Knitting and Sanity!

Week 39 = I've got friends!
Day 7 = September 30, 2014

http://blog.lionbrand.com/2010/01/26/how-knitting-and-crocheting-makes-us-better/

     Knitting helps keep me sane. It is very relaxing to get into a project and just knit without thought of all the other crazy things that are going on in my life.

redcouchknitters.global2.vic.edu.au/

     Depending on how much I want to relax, I choose different projects. With a lace shawl, I can be completely engrossed in the chart, stitches and my movements. With a seed stitch scarf, I can go completely mindless and just knit without any pointed concentration.

www.cowgirlblues.co.za

     The other sanity knitting provides is from the company of other knitters. Which most often starts, end and is full of lively conversations and bowls of laughter...

     It is simple. When I think of knitting I smile and exhale. What is better than that?

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

go to Savery Knitting on Facebook. 

Knitting with a Smile,

Victoria

My Monday - Helen's Leksak - Week 3

Week 39 = I've got friends!
Day 6 = September 29, 2014

     So last week the pictures didn't work for Helen's Leksak. Well, this week I have them for you. Helen has been wearing the tunic non stop and most time she is wearing just the tunic and her diaper. (Apparently, the yarn is really comfy, cozy against her skin.)

     Here is the progression over the course of the week as I knit the tunic.

     I love it!!!! I have already cast on one for Joanna, plus I am planning on making one for my niece and myself.
 

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

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Knitting Finished,

Victoria

Physical therapy and knitting? Who would have thought?

Week 39 = Knitting Secondary...
Day 5 = September 28, 2014

www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-hands-knitting-image24456632

     You have knitting... and then you have physical therapy. Did you know they go together very well? I have several friends who have arthritis in their hands. They have been told to knit and apparently it helps a lot.

grumperina.com/knitblog/archives/2005/09

     Knitting is not only good for stress and your mind, but it is good for your hands and wrists, as well. If you have an injured shoulder, it is one of the things that does not require a lot of movement. If you have arthritis, it helps with keeping things fluid.

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photography-knitting-wool-old-woman-hands-image31577287

     Here are some links to interesting articles and tips on the web:

• Rowan Yarn
• Doctor Prescribes Knitting as Physical Therapy
• San Francisco Sport and Spine Physical Therapy
• Knitting Tips from a Physical Therapist
• Pinterest
• Knit - Hand Exercises
• Jweekly.com
• Knitting offers physical, mental therapy for the aging

     Here is one on Occupational Therapy:

• Advance Healthcare Network
• OT Study Finds Knitting Among Top Treatments

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

go to Savery Knitting on Facebook.

Physical Therapy Knitting,
Victoria

Sports and Knitting Go Hand and Hand

Week 39 = Knitting Secondary...
Day 4 = September 27, 2014

     Sports and knitting go hand and hand. Now I am talking about being a spectator at sporting events... any sporting event from your kids soccer game to a major league baseball game.

      In sports there are times that you can look away from the game at your knitting without being completely left in the dark. On several occasions I have gone to a Charleston River Dogs game (our local minor league baseball team). It is a fun time where you can relax and enjoy your family and friends and not have to worry about entertaining people.

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

go to Savery Knitting on Facebook.

Baseball Knitting,

Victoria

Fabulous Friday - Easy Saturday Cardigan

Week 39 = Knitting Secondary...
Day 3 = September 26, 2014

Easy Saturday Cardigan

http://www.yarnspirations.com/easy-saturday-cardigan.html

     I saw this cardigan on Facebook and immediately fell in love. It is a free pattern available on yarnspirations.com. It uses bulky yarn which makes it a quick knit. I love the coziness of this cardigan and how you can just wrap it around yourself.


     I would add pockets because you can always use pockets. Plus, pockets are very easy to add. I can't wait to find the perfect yarn and make myself a cozy sweater for fall.

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

go to Savery Knitting on Facebook.

