Perseverance...

It's near the end of January 2012... where has the year gone already? With all the Christmas marathon knitting that occurred in December, January seemed a bit un-frenetic! That doesn't mean there wasn't anything happening. January became the perfect month to finish a very long project... long in that it was started in Feb '11 and long that this project was the infamous Doctor Who Scarf finishing at 14 feet. 


Now why, do you ask, would one want to be knitting the Doctor Who Scarf? I mean, it's nothing fancy- no cables or lace work, ordinary colours, from the old Doctor series. Why indeed? It was a labour of love for an adopted nephew who has since become enamored with The Doctor. Perseverance indeed!! 


Perseverance is required for a lot of things... relationship building, fighting illness, weight loss, renovations... anything worth having takes time to achieve. Anything worth achieving takes time. We must persevere through the bad for only then can we truly appreciate the good. Investing in ourselves and others is the kindest and truest of all achievements. I just need to remember this when I fuss about my weight...

monsters are done!

Six days before Christmas and my knitty gifts are done. That's right... SIX days before Christmas!!! The last of the monsters for the three great-nephew monsters was finished today! Now I have to give them away and not get all uptight when the first arm is riped off!!!

Wouldn't it be nice if we could give away our own personal monsters as fast? You know... those ones that have been residing in the closet in the head raising its ugly form every now and then? Those monsters that stop you from starting anything new or moving past a hurt. We can hold on so tight to them that in the struggle something breaks off and we hurt all over again.

That just may be the true gift of the season... giving away the monsters of hurt, self-doubt, anger, fear... and move towards freedom. Freedom for the heart and soul to be filled with joy... like my heart will be when my much loved g-nephews give their heart-made toys their first hug! Now that's a happy Christmas!

squirrel moments...

Christmas is less than two weeks away and I'm still working on those silly monster stuffies for my wee monsters! I keep going off track with last minute ideas... homemade Nutz n' Bolts... soap... last minute gifts... parties... SQUIRREL! Heck, I thought I did good by getting some gifts done over the summer but apparently there's alway more to do.

There's alway more to knit, more ideas, more parties... SQUIRREL. Good news is... one monster just needs feet, other monster needs all four limbs and third monster... well, still deciding how to do that one... but I will make it despite the soap and the nutz 'n' bolts and the last minute parties. One big squirrel moment, a last minute idea to make Poppa and earflap toque with alpaca yarn from a A to Z Alpaca, a southern Alberta farm... love buying local... because he was getting a brand new spiffy wheelchair that will have a lot more zip! His ears are gonna need the extra warmth as he zips about in the dead of winter plus he'll look pretty darn snappy to boot... SQUIRREL!

There really is nothing wrong with squirrel moments for sometimes those create the best ideas! Poppa's toque and eucalyptus/frankincense infused soap (more manly than lavender) for example. Now, to try and use squirrel moments for more creative results at work. May be a little harder sell but I'm quite sure it can make that day job a lot more rewarding. Maybe I just need to bring some Nutz n' Bolts and create those squirrel moments...
LOOK, SNACKS!!!

the ever popular Advent countdown...

I don't remember getting Advent calendars when I was a kid but they are popular lil' items these days, aren't they? Well, it's December 1st and oddly enuff I want one! Well, maybe not one filled with chocolates but one that maybe gives me a wee toy. Better yet, one that give me knitty treasures and maybe another that gives me extra time.

Thankfully, I only have four knitty gifts to complete before Christmas... three monsters for my monster nephews and a little something for the Pops. Heck, I even got this super soft cowl done for one of my buds so I don't need the extra time to knit gifts. I need the extra time to knit up wee treasures... mini socks and mittens that could easily be strung together for garland or... wait for it... made into an Advent Calendar!

I blame my HeartSister... too many great patterns she's designed (check out the Ryan Eejits group on Ravelry) that I don't have enuff hands or time to get them done before Christmas. Maybe if I start the projects now I might have them ready for Christmas 2012. I think I need to get a chocolate calendar just to get me through this month... you know... for inspiration.

back on trackish...

It's amazing how wee knitted items look so dang cute! They can be out of the ugliest yarn from the nastiest of patterns but when done in smaller than small size... they look grand! Thankfully, my wee knitted jumper vests are so dang cute because they just are... and hopefully perfect for the three wee ones these were made for.

I haven't met them yet... but in my heart, I already love them. Not because I'm the godmother of  one of trips... but because I love the family they have been blessed to be a part of. They have taught me so much... patience, perseverance, possibilities...

Now to use those very traits as I finish up the rest of my Christmas knitting... the trips may be done but still need to work on the treasures for my three great-nephews! Must remember that good things come in three's!!! Must. Knit. Faster.

getting sidetracked...

...which really isn't all that hard for me... squirrel! Dang, saw new yarn and well, you know how it goes. New yarn+new projects=continued un-monogamous knitting. Happily, the slouchy tam got done before the new yarn arrived. Sadly, the new yarn arrived before I got the the teddy bears started for my three lads!

So what sidetracked me? Sock yarn called Time Traveller and I knew I had to make me some Doctor Who socks! Really... who wouldn't for that matter! I will console myself with the fact that I have the yarn for the teddy bears safely tucked away... that was another squirrel moment when I decided to make these little treasures. Looked through a knitter mag and there they were. Sweet Shelley enabled me by lending her mag for the cause. I had get a better handle on all these "oh look, shiny" moments or I'll never get anything done in time for Christmas. Wait, I never attached a completion year to the Christmas bear knitting...

Oh, SQUIRREL!!!

M... K... F.....

Here I sit in my hotel room... choosing not to attend the conference sessions just yet... in my new Fluevog's musing on my next knitty projects. I just finished another test knit for the Heart Sister... yes, socks again but these are oh, so pretty and perfect for fancy shoes for those fancy parties looming in the next couple of months.

Yes, Christmas is looming for me and while I may have a few presents done I still have a few more to do. That's the problem... there's a new god-daughter and her sisters to knit up for, gorgeous alpaca yarn that's calling out to me to knit up some shawls, hand dyed treasures screaming at me to make a wee tunic top... so much yarn, so little time.

And the battle begins between my head that knows what it needs to do to get the Christmas gifts ready and the heart that just wants to play. I'll do a little compromise. Make a toque with some colourful yarn on the three hour bus ride today... then buckle down on three important teddy bear knits for the grand-nephews and three important knits for the god-daughter and her sisters.

Good things do come in three's, but... Must. Knit. Faster.