Sound good?

Arun ends many of his sentences with a fervently earnest "Sound good?" As in "Hey mama! I go see train, go get ice cream, then go home and then watch Max and Ruby. Sound good, mama? Sound good?" Yes, it does, babycakes. Yes, it does, indeed.

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As we all know, knitting makes the very best, most titillating of all blog fodder. Prop your eyelids up with some toothpicks and bear with me on this.........

I finally finished Anjali's blanket (I posted here about what this blanket has meant to me these past 8 months.) Towards the end, I was really struggling with my right hand going numb while knitting so it got to be s....l....o...w going at an excruciating pace (Sidenote: In general, this numbness has become a huge problem. Tweezing my eyebrows. Using a knife. Holding a pen. Holding a phone. Holding my baby. I thought it was carpal tunnel syndrome, but it appears it may be cubital tunnel syndrome instead. The cubital tunnel houses your ulner nerve - which is the whole "funny bone" thingie we all have going on our elbows. Except, it ain't so funny, let me tell you, because I may need surgery.) Anyway - I finally finished Miss Thang's blanket. I loved, loved doing this reversible cable pattern. I am not so happy with the border, but I was far too gone with it by the time I realized it was not working for me. If I could do this blanket over, I would have just done 9 panels of reversible cable portion instead of the 4 panels.

Regardless, I am quite happy with this blanket- it is a good yarn (Reynold's Signature) that is very, very durable for kids who tend to leak all varieties of bodily fluids on things. I have washed Arun's blanket over and over again with good results - in the washing machine, no less! I am debating whether to put up an official pattern for it, although I would really recommend just doing the 9 panels and seaming those together instead of using the garter stitch border.

Doesn't Kansas City need a Stitch n' Bitch?

Why, yes...... Yes, it does.

1st Quarter, 2008 Schedule
We are still meeting the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month and hope you can join us!

Jan 6th Cafe Roasterie (62nd Terr and Brookside Blvd, KCMO)
Jan 20th PTs Coffeehouse (12520 Quivira Overland Park, Kansas, at the Jayhawk Central near KU's Edwards Campus)

Feb 3rd Cafe Roasterie (Skein Swap. Bring one skein of yarn to swap)
Feb 17th PTs Coffeehouse

Mar 2nd Cafe Roasterie (Pattern Swap. Bring a few copies of one of your favorite patterns to swap)
Mar 16th PTs Coffeehouse

The Rules of Stitch n' Bitch
Who?
Namely, YOU.
Anyone is welcome - be it someone who knits, crochets, embroiders, needlepoints, quilts, WHATEVER. If you like to Bitch while you Stitch, come join us. Not sure how to Stitch but you're well versed in the Bitchin' end of things? Come anyway and one of us will gladly teach you the Stitchin' part.

Why?
Why not? It will be a nice, relaxing way to spend a few hours two Sundays a month. To boot, did I mention how incredibly bitchin' we are??

When?
We will be meeting the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.

Where?
1st Sunday of the Month: Cafe Roasterie at 62nd Terr and Brookside Blvd.
3rd Sunday of the Month: PTs Coffeehouse at 12520 Quivira Overland Park, Kansas ( at the Jayhawk Central near KU's Edwards Campus)

Both are well-lit, comfortable coffee houses that happens to serve some of the best coffee in Kansas City. It's a great way to support a locally-owned businesses, too.

I don't technically live in Kansas City, can I still join?
Thus far, we have a very eclectic group from ALL over the Metro - Kansas side, Missouri side, South and North. We've got knitters and crocheters - English style, Continental style, throwing, picking.......... So yes, if you can make it to Kansas City, feel free to join us.

Questions?
Contact me at: cagey333(at)gmail(dot)com

How do you get your Zen On?

I began "officially" knitting in 2003 when I took a class. Before that, I had taught myself how to cast on, knit some rows and how to bind off. I was not sure what to do beyond that and I am not very good with "instructions". I needed someone to actually show me the moves and I knew no one at the time who could knit. But I had always wanted to knit and therefore, I took a class and never looked back.

Over the years, I have knit ONE sweater, ONE sock, ONE mitten, ONE fingerless glove, ONE cell phone case, ONE baby blanket, a few purses, a slew of hats and too many scarves to count. Knitting wise, I am a jack of many trades, master of none, save for the Hat and Scarf. To say that knitting is a creative venture for me would simply not be true, either. I always need a pattern and it must be followed meticulously or I will get hopelessly lost beyond repair. I am not even a prolific knitter these days, I only get in a few hours each week so my projects are slow going, at best. However, for me knitting is all about the Zen. And never before has it been as important.

Any few moments that can be set aside for knitting is precious. I am currently working on a blanket for Anjali and it requires counting. When I knit that blanket, I have to concentrate solely on the task at hand, I can barely listen to music because I become lost in my thoughts and get off track from the rhythm of the knitting. The blanket will consist of 4 central blocks in a reversible cable, the border will be a simple garter stitch. I am on the last of the central blocks and am so sad that I will be coming to an end with the pattern.

When I was struggling shortly after Anjali was born, knitting that blanket was a refuge of sorts. I could lose myself in the pattern and think of nothing else. I admit, I even cried a few times, feeling overwhelmed with everything going on.

.....knit, knit..... (purl, knit, purl, knit, purl, knit, purl, knit, knit, knit)4x......

I am not the first to compare knitting to meditation. It was just simply the first time I had felt it for myself.

When I am done with the blanket, I have no idea if it will become a comfort object for Anjali. She has several other blankets and a myriad of stuffed animals from which to choose. However, it does not matter because that blanket has already been such a comfort object for me.