Cozy Knitting,

Victoria

Portablility

Week 39 = Knitting Secondary...
Day 2 = September 25, 2014

www.knitterella.myshopify.com

     Part of the reason knitting is so convenient as a secondary option is its PORTABILITY. You can take your knitting with you anywhere. Now if you are knitting a huge blanket you might want to consider space but otherwise all you have to consider is being able to move your arms.

www.piddleloop.com

     The nice thing about portable knitting is all the various project bags that you can use to hold your project and yarn.

http://ascrapoflife.blogspot.com

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

go to Savery Knitting on Facebook.

Project Bags for Your Knitting,

Victoria

Knitting Secondary...

Week 39 = Knitting Secondary...
Day 1 = September 24, 2014

http://myjclibraryknitcrochet.blogspot.com/2010/08/try-knitting-leaves.html

     If you ask a knitter why they knit, you will come up with all the usual answers... but there is a category where people say they knit because it is something they can do while doing other things, i.e., secondary like:

• Watching TV and knitting
• Riding in the car and knitting
• Reading and knitting
• Eating and knitting
• Visiting with friends and knitting
• Listening to a lecture and knitting

     The list is endless. I look forward to looking at knitting in a different light this week. Join me...

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

go to Savery Knitting on Facebook.

Knitting Secondary,

Victoria

Momma's Girl

Week 38 = I've got friends!
Day 7 = September 23, 2014

     My friend Lynn is a vast and varied knitter. She will try anything once just to learn it. One week she will be knitting this purse. Then the next week you will see her knitting a beaded shawl. Still another week later, you will see her knitting socks. She can do it all.

Angelcraft's Entrelac Purse

     Let there be a sock. My knitting friends Jessica, Shannon (another knitting friend) and I all took a sock class from our mutual friend KnitOasis last October. This is the sock that she was knitting in that class. I remember because I loved the mix of the shades of purples and greens (my teenager's favorite colors) and the striping differences.

cooper8759's Oasis Sock

© cooper8759

     Last, but not least of all of my friends, is my BEST FRIEND in the whole wide world (even Scotland, inside joke), my Mom. You know how someone means a lot to you, but when it's somehow put in a whole new light, it is just amplified? Well, that is how I feel about my Mom. I knew that she was my best friend, heck, I talk to her everyday about everything. However, she's been abroad and pretty much out of easy contact. But now that she is back from her vacation, I can say this... these past 3 weeks when she has been in Ireland and Scotland have been excruciatingly painful.   

sizzle1st's Sarah's Shawl

© sizzle1st

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

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Friendly Knitting,

Victoria

My Monday - Leksak - Week 2

Week 38 = I've got friends!
Day 6 = September 22, 2014

     Good evening! We have a good news, bad news situation going on here tonight.

     The good news first:
     I am super excited because, as unlikely as it sounds, I finished the Leksak Tunic for my Helen. I was not expecting it to knit up so quickly and to apparently have as much time as I did to get through it.

     Now the bad news:
     For some strange reason I can't load my pictures, so I am going to post this blog and then tweak it tomorrow morning.

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

go to Savery Knitting on Facebook.

Knitting Leksak,

Victoria

Ninja Day

Week 38 = I've got friends!
Day 5 = September 21, 2014

     Mary Beth is the "host" of my Sunday knitting group, Summerville Knitters. Before attending this group I had no knitting aspiration beyond what I was doing at that time. Well, thanks to the great ladies that come together every Sunday and now most Wednesdays, my eyes have been opened. Mary Beth is also the person who introduced me to NORO, see picture below.

Elky's Black Rainbow Cold Mountain

 

© Elky

     Eileen, my bestie, has been on a grandkid knitting kick for a little while now. I love the items she knits for them. Some items are from a pattern and some are her own design. I love this blanket because it is an easy, 1 row pattern repeat, which makes it a good carry along project.

elcahall's Patricia's Candy Stripe Blankie

© elcahall

     My friend, Wanda, is fairly new to our Sunday group and has definitely left her mark on me. She is a crafting ninja (pun intended - see picture below). She has an awesome page on Facebook called Crafters Galore, with anything and everything crafty that you can imagine. These Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are something that my Joanna would love to have. The picture below is copied from her Facebook page.

