Still Spring

Spring continues unabated outside the windows. Only the weather has gone from warm and sunny to cold and windy with occasional rain. I’m sure the pollen will return any day now. In the mean time, I want nothing more than to snuggle up with my knitting and a cup of something hot to drink. Not much luck on snuggling part but I still get to knit. The top project right now is a black ribbed hat, Slick by Alexandra Tinsley. Much of that ribbing is twisted which isn’t as annoying as it sounds. Plus, I get to work a few cables every now and then so the knitting is actually fun. Feels good to be a process and a product knitter at the same time.  

Do you knit for the joy of knitting or do you knit for the final product? 

To balance out the  dark ribbing, here’s a bright spring flower. Maybe the color will help hold us over until the sun comes out again. 

March is for Photography: Recap

Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started. 

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Hundreds of photos. Untold megabytes of hard drive space filled. Hours spent reviewing photos. Even more hours spent editing. A few dozen photos that I’m proud to show. My incremental project studying photography in March went pretty much how I thought it would. Except that it didn’t. I thought I’d read up on photography terms, learn about ISO and f-Stops, peruse photography blogs, and study lots of technical details. I didn’t even crack open the manual for my camera. Shame on me. I thought I was going to do all all those things because I thought they were what I really needed to become a better photographer. 

Almost a month later, I’m sure that I still need to learn more about the technical side of photography. I just skipped over an important first step during my planning - becoming comfortable with my camera. I was fine taking photos on the back deck or the porch during the day, areas that I had decent control over, but I was really self conscious outside of those spaces. So, I started hauling my camera around everywhere I went. Didn’t always bring it out but I got used to the idea that I could snap a photo if I wanted to. 

Always having my camera at hand has led to some of my favorite shots. During spare moments, I’d look around for the small details, the Everyday Magic as Tammy Strobel calls it, and try to capture the moment. I started to document my days like going to knit night or doing late night cross stitch. I’m seeing things that were passed over before, like this tiny and therefore adorable pinecone, because I wasn’t paying attention.

There’s still a lot for me to learn about photography but I’m happy with the first step I’ve taken. Maybe I’ll finally get around to studying some of the technical details in these last few days of March.

Previous March is For Photography Posts

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Spring 2013

It’s officially spring. Thankfully, there’s no snow on the ground but there’s enough pollen floating around to make up for the lack of flurries. 

To celebrate the budding leaves and try to forget about coming pollen apocalypse, I pulled out a hibernating project. Back in the beginning of February I really wanted to spin some beautifully dyed Targhee from SpunkyEclectic.com. I split the roving in half and even spun a few yards before having to put the project aside for something else. I kept meaning to come back to it again but didn’t actually grab it until yesterday. Know what? The spinning was great and my fingers hadn’t forgotten what to do. 

My goal is to enjoy working with Targhee, finish spinning the singles, and ply everything together before summer. Then I might do something wild and actually knit with my own handspun.  

Anyone else using the start of Spring as an excuse to pull out some languishing projects? What are you working on?

Confidence

When I was trying to come up with something worth writing about today, my first thought was about socks. Blame the Shur’tugal socks I’ve been working on since January. Specifically, I was going to write about another reason why socks are great for travel knitting besides from the portability and enjoyment in progress socks provide. Then I changed my mind. 

My toe-up Shur’tugal socks have been growing one row at a time and gusset is not far off. Before the socks got any longer, I wanted to figure out where the gusset would start. Of course, I can’t remember to work the math at home with paper, pencil, and a flat table. I was sitting in a car and doing the calculations on the back of a napkin. The math wasn’t hard and I knew what I was doing because I done the same calculations for most of the 20+ other pairs of socks that I’ve knit. Number crunching finished, the gussets needed to start at 6.5”. The socks are currently 5” long so I’ve got a few more rows before I have to keep track of increases. 

I thought about writing a tutorial about gusset and heel flap placement but realized I was missing the larger point. 

