Slight Change Of Plans

Well ... After a two hour conversation with my sister over Skype, I have decided to change a few of my selfish projects. Instead of the Freyja Sweater, I am going to knit the Oranje Sweater with a few mods. Also instead of a blue striped sweater I will be making a sweater of my own design with the motifs from the Corrie Fair Isle vest from Knit Picks. The black sweater is also out. But I did decide on a design for the Purple sweater, Amused. I have also added three secret projects for this year.

My sister is an awesome artist. She has a good eye for design and fashion and helped me pick knits that will flatter my figure and coloring. She is like my own personal What Not To Wear crew.

The rest of the projects stay the same. I am nearly finished with the Strider Cowl, which I have named Long Shanks Strider. At first I had planned to do the long version of the cowl, but I think this will be too much fabric around my face. So I am going to stop with the short version. It looks great and I love the knitting. (even the cables which are normally not my cup of tea.)

My sister also put a twist in my knitting plans with some news. I can't share yet but it will rearrange some things.

This change of plans is exactly why I called my blog Knit and Learn. So keep on knitting and keep on learning.

Freedom Socks

Just finished the first project of the year, Freedom Socks! These were made for the middle child of my adopted family. Her birthday is close so I finished them right on time.

I used the Ariana socks pattern and modified it for a child. The heel was a new one for me. I like it so I will probably use it somewhere else.

There is also a hint of what else I am working on. This will be my first selfish project. I am looking forward to getting this one done so I can start on all the other projects in my to do list.

Keep on knitting and learning!

2012 - The Year of Selfish Knitting

So why selfish knitting? Well, the last couple of years I have collected quite a stash of yarn with projects for myself attatched. However, I have not been knitting those projects. Instead I have been doing a lot of gift knitting. Don't get me wrong I love to knit for gift giving. BUT, Those projects really need to be started and finished. I am beginning to feel overwelmed by the stash I have. I have not yet reached the point where my stash is at SABLE (Stash Acquisition Beyond Live Expectancy), but it is mounting and looming over my head.

So hence the concept of the Year of Selfish Knitting. This year I am determined to make some of the projects that have been lurking in my stash. They include but are not limited to:

Freya - Interweave Knits
Isengard -
Strider cowl -
Evenstar shawl -
Mithril vest -  all by Susan Pandorf (love her designs)
Nutkin - Beth LaPensee
A black sweater with colorwork
A blue striped sweater
A brown merino sweater
A Purple sweater


All told about 12 projects. Plus I will still be getting in some gift knitting with socks for my adopted family. WHEW! I have set quite a challange for myself. We will see what gets done and what gets set to the side. If you would like to keep track of my progress, the progress bars from Ravelry at the right should have all the info. I will also try to blog about my progress from time to time. (With pictures even!) 


Have a great 2012 and keep knitting and learning.

Christmas 2011

I know it has been a while since I have posted anything. With my New Year's resolution for 2012, I hope to change that. However, I could not resist sharing these cute angel wings that are drying in my livingroom. They are for this year's Christmas play. I have garland for the halos and have made the wings from card stock. I added glitter along the bottom feathers for a bit of a pop. I hope they turn out ok. I will try to share pictures of my cute Christmas angels.

Yarn Karma

I have been listening to a few podcasts and have heard about yarn karma. According to many it is when you knit something for someone and are angry with that person. The theory is that those feelings are locked into that knitting. They are then transfered to the person.

Here is my take on the subject. I sometimes use my knitting time to pray for the person for whom I am knitting. My prayers are not locked into the knitted fabric, but God hears and answers the prayers I have prayed for that person. When you pray for someone you cannot stay upset with that person. So I think that praying while your knitting even if you are upset with that person is a good thing. It lets you get out the frustration you are experiencing because of him or her and you are praying for them. God understands frustration (remember the Pharasees) and He will help you not only deal with your upset feelings, He will also lead you to a better understanding of that person.

