Somehow September always seems to run me around in circles. It seems to be a month that leaves me a little anxious, almost feeling like I am hyperventilating.
It maybe all the family birthdays; my husband, his brother, his sister, my dad, my sister…all within a week, and then the anniversaries; my parents, my in-laws, my aunts, and then my sister is planning her wedding for September of 2015. None of that even includes holidays for long time friends…only family.
Maybe it is the change of season. Being in Northern California I am very happy that this last week has a feeling of fall; it helped to increase the containment of a large wildfire in my community (at least it was not a threat to my home, but I had many friends evacuated for several days, some for nearly two weeks), and seeing some rain makes us all hopeful that our drought may ease. However fall also brings the harvest of our small farm. I am not even sure how many pounds of pears I gave away this year, probably close to 50, I know that I used the dehydrator and dried nearly 140 pears, which my family has nearly consumed all of. I harvest many seedless grapes, and actually made raisins this year…about 10 pounds after they were dried. I still have to make some jelly from the seeded grapes, but that is in the next couple of weeks. 
It could also be the births and deaths, and tragedies in my local community, I know they are there all the time, but for some reason they seem amplified in September. None of them affected me closely, but it affected people in my life. Or it could me the annual remembrance of “where were you when” , those moments that make you realize that a year has already passed and you are not sure where it went.
So my days were spent settling into the routine of the school year for the kids, accomplishing the things needed for the household, and then not to be over looked….CROCHET! I have spent each and every day with my fingers dancing over stitches and my mind flying over new and possible combinations and ways to use a technique. I plan on getting some of them written down and posted soon, but in all my time writing has taken a sideline. Since October is almost here, I can already feel a change, a calming. This should allow me to regroup and share more of the thoughts that I find in my world of hooking, here is to hoping that October brings cool weather, rain, and calmer seas.
Category Archives: Encouragement
The Crochet Way to Re-Live a Great Memory
Oh, I think I found the bests of both worlds.
Yarn Bombing found in Mendocino, CA
My family and I actually got away from the house for a couple of nights, and visited the rocky beaches of northern California. We had a wonderful time, and we happened to stumble upon a small town with a lot of charm (and great art/fiber support, there was yarn bombing everywhere!). But even that was not my light bulb moment.
The “Mementos” my family brought home from the trip. Now I get to enjoy the trip all over again!
I managed to actually excite my family into going into the local yarn shop, and choosing yarn for themselves; under the premise that I will create a keepsake memento to remember the trip for them. So they will get a keepsake to remember the trip, I will get to play with some fun yarns, and while stitching up their hats & mittens (items they requested) I get to remember the wonderful weekend with them. Why have I not come up with this before? Maybe because we don’t get away all that often…but, I think this can become a fun tradition to go forward in our family, especially since we don’t really need any more T-Shirts or coffee cups or decoration trinkets from our limited travels.
Mendocino Yarn Shop…quite adorable!
The yarn store yarn bombing.
Hopefully I’ll manage to get their requests done soon, so we can all enjoy the memories.
Some of my Tips to Conquer Crochet Procrastination
So when I do not enjoy something I procrastinate…I think that is true for many. This explains many of my UFO (Un-Finished Objects). When reviewing what makes these projects unfinished, many of them become finish work, or simply patterns that just began to bore me. But I have found some techniques that actually allow me to get these projects done.
A few years ago I have a sweater that had several color changes. I was using a variety of yarns that I had won in a raffle, I began working it up and finished the sleeves, and began the front…then I put it down and it haunt me from across the room. I felt pressure to finish it, of course self imposed, yet I had no desire to pick up the hook, I wanted to work something else…anything else. So how did I finally manage to get it finished, I created a support group.
My Support Group Sweater. With the support of my friends I finally finished this sweater that was beginning to haunt me.
I set up an informal support system at my workplace, I had co-worker hold me accountable to goals I set for myself. It is kind of like having someone holding you accountable during a diet (which is how I returned the support they gave me), I would set a goal of completing so many rows a week, and then during lunch once a week, we would all get together and discuss how are goals were coming along, and set new ones. This is how I finally finished the sweater…6 weeks of goal setting to get to the end. I admit it feels like quite an accomplishment.
For projects that may not need as much goal setting to get finished I have found another trick, I bring projects that are not on my favorite list to knitting and crocheting events and gatherings. Why you might ask, because I enjoy the company and then usually don’t mind the work as much. It is not the focus of my attention, I can weave in ends and work on patterns that I no longer have much interest in while talking to friends, enjoying some snacks and beverage, as well as admiring the beautiful work of others. Hours can pass and I can get much accomplished, and not even realize it.
It seems funny how the support of others can improve my work, and actually get my UFO’s to a state of completion. I guess this is just another point in my life that shows that the Village makes the difference.