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

go to Savery Knitting on Facebook.

Knitting Ninja Style,

Victoria

I See a Snail.

Week 38 = I've got friends!
Day 5 = September 20, 2014

     To continue beautiful works by my knitting friends, I have the one person that knew me in high school before I was knitting (with the exception of my Mom, of course). I found out a few years back that she is a big knitter... so we have become reacquainted through Ravelry. Heather and I met my junior year in high school. She was an awesome friend, the one that holds your group together.

kinichiriver's Garden Snail

© kinichiriver

     Jeanette is a mastermind when it comes to lace. Just take a look at her Ravelry projects. Her ability to make such beauty astounds me. She also has a huge, and I mean HUGE, talent for design. When Jeanette wears one of her many elegant shawls to our knitting get-togethers, more often then not when asked what the pattern is, she will say, "Oh, this thing, it's one of my designs."

justJnet's Lenora

© justJnet

     Susie was one of my first connections that I made when I started going to the Sunday Summerville Knitters. She has a super eye for color and a love for Plucky yarn. The cowl she made below was for my daughter's 3rd birthday. She loves it and still plays with it.

hollyhill's Birthday Cowl for Joanna

© hollyhill

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

go to Savery Knitting on Facebook.

Knitting Old and New,

Victoria

Fabulous Friday - Faberge

Week 38 = I've got friends!
Day 4 = September 19, 2014

     Just the name of this pattern makes you think elegance. Faberge is quite the multi faceted design. You can alter the look from bold to subdued, from classic to modern all by carefully picking you 2 yarn colors. You can also change the wow/glitter factor based on whether or not you want to accent it with beads.

     I first learned about this pattern just a few weeks ago when, you guessed it ... 2 of my friends were doing a mini KAL for this pattern. A 3rd friend soon joined in and there you have it - a new trend for Summerville Knitters. But certainly not the last one.

Fabergé by Laura Aylor

© Laura Aylor

© Bwade

© Laura Aylor

by missdaisy Flickr

by raksan77 Flickr

© LAylor13

© Laura Aylor

     Here is the photo and link to the Faberge project that Lisa, one of my friends, is doing.

Purlescence's Faberge

© purlescence

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

go to Savery Knitting on Facebook.

Faberge Knitting,

Victoria

Talented Friends

Week 38 = I've got friends!
Day 2 = September 18, 2014


     Today I am going to show you some of my favorite knit items from my Knitting Buddies Stephanie, Ashley and Lisa.

stephanieseale's Autumnal Cardigan

 

© stephanieseale

     This sweater is even more gorgeous in person. The Berroco Boboli Lace that Stephanie used adds just the right touch of color. I would never have thought to knit this pattern Autumnal Cardigan from the pretty, but plain looking picture posted on the pattern. But now it is in my queue, ready and waiting.

spun2tight's Leftie

 

© spun2tight

     Ashley was the first of my friends that I saw knitting the Leftie shawl. So far the colors she picked are my favorite. Not only did Ashley use different colors for the single garter row and leaves on the end, she also alternated between the colors white and gray for the spaces in between the leaves. That simple change added so much more depth to the look of this shawl.

Purlescence's Sock Yarn Blanket

by Purlescence Flickr

     Lisa is a girl after my own heart. She is knitting a blanket with SOCK yarn... yes, I said SOCK yarn. (I am currently doing the same crazy thing.) A Sock Yarn Blanket is very popular because people that knit socks always have bits of yarn left over, but it is never enough to do a project in and of itself. However... if you make tons of tiny squares, you could use it all up. Lisa has gotten more done than this - it is a time consuming blanket.

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

go to Savery Knitting on Facebook.

Friends Knitting,

Victoria

I've got friends!

Week 38 = I've got friends!
Day 1 = September 17, 2014

Ginger's Bag

by KnitGinger Flickr

The above bag was knitted by a knitting friend of mine.

     Knitters love to show their knit items to anyone and everyone who shows appreciation and awe. Now most of the time this is amongst your knitting get-together, group, guild, etc.