Sock - hat/fingerless mitts/sleeves/hexipuff/whatever you please - knitting is prime travel knitting because of confidence and practice. I finished my first pair in front a computer with a video about kitchener stitch going on repeat. At the time, socks were not travel knitting. It was only after finishing several pairs and liking how they fit that my confidence grew. Took even longer for me to start hauling them around in my purse during errands because I could fix any problem that came up. The fix might be ripping out most of the sock but I knew I could do it. 

Confidence. In knitting and everything else that we do, confidence in our skills and in ourselves is important and absolutely necessary. It is the first step towards reaching any goal and finishing every project. Why bother doing anything if you’re sure you’ll fail?

If you’re starting or learning something new, it’s probably going to be hard work. It’s probably going to take time. You might make mistakes but, know this, you’ll get there. I’m rooting for you.

March is for Photography: Week 3

Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started. 

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Taking a photo a day - especially, a photo I want to show off - is hard. There, I said it. I didn’t start out thinking this project would be a cake walk but I didn’t realize how difficult it would be. A few days into March, I started following the daily prompts from Fat Mum Slim. Some days were easy and some I’m still haven’t figured out. No surprise, I fell behind. I was determined to catch up on Friday so I grabbed my camera and headed outside. The original plan was to take photos to match each of the prompts. They weren’t any easier. Thankfully, I was in the right time and place for the 15th’s prompt - explore. I took it and ran. Those other prompts? What other prompts?

4 Hours

It took going on a road trip to find my sock knitting mojo. The Shur’tugal Socks are fun to knit and the pattern is easy to remember despite the 12 row repeat. Still, the frequent twisted stitches/faux cables aren’t the easiest thing to pull off while jaunting about town. I’ve been hauling the pair around in my purse since February and not making much progress. I was almost ready to cast on for a simpler pair but then, all of a sudden, road trip. 

4 hours in a car is a long time and plenty of time to work twisted stitches. I finished the toe of the second sock, worked the first chart, and launched myself into the instep pattern. Progress was made. Since I returned home, the momentum is still going. It might only be a few rows while waiting or a repeat while catching up on podcasts but I’m getting closer to finished socks. Before I can bind off, I’ve got to do some math and figure out where to start the gusset for a helpful heel flap. Way to excited about knitting a standard heel flap but they are my favorite heel. Also have to knit the cuffs but I’ll get there.

Do you have any stalled out projects that have suddenly become interesting again?

Magnolia Cemetary

Last Saturday morning, my mom decided it was time for an impromptu road trip down to Mobile, AL. It only took an hour of frenzied packing and primping to get out the door. The drive was easy and the weather glorious. Nothing like a 4 hour drive south to breezy 74° weather to lift your spirits. 

Part of the reason for our trip was to visit the historic Magnolia Cemetery. The cemetery was originally established in 1836 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. At its founding, Magnolia Cemetery sat on the outskirts of town but is now near downtown Mobile. It was quite the paradigm shift to be standing between graves more than a hundred and fifty years old and seeing shining skyscrapers off in the distance. I walked past the graves of Confederate soldiers, infant children, state governors, veterans, and entire families. Some of the stones were were still as easy to read as the day they were carved. Other markers were cracked, broken, and worn. The names, dates and epithets almost lost to the world. A humbling experience to walk among the reminders of the dead.

Historical information cited from magnoliacemetery.com

March is for Photography: Week 2

​March 3 - Key

The March photo-a-day challenge continues and the challenge part is definitely right. It’s a lot harder than I thought it’d be. Somedays, the prompt is no help - fear, I mean you - and I have no idea what to photograph. Then there’s catching the right light, arranging a nice composition, and the final editing. Never mind any technical mishaps. Maybe I’m just over thinking the whole thing. 

