Keep Calm and Knit On!

Hey Y'all,

So Lisa and I have been talking and we decided that, in addition to telling you all about the official adventures of Knitting and Yoga Adventures, that I, Spike, aka The Termiknitter, will share with you my own knitting adventures. Now, this is hardly a one-way street. I would also like to hear your knitting adventures, any goals you might currently be working toward, any obstacles in the path, any knitting triumphs.

As for my current state of knitting affairs, as you can see above, I have acquired some new knit stuff as I continue to attempt to transform my house into one big informal hands-on knitting museum. You'll see I got a swift (plus a ball winder-- not in the picture), a gift to myself. Just looking at the swift excites me-- it is a reminder of the days when I had no idea what a swift was (or a purl stitch for that matter). It is also, I discovered by mistake, a very big magnet for kids and for grown men. I do have some men knitter friends, but most of my men friends don't knit. Yet when I demonstrate the swift for them, invariably they get VERY excited. I guess it's due to the mechanical element. Or maybe, like the kids, they just get mesmerized by all that rapid spinning.

On the swift in this picture is some really kooky yarn I picked up in Buenos Aires last year. It's barely spun-- practically just roving-- and worked into it are all these weird felted balls that a nurse friend of mine refers to as organs. Seeing that in the picture, I'm reminded of my commitment this year to knocking out a couple of UFOs and trying-- no really, I MEAN IT-- to work through my stash before I start hoarding more. I started a scarf-ish project from the "organ yarn" last year and, though the temp here in Texas is mostly in the 70s these days, I am determined to finish it before I run up to the Northeast to visit my mom. Hopefully it'll be chilly enough to take the organ scarf out for a spin.

I love the Keep Calm and Knit On sign, a gift from a couple whose wedding I performed. I really want to write a book called Keep Calm and Knit on. I also want to always remember the CALM part of knitting. The downside to working on UFOs and also tending to a long list I have of knitting requests, is that sometimes this puts me in Deadline Head where I start associating the knitting with work. Mustn't do that. Mustn't mustn't mustn't-- for I cannot allow myself to ever forget I took up this knitting stuff in an effort to try to relax more.

The other stuff in the photo-- I received that little wooden figure, mostly used by sketch artists, as a gift and instantly had this great idea. I like to fancy myself a knit designer and/but those who have seen my "designs" know that... well let's just say I'm probably never going to make a fortune selling my stuff on ETSY. Also, no way do I have time to knit up all the designs in my head. So I decided I'm going to use this little model like a sort of generic Barbie and make it all sorts of groovy knitted outfits. I picked up some Habu toward that end, and some impossibly tiny needles. Let's see if I actually meet this goal.

And finally-- that cone of yarn? That's some alpaca from a nearby ranch. Ever since we visited Romney Ranch and Markings Gallery in Maine, after last year's Monhegan Island Retreat, I have become stubbornly determined to, as often as possible, use fiber from animals I've met, or at least from the people who raise them. Part of this is so that I can know the animals are well cared for. But mostly it's just pure whimsy-- how exciting to be able to say: "This sweater? Oh yeah, I hung out with the goats the yarn was spun from."

So, any other avid fans of know-your-sheep out there? Thoughts on UFOs? Feelings about deadline knitting?

Do tell.

Spike