Being Fit

As we age, it gets harder and harder to keep ourselves in shape.  That's why I've set my daughter up with a sport she can continue into her 80's - literally.  What a precious gift.  We ride horses long distances.  While my BMI may be a bit high, hers is low - due to muscle.  Check out American Endurance Riding here:

www.aerc.org

Me on a 1/2 Arabian pony I raised.  

Photo by John Nowell

Bella on Wily, Lisa on Dreamy and me on Rosie.

Photo by John Nowell.

Me on Habib Rafiq, sire, grandsire, or great grandsire of most of my Arabian and 1/2 Arabians.  

Lisa on Angyl, his daughter.

One of the rider's husbands took this one and I can't remember his name.

Good, clean family fun!

Find something to do with your family and get out there for some quality time together!  

There are still places with good clean fresh air for you to enjoy.

Divinity

Growing up, my grandmother would make the most incredible treat.  She showed it in the Comanche County (Lawton, OK) free fair every year and I don't ever remember a time that she didn't win.  Well, I found a recipe online that is very much what I remember.  This Thanksgiving and Christmas, give it a try.  Oh, and she didn't store it in an air tight container.  Hers were drops with a curling tip on the top.  If I can master it, maybe I can continue the tradition!

https://addapinch.com/divinity-recipe/

Cute Cat Knits

Just a short note to brighten your day.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/578180763/knit-police-box-pet-cat-hut-digital?source=aw&utm_source=affiliate_window&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=us_location_buyer&awc=6220_1534846296_1a51f71f02ba8256d7f6d731798d92ec&utm_content=234273



Any Dr. Who fans out there?

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cat-cocoon



Way Cute cat cocoon!

FAS is now on You Tube!!

I am pleased to announce that The Fine Art of Slow is now on my you tube channel under "Karen's Country Living"!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxhHJ_Q8oQs&t=14s

My goal with You Tube, as with this blog is to make your live a little easier.  Knitting is now considered as relaxing as meditation.  Isn't that exciting!  You always knew you enjoyed your yarn hobbies, but now there is proof that it's good for you.

And knitting is not a hobby just for women, or just for men.  Originally, knitting was dominated by men.  No, really!  Then it swung over to women during war time.  Now it's an equal opportunity past time.

The other half of my You Tube channel is country living.  As soon as the weather in Oklahoma cools down, I'll be teaching horsemanship.  I have 3 high school girls who are riding endurance with me.  It's sooo fun!  Let me know if you would like me to use a helmet camera, so you can ride along with us.

Well, I have to run.  I have yarn to dye!

This colorway doesn't have a name, yet:

Karen

Sock knitting

I don't know why, but I love knitting socks.  The good news is that my family loves receiving them.

Today is about knitting for people like me.  I have fibromyalgia.  So, purl bumps hurt my feet.  I found a way to not hurt!!!  This is the easy way.  I use much smaller needles than required and/or larger yarn.

This sock is SUPER comfy.  100% merino wool, hand dyed by me and hand knit using US 1 circular needles.  Even in heat, they are great because they wick away moisture.

I'll write up a pattern if people want one.  Really all you have to do is knit a toe up sock that's a bit snug.  Remember, wool stretches as you wear it, but will retain its shape and bounce back when you wash it.

I used these for a two mile ride on horseback, then chatted with a neighbor for two hours at about 80 degrees before I even noticed my feet in heavy boots.

I use the tattoo as an excuse for being so white. 😼

Tattoos fade in the sun.

Live

I was watching Furious 7  when it occurred to me that some people choose not to really live.  I hope you aren't one of those people.  I hope you're in the moment,  aware of everything happening around you.   Life is to short!

Lisa Page  and  my  boy  Rafi.

And the tattoo:

Don't regret,  don't forget.

And News flash:   I'll be at  Duncan  Regional  Hospital  with YARN!!  11/21  and 11/22.

Extrovert or introvert?