Annoying as they are, the difficulties did lead me to a photography epiphany. Most of the photos I post here and the great majority of photos I take are posed and stylized. For every photo you see, I took at least 5 other variations that didn’t make the cut. I edit and crop and resize them just so. The photos don’t always turn out like I hope but they do get the point across. What’s more, is that I’m comfortable with them. March, I’ve discovered, isn’t about taking comfortable photos. I do want to learn more technical details and better understand my camera’s inner workings; however, I want to break out my box. I want to tell stories. I want to capture the small, daily details. I want to pic up my camera and be spontaneous. Not be chained to the regular, stylized routine. 

I didn’t even realize that I was stuck in a photography rut until I read a post about capturing unprompted moments on camera from A Beautiful Mess. Following other people’s daily photos helped too. The ever talented Leethal has been posting photos on her Tumbler. It’s inspiring and makes me keep trying.

​March 5 - Under

​March 6 - Chair

​March 8 - Favorite

March 10 - I Want

Knit Night

My attendance at knit night this year has been woefully lacking but I was able to make it last night. Foul weather and great mileage did not keep my away this time. The Sapling Hat was finished and delivered, so I took a new project out on the town with me. 

Part of the reason I love going to knit night is to catch up with friends and revel in the craft. Sometimes, there is more commiseration than celebration over knitting but the time is good for that too. Another reason to go is that I can leave my more involved projects behind for something fun or a recently rediscovered work in progress. Sometimes, the just for fun projects become the more involved projects but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. 

Three

Three is the magic number. It’s the number of dedicated projects I can focus on at one time and still get things done. Anything more than that and things start to go off the rails. I lose focus, get bored, and generally accomplish nothing. Eventually, I’ll come to center and shove all the extra projects off to the side. It’s an “out of sight, out of mind” kind of thing. When I do finish something, it’s time pick a new project or come back to something on the to-do list. Then the cycle begins again.

Right now the three major projects are daily photography practice, the sixth Sapling Hat, and a bit of covert cross stitch. Putting a concerted effort into improving my photography throughout this month is still a very new project. I’m researching and experimenting. I’m also trying to find the timing of how to fit regular photography into my day. We’re still getting to know each other. 

The other two projects aren’t so long term. The hat is bound off and drying after a good bath. The cross stitch just needs a bit of finishing and a frame. Can’t wait to be done with both of these projects because I’ve already got a few more lined up. There may or may not be a few more knitting patterns, tutorials, and random goodness coming up. 

March is for Photography: Week 1

​March 1 - L is for...lion!

Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started. 

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In like a lion and out like a lamb. We’re only four days in to March and, so far, the idiom stands true. After the outright pleasant Spring-like weather in February, the temperatures dropped and March has seen fit to grace us with snow flurries. Nothing stuck but the snow did it’s best to cling to the windshield while The Bearded One and I were driving around town. I’m hoping that the weather returns to its pleasant self by the end of the month. I’m also doing my best not to get sick. Bring on the vitamins and warm, wooly layers!

Besides from snow, March also brings with it my new incremental project. February was all about yoga which I have come to love and greatly enjoy. Have no doubt, that a daily yoga practice will continue behind the scenes here at Chez Strategos; however, March’s main focus will be on photography. Almost every thing I’ve learned about photography up to this point has been completely through trial and error. Some of my photos, I’m very happy with. The rest, well, I pretend they don’t exist. It’s time to level up. 

​March 2 - I Made This

Usually when I start these projects, I have a decent idea of how I’m going to spend the month and what resources I’ll be using to learn. I’m coming up a little short this month. So far, there’s Shoot It! Craftsy class with Caro Sheridan to learn from. I bought it months ago when it was on sale but haven’t done anything with it. I think it will be helpful but I’m not sure if it’s exactly what I’m looking for. Also on the to-do list for this month is finally reading the manual that came with my camera. 

Know of any good sources to learn photography? I’d love some recommendations.

