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Coming back to your craft

12/27/2021

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   Well I finally picked up the needles again after a several month hiatus. In all truthfulness, I took most of 2021 off from knitting. There were multiple reasons, including moving into my condo while we remodeled our new house. Despite bringing yarn and some small projects with me to the mountains, I didn't end up knitting at all! I also decided to invest more deeply in my dream of writing a book, participating in a program called 100 Day Book where you write your book (or a first draft) in 100 days! So that ended up consuming a lot of my focus and time. I also started a project for a friend, who also may have stopped talking to me completely (anyone else have this happen with some relationships this year?) so I'm not really sure what to do with the half finished project. It was a large project, and also one I was sort of improvising, so I got really stuck on it. 
  But now I've started knitting three scarves, two at a time of the same pattern in two different yarns, because I couldn't decide which yarn, and because I just can't do one thing at a time these days haha! I've always been like this. I don't like knitting things that are too easy either, I seem to get bored quickly. I like having several projects going at once. Similarly I'm reading like 5 different books at once too! 
Hoping that you are doing well, going easy on yourself if you decide to take breaks from things, especially if you are taking a break to find something new to do! 

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Stashed for blast off!

1/5/2020

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Happy New Year! Did you make resolutions? I'm working to set better goals this year. And even though it might be early, I've already got that "spring cleaning" bug. Or maybe it's just my love of organization. In any case, I decided to catalog my entire stash of yarn into Ravelry this holiday! 
Turns out, there is still a LOT of purple yarn in there! LOL. It IS my favorite color after all. But it felt good to revisit my whole stash, and now having it in digital form, I won't have to worry about inputting all those yarn details when I start new projects, I can just use from stash! 
This was actually a good follow on to the project I did last year where I reorganized my entire stash by yarn weight. I used to have it organized by color (yes, most of the bins held purple yarn, and there was a bin with all my orange and yellow together because I have so little of that!). But it was hard to know what I had and what weight things were when I wanted to start a project. I am very pleased with the result! 
In addition to this organizing project, I also queued up SEVERAL new projects I hope to complete this year. In fact, I have already finished a project that had been sitting in my Ravelry queue for a long time. It took me only about 5 hours to knit. Very excited :) [Here's the cowl I already completed in 2020!]
Other projects I have queued: sweater, several hats, boot toppers, fingerless gloves and spats! 
What projects are you planning? Have you organized your stash? Feel free to leave me some comments and let me know! Cheers!


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Just Keep Knitting...

12/28/2019

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I remember a long time ago when I picked up the phrase "just keep swimming". It was a coping mechanism for keeping going when things were getting rough, going tough, or needing improvement. 
But now, I've developed a new piece of advice I give my new knitters: Just Keep Knitting. New knitters make lots of mistakes. Think about the last time you learned something new - if you were doing it right you made a few mistakes in the beginning. That first meal you cooked, painting you painted, or skill you tried - there's no way it was perfect!
In fact, making mistakes (or Failing!) is the best way to learn. Usually you only get out of something what you put into it. So if you are trying hard and making big mistakes, you are doing something right (especially in the beginning). 
Many are impatient learning to knit. Who doesn't want to produce an awesome sweater on the first try? But it takes time, and patience, and most importantly - failure! 

I'm pretty excited, I want to tell you that I'm working on a brand new site where I can teach you how to knit, step by step. Stay tuned!

Failure sucks though. No one likes to mess up, get it wrong, or look foolish to others (even though you shouldn't be worrying about what others think!). But the beginning always looks messy. It doesn't take too long to learn to knit, and it will build your character to take a few days, weeks?, months? to learn :) 
​