Are you an extrovert or an introvert?

Most of my life I thought I was an introvert.  Quiet,  thoughtful, somewhat  hermetic in nature.  That's me, right?  But ... When I think back to how I met some people and who said hello first, I find that I am the first to reach out more than I give myself credit for anyway.

Just today I said hello first and got someone's life story.  I didn't ask for that, BTW, just happens I'm a good listener.

So, am I an extrovert?  Introvert?  What gives?

I think we each hold a place somewhere between extrovert and introvert.  In some areas you shine.  In others you're the wall flower.  In high school I was a wall flower, big time!  But ask me about horses or yarn and I shine!

I believe we need to set ourselves up for success.  Like dressing up to go out on the town.  If you are trying to get noticed, making the most of yourself is a good idea.  I mean, the right clothes, shoes, make-up, etc.  I remember dressing up for a concert one time.  High heels, red dress, the works!  A girl bumped into me that night.  She turned to tell me to watch what I was doing, but the sight of me all decked out and looking down haughtily stopped her cold.  She apologized to me!  I didn't say a word.

Would I do things the same now?  No.  My attire is for me, not. every. one. else.  Dress in a way that makes you set for the task ahead.  If that means turning heads, fine.  Or dress to hide in the shadows.  But realize that you are both extrovert and introvert and dress to bring that out of yourself as the case needs.

Boy did this blog take a turn!  I thought I was going to blog about the internet making it easier for introverts to be heard.  You know, we blog and you can read it.  Then we don't have to talk to all of you at once, which we aren't very good at.

Of course, the more I thought about it, the more I realized the above.  Don't let people, including yourself, pigeon hole you.  You are complex.

Now to get our politicians to realize that we want the middle of the watermelon, not the rind at either end!!  They need to go back to kindergarten to learn how to play nice, lol!

Annnnd that's my political  commentary for the century.

Have a great week!

Me, dressing for comfort on an endurance ride.

Happy birthday everyone!

Today I turned, I almost said 28, if only that were the case, no today I turned 48 and as I look back and I think about my life and what I've accomplished it may not be as fantastic as some people.  It may not be as noticeable, but I know that I have touched lives and some of those lives I'll never know that I touched them. You see I work in a hospital.  I run lab tests on people's blood.  I save lives and I have done so for 20 years.  I think about saving lives for 20 years and I start to multiply one life saved every day that I worked times those 20 years and I can't put it into words the feeling that gives me because I am joyful that I can save people's lives with the help of my Hospital teams over the years.  I don't know what your job is, but I do hope that it gives you a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day.  I hope that you enjoy the company of your co-workers.  I hope that you even enjoy the food from your work if they serve food. My hospital that I currently work at serves wonderful food, but I guess I'm not that picky.  I like to laugh and say I don't need a husband I need a housewife and in a way it's true.  I'm not a terribly good housekeeper and I don't really enjoy cooking or cleaning, but I do enjoy being outdoors and I do enjoy dyeing my yarn and knitting and weaving and spinning and there's so many things that I like, but they don't include professional sports at all! I could spend everyday of my life with my horses, llamas and yarn and I'd be happy, but I would not have touched invisibly those around me. I'm not an actress or actor I don't spend my money on thousand-dollar dresses, but I think most people don't.  I think most people are more like me, touching each other's lives in little ways, so happy birthday to me and you when your birthday rolls around.  I hope you hold your head up high and admit to your age because you only turn that age once and as I live through this next year my goal is the same as it always is, to live each day to it's fullest, to love what I'm doing each day to enjoy my day and if you're not happy where you are and what you're doing, try to find something else because life is far too short to waste it.

Cats rule!

