Research and writing day ...

I am doing my favorite things today, research and writing. Seriously, I love it. Only one problem, I really have a problem with focus. Take today's problem; I am supposed to be finishing Lesson 3 for TKGA Basics. It is not rocket science, as real scientists like to say. Just write up a pattern to match a swatch. So what do I do? I am researching how patterns are constructed. Of course, there is very little actually written about the actual "structure." Some information is provided about content, but that was in the course information, and, you see, I always like to dig a little deeper. I am not an overachiever, but one of the wonderful things about being a research addict is that it is a great way to learn as well as put off the inevitable ... completing the project. Anyway, back to the reason for this post. While doing my thing, I came across a blog by Kate Mullen, a Suite 101 Member who had a post about where to find free patterns. Now, this is how I think and search. To find out how to format a pattern when there are no direct search results, I search for free patterns and download them and then evaluate them against the content advice I did find. Soooo, obviously I am interested in Kate's post so I can find more free patterns. Now, I think that makes sense, right? Never mind. I really just want to thank Kate for her references. Talk later; I have to finish that project today. Really. Have to. Have to go. Really.

Who knew ...

Who knew I could get so busy so fast! Let's see, where to start. Well, I will just threw a bit of this and a bit of that out there, because I really have to get going with my life in a few minutes.

I joined a group on Ravelry, Elizabeth Watkins Designs & Friends. Not only is Elizabeth a wonderful, and published I am pleased to note, knitting designer, she is a Pug mother and so are all her friends. She designed a special sweater for Pugs, understanding how difficult they are to fit and no commercial designer will entertain the idea of making a special design for them. She started a KAL, I was invited to join by a lovely lady, and I am having the time of my life. I have more friends than I ever imagined possible. They are wonderful, loving, interested in each other, supportive of each other, and just plain make you want to get up in the morning and join in the conversation. I am truly blessed.

I have just about completed Lesson 3 for BBB from TKGA. It should be in the mail this Monday. Now it is time to move forward with the Master's Course I have been holding on to for so long. It's so long, I can't remember how long. I feel much more prepared with BBB completed, and I am looking forward to beginning.

I really must go now. Life to live and all. I hope all is well for each of you. I was shocked to find out you were even reading along. Thank you for your interest. I will continue to update my references, but I am finding less and less time, or reason, to visit with myself. Not a bad thing at all. But, if necessary, I know where to go for a real heart to heart ... with just me.

No time to talk ...

Wow, I haven't had time to visit or talk to myself or anyone else! Too much to do, exploring web sites, finishing my swatches for Lesson 3 in Basics, Basics, Basics and building my Knitting Library from eBay. Every day when the mail arrives it is just like a holiday. I will have to make something for that nice mail lady, just as soon as I have time to knit again.

I did a little project where I collected knitting needles from eBay for a non-profit and that was a lot of fun. I would get the lots of needles and then go through them and catalog them for size. I found a couple that were more a collectors item and I sent those to the gal, Susan, who is doing the history project Knitting Needle History.

I used Elaine's web site, Knitting Fool, to find a pattern for the final project of Basics, Basics, Basics. That was so amazing! I knew I only had 30 stitches to work with, as the lesson stated, and that it had to be lace or cables. I went to the site, picked the category for finding stitches by number in the pattern, then picked lace and cable (why not go for both) and then picked the closest number. I found a beautiful pattern with written instructions as well as a completed chart. Now I will enter it in my knitSpeaker app and I'm golden.

I had all my swatches blocked. Yes, I am now unblocked about my blocking. My husband set up a room, we call it the rock room because it has a rock floor and is of no use because it is either too hot or too cold and is too small to hold a chair. Then I took five of my magic COCO Knits knitting blocks and placed one-inch square red gingham on them. I swear the gingham was the magic. Something about not staring at a blank block gave me the confidence to lay the swatch down and start pinning. Hey, whatever works, right?

So, I gotta go. I have to redo one of my swatches, the cable. I don't know how, but one of my cables came out different than the other one. I could have called it a design element, but I don't think Arenda would have bought that one. I also have a bit more research to do, so watch for more activity on the reference page.

Happy Knitting!

I'll meet you in the library ...

