Wednesday, April 16, 2014

This whole completion thing...

How big is your fiber stash?  Could it, does it take up a whole room?  How many projects do you have OTN? (on the needles)    How many projects would you call a WIP?  (work in progress)  Do you lose track of all your needles because they're on your WIPs or OTNs?? 

Then, my new and personal favorite...PIGS (Projects In Grocery Sacks)

Whenever I decide on a new project, I do not ever have the required yarn or roving.  Not ever.  I will search and search for the perfect color, fiber content, and gauge.   I'm certain the people I live with have to wonder, but never articulate, why don't you use up the stuff you have?  I don't really have a good answer for that!  Typically, what I have doesn't meet my standards for the upcoming project!  It's just not right.  :)

All this is and more is part of a disorder I have discovered and named since becoming a fiber artist-  It's called Fiber Accumulation Disorder or FAD.  I like to say the whole name...it sounds more official.

Fortunately for us, Ryan Gosling is here to help assuage us of our guilt surrounding Fiber Accumulation Disorder.  I can hear the angels singing!  There is hope! :)


Yes!  I am dedicated to my work!  But as any person with a real, functional case of Fiber Accumulation Disorder knows, we never.ever. leave our Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Knit Picks or independent Yarnie receipts just laying about-do we??  No.  They are tucked away, someplace out of the way, where they won't see the light of the day until we retrieve them for a ceremonial burning. 



I recently found a whole glossary of slang knitting lingo which I am compelled to share with all of you!  Some of these made me laugh so hard, all the cats scattered!

Ambistitcherous Having the ability to knit in two different styles
BeauFO A beautiful Finished Object
BFL blue-faced leicester, a breed of sheep
Bicraftual Someone who both crochets and knits
Bistitchual The ability to knit in two styles eg. English and Continental
BMFA Blue Moon Fiber Arts (yarn company)
BSJ Baby Surprise Jacket (pattern)
CAL Crochet ALong
CIP Crocheting In Public
Clap Clapotis (pattern)
Colorway The name or number assigned by a manufacturer to the color (or multi-colored combination) of a yarn
CPH Central Park Hoodie (pattern)
CPY Crystal Palace Yarns (yarn company)
CTH Cherry Tree Hill (yarn company)
Darn Overs (DOs) - The YO’s you forget and have to tink back to. AKA @&%^#&%@!!
DB Debbie Bliss (designer and yarn company)
DPN Double Pointed Needles
DS Destash (sell unwanted yarn)
EOR End Of Row or Every Other Row
EZ Elizabeth Zimmermann (designer)
FO Finished Object
frog To rip back (for the sound “rip it, rip it”) by removing the needles from the project and pulling on the loose end of the yarn; also applies to crochet
Generally used when mistake is found below the row you are currently working, or when completely un-doing an entire project or piece. (see Tink)
frog pond a storage place for knitted and crocheted things waiting to be frogged
FSOT For Sale Or Trade
Gifted The act of giving yarn/items to another for free.
GOFO A GOrgeous Finished Object
ISO In Search Of
KAL Knit ALong
KIP Knit(ting) In Public
KL Knitting Loom
KP Knit Picks (yarn company)
LK Loom Knitting
LPW Lamb's Pride Worsted (yarn)
LYS Local Yarn Store
LYSO Local Yarn Store Owner
MK Machine Knit(ting)
muggle non-knitter
NoTN Not On The Needles
NWT New With Tags
OTH On The Hooks
OTN On The Needles
PIF Paying It Forward (or Pay It Forward)
PIGS Projects In Grocery Sacks
Pooling When one color in a Variegated yarn bunches together in an area.
Puddling According to the Yarn Harlot, similar to pooling, but more like a blotch.
SABLE Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy
SEX Stash Enhancement eXperience = buying yarn
SIP
sock(s) in progress
Skank
funny way of saying skein of yarn (skein+hank=skank)
STR
Socks That Rock (yarn)
SWTC
South West Trading Company (yarn company)

Tink To undo knitted stitches by reversing the knitting motion, effectively un-knitting the stitch. Used when fixing an error on the same row you are knitting. (tink is knit spelled backwards) (see also Frogging)
TOAD Trashed Object Abandoned in Disgust
UFO UnFinished Object (usually a WIP that has been abandoned or neglected)
WIM Work In Mind
WIP Work In Progress
WoTA
Wool of the Andes (yarn)
WPI Wraps Per Inch (number of times yarn will wrap loosely around ruler or similar tool in one inch; more wraps indicates thinner yarn)
yarn barf (yarf?) a big lump of yarn that accidentally gets pulled out of a new center-pull ball, when you’re trying to find the endYarnie independent dyer or spinner with a small business


I hope you have a wonderful day!  Decide to create something beautiful.  Whether it's in your mind or with your hands.  