I recently found this post about actor/director/photographer/?? Norman Reedus:

He's a Crazy Cat Gentleman

Real men love cats! As Norman recently told Us Weekly, “My best friend is my cat.” That BFF is Eye in the Dark, a black cat he won over. As Norman told GQ a while back, "My son wanted a black kitten when he was a kid, and I found it in the East Village in some rescue shelter, but it was born in a box and the guy that was getting rid of it was like, 'You don't want this cat. This cat's never gonna love anyone.' And the first time I saw it, it was like just hissing and scratching everything it saw and now it's like this big, fat, chill cat."

I used to have a cat that was given to me.  She was a mostly white with grey ears Scottish Fold.  Picture this cat with grey patches around the ears.

I don't have pictures of her because a man I knew was in love with me (and married) and took all the pictures.  I don't "do" married.  Women and men should treat others the way they would want to be treated.  Period.  End of that story.

She was so scared of everything (abuse) that my mom's cat literally scared the poop out of her.  So, she lived in my room.  At the time I went to college full time and taught handicapped riding and ran a boarding stable.  I came in filthy, so I always took a bath.  The only place she could smell what I'd been up to for the day was my eyelashes.  So, eventually, she would sniff them while I was sleeping.  Then while I was awake.  You guessed it, she eventually became very trusting.  Even to the point of supervised outings onto the front porch!   Huge progress.  And she did finally get along with mom's cat.

She finally died one day that I was scheduled to be away and just had a feeling I shouldn't go.  She died right beside me of a seizure.  I was so glad to be there when she passed.  We had become the best of friends.  She's buried in my yard.  If I ever bought a cat (yeah right, they find me!) It would be a Scottish fold.  Sometimes the best ones are the ones that find you.  I could give you a list a mile long of my "found" animal friends.  Just because they aren't in a rescue or a shelter doesn't make them unworthy of your love.  One of mine showed up so skinny I thought she would die before we could feed her.  She's a tad bit obese now.

Yep, I'm a mad cat lady, just ask the people around me!

Stereotypes

Today I've been thinking about stereotypes.  You know, those great movie characters, such as the red herring, the first to get killed in a horror movie.  They're wonderful as narrative elements.  What they are not wonderful for is us.

This is lama fiber.  Alpaca or llama.  It's also Suri, which is silky.  Sheep people refuse to call it wool quite often.  I think it's llama wool.  Regardless of label, it's gorgeous and extremely soft.

Real people, like real life, are complicated.  We aren't just homebodies, or avid travelers.  Well, I guess there are some who fit, but not many.  Most of us are complex.  I think that's what makes a good actress, ore actor, the ability to be one of those things, or a small combination for a while.  To pretend to be some small part of yourself, or some part of someone else.  I mean really, is Anthony Hopkins really a murderer?  I sure hope not!  Is Norman Reedus really a bit of a hillbilly who was beat up by his dad?  No.  I hear he prefers to live in the city (New York I believe).

This is lama fiber combed out.  You can't feel how soft it is, but it's heavenly!

So, how does this relate to the average person?  My readers?  Well, each of us has different sides of us.  Sometimes it's hard to acknowledge those sides.  Did you know I grew up without a computer?  Horror of horrors!!  But I had my own pony!  For me, the pony was far more important.  It helped to shape my life from childhood to adulthood and on to parenthood.  It influenced my relationships and views on life.  Sorry, Norman Reedus, not a great match for you, but maybe for Daryl Dixon, lol.  I LOVE living in the country.  I can do my own plumbing, fencing and build out buildings.  But in all that survivalist reality, lurks someone who loves a beautiful horse and hand making sweaters.  I think you are dual in nature, too, or you wouldn't be reading my blog.

Be beautiful and rugged as the mood takes you.  Strip cabinets and refinish them, but also put those final touches on your artwork.  And above all, recognize that in others!  Don't pigeonhole people.  Let them be all they want to be.  Most especially if they are your children!

What are you going to be when you grow up?

I am amazed at how deeply we are affected by modern media.  Way before my time - I know you'll find this hard to believe - women used to wear swim suits that covered pretty much everything.  Now the question is which you find hard to believe.  Way before my time?  Or the bathing suits?