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Picking it up ... Again

11/2/2019

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  How funny that over a year ago (last post on this blog) I was writing about Retrogrades. Had inspiration yet again to continue on that theme.  
  One thing that (mercury) retrograde always get me thinking about are words that start with “R-e”. I was thinking deeply about this, and REalized that many of the meanings of these words have a theme of REpetition, REpeating, or Again. 
REwriting, REwording, REthinking. It’s all something done again. A second time or more. 
Then my mind goes in two directions : 1) Is there still a theme to words that start with RE but aren’t appended to another full word (most "re" words)? And 2) that the first time you do something (write, think, etc) and any subsequent times, have some fundamental difference.
Starting with 1) words like REad, REmember, REnt. Though I don't know what it meants to "ad" "member" or "nt", I feel like these words do have a theme.  
There is this REciprocal action in all of these words. A REal sense of motion. An action. Even the non-verbs. There is a sense of depth with words starting with RE. Is it felt more when Mercury, the ruler of communication goes REtrograde? 
Stepping into 2). Doing something for the first time, or uncovering something for the first time, the first time you experience or learn - has a distinctly different feel to all subsequent times of that experience. In order to REmove something, it has to have been applied (or added) in the first place. REtrograde motion, in fact, has the planet covering the same area of the sky 3 times. To REtain information, implies that there is purpose in coming back for that information later. So there is also a distinct sense of time in these words.

We know that this (retrograde) time is a good time to REview. But it’s not to go back over what isn’t working anymore. It’s to look back and be more informed going forward.

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Retrogrades!!

7/31/2018

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  Well even writing this post I got hit by retrogrades. My computer decided to do an install and didn't save my work. So even this blog has been re-written. But let me back up (lol, pun intended). Retrogrades or retrograde motion, in case you have no idea what I'm talking about, are when the planets appear to be moving backwards in the sky. You have probably heard of Mercury Retrograde (and yes, it is right now). But you may not know or hear about all the other planets going retrograde, which, since they are also in our solar system going around the sun, do go retrograde from time to time (far less frequently than Mercury, which gets all the attention). 
  As it turns out, Mars is also retrograde, which I am definitely feeling. Additionally more of the outer planets, Saturn, Pluto are also retrograde, with Uranus to follow suit soon. So what does this all mean!? Well, without going into a deep astrological explanation, I'll just tell you about how my recent trip went, which also happened to start on the Lunar Eclipse. 
  Silly me, making travels plans on a lunar eclipse with both Mercury and Mars retrograde and expecting my flight to leave on time. Oh yeah, got to the airport early (already anticipating something to go awry), not checking on any luggage to avoid that headache, and my flight gets delayed 5 hours!! Finally take off (5 hours later) and fly across the country (I was visiting a friend in New Jersey) and we had to circle in the air for an extra hour since the airport was temporarily closed (all of these delays due to weather - remember that Lunar eclipse?!). 
  We REscheduled our plans for that evening to a different day. (Oh did I mention that retrogrades are a better time for words starting with "re"). Right before I landed (after this 5 hour delay and 5 hour flight), I realized that this long term knitting project I was working on (and have been for the last 3 years, I call it my "plane project" because it usually requires so much focus and attention I can only work on it during plane rides), was majorly messed up. Although the mistake didn't originate when Mercury was retrograde, apparently it started the last trip I took, which happened when Mars went retrograde! Perhaps knitting snafus are even more prone during a Mars retrograde than Mercury! 
    I calculated a loss of about 8-12 hours (or about how long it might take to knit a hat), and proceeded to rip out (AH!) 25 rows of about 500sts. Turns out even I can't read knitting patterns sometimes (though this one came from a magazine, which is why I warn of those!). But I was able to get the project back on track and RE-do most of it. Turns out I had plenty of time to work on that since the plane ride home was also delayed (although thankfully only 1.5 hours). Getting off the plane was also delayed (something about unloading cargo) and my ride had fallen asleep waiting to pick me up! Then when we left the airport we got stuck in traffic (it was after 11pm!).
  Delays, slow-downs, hiccups. These all seem to be traits of things during retrogrades. You can't get upset, you just have to prepare, and deal. TLDR; the same is true of knitting projects. Prepare yourself by utilizing the tools to their full extent (use row counters, stitch markers - LIFELINES!). Deal with setbacks in a positive manner - learn to TINK!  But always keep in mind, this too shall pass. Sometimes living and learning are hard, but usually if you persevere, you will learn something. 

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Existence

6/6/2018

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How many repeats are there in existence? What’s the giant knitting pattern in the sky?
Have you ever noticed how similar parts of your life are?
I find myself in the same places and situations and types of surroundings all the time - by choice.
It is all a choice. In every moment. Each breath. Our power is our choice - of how we think, and how we believe - not what. What is just the form our thoughts take when they manifest.
As we are want to do.
Repeatedly.
I create. Not as automatic as breath but with intention. Maybe it still happens automatically without intention. The energy just churn. I can’t sit still. The wind doesn’t stop forever. The earth keeps turning. You can’t make the sun not rise. Being is just a lasting experience of ... creation. And repetition.
Why do we choose so little control over our choices - over our thoughts. THe precursors to what exists.
And why don’t we choose more joy?
(Perhaps some are too arrogant to see the beauty in every moment. The laugh in every tree. Not me. I see it for what it is.)
Ugly is just a judgement. Good and bad are too. Purity knows no vanity. Just appreciation.

