Collecting New Year's Resolutions

Reading the Seattle Times this morning, I came across some New Year's resolutions that struck a chord with me...

Not that I would necessarily adopt this resolution but I liked it, "I'm gonna raise up and slap each day around like it owes me money".    Danny Bland, musician

This one I will do, "To always let those around me know how grateful I am for their love and support".  Bernadine Griffith, managing director 5th Avenue Theater

And my favorite, "I resolve to remember that we're all in this together, that we are all heading in the same direction, and that each day I can choose to make this shared trip better - by giving a smile, by letting a car merge in front of me, by asking someone how they are doing and listening to the answer".  Nancy Guppy, Seattle's Channel Art Zone host

And a few of my own:
     Have patience
     Enjoy what each day has to offer even if it isn't much
     Pay attention to gauge (knitters will understand this one)
     Stay healthy, be proactive about it too


And on a different note...I think my Mini Mochi Fair Isle Hat might be too small for my head, time will tell but it is looking that way.  So, I will chalk this up to yet another learning experience and move on...it will fit someone and they will love it.

Happy New Year!  

2012 Polar Bear Plunge in Puget Sound with my friend Rebecca

Happiness is...

...a finished project and the start of a new one.  I love how my first color work hat turned out!   En Brekksprut is ready to wear after I block it.

I think I may have pulled my floats a little bit and I'm not sure how they will block out, but all in all a good first try.

Next on to the Mini Mochi Fair Isle Hat, a free download on Ravelry and another chance to practice my color work.  I'm using Mini Mochi Lapis Blue and Feldspar together.  The corrugated ribbing was a challenge but now I'm on to the body of the hat and it is addicting to knit.  This blue is so vivid, I'm loving it!

Not knitting related...we are going solar!  The Mr. has been thinking about this for a few years now and today is the day.  It is so cold out, clear, no rain...those guys on our roof look like they are freezing!  They are so good natured and of course not afraid of a little cold weather.  And happily we are supposed to have sun for the next 2-3 days.  Yay for solar power!

Miss Bibi is a little freaked out by all of the noise and stomping around on the roof, she has stayed close by my side all day knitting with me.  She took my pattern at one point and begged for a little attention.  I complied.  

Back to knitting now, tomorrow I think I'll stand by our solar panel and watch us sell power back to the grid.

Happiness is...

...trying something new.  For me this week, that would be color work aka fair isle.  I have been hesitant to do fair isle, not sure why...I guess it just seemed like too much trouble, too hard, not interested...then I met my friend Julie for coffee and she had on the  En Brekksprut' two color beret and all of my hesitation fell away.  It is very pretty,  and she said that it was a good beginning color work project.  So off to Ravelry to purchase the pattern, off to my stash to find some yarn and off to Hazel Knits online shop to add to my stash.  From my stash I chose a fingering weight Colinette Jitterbug in Copper Beach and then ordered Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in Malachite.

This is a good beginner pattern....it's slow going for me but I am enjoying the process.

And because it was a beautiful cold clear day here I got out and got a good walk in...the marina was busy with lots of walkers, runners, cyclists and dogs walking their people.

Edmonds Marina

What is the meaning of life?

"The meaning of life is happiness.  Hard question is not 'What is meaning of life?'  That is easy question to answer!  No, hard question is what make happiness.  Money?  Big house?  Accomplishment?  Friends?  Or...Compassion and big heart?  This is question all human beings must try to answer:  What make true happiness?"   Dalai Lama

If I only had a brain....

No worries, just knit one!  

A high school classmate from long ago commissioned me to make this brain hat for her.  She is a cranio-sacral therapist and teaches a neuro-anatomy class.  She thought it would be fun to wear a 'brain' while teaching.  So...without further ado I got to work and knit a brain.  There was a very helpful suggestion on Ravelry to get an "Embellish Knit Machine" to do the endless feet of i-cord needed for the brain folds.  (Here is a useful link for those of you interested in a little anatomy lesson on the brain)  Since I dreaded days and days of knitting pink i-cord I went to my nearby Joann Fabrics and for $12.00 bought the little device.  Best $12.00 I ever spent.  Instead of days, it took me about 15 minutes to crank out all of the i-cord that I needed!!  It worked great in spite of some of the negative comments I read online about the Embellish.  So the brain will be in the mail tomorrow to it's new home.  I hope it will live happily ever after.

In searching for some needles to knit the above mentioned brain hat I got my knitting needle bin out and was struck with shame. 

What a mess!!  Loose knitting needles everywhere...I vow before you that this will be taken care of by the New Year.   I have needles all over the house too, in various stages of usage in a project, tucked here and there for me to find and exclaim over.   No wonder I have so many size 10.5 circular needles, I go out and buy another pair because I can't find the other 5 hidden around the house.  I know that I can't be the only one out there who does this.  Right?

Just because...