Well, I just created my Library page. I also discovered another resource on the TKGA Group Forum for reference books. Too bad I didn't find that one first. I now own a lot of books with pictures of stitches I may never have time to make in this lifetime, especially if I keep spending my time buying and reading books about knitting instead of knitting.

Oh well, that's behind me. I did finish all my sample swatches for Lesson 3 of Basics, Basics, Basics. Now for that nasty B word again, yes, blocking. Oh, and I also get to muddle my way through that ever so lengthy list of reference books to answer the questions that go with the swatches.

I have to say, to myself and anyone who may be listening, how much Ravelry has added to my life. It's like a friend to me, one with so many different personalities and so much knowledge. I am also blessed to have a husband whose only request of me is that I be happy. And happy I am.

A life of its own . . .

Wow, this is really starting to be fun. My first page of knitting links is growing by leaps and bounds. Clearly, I spend way too much time researching about and not nearly enough time actually doing the big "K", knitting.

And now I have decided to add another page, yes, my Reference Library Bibliography. Hello, of course I have books about knitting! I spent years living in an apple orchard with no internet, I had to have some source of reference, right? Then I joined TKGA and started taking the Masters Courses, which I abandoned for the Basics, which I am finishing right now so I can move back to the Masters level. Just as soon as I do a wee bit more research. Just kidding. I only have one last swatch to finish, the "B" word, and off to Arenda it goes. So, about the books. TKGA has a recommended bibliography. I like buying books on eBay. I have the entire collection of Southern Living Cookbooks and it only took me six months to finish my collection. No, I don't really cook that much. So, the knitting library; I decided to buy my own reference library on eBay. I downloaded the TKGA list, put it in a spreadsheet, created searches and watch lists on eBay for the books I thought were relevant to the classes I would be taking, set my rules, and started the search. The rules were look for under $10 and buy nothing over $15, including shipping. I also don't buy New or less than Acceptable. Check page three for my ongoing results. I am almost complete for now. The last few are tough. They are all Barbara Walker books and hard to find for much less than $20 or $30, way out of the rules. I may have to either bend, or worse, rewrite the rules for her. Not yet, though. I have my eye on a couple of auctions for less than $10. Watch page three for updates.

Well, I just added all of the links I have been collecting for the past year to videos and web sites I use for knitting help. I entered 27 links; I had no idea I had that many. I will be working on entering my knitting library next. I was surprised to see that there are people viewing my blog. That is pretty exciting, and I hope I add information that is usable. When I started it was just going to be a place for me to have a conversation with myself. I was lonesome and I wanted someone to talk to. Then I started being more active on Ravelry and found a very nice community of people there, so I am less in need of talking to myself. Now I am more about using my blog as a storage place for my knitting resources. To any of you out there who do find this site useful, you can find me on Ravelry, tkparker, and message me through there. This blog will never be a place for comment by anyone but me, myself, and I. It's a tight little group.

Okay, this is getting bad. It's been almost a month since I have spoken to myself. It is not a good idea to let that much time pass without a good heart to heart with your own truest self. Now I can't even remember all the things I said I was going to have to talk to myself about later.

Let's see. I took a trip to George for a couple of weeks to help my Sister move into her retirement home. That was a little traumatic. She told Mark and I to move here so we would be close to my family, then she, being my only family within a four-hour drive, moves to Georgia. Hmmm. All and all, it was a nice trip and I saw a part of the country I had not visited before. I created my own yarn crawl in Atlanta. That was fun. Then I went to a Stitches show and met Charles Gandy. That was really nice; he is such a special person and made me feel as if we were going to be lifelong friends. Well, it worked for me. I will always think of him in a friendly way.

Since I have been home I have been knitting for my last Basics lesson, learning some new computer programs, starting a new regimen of pills that my doctor felt would be better for me. I hope the pill combination is better in the long run because it has not been pretty in the short run yet.

I have developed an addiction to Ravelry. I know, there are worse addictions, but this one is pretty bad. I am on there at least four to five hours a day. I keep addressing my issues for staying on there so much and hopefully I will spend that time knitting soon. It could always be that ugly "B" word raising its nasty head.

That's right, Blocking. I really have no excuse now