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Experience experiment - Uranus in Taurus

5/17/2018

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Uranus just entered Taurus, launching us into a long term transit (since Uranus is an outer planet and these move more slowly thru space and the signs). One thing that may help you thru this transit is to be prepared to expect the unexpected, since the planet Uranus brings with it excitement and the need for change. But the unexpected doesn’t need to be unpleasant. Granted Uranus isn’t particularly comfortable in the fixed sign of Taurus, and change tends to be uncomfortable for many humans! But I like to think of it as a great opportunity to experiment! Try new things - or try to do things you’ve done before in a different way! It’s kind of like going on a new adventure - if you set out with the belief that you will learn something no matter what happens, no matter what obstacles you encounter, you are likely to get more from the experience and find less unpleasantness along the way!
Similarly with experiments, we often have some possible result or hypothesis in mind. But we are also open to the possibility that something unexpected could happen. Many great discoveries in science occurred as unexpected results from experiments.
So how will you approach the intense times we have recently launched into? Since this is a knitting blog, I might apply this to knitting and ask: what is something new you could try with knitting? I’m a big fan of using the tools to help take some of the process out of your head so you can actually focus on the mechanics of knitting. Maybe you should try using a row counter if you haven’t before. Or if you already do, maybe it’s time to try a different kind! Did you know they make apps for that!? It might be more your style. The other nice thing about experiments, is failure seems less bad. Since failure of an experiment really just means you got an unexpected outcome - not that you failed as a human. In fact, sometimes the unexpected outcome of the experiment is even more exciting and brings even more joy to the situation than the initial thesis! Surprises can be fun, right!? Ok, well ... maybe the stubborn Taurus isn’t quite excited enough for surprises. But at a minimum, it can teach us more about ourselves and how we best interact with our world. And perhaps in that exploration (Uranus) of values (Taurus), we can find a little peace.
​Happy knitting!
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Bubbling with excitement

4/26/2018

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  Well Mercury, the planet that rules communication (and possibly the success of some knitting projects?) has been direct for a bit now and is almost out of it's shadow period (the area of the sky that it went thru while it was retrograde). There are several other intense planetary aspects that are also driving the energy to move forward with our dreams! Namely, Venus entering into Gemini, Chiron entering Aries, Uranus getting close to entering Taurus. And Mars conjuncting Pluto. I'm feeling it!! Lately I have been very energized on some of my prize projects, especially those that relate to knitting. 
  Random inspiration for me often comes from the internet. Prime example, I was googling to look up stats of what the demographics of knitters are these days. I didn't find that piece of info, but I did find this really interesting article about neural-network generated knitting patterns. It actually reminds me a lot of the program I am writing that takes your astrology chart and generates a knitting pattern from it. I managed to make a little more progress on the program, even though I have already knitted a scarf from it. But the article talks about the adjustments the knitters had to make to how they interpreted the patterns in order to make them fit into an actual, knittable row. And that's exactly what I had to do with the pattern my program produced! Even though I'm working to make the pattern better and the program smart enough to edit how many extra stitches to fill in given how many stitches a particular row instruction has, once it is ready for people to actually knit, they will probably still have to do this "adjusting".  I actually consider that part of the "experience" of knitting your chart. You have to integrate the disparate parts of yourself, just like you have to adjust a pattern to fit the row, and fit together with the last row.
  I'm actually rather excited by the idea of having my own knit-along. You give me your birth info so I can generate your astrology chart, I plug that into my program and generate you your pattern. You pick a yarn you like and knit the scarf and if you complete it, I will give you a free 30-min astrology reading about your chart! If you think this is something you might be interested in, please leave me a comment or send me an email! I'll probably create a form to generate more response once I have it totally ready. 
​   But that's not all that I'm really excited about lately. I've been teaching private lessons, classes and conducting knitting "help half hours." Aside from all the goodness I get from helping people learn to knit, it is also producing a lot of good information that is going to fuel my next big project.... I'm not willing to give any more details just yet, but I think it's going to be pretty cool ;) 
   All in all I am feeling really great lately - I think when you align with what the universe wants you to do in life, it produces this positive flow of good feelings, and that's when you know you are in the right place. The harder side is figuring out how to cut out all the things that AREN'T producing those kinds of feelings. But it's a worthwhile battle, success really does spell HAPPINESS. And what else are we in pursuit of in life? 
   