​March 4 - Lucky

The one thing I know that will help me improve my photography skills is practice, practice, practice. Sunday, I found out about Fat Mum Slim’s March Photo-A-Day Challenge from Leethal. The daily prompts should help me focus and keep me motivated through the month. Now, I’m playing catch up. It was a happy accident that two of the practice photos I took day yesterday - the lion head and my hand knit socks - match the prompts for the first two days.  Hey, Neighbor Cat counts for today - Lucky. This is an unintentional win. The blossoms don’t count towards the challenge but I like them. 

Onward to better photos!

​Blossoms

Little Things: Scissors

​Little Things: Celebrating the tiny, sudden joys in life

I’ve never understood the need for teeny-tiny scissors. Well, until I started dabbling in cross-stitch and temari, that is. I had my craft scissors and the ubiquitous pair of scissors that seemed to spend 20% of the time in the junk drawer and the remaining 80% gallivanting around the world. At least, I like to imagine my scissors out having a good time. Takes the sting out of not being able to find them more than once a week. My scissors were good for cutting paper or attacking those annoying, plastic clamshell packages that seem to have a death grip on their contents; however, those same scissors always seemed a little hungry for fine threaded handiwork. 

So, I broke down and bought a small pair of embroidery scissors and finally understood the need for them. The smaller scissors allowed me to more precise and get to closer to the surface of my work. No more worries about hungry scissors eating all of my stitches. That first pair didn’t stay sharp for very long and I eventually splurged on the beautiful Lantern Moon Rococo Embroidery Scissors. They’re sharp, fit well on my fingers, and work wonderfully in either hand. Plus, I am absolutely smitten with how the scissors feel when I cut yarn or embroidery floss. It’s very satisfying. 

If you’re on the fence about the usefulness of tiny little scissors, I recommend trying out a pair. You might just be surprised at how handy they are. 

Have any notions or tools that you enjoy using?

Growing

The babies are coming! The babies are coming! So, it’s time to knit some hats. 

I’ve knit quite a few Sapling hats in the past three years - Ravelry tells me this will be the sixth hat - and will probably continue to do so. In fact, the whole reason I came up with this pattern was to make a pair of hats for a friend’s nieces. The hat is complicated enough that I’m not bored knitting it for the sixth time but still small enough that I don’t have to slog through it. Also, I just like being able to start at the crown of a hat instead of the bottom. Only have to cast on a fraction of the stitches that way. 

I’m using Elsebeth Lavold Cool Wool which is a slightly thinner yarn than called for in the pattern. To compensate, I working the larger size and knitting the hat entirely on the smaller needles rather than switching needles partway through. No other mods are necessary. 

Time to get back to knitting. Can’t let baby have a cold head after all.

February is for Yoga: Week 4

With three weeks down and one to go, learning yoga this February has been a success so far. I’m stronger. I’m more flexible. I’m more aware of how I move and how I breathe. When I started the month, I was looking forward to all of those things; however, what I didn’t expect was how much of an influence yoga would have on me. When I step off the mat, I’m not packing up my practice and putting it away for the day. The thought and the focus travel with me. After I climb out of my car, I do a quick check to make sure I’m standing up straight with relaxed shoulders and not hunched over. Hello, Tadasana. Sitting at my desk, I’m constantly relaxing my shoulders since they tend to tense and creep up when I’m knitting or perusing the web. Before yoga, I never really noticed what my shoulders were doing. Just that they were tense and needed some love. I love this newfound awareness and control. 

In this last week of February, I hope to keep this awareness going strong and continue my daily practice with gusto. I’m going to keep learning. I’m going to keep pushing myself. I’m going to keep breathing. Though March is fast approaching and I’ll be picking a new incremental project to focus on, yoga will continue flowing through the background.

Little Things: Starting Out

Little Things: Celebrating the tiny, sudden joys in life

I love starting new projects. I love researching ideas and variations and all the little details that make up the whole. I love picking colors and gathering supplies. I love finally committing to something and jumping in with both feet. I love casting on, drawing the first line, making the first stitch, and taking the first step.