     I have the best and most talented knitting friends. Some just knit, while others knit, crochet, sew, quilt, weave, design, hand dye and so on. But no matter what they do, they all make lovely knit items.

     Therefore, this week I am going to show you a little of what my friends can do and throw in a little of what I have done.

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

go to Savery Knitting on Facebook.

Ginger Knitting,

Victoria

What is OCDP?

Week 37 = I'm not sure.
Day 7 = September 16, 2014

www.smashingmagazine.com

     I have created a new term, OCDP which is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Perfectionism. I have come to the conclusion that being OCDP is NOT cohesive with being a knitter. Do you think that this is going to stop me? Goodness, NO.

     This week I was working on my Scood design. (I will explain Scood at a later date.) I was 16 rows from finishing when I realized that I would have to break out a 4th skein for about 4 rows. This was not acceptable! So I decided there was no way to fix it without ripping out the whole thing. I adjusted the width and have figured sections to check my yarn supply as I go. I am a little disappointed, so I have not picked it up since I re-cast on nearly 300 stitches.

     My other annoying (because of my OCDP) project is the Leksak Tunic that I talked about yesterday. I swatched yesterday and it turned out great! I started knitting and got 14 rows in, then unknowingly dropped a stitch right near the raglan sleeve increases. I had to go back 4 rows. I counted my sections of stitches and they were off, so it is a good thing that I had to go back because of the dropped stitch. Then I got to row 20 where I was going to do a color change and really disliked how it would look. The placement was completely off. So instead of just ripping back to row 8 where I would slightly change the pattern to accommodate my color change, I took out the whole thing and started over again.

     I LOVE knitting, but tonight I am a little perturbed that I am on such close terms with frogging and tinking.

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

go to Savery Knitting on Facebook.

Knitting with OCDP,

Victoria

My Monday - Leksak - Week 1

Week 37 = I'm not sure.
Day 6 = September 15, 2014

© mommato8

     After entering all of my projects on Ravelry last week, I realized I was very heavy on the knit items for older daughter, Joanna and incredible light on the knit items for daughter, Helen. So I am going to knit this beautiful Leksak tunic by Yarn-Madness's Madeleine Nilsson for my littlest girl. You might remember that I featured this in a Fabulous Friday a few weeks ago. 

Helen's Leksak

© SaveryKnitting

     I found some Berroco Comfort DK on sale at my local yarn shop and scooped it up. The yellow and turquoise will go great together. I plan on doing stripes with these 2 colors. The yellow stripes will be twice as wide as the turquoise stripes. Then, to even things out, the sleeves and front panel will be all turquoise. I am so excited. I have started with my swatch and will move on from there.

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

go to Savery Knitting on Facebook.

Knitting for my Littlest Baby,

Victoria

Umph!

Week 37 = I'm Not Sure!
Day 5 = September 14, 2014

frontierdreams.blogspot.com/2011/12/knitting-mojo.html

     I feel like some of my "mojo" is coming back. I have a great pattern picked out for the start of my 3rd "My Monday" project tomorrow. I have chosen which pattern will be my first listed for sale online. I have decided on what will be Savery Knitting's 1 year birthday present to some of my awesome readers. All this is coming before the end of the month.

~~~

http://itsterri.blogspot.com

     Another treat to wet your palette... my wonderful editor (AKA, Mom) is, as we speak, on an epic journey of which wonderful and exotic yarns and knitting items will abound. I will be sure to let you know what she gets and get you pictures, too.

~~~

https://greenbeanstring.wordpress.com/tag/weaving/

     After almost 3 years, I was able to, FINALLY, convince my super Mother-in-law to attend one of my Sunday Summerville Knitters get-togethers. She does not knit, she crochets and I have asked her regularly over the past 3-ish years if she would like to come with me. She has always politely said no and moved on. Well... today she said YES. So, one Sunday of her choosing, we will go to my knitting group and get pizza/subs on the way home so she doesn't have to cook supper.

~~~

For today's Knitting Question of the Day,

go to Savery Knitting on Facebook.

Knitting with the Mother-in-law,

Victoria