Sharing a Secret…Lotus Yarn, It is Fantastic!
So I have been keeping a secret, not really intentionally, but because I have been caught up in the use of a really great yarn.
The yarn fits my climate, it is a cotton rayon blend, so it is great for warm weather, the biggest problem I have with it is figuring out what project to work next with it. I have even worked on projects at knitting and crochet gatherings and had several people go out of their way to ask me what yarn I am using. The yarn you ask, well it is Lotus by Designing Vashti.
I should mention that the yarn was developed and created especially for crocheters by my friends Vashti Braha and Doris Chan, but that has not influenced by words about the yarn. They did not ask me to give a review of the yarn, they do not even know that I am writing this, but I felt that I should let the cat out of the bag about this little secret.
Swatches I worked up in Lotus, as I was playing with circles. The colors, white, teal and grenadine are beautiful!
The yarn is created with a “Z” twist, this means that the yarn is plied in the opposite direction as most yarns that have an “S twist” (basically it is the direction that the threads are spun together). This may not seem like much of a difference, but as a long time crocheter, I can tell you that there have been many yarns that always seem to slip when I use them. I never really thought about it, I just accepted this has the norm. So why did the yarn split? I never really investigated it before, but when you really pay attention to the way the yarn works, I am right handed, and by working yarn overs it actually works the yarn in the opposite it is plied for traditional yarns, removing twist. But Lotus holds up very well, as working a yarn over actually is in the same direction as the twist and firms up the yarn instead of twisting it a part. So that is a bonus, but not my favorite part of the yarn.
This is also the only yarn I can think of that I actually prefer after it is blocked, or washed. It seems to actually get softer and the strand feels like it fluffy up without distorting the stitch, it is quite a perk. It also has a nice gleam to it. It is not so shiny that it feels limited, but it is definitely not dull. It reminds me of an expensive fabric, but a fabric that carries the heavy lifting of everyday wear and is not so delicate that it hides in the closet.
This yarn is only available on-line, but it seems quit to ship and is in my hands impressively fast. There is a vast array of colors that will inspire many ideas. Classic jewel tones and flattering pastels are easily accented with the nice selection of neutrals, including white, grey, pearl, and black. I will admit, the hardest part of ordering for me it choosing which color, so I often left the family make a vote and I have never been disappointed with their choices.
The combination of cotton and rayon, seem to perfectly complement each other and create a fabric that has really nice drape, yet is very breathable in my California weather. It is a fine weight yarn, listed as #2, which is another thing I actually like. Finding a cotton yarn that is smaller than a medium weight or #4, and greater then thread can sometimes be difficult. I find that hand of this yarn very versatile. It has a recommended hook size of F/5-3.75mm or G/7-4.5mm, but I found that I enjoy working it with an H/8-5mm and even at time a J/10-6mm.
If you are feeling like trying something new, check out Lotus yarn, I am sure you will find it as noteworthy as I have.
(If you happen to attending the Knit & Crochet Show, Saturday, July 26, 2014 at Manchester, NH stop by the show floor at 12:30 and try out Lotus at the “Cented Flower” Make & Take demonstration I will be giving).
Hot Weather Crochet…It Keeps Me Cool
As the hot days of summer arise I had a question asked of me; “How can you crochet in this heat?” I actually find it quite easy, and when I look back over time I think I understand some of the reason for this.
When I was in my youth, summer was when I had my free time, unlike some of the childhoods of today, mine was a time of being at home, playing outside. There was no differentiating the days of the week, Monday was just like Friday which was just like Wednesday, there were no camps or classes, just finding a way to play with my brother and sister, without fighting and getting on mom’s nerves. So during this time creativity had a time to bloom and picking up a book and working a project was readily done.
As I grew older and the relaxing days of no responsibility and laid back summers waned, I was crocheting in my down time to actually stay cool. I know that thinking of temperatures at or near 100°F doesn’t sound like a time when picking up a skein of yarn sounds like a cooling off event, but in my home, which has never been comprised of air conditioning, sitting in front of a fan is the greatest pleasure. It is this sitting still, yet being productive that crochet has allowed me, sit right in front of the fan and work away. In actuality most of my leisure crochet has been created in the hottest months of the year. My hands have kept busy while my hands keep creating. In most recent times the yarn in my hands have been bamboos and silks, then just seem to speak “cool temperature”, or maybe even a cotton. This is just a little mental trip I think, but it does the trick and seems to reduce the temperature.
Okay so I might just reverse this argument for reasons way I crochet in the winter, sitting by the fire to stay warm, but it is too hot outside to think of the fire, I just want to think of sitting by the fan, so I guess I will find some crochet and keep cool.