In the thread, the pencils, the yarn, and the paper, I imagine all the potential just floating around in the ether. When I make that first step, it’s like plucking a bit of that wonderful possibility from the air and solidifying it with my actions and my intent. Doesn’t matter if I’m going for a walk or knitting a new hat, acting on that potential is an great and happy thing.

My latest project is some covert cross stitch. There are just 3 colors but this checkered pattern will be the largest cross stitch project I’ve attempted. Can’t wait to see it finished because I like finishing things just as much as I like starting things. 

So, have you started anything new lately?

To Frog, or not to frog

To frog, or not to frog--that is the question:

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The knits and purls of tedious ribbing

Or to take needles from a pair of tiresome socks

And by ripping, end them. *

That’s the rub, folks. Should I just suck it up and keep knitting this pair of socks or rip them out and use the yarn for something else? Here’s a little background to help out:

• I started knitting these socks on my trip to Denver but didn’t get much further than a toe and a few rows of ribbing. So, it’s hard to call them souvenirs. The only thing I remember about Denver when looking at them is waiting for busses that didn’t always arrive. 

• I’m not all that fond of the yarn, either. The colors are nice but the yarn itself is kind of scratchy. I’ve made socks from this yarn before but they’re not my first, or even second choice, when I’m picking out a pair to wear for the day. 

• I’ve already come up with some alternate projects for the yarn. It could turn into an i-cord garland, pom-poms, a temari ball, or some sort of crochet goodness. 

• The pair is on waste yarn because I already stole the needles for a different pair of socks. 

• I have put a bit of work into them. The original plan was to knit tubes and add afterthought heels. One sock is past the heel point and on the cuff. The other sock still has a few inches before it’s time to mark the heel. 

Sounds like I’ve already made up my mind to rip out these socks but, even knowing I probably won’t finish them, I’m having a hard time committing to ripping. Help! 

* I couldn’t resist writing a short parody of Hamlet’s soliloquy.  Check out Shakespeare’s original version at Wikipedia.

Yoga February: Week 3

Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started. 

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Two weeks ago, I packed large duffle bag and took to the road for some much needed fun and time in Atlanta. The weather was nice and the traffic light during the two and a half hour drive. Still, I was thrilled to get out and stretch my legs after being in the driver’s seat for so long. Last month, before my daily yoga practice, “stretching my legs” amounted to plopping into a different chair and stretching my arms and legs out as far as possible while looking for a tv remote. The process didn’t really work but at least I wasn’t stuck in a car anymore. Now that I’ve got a few different yoga postures, asana, rattling around in my brain, I put them to use and actually stretched. Child’s Pose, aka Balasana, did wonders for my back and relaxing in Corpse Pose, aka Shavasana, eased away tension. It was nice to feel refreshed after a long drive instead of longing for a nap.

I kept up with my practice while I was in Atlanta. After following along with different flows, I practiced individual postures daily. It’s been great getting to know the specifics and figuring out the proper way to do and which muscles to use for each pose. Every day I’d pick 2 or 3 poses to practice so I could put them to good use later. After watching tutorials on different postures, I can tell you that there is so much more going on than what meets the eye. It’s definitely worth the time to learn the postures outright and you’ll get so much out of your own practice once you do. I’ve learned a lot from YogaWithAdriene and really enjoy her videos. 

I’m back at home this week and yoga practice continues. I’m still focusing on learning the individual postures but I’m also going to try learning the proper sequences of Ashtanga yoga. Maybe this is the week I’ll finally remember how to do a full sun salutation.

How To Tie A Turkish Spindle Leader

In the last installment of my spinning misadventures, I was trying to decide what to spin from a lovely bump of Targhee wool. Since this is my first time working with Targhee, I decided to keep things simple and go with a solid 2-ply yarn. The fiber gets to lead the rest of the way and do its wooly thing. The spindle of choice - a 33g Jenkins Swan which I haven’t used anywhere near enough. Time to fix that.

Turkish spindles can be tricky to start without a hook to help the process and leaders knotted to the spindle can be finicky when there’s a few yards of new handspun wrapped around your hand. I came across a solution quite by accident after I had the used the same leader, a piece of yarn or thread that helps add twist to fiber at the very beginning of spinning, to start several different singles. 