Your emotions can have an effect on the knitted fabric. That is when you are upset your gauge tends to tighten. And when you are relaxed your gauge is looser. So if you knit and pray for someone and you are upset with that someone, be prepared to have to frog (rip out) your work. ;).

As for me I have been super busy since August. I have been working on Christmas presents and various knitted items. Because I would like for the presents to be a suprise I do not have pictures of them at this time. However, I do have picture of some of the things I have finished in the last few months. 

The frog was a present for a Boy's birthday, the pink hat a gift for the lady who watched my cats while I was away, and the lace doily was a wedding present for a friend of mine.

Someone recently asked me where the name for my blog came from. I comes from the phase 'live and learn.' I was talking to someone on the Knitpicks Community and I said that instead of live and learn it was knit and learn. So I took the idea and ran with it.

So until next time I hope you have time to knit some and learn some.

Something I learned and taught to others

I have been so busy lately that I haven't had time to blog. I have finished several projects since my last blog and started several more. I will post about them soon but for today I wanted to share with you something I learned and taught to someone else.

This summer I finished my first lace shawl with laceweight yarn. I brought it to summer camp with me where I was a counselor. I used the shawl as an illustration of the Christian life and how God views us. We are like an individual stitch. We cannot see the complete pattern as it is being made but the Knitter can. He sees the beginning and the end of the knitting piece. He places each stitch with care and unlike us He does not make mistakes. However, without that one stitch the whole piece would suffer. I know how I feel when I have dropped a stitch and I can imagine how many of you feel. God has placed us in the great knitted design of time for a specific purpose. First of all to praise Him and bring Him glory. After that He has some other purpose for us that is specific to who we are. A completed knit project brings glory to the knitter and each stitch has a specific function in that piece (even if it is just to hold up the next stitch). So next time you knit, think about your Creator who loved you enough to die in your place and the special purpose He has for your life.

Finally I can show you!

I can finally show you what I made for my Nephew. My sister had her Baby Shower this week and I called her through Skype and showed her what I had made. So now I can show you.

I had so much fun knitting these things that the time went by quickly. The blanket and the Turtle are meant to go together and the little shoes and the jacket are a set. I also made some more practical items, burp clothes and wash clothes. These will keep my Nephew warm and clean. I can't wait till he gets here to try them on. Not much longer now.

On my needles I have the second pair of socks for my Brother-in-law (my Nephew and Niece's dad). The first time I started them, I used a number 2 needle, but the fabric created was very loose and I was afraid they would wear out very quickly. So having turned the heel and started up the leg, I frogged them and started over with a size 0 needle. (all needle sizes are in American sizing) The fabric produced is much tighter and better then before.

I also have the rest of my gift for my Grandmother. It is coming along nicely and I have trouble putting it down to do something else. However, even though my Grandmother is not connected to the internet, I will not be posting pictures until I give it to her. I will just tell you that I am learning a lot of techniques with this one.

As this is supposed to be a blog about knitting and LEARNING, I will fill you in on some of what I have been learning lately. When we were still living at home, I asked my sister, who is an awesome artist, how she could be so patient about getting the smallest details right in her work. Recently, she reminded me of what I had asked her and said she had the same question for me about knitting. I understand how she could be so meticulous now, but then I was amazed. Knitting sometimes requires a lot of patience. (See above about frogging the socks) I have learned that you are more apt to be patient with something you enjoy doing than with something that is a chore. However, the patience I learn with knitting is beginning to translate itself to other things I do.

Something else I have learned is,the time I use to knit a gift for someone is an excellent time to pray for that person. My friend, Nina, once told me that she prayed for her family while hanging out the wash. As she came to an article of clothing that belonged to that person she would pray for him/her. I have no one to do laundry for other than myself so I find myself thinking of the person I am knitting for and praying for that person.

That is all I have for now but birthday's are coming up soon so you will be able to see more of my secret projects. Until then keep knitting!