Yes, I have a tat on my ankle.

Anyway, it's true.  In every era there are the same issues floating around.  How we feel about them is definitely influenced by T.V., movies and social media.  I'd add news papers, but I don't read them.  Great coupons, though!  You can save a bundle.

Appalled by how much time I was sitting in front of the T.V., I choose to disconnect the satellite.  Over $100/ month for the same old thing over and over.  What I was watching isn't really relevant, maybe what I wasn't watching is?  I'm not sure.  Dexter was cancelled and that was it for me.  I named a horse Darkly Dexter.  He's a great horse!!!  A gentle giant who wouldn't hurt a fly.

Darkly Dexter a a baby.

Anyway, what we allow into our lives does affect us.  Undeniably.  The people, attitudes, news, shows, books ... The list goes on.  What you let into your mind affects your outlook on life.

Take me for instance.  I started watching The Walking Dead about six months ago.  I'm up to season six now.  Thank you to everyone who watched all along!  Without you I would never have become hooked on it.

So how has it influenced me? Life is precious, but only if you live life to the fullest.  If you hate your job and life, then find a different life and job.  Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life.  Ok, so I'm still working on that one.  Hmm, maybe if Walking Dead had an episode with horses and llamas?  Spinning yarn and turning it into clothing?  Yeah, like that's gonna happen!

I'm still not sure what I want to be when I grow up, but whatever it is, I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it!  No, I'm not in my teens, lol.  Far from them!  But I think you can reinvent yourself as you go.  Once upon a time it was called a mid life crisis.  Now it's about finding yourself.  Who are you?  Who do you want to be?

Maybe you can be like me and have a great day job, but a bunch of side interests, too.  I don't understand people who have no hobbies.  Maybe that's because I have too many.  Should I make a list?  Ok, but I warn you it's a long one.

Reading
Writing
Horseback riding, short or long rides!
Training horses
Teaching people to ride
Raising horses
Llamas because they have attitude
Spinning yarn
Knitting
Crochet
Weaving
Dying yarn
Creating stories in my mind
Playing with my daughter
Ok, anything with my daughter!
Gardening
Plumbing
Electric work - simple stuff.
Building things
Riding horses while pretending things - remember playing cowboys and Indians?
T.V.
Movies
Talking to people
Blogging

I think I missed something.  No, I'm sure I missed something.  That's ok.  I'll remember later.  What interests do you have?  How have you been influenced by those around you?  Stop, think and reinvent yourself.  It's fun!

Valentine's day.

Valentine's day is right around the corner.  Here is a free pattern from someone else's blog.  Just too cute!

http://krisknits.blogspot.com/2008/01/valentine-surprise.html?m=1

And even better, you have plenty of time to make a few of these.

Home ownership

Today I was digging in the front yard.  Planting flowers? No.  Putting in a driveway? No.  Trying to find a water line leak? Yes.

It's one of the tradeoffs of home ownership that you eventually have things break down.  And the odds of things breaking increase with the age of the house.  My house is within spitting distance of a century.  No, I'm not sure what that is, but it sounds kind of cool.  At least to me.  Maybe you don't think so and that's fine, too.

So, last month I had to change out the innards of the toilet.  Not too bad.  It wasn't the "after" portion off the innards, so the water was clean.  For the other part I like to call a plumber!  This month was a miscellaneous leak. Who knows where!  Yep, my job was to find out where the leak was.  I cut out a large piece of tree root, but that wasn't it.

So I went to the muddiest spot and dug.  Found it!  With other chores to do I decided to leave "find the exact spot" to tomorrow.

Even with all the repairs and upgrades, painting, sanding, cleaning, de-bugging, etc, it's so worth it.  I've owned this house for 20 years now.  I live in the country, so I have farm animals in my back yard.  The peace and beauty it's breathtaking.  And at the end of the day, I own this house and isn't that cool?!  I won't be paying rent the rest of my life.  I'll pay it off and own it free and clear.  Awesome!!  I can't wait!

