Exercise while Spinning

I have often thought that I should make myself exercise before knitting.

Did you know there is even a Blog with that name?

So far I have not been able to hold myself to that ideal.

I do set a timer when I am knitting for any length of time and get up and do something around the house for 15 min out of each hour. I actually love spending an afternoon like that. I get a lot of knitting done and I get house work done. The best is that there is no guilt spending the afternoon knitting.

Over the past years I have set another boundary I have lived up to.

Thou Shalt Not Look at or even Think about Spinning.

I do know how to spin using a spindle. I learned as a Waldorf Teacher years ago and taught it to the children.

I Love spinning.

I Love working with the fiber and the colors.

I Love the peace it give me as I spin.

After years of other crafty endeavors I have become self-aware enough to know that I would be Obsessed with spinning and it's wonderful supplies would fill my home and time would be even more fleeting.

But thanks to Cat Bordhi I may have found the perfect justification to break my self-impossed exile without guilt. After all, if there is no guilt there is no problem, right?

How does someone come up with these things as they are drifting off to sleep?

So here is my idea:

I could knit for 45 min. and then spin for 15 min. and have it all!!

I can have it all!

No, really, I can!!

Happy Halloween!!

THE WITCH

I saw her plucking cowslips,

And marked her where she stood:

She never knew I watched her

While hiding in the wood

Her skirt was brightest crimson,

And black her steeple hat,

Her broomstick lay beside her -

I'm positive of that.

Her chin was sharp and pointed,

Her eyes were - I don't know -

For, when she turned towards me -

I thought it best - to go!

Percy H. Ilott

This Moment in Time

{this moment} - A Friday ritual (inspired by soulemama). A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Happy Halloween!

Moment in Time

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual started by SoulMama.

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Fall!!!

The Fall Equinox

is Tonight,

Sept 22 at 7:09 (pst)

My favorite time of year

officially starts tonight.

(pause for a Happy Dance)

This gives me permission to enjoy all the

activities that comes with fall

even though the trees on my street

will not begin to change colors

until November.

Oh Joy!!!

The No Knitting Challenge

I am about to go on vacation. I am taking two weeks off from teaching knitting and one week off from taking care of Miss Claire and am going to Utah for a few days to visit Mom.

Before that time comes I have decided to try and take two weeks off from actually knitting.

Why would I do such a thing?

Part of it is the heat, but mostly, I need a break before I have to get fall classes figured out and knit up the samples for the classes. Just thinking about it makes me want to go and hide.

So I thought that" Not knitting" and taking a break from all things fiber for a couple of weeks would rejuvenate me.

Progress Report:

~I am doing pretty good not trolling around too much on Ravelry.

~I am enjoying the new magazines as they land in my mailbox but not researching them or looking for yarns that I would like to knit my favs in.

~I have not been on Webs (and they have a sale going on) and have clicked off all emails that have to do with yarn.

Sounds like I am doing well, right? HaHa

~I am knitting a sock.

Not being able to survive "No Knitting" made me realize that I have never gone any length of time without creating something with my hands. Before knitting there was beading, before beading there was quilting, before quilting there was cross stitch and before cross stitch there was knitting. I have to be creating something regularly. I have creating fiber kinds of things or creating music since around 6th grade. That would be forever!

I did spend a Sat. a couple weeks ago on my front porch reading a book which was quite lovely. I don't have a book in the house right now that has me hooked (note: need to go to the library).

As for No knitting,

Not going to happen.

But the socks I choose are very simple. Does that count?

I am casting off my Kauni Damask Bag that I have made into a tote

similar to this one. Then I need to felt it and find handles.

And will finish my Art Deco Beaded Scarf which is 80% done.

And that, in my world, is considered Not Knitting. The best I can do.

Now if I could only get myself to feel the same about exercise!

Twist Collective and Knitty

The Fall Online "magazines" are out. Even though we have a couple of months to go before So Cal feels like fall. I love it when the fall magazines come out. Let's face it, knitting is really a cold weather activity. There is something about getting all cozy with some tea, good music or a good audio book, a fire in the fireplace or candles lite around the room and knitting in ones hands that is "Heaven on Earth".

I do knit all summer and really enjoy sitting on my front porch with ice tea, the audio book and knitting. I probably spend more of my life in the second scenario then the first one. Once the patterns start showing up fall can't be that fair away, right?

Twist Collective

Acorns by Carol Sunday

This is going to be high on my list to knit. I think this is such a lovely cardigan with just the right amount of interest done in such a flattering way.

Hallett's Ledge by Elinor Brown

I like this a lot. I think I would wear this as a 4 button sweater and not button it all the way down.

There are two coats that are lovely

Issara by Anne Kuo Lukito

Red Oak by Julia Trice

I am partial to Issara. Love the collar and the pleat in the back.

Kiloran by Cirilia Rose

I think this is the nicest dress I have seen in a very long time. It would be so flattering on so many people.

Manolo by Yarnissima

Each of the magazines always have several pairs of socks. I think these are really nice and love the little bow in the back.

Knitty

The "Early" Fall edition of knitty is up. Now the "early" denotes that maybe they had so many good patterns that they will be putting out a "second" fall edition in the next month or so!

In this edition there are some really nice patterns that I would love to knit.

Iced is a lovely basic wear all of the time sweater. I need one of those this year. Maybe this will be the winner. It uses a bulky yarn so it would be a fast knit. But bulky isn't the best idea for those of use that are sporting "bulky" hips to start with. But I do like it a lot.

I love Victoria. It has a really nice shape to it. I like that you can wear the collar up or down and it looks great. I love the way moss stitch looks. It is probably my favorite looking stitch. But knitting sooooo much moss stitch is a whole other thing.

Mythos is the most popular pattern in Ravelry from this issue of knitty. There are already 6 of them completed and it is very flattering on all body types. It is a really nice basic very usable transitional kind of sweater. It is done with fingering weight yarn on size 8 needles so it will be very light weight and a great way to use up some of that sock yarn!

Coquille Shawl is the runaway favorite pattern on Ravelry. It is a really nice use of striping yarn and short rows for the gussets.

What are you favorites??