Tying the leader is simple. I used craft thread because I had it at hand but you can use yarn, twine, or any string in your junk drawer. Take a piece of string at least 18” long - length can vary based on the size of your spindle - and put the ends together. Tie an overhand knot near the end and a second knot about 2” from the first. That‘s it.

When you’re ready to start spinning, slip the larger spindle arm through the space between the knots. Insert the smaller spindle arm through the notch and the open loop at the same time. 

Once the shaft is in place, the loop will be secure around the arms of the spindle. Wrap the leader around the shaft and tie a slip knot at the top. To add fiber, draft out a few inches from your top or roving  and put it through the loop hanging off the spindle. Fold the roving back on itself and start spinning. It’s the same process as starting without a leader when the spindle has a hook which you can check out in this tutorial.

When it’s time to wind the single on to the arms, just wrap 2 over, 1 under as usual. No special treatment required. Nothing special to do when taking the single off the arms either. Just slide everything apart since the single isn’t tied, just wrapped, around spindle. 

The Targhee and I are getting along well so far. I’m still learning a lot from spinning it though and looking forward to the rest of the process. Hey, I alway look forward to new yarn.  

Little Things

Little Things: Celebrating the tiny, sudden joys in life

Last December, after all the Christmas hubbub was over, I got an unexpected gift in the mail. Inside was a collection of handmade stitch markers from a far away friend. One set looked like obsidian and the other is painted green glass. The markers use flexible wire instead of jump rings to hang on to the needles which, after using them on my Norma blanket, I put my knitter’s stamp of approval on. Now I want to make some too. 

Besides from being really helpful and snag-free, the stitch markers make me smile because a friend made them just for me. A friend who is really busy making games and going to school and being completely awesome took the time to make me some stitch markers. I love that. I appreciate that. I can’t help but be happy and smile whenever I see them arranging my knitting. 

All the markers fit in the palm of my hand. They may be small but they do big things. 

What little things are making you happy today?

Yoga February: Week 2

Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started. 

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Really, we’re on week 2.25 of February, instead of Week 2, since this month just had to start on a Friday but lets not get caught up in technicalities. With the exception of this past weekend, which I took off from yoga to give myself a chance to recover, I’ve done yoga everyday this month - 9 days. Doesn’t sound like much much these little steps are combining into larger things.

For me, a daily yoga practice goes something like this:

• Dig through the folder of links to youtube videos of various yoga flows
• Move furniture out of the way so I can see my laptop screen from the floor
• Consider vacuuming...eventually
• Yoga!
• Return furniture to it’s original starting position
• Back to the daily grind

While the routine stays the same, timing varies. Sometimes I’ll start yoga when I wake up and sometimes in the afternoon after I’ve run errands. The actual yoga part of the routine can last 10 minutes or 40 minutes. Depends on my mood and how many other things are on my to-do list. I’ll also randomly add on extra stretching that focuses on my shoulders, arms, and wrists to prevent any knitting or spinning related mishaps.

Even after just 9 days of a daily yoga routine, I can already notice a difference. Yoga isn’t just about stretching or increasing flexibility and mobility though it certainly helps. Practicing yoga trains you to be more aware of your body and the way that you move. For example, I thought I was standing and sitting up straight. In reality, not so much. There were a few days of soreness as my back finally got with the program and stopped slouching.

Now that I’m experiencing yoga’s positive effects, I’m looking to learn more. I don’t want to be blindly dependent on youtube video or podcasts. The two can be great, helpful sources but I want to practice yoga somewhere where I don’t have to move furniture around, in places without wifi, where I don’t have to look up at a screen, or worry about following someone else’s pace. I want to learn the individual poses and the proper form. I want to move through my own flows. I want to be able to do a Sun Salutation all the way through without looking up what comes next. Looks like the rest of the month is going to be fun.