Like raising kids, horses, llamas, dogs and cats, owning a house brings a certain amount of pride.  I did that!

Wishing you proud ownership and a trouble free house!

We aren't the only ones who care

Sometimes it's nice to know there are like minded people out there.  People who know that when you take your time and do things right, the final result transcends the sum of the parts.

Today I want to share a post about people who care.  I hope you are as touched by this story as I was.

But before you go, a few thoughts of my own.  Inspiration comes in many forms.  Sometimes inspiration comes from someone, or something that wasn't meant to be inspirational.  I don't think the sun is trying to inspire us with it's glory, but I am inspired by it.  By giving 100% to whatever we do, we create something worthy of inspiring others.  What greater flattery than imitation?  I would say that inspiring people to create is greater flattery.  The very idea that my work, no matter how insignificant, might be a stepping stone of creativity is awe inspiring to me.  So here is the article I want to share:

http://bittersoutherner.com/alabama-chanin#.VpmZAkRMHqD

Hello, friends!

Today I'd like to talk about using the right tools.

The right kind of yarn for a very lovely sock.  100% wool, but light enough to wear in summer.

Using the right tools saves time and money.  OK, that's a pretty obvious statement.  Feed your dog on chocolates, get a big vet bill, or a dead dog.  Not good!  Feed yourself chocolates all the time and you might feel better in the immediate sense, but you're also likely to gain weight, which makes you feel worse and makes you eat even more to maintain that higher weight.

So, that wasn't really about tools, was it.  How about eating soup with chopsticks, or using a butter knife to tighten a screw.  I really have done that with the butter knife.  It works if the screw isn't too tight.  I don't recommend it because you kind of tear up your butter knife and sometimes the screw, too.

But how do we decide what's good and what's not good in yarn?  There aren't any labels on the yarn balls that say "do NOT EVER use for socks".  Of course, not!  I can't tell you how many socks I've knitted, just to find out that what I used did not live up to my expectations for a good sock.

1)  Synthetic materials that were too heavy, so my feet stayed sweaty.
2)  Llama/wool blend that didn't have enough stretch and was worsted weight to boot, so stiff as well.  If it wasn't scratchy, then I could have used them for house slippers, but I never made the second sock.
3)  Gorgeous wool, silk, mohair blend that made the most striking sock ever!  And the yarn broke the first time I put it on. (Many times mohair is listed as "strong" and silk as well.)
4)  Yarn with a very high twist - great wear and tear sock, but my feet are sensitive, so the socks wound up hurting.
5)  A very loosely plied sock yarn - very soft, but pilled up a lot and didn't last long enough to justify the hours it took me to knit.

FAS Round Sock Yarn in Granny's Roses.

So, what makes a good sock yarn? (My opinion only!)

1)  Wool or wool blend with a tight enough twist to last, but not so tight it's ouchy.
2)  Wool or wool blend that is fine enough (micron count) to not be scratchy.  Merino is one of my favorites, but there are several others that are fine enough - Blue Faced Leicester and Cormo come to mind.
3)  Yarn that is not so fine in diameter that your foot can feel every line as if it's fishing line.
4)  Alpaca blend that has enough bounce to lend itself to socks.  Most especially if you have sensitive skin like I do.
5)  Colors that I adore.  Really?!  Yes!  If you don't enjoy working on a project, you aren't likely to finish it any time soon.  I have to have nice colors and a yarn that is kind to my skin as I knit.
6)  An appropriate weight for the type of sock you are knitting (dress, boot, flip flop, etc.).  Yes, there are sock patterns for flip flops and yoga.

 And then there are all the pattern factors for what makes a good sock.  But that's another topic for another day.

Growing up I was always the quiet one that listened and watched.  If I saw my brother get in trouble for something, I made a mental note to not get caught doing that!  I suppose I should have been more focused on doing right instead of not getting caught, but there you have it, I was a kid and that's what kids do, right?  So, my advice to you today is to learn from my mistakes.