Thursday, April 10, 2014

Thank you Mr. Chip.

The morning began normally.  I was rudely awakened by a tickling, running nose and my alarm clock.  It is a beautiful, breezy, sunny, pollen laden day.  My oldest son was already up and getting his day started.  I began the task of waking our 2 youngest children  This process can take some time, so I have to start early...

My oldest son then informs me he has seen Chip the horse is outside of his pasture.  Chip has done this a time or two, so I immediately pull on some boots, grab his halter, a lead and fly out the door!  Chip had indeed breached the pasture fence!  I spotted him at the bottom of our driveway.  He was headed towards an area planted with wheat-and at this point in the season-very tender wheat grass. Good!  Maybe he will be completely distracted by the grass and go no further.

I am running down the hill in my purple, flannel, sheep pajama pants...a t-shirt...a zip up hoodie and my son's army green boots. I can't even imagine the state of my hair.  I looked absolutely fabulous!  I prayed no one I knew would see me or that I wouldn't have to go anywhere near the road.  When I was within about 20 feet of him, he popped his head up from the luscious grasses and looked at me as if to say calmly "Oh, hi.  Didn't hear you coming." (When I imagine Chip talking-its Owen Wilson's voice I hear...)  I had been calling loudly to him the whole time I ran...

in my pajamas.
Fortunately, he didn't run.  I wrapped the lead rope around his neck for insurance, and went about fastening his halter.  Chip is a very calm and level headed horse.  He doesn't 'play games' with us, unless we ask him.  He loves to race with us. Chip always wants to be first in line when he's with other horses.  Since we're part of his 'herd', he takes this into consideration when we are walking with him in his pasture.  If we start to run, he will quicken his pace until he has the lead.  This whole game will never play out if we don't make the first move.  I do love this animal and I'm thankful he didn't think I was playing the race game...

With the halter in place, I led him back to his pen.  He entered with no incident and didn't  complain- even when I closed the gate that separated him from the tender shoots of wheat grass.  I enclosed him in a smaller area.  This is so I could make certain little "Houdini" wouldn't escape before I had a chance to survey the rest of the fence.  

After everyone had left for work and school, I made my way to the pasture.  I found Chip's escape route rather quickly.  A small tree had fallen and taken the braided electric fence rope with it.  This part of the fence has never been electrified.  But Chip is smart enough to not test things like this!  However, since it was laying on the ground, he stepped right over it!

I made a quick repair and let Chip eat his breakfast.    After he was done with his grain, I walked him over to the fence charger.  I wanted him to hear it clicking away.  His eyes became quite large and he took deep breaths.  He flared his nostrils in the direction of the charger in an effort to take in all the smells. I wasn't holding onto him and he could have left at any time.  But he stood there even as I walked away.  I was now satisfied he realized or sensed the fence was hot.  A good friend told me horses can sense or somehow smell the electricity.  What a demonstration Chip gave me this morning!

I believe we are secure now and Chip won't be having any more walkabouts.

One more realization I've had from my morning.  Despite my recent inactivity, I can indeed run at length, early in the morning...in my pajamas...and my son's boots! 

Little Houdini-I mean-Chocolate Chip

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Happy Places

I have many happy places.  One of them is standing in front of my Keurig as it brews a steamy, hot mug of Sumatra coffee...  I then procure a chocolate chip fiber bar, pour crème brûlée creamer in this mug and my day is off to a good start.  I'm smiling and looking forward to that first, delicious sip of warm, brown, goodness. 

After the happiness has all been consumed, I move on to other happy places.  This is one of a small pair of white and ocher colored socks on which I'm currently working.  Socks are definitely a fun and happy project for me.  My favorite part of sock knitting is turning the heel.  It's so cool to see it emerge after a series of stitches that don't necessarily make sense when you look at them on paper.  But once completed, you have a heel! 

As I was sifting through photos on my computer, I found so many other photos of happy places. But when I found this one, I knew it belonged here.  This is about 2004 or maybe even 2005.  Were they ever that small?  They are the cutest, smartest, most wonderful little people I have ever met.  Not to even mention...my handsome, loving husband.  This really is a happy place and a happy life. 

Heartfelt Haiku - "Serenity"

I'm longing for blue Waves and tides and beach campfires The October cape.