

Knit one, purl two, smile three..............and keep crafting!