If you have a question about yarn and what you might use a particular type to make, drop me a line.  As for my recommendations for a sock yarn, I like my Round Sock yarn a lot, but if you want something thicker, then I like the luxury of FAS Serendipity.  I make socks to be wonderful to my feet and the alpaca/silk blend is very nice to my skin!

Time

A friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer.  Lots of people get cancer, that's not what makes him special.  His cancer is aggressive.  A year ago he did not have it.  Now he has just a few months to live.  What makes my friend special is his attitude.  I have never seen anyone with such a positive outlook.  He's quite sure that he's in God's hands and that whatever happens is God's will for him.  He's on his second round of Chemo.  The first didn't work.

So, why is he in my Blog?  Because he has made the most of the time he has left.  He has mended fences and grown closer to his kids and (ex) wife.  He is planning for the future - the next few months.  He has not given up and never will, IMO.  I was shocked at the level of "taking care of business" that he has tackled.  Things like house, car, life insurance, etc.  Making sure his affairs are in order to the tiniest detail.  I'm quite sure that's a hard thing to do.  You might think doing those things makes for some grim, dark days, but no, he's quite upbeat about it all.  Amazing!!

My suggestion to you is that you remember this man in your darkest hours.  Remember how positive his outlook has remained.  Remember to express yourself to your loved ones.  They probably know you love them, but do they know how much?

Finally, make something for them.  Nothing says I love you like a homemade gift.  It can be cookies, candy, a homemade dinner, a scarf, a hat, house slippers, a scrapbook page with pictures of you together, anything.  Show them you care enough to spend time on and with them.  Time is what my friend doesn't have, but he's found time to show his family how much he really cares.  You probably have more time than he does.  How are you spending it?

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that I'd like to do
Is to save every day
'Til eternity passes away
 Just to spend them with you

December pattern: Karen's Amazing Hat

This one got too round on the top.  Oops!  Everyone makes mistakes.  It proves that it's handmade!!

I love my yarn.  If I didn't, I wouldn't knit, crochet or weave with it.  Why do I love it so much?  Because it does such amazing things while looking and feeling great.  In celebration of my yarn and the giving season, I have a super stretchy reversible hat pattern for you and it's free!

Karen's Amazing Hat by Karen Page.

This pattern was inspired by looking at other patterns and wanting just a little bit more, or less than what I could find.  So, I just made up my own.  And I'm sharing!

Yarn: FAS SW Merino DK, one skein,  Color used is Meditative Reflections.  36 stitches=4" in 2X2 rib.  Buy your yarn here:  www.TheFineArtofSlow.com/yarn.
Alternate Yarn:  FAS Round Sock Yarn, 4 Ply, one skein, held double throughout, in Meditative Reflections.    36 stitches=4" in 2X2 rib.  Note that the colors blend and become more subtle when holding two strands together.
You will need a similar weight yarn in a contrast color.  I used some synthetic yarn I had on hand, about 3-4 yards should be plenty.

**** Please be aware that you may not get the same results if you substitute yarn.  This pattern fits small child up through adult, but only if you make it with stretchy yarn! ****

Circular Knitting needles, 3.75 mm, US 5.  36 stitches =4" in 2X2 rib.

Gauge is not as important for this pattern because the stretchy pattern and stretchy yarn combine to make a super stretchy hat!

OK, now that all that is out of the way, here's the actual pattern, first the short version, then with helping hints.

