How to Enjoy Traveling and Knitting

I have pattern for sale on https://www.ravelry.com/stores/nonconformknits-designs

I am mobile these days.  We just took the last two days to drive to Michigan to visit family.  My husband, who is awesome, did all the driving...which leaves me literally all day to knit as the miles slide by. When I'm not enjoying a beautiful sight, such as the one below, I'm knitting.

Sunset in Tennessee

Experience has taught me some basic requirements for good portable knitting!

1. The project must be relatively small.

One skein infinity scarf

Large projects are too bulky for travel.  They are difficult to maneuver, take up too much space in your lap, and are space hogs as far as packing goes.  My portable projects are typically one skein wonders. The one pictured above is an infinity scarf that fits in a small project bag that fits in my purse.

2. The project must be relatively mindless, or have an easy to remember pattern.

When traveling, there are usually an abundance of distractions such as beautiful sight, a stop, people conversing to you or around you, requests, etc. This is not the time to work on complicated lace patterns or super involved multiple shapings.  The project pictured above has a very simple 4 row repeat to form the simple lace...and even that is a stretch.  Seeing as I've already worked the pattern for about three feet, it's pretty ingrained in my memory. 

3. I always try to bring two projects!

Having small projects means I have room for two, right?!  This is to combat boredom, or knitting short attention span.  When I am tired of one project, I switch to the other.  The project pictured here is a design I'm currently working on and it meets my portable project rules.  The stitch pattern is a simple linen stitch (that I blogged about earlier) and there is no shaping.  It is also a one skein wonder.  Both projects actually easily fit in my purse (granted it's a larger purse).

One skein linen stitch project - pattern coming soon!

Summer for many of us is travel season...so get out there and enjoy knitting on the road (or the fly). As an aside, we recommend projects using smaller wood needles for flying. Happy trails!

The Value of Professional Services

I recently had the opportunity to do a product shoot with a professional photographer and my experience was amazing!

In the past, in an effort to save money, my husband or daughter has taken photos for me.  Then I would take the images and edit in whatever editor I had access to at the time.  My loved ones got the job done....but they are not professionals working with professional equipment.  The other drawback is that I'm the model and I'm a spaz!  While we were able to get adequate, even good, photos...they never had that super polished professional look to them.

My experience with a professional was so different.  Not only was she able to work with my innate wiggliness but she was also great at giving direction and cues to help me pose better. AND she was super fun.  She had great ideas for shots and locations.  Before the shoot she gave me several suggestions to make the most of our session.  These were things I wouldn't have thought of such as "make sure your nails look nice" and "bring a business card". Her editing was amazing and she was really fast! 

I several beautiful images now.  Some of the images will go into patterns while others were promotional in nature.  If you're wondering who this photographer is (and you're in the Brooksville, FL area), she is Danielle Skinner.

The photographer suggested I stretch the fabric to show the stitch pattern.  

She also caught me laughing.

I love this creative shot of me....It may be my favorite from the day!

This is why she suggested I bring a business card! All my contact 

information in a pretty photo.

Several of the other images from the shoot are to go into patterns for publication. I have previously published patterns for sale on Ravelry.

http://www.ravelry.com/people/nonconformknits

Favorite Things!

Today is the first day of summer break for this teacher.  The next couple months lie before me like a blank canvas filled with so many options for relaxation, productivity and enjoyment.  The grind of the work portion of the year has been put on hold.  I can get enough sleep and still have time to clean my bathroom now (or pay a kid to do it). We all need a chance to recharge and indulge in little celebrations. For me, summer is a time of restoration. Summer is a favorite thing.

Another favorite thing about summer is that I can be intentionally weird. One the first day of summer, this girl went and got some blue highlights!

Summer is also a time of gratitude.  I taught my yoga class the other day.  While teaching, I silently thanked God for my functional, if not perfect, body parts.  I even thanked Him for the ones I'm not overly fond of. Practicing gratitude softens the often critical thoughts I have toward myself or my circumstances.  Gratitude is a favorite thing (and yoga). 

Pictured below are some other favorite things. My kitty, Frodo, who is absolutely addicted to me and a never ending source of affection and amusement. He has almost learned to leave the yarn alone! A good glass of dry Riesling...this is Pacific Rim! It's refreshing and tasty! Finally...yarn! This is a portion of a sweater I'm knitting for a miscreant "nephew" of mine. Not only is the actual process of knitting relaxing and fulfilling but knitting for a loved one is extra satisfying.

Hopefully, we will all find the time to enjoy our favorite things...whatever they happen to be, whenever we can. Sometimes the little things make all the difference!

Why Haven't I Used This Stitch Before!

I have just started a new project with a skein of yarn I purchased in Kalamazoo last summer.  I have a terrible habit of buying yarn when I travel...only one or two skeins, which means I later have to figure out what accessory I should knit up with it.  The yarn is a beautiful hand dyed merino wool with a fair amount of yardage for worsted weight.  I settled on making an infinity scarf with it.

This trick was then finding a stitch pattern that would emphasize the beautiful color variations in the yarn. After some searching I came across the linen stitch, a simple slipped stitch pattern that creates a lovely textured pattern.  The bonus is that the "wrong side" also has a cool pattern!

As my scarf is an infinity scarf, I'm working it in the round.  I chose size 9 needles because the linen stitch creates a dense fabric.  The adapted pattern is as follows:

R1: *K1, slp 1 wyif, repeat to end.

R2: *slp 1 wyif, K1, repeat to end.

I will post a full pattern when my sample is complete. This is how it looks so far!  The second photo shows the texture on both sides.

Randomly Knitting Because I Can.

...and blogging because why not?

I've spent so much time trying to focus my interests, to cultivate some kind of aim or indefatigable drive to some ultimate goal only to realize I'm an essentially aimless person.  My interests are many and unfortunately quite varied. In a culture where we are to set goals and work a linear path to obtain them, I am an oddball.  In a world of specialists, I am a Renaissance girl.

So the point of this blog is to give full, florid voice to all my little interests and projects.  A little of this and a little of that with all the highs and lows...and a lot of yarn.  

Some creative tidbits you may expect to find on here could include all the following: yarn, knit design, travel, photography, poetry, yoga, more yarn, and anything else that tickles me, and yarn.