Researching wholesale Yarns

Came across this source that states this

It may be premature to shop for yarn wholesales but I must keep the fires of my dream stoked!

http://www.darngoodyarn.com/about-us/

Community gathering place…

There is this little dream forming in my mind, one that is driven by the passions of my soul. Currently, I work as a therapist…Sisu Counseling Services and in my work I see a direct connection between mental health and the strength of ones natural supports, i.e. Community. People find community in a variety of ways, family, church, clubs, hobbies, proximity, schools…the list goes on and on. My dream consists of enough business savvy to sustain salaries of employees and expenses and create a welcoming space for people in the community to meet one another and live life together. This space will benefit from my experience as a therapist and have in its DNA authenticity, meaning and purpose, and a belief that we are not intended to live alone! I want to provide a cure for loneliness and one step to an end to disconnectedness.

You may be wondering what this space will consist of…business wise. Well, based on the title of this blog it’s probably not difficult to guess it will involve yarn! In addition to yarn it will have coffe, tea, treats to snack on, and if my sister is able to jump in, good reads. It will be a space, if we are fortunate to acquire, resembling a home as much as possible, preferably a house with a large enough backyard for a covered and heated patio. Seriously, a welcoming space where one can meet their neighbors, whether neighbors by proximity, shared passion, or both! A destination where strangers become friends and neighbors!

Apart from the funding the next biggest task is a name…what to call this little space for community? A few ideas:
The Common Grounds
Yarn and So Much More
Sticks, Reads, and Good Eats
Soft Spot to Land
Knitlicious

Other ideas…?

My timeline is no more than 5 years…2019 or bust!

 

I bought these shoes to match a dress and then wanted to knit something to accessorize that matched the  shoes. I hunted for the perfect match in yarn and actually found it at the 2nd knit shop I went to. I didn’t even have the shoes with me to match them…they turned out perfect 🙂

Then I searched for a project and decided on the Pineapple Delight Shawlette. I just finished blocking it and I love it! It was also my first time using beads which was a bit tedious but not as bad as I had imagined. I used the crochet method of placing the beads.

Finished Project:

Making a Rug

My latest inspiration is this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A crocheted flower rug. This one cost for a small one on sale almost $300…I am betting I can make it for around $150 at the most. I am pretty sure this is the flower pattern I want to use: http://fewofmyfavthings95.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/flower-power.html

I figure I can use loop rug backing that is a fairly tight weave. My guess is this will be a long term project!

 

Kool Aid Dyeing

I took a stab at dyeing yarn with Kool Aid. I used grape Kool Aid. I started with 12 packets of Kool Aid for 300 grams/1360yds of yarn. Here is a before picture:

The first dye round was lighter than I wanted and too tonal. I wanted a pretty solid saturation. So I did a second dye with 15 packets of Kool Aid…why 15? They were 5/$1. I like to keep things simple! This time it turned out great. It still had the tonal effect but was deeper purple! I love it…see:


I a very happy and can’t wait to get started on this:

Whistler Shrug

I started this shrug when we left the Birch Bay leg of our trip to Whistler, BC…what I like about it for a road trip is it’s all Stocking Knit Stitch…easy peasy and no need to look down much thus reducing car sickness. I had found this yarn at a yarn shop in Bandon, Or for half off. It’s the first time I have knit with Alpaca…I am a wool kind of person. I love knitting with this! It’s smooth and even though it’s lace weight so easy to handle. My skin is smoother since knitting with it. I didn’t finish it while at Whistler, too much to do there, but I did knit every chance I got to sit. I look forward to the FO!

Writing patterns is…

Time consuming! I cannot believe how hard it is to write knitting patterns. The details, each row, charts, adjustments, sizes, etc…Kudos to all the knit designers out there. All that to say I have knit 3 original sock patterns that I have not posted because I am bogged down in the task of writing. Any hints out there? If you are a knit pattern designer please share your tips and short cuts? For an amateur what software would you recommend? Thanks in advance for your help. Now I am off to knit Mathilde by Debbie Bliss 🙂

Beautiful

This has got to be the most beautiful wedding dress ever.

Goes to show knitting and crocheting is not a craft but an art!

News socks on the way

So, I finished my 3rd design…a little simple pattern from Barbara’s Treasury but I didn’t take very good notes as I knit them so we’ll see how long it takes me to write them out and how accurate the pattern will be. They may just end up being my little secret;) I am excited about sock pattern #4. Toe up again, of course, with the cable pattern starting in the toe area and a larger cable motif repeated up the sock. I really love designing cabled patterns. Envisioning the twists and turns and front crosses and back crosses and seeing how they all come together. I’ll post pics as I go and this time I am taking better pattern notes as I knit!

Therapeutic knitting

In my non-knitting world I am a therapist. I often encourage people to find things to do or engage in that energizes them, and is separate from work. An escape…in a good way. When people ask me what I do to care for myself, especially after a particularly difficult client day, I say I knit…and now I design. There is something about knitting that brings peace to my life. What I am realizing is that throughout my day I need to balance my right and left brain. I need to stay calm and focus amidst the chaos of life and I need to tap into my creative brain to help bring solutions to a family in need. This means I need to keep both my right, creative brain and my left, thinking brain well exercised in addition to my body and soul. Knitting exercises my creativity and the beauty I see in the world…and sometimes the pain that often emerges into the beauty. Knitting is a way I nurture my soul too…no I don’t worship knitting although to an untrained “eye” it may seems so 😉 I often knit when I pray, meditate and worship. While I learn and engage in my faith community I knit and as I look back on the things I knit it reminds me of the stories of worship I was engaging in…also for a mind that wanders knitting helps me stay focused on the here and now moments of life! For instance, a good chunk of the knitting done on Branching Off was done at Convergence, a gathering of women leaders in the Jesus followers faith. Every time I wear these socks I am reminded of the fabulous women of Convergence, the pain of the female journey in Christendom, and the hope of change and energy from women who abide in Him. Knitting is more than a craft, more than a product produced or gift given…knitting is therapeutic!