1.  Cast on 100 stitches with a crocheted provisional cast on.  In case you are unfamiliar with this cast on, simply make a chain with a crochet hook and a contrasting yarn longer than 100 stitches and pull up a loop to knit with through the back of each crochet stitch, using the main yarn color.
2.  Join to work in the round.
3.  Work in 2x2 rib for 4 inches. (Knit 2, Purl 2)
4.  Work 2 rounds in pattern with a contrasting color yarn.
5.  Work 2 rounds in pattern with main color.
6.  Remove provisional cast on waste yarn, placing the stitches on a spare circle needle.
7.  Knit the cast on edge and the live edge together.
8.  Knit until piece is 6 inches long.
9. Place markers every 20 stitches (5) around work.
10.  *Work in pattern to marker, slip marker, knit two together through back loop, repeat from * until there are 20 stitches remaining.
11.  Knit two together through back loop until you have 6 stitches left, removing markers.
12.  Break yarn and use a tapestry needle to slip the yarn end through all the stitches.
13.  Pull to close the opening, fasten off and run in ends.

Using a crocheted provisional cast on, cast on 100 stitches. (In case you are unfamiliar with this cast on, simply make a chain with a crochet hook and a contrasting yarn longer than 100 stitches and pull up a loop to knit with through the back of each crochet stitch, using the main color.) If you are making this for an adult with a large head, increase to 120, 140, etc.  Just remember to adjust your markers and that the existing size fits me and my head is not small.  Did I say the hat is amazingly stretchy?

Join in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.

K2, P2 until the work is 4 inches long.

Change to contrast color and knit in pattern (knit 2 purl 2) for two rounds.

Change to main color and knit in pattern for two rounds.

Remove the provisional cast on, picking up the stitches.  I use a smaller diameter circular needle for this.  It doesn't really matter what needle you use, but I would not use a larger needle because it will be harder to knit those stitches.

Keeping in pattern, knit and purl the two live sets of stitches together, putting the loose ends from the cast on edge inside the tube that is forming.  This is like a three needle bind off, but you aren't binding off.  You're just knitting them together.  This makes the "ear" portion of the hat double thickness.  I live in Oklahoma and have to feed animals during the windy and cold winters.  A good hat is a must have item.  One of my pet peeves has been that hats don't keep your ears covered enough.  This one does!!

***NOTE:  The contrasting color stripe is what makes it reversible (and different on each side).  The line of contrast color is only on one side of these two ends of the same fabric. ***

Once you have connected the two ends, continue in pattern until the hat reaches 6 inches from the folded over lower edge.  At this point, add stitch markers every 20 stitches, which will place 5 markers around.  If you made your hat bigger, you will need to adjust the markers accordingly.

From this point on, Knit the Knits and Purl the Purls.  After each marker,  Knit two together through the back loop, even if one is a purl stitch.

When you are down to 20 stitches (30 for a more rounded look), Knit two together around, until you have 6 stitches.  At this point, break the yarn and use a tapestry needle to pull the yarn through the remaining stitches and pull together to close the hole.  Tie off and weave in your loose end.

If you put the other ends inside the two halves of the doubled portion, you won't have to weave in those ends.

That's it!  Now you have a hat with two beautiful sides.  One with a contrast line, one without.

My beautiful model is Lisa Page, age 12.

Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays!
Happy Hanukkah!
And a wonderful new year!

www.thefineartofslow.com

Making the most of what we have.

Sometimes you can bite off more than you can chew.  You know the feeling.  Oh, sure!  No problem.  I can wash 10 cars in one day, by myself.  Not!  We all have to know our limitations.  But we also need to know how to make the most of what we can do.

Isn't this a lovely fall picture!?

So, if my goal is to offer 5 different yarns in 10 color ways, I'm going to have a hard time keeping stock in ALL of them.  So, I offer to custom dye the yarn bases.  These can be in my colorways, or I can make one up for you.  See?  I went from keeping close to 100 skeins dyed at any one time to keeping maybe a dozen at a time.  Of course, there is a down side to that.  I don't have a good excuse to "use up" all that extra yarn on my projects.  <sigh>  Oh!!  I know!  I can "make Christmas presents".  OK, so a couple of them might be a present for me.  That's OK, too.  Sometimes we have to do something for ourselves.  You matter, too!  Don't ever forget that.

As for Christmas presents, maybe I'll wait and see which relatives drools over which color.  That's a pretty good sign that it would be a great match and very much appreciated.  The greatest gift we can give another person is to care enough to notice the little things.  What foods do they like, colors, temperature in the car, it's all part of the jigsaw puzzle that makes up each person.

Until next time - pamper yourself a little and do something nice for someone else, too.

Knitting for mental health

Today I want to talk about knitting to relieve stress. Lion Brand Yarn posted a story about knitting in the waiting room of ICU and surgery rooms. The story is about a woman named Carol and her infant daughter who wound up in neonatal ICU and having surgeries for years after that. Today her daughter is doing fine and has a career in the healthcare field the story ends well, but waiting in the ICU waiting room, unable to go and comfort her daughter, she could not read.  She couldn't watch TV. She could just sit there.  Until she remembered knitting, which she had done before and so she knitted while her daughter was in surgeries and while her daughter was being cared for in an ICU that she was not able to enter, except during visiting hours. Luckily those days are gone when our loved ones are in ICU and we are not allowed to be with them as much as possible.  Now we understand that being with our loved ones during their time of stress is very important, not just to us, the relatives and friends to see how they're doing, but to them as well.  Knitting for wellbeing, knitting for health, knitting for healing. It's a concept that I can fully support.  People may think you're crazy for knitting or making your own yarn, but the truth is yarn is very relaxing.  It's a way to focus yourself and regain control especially when you feel like control has been taken away from you.

Www.projectknitwell.org

Take a look at their website. Maybe you can participate.  You can donate money, you can donate supplies and you can volunteer to teach others how to knit during their times of stress.  In my mind it's not just the loved ones of the sick,  it is anyone who has to wait, including the patient.

Pass on what you have learned.  Teach someone to knit, spin, weave or ride a horse.  Someone taught you, so pay it forward.  And what better way to pay it forward than teaching a worried parent or spouse to knit?  Helping others is therapy for you, too!

This rooster picture is just because he's gorgeous!

Being where you need to be right now.

Pour a cup of tea and pull up a chair.  I'm not too long winded this time, so enjoy.

A cute crocheted "thing".

Sometimes we think we know what we need, but then we are shown what we really need. 

I think it's hard to know what we really need until we try a few things and maybe fail a lot.  Or you could be one of those people that succeed at everything.  I don't think this is for people like that, but please feel free to read on.

My daughter on her small pony.  Breezie was great and is now with another family, being adored!

Sometimes you need one thing now, but you outgrow it.  I wouldn't want my daughter to try and ride her small pony when she is ready for a large horse, but when she was only 5, she didn't have the strength to control my big horses.

Drop spindles are a great start into spinning - low tech and low cost.

So, maybe now you need to be in the moment of learning knitting, then later on you might want to learn spinning.  But regardless of where you are at, you need to be focused on where you are now.  Sound simple?  Yeah, but I am always looking ahead to the next thing.  I need to ride the young horse, so he learns how to be ridden.  But I want to be galloping him down the trail at the lake, whooping and hollering like a wild thing.  Needless to say, he's not quite ready for that.  Sometimes you have to be where your companion can join you.

This is the spinning wheel I chose.  A huge step up from a spindle, but not nearly as portable.

Once a year, I go to my daughter's school and demonstrate how to make yarn.  Kids like hands on, so I take lots of different fibers and some ready made yarn.  If I have a rabbit, I take that too!  What fun!  It's a blast for me and them.  I get thank you's from boys and girls for the rest of the school year, even from kids who have seen it 2-3 times!

Once you have learned something, it often helps to teach it to someone else to help you to the next level.  It's amazing how much you learn about yourself by answering the question of "what's different about these two?" The enthusiasm of youth can be infectious if you go with it.  Let your joy fill them and their joy fill you.  Who needs drugs when you can get high on each other!?