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Time for Re-flection

4/4/2018

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  Despite the intense Mercury Retrograde energy (which is also squaring Saturn today! Ugh!), I've still managed to make some progress.... but it has been slow and painstaking! Between interruptions and technology issues, it can really be a struggle to accomplish things! But I bring this up not to complain, but rather to emphasize how knowing about the daily Transits helps my life. Now I have something to attribute the challenges to! Instead of just feeling ulta-sloggish and wondering why or what is wrong with me, I can instead trudge thru in spite of it, but have patience that is absolutely required to still produce.. something!! 
  [Side note about personal transits: Looking at how the daily sky affects your own chart is even more powerful! And it has helped me through some very troubling times. "Oh! Mars square Moon, that's why I'm feeling so angry!" for example. So woo! Being ruled by Mercury (Virgo rising) makes this time while that planet is in retrograde motion always particularly interesting for me.]
   But don't you love when you are driving in the car and listening to music and the song's lyrics seem to speak directly to you? And you sing along and everything feels aligned with the universe? The synchronicities are always hints, even on sloggish days like today, that you are on the right path, in the right place, doing the right things. Those synchronicities really seem to energize me!
   And then there are the little adjustments. In times like we live in now, we have to find ways to make ourselves more and more flexible. I don't know about you (though feel free to let me know in comments below!) but I have come to realize a lot of things I used to believe about myself, that aren't not true, but aren't what I thought them to be previously! Turns out I get emotionally attached to things, despite considering myself to be flexible and adaptable to change! 
  I've been going through this period of deep self-review. Feels like more so recently, perhaps even triggered by this retrograde motion! But it for sure has been intense. And I've felt confused at times. But you just keep moving forward, digging deeper and exploring.  Then suddenly something clicks! The weight lifts, and you realize that you have changed in some small way that has had a big impact.
   It's amazing what just small adjustments will do too. Things that feel scary and huge, but you end up making a small adjustment and that was all that was needed. Knitting translation: Tinking is not just something you do to fix mistakes, it's actually part of knitting life, and sometimes you have to  go back in order to move forward. :)

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Scarf Integration

3/23/2018

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  I finished the scarf! I've just been a total slacker on posting blogs. Being super busy working gets the best of me. In fact it has taken over my life for a lot of this year.  But I have been recommitting to knitting more often, as well as catching up on reading my astrology magazines. 
   I've actually started a few new knitting projects I'm pretty excited about, surprisingly (or is it?) involving lots of cable knitting. Such Capricorn type knitting energy, makes you feel super awesome and productive when you knit some twists into your knitting. 
  I've worn the Natal Infinity Scarf a bunch, and so far haven't lost any buttons, though they have fallen off a couple times. I think I need to glue them (really they are mostly pins more than true buttons) to keep them attached securely. 
  Otherwise I am in love with the scarf! I find it fascinating the way it turned out. I want to keep working towards allowing others to knit their own charts. Especially as I continue to study astrology. There is so much depth there. 
  I recently read an article from the Mountain Astrologer magazine about Group Charts - you basically overlay the charts of everyone in a group (or family, etc) and see where things cluster up! I did this for my team at work. It was fascinating!! Very interesting to see where there are gaps, and where things cluster. I am going to continue working with these group charts and even had a thought of how you could create a knitting pattern from the group chart as well.
  Unfortunately my program hasn't gotten a lot of attention. I tend to rotate thru my projects, and progress is slow. I decided to start writing a novel this year, and that has stalled out as well now. Working full time just seems to consume all of my time! But I plan on getting back to all of the many projects. Soon enough ;) Mostly just looking forward to the possibility of starting to teach classes again at a nearby LYS. More on that soon!


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    I started knitting in 2005, but have been crafting all my life. Knitting quickly became my obsession and I love to keep the needles in my hands as much as possible.  

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