I did get to sit in the Tucson desert warmth and knit by my hotel's pool. For half an hour, I felt like I was on vacation! I came thisclose to finishing one of the three projects I carried with me. Mostly I knit in bed at night until I fell asleep. Now that I am home, it is time to get all the new merchandise out in the shop. Buttons, pearl cotton, wool, yarn and more - galore !

Tonight

Knitting, knitting, knitting. It is now my mantra and comfort. Meditation and relaxation. It completes the circle of my day as I spend even just a few moments knitting on my current project. It is friendship and comfort as I curl in my arm chair, feet up, tv or music playing and unwind from my day as my yarn unwinds on my needles.

Now, I need to search through my knitting basket and the shop and chose projects for my road trip. I think choosing what to knit is almost as much fun as thinking about my trip!

knitting as meditation

Now that I have this little heart condition that I try not to think about at all hours, everyday, I reach more and more for my knitting to keep me distracted and calm. I need it. trying to figure out doctors and cardiologists and clinics and tests, wears me out so that I am most happy sitting and knitting a bit. I have even been picking up a crochet hook from time to time.

Oh, I make plenty of things and jewelry for the bead shop and I am always doing things for the yarn shop  too but knitting; knitting is the dessert on my day. Something I do just for me. I might make a swatch for the shop, but knitting is something just for me. I like to make gifts. Little hats and socks and mittens and scarves. I am going to keep doing this knitting thing, this meditation with my hands, this breathing in and out of fiber. It seems pretty healthy to me!

The studio and garden shed. 

We had a bit of snow and wouldn't you know - all I wanted to do was sit and knit.

Too long since I have written here and the only excuse I can offer is one that involves forgotten passwords and changed computers. I will be better for certain in the coming months as this is the knitting season!

My knitting basket.

Spring is here and suddenly all the things I was knitting look like winter and I am needing fresh, new colors and yarns. Maybe a cotton is calling my name, perhaps a baby cashmere. Finishing the last of

Ladybugs for spring knitting.

what will be gifts to be given through the year, I have heard of a new baby on the way and now I can begin something for this new wee one. Looking through all my baby patterns and thinking of what to make. Something practical and cuddly, warmth provided for the early fall and color - lots of color.

A big shipment of Malabrigo has arrived in the shop and to make space, we placed a lot of yarn on sale at 40% off. New yarns are so exciting and make us want to rearrange the entire shop.

Czech glass buttons have also come in and patiently they wait for me to price them. I think when they hit the shop, they will be the center table display! The colors alone are enough to make you start a new project just to match the button.

All in all on this sunny Sunday, I have relaxed enough to enjoy the start of a lovely spring. I even made new shop stitch markers ! See you soon, my fellow Divas!

Fiber Lust

I don't often find myself writing on my blogs these days. I seem to stay busy from the time I rise in the morning to the time my head lays upon my pillow's softness at night. I did play vendor at the Sew Expo show at the Puyallup fairgrounds this past weekend and found myself staring into the colors of all the quilts, fabrics, threads and fiber at the show. I wanted to knit and embroider all weekend but the truth of the matter was that after the long hours of the show, when we headed back to our hotel, all I could do was stare off into space until I fell asleep. I had to satisfy my lust at the show by taking pictures of my booth's fiber and dreaming of projects to be. Here are some of those pictures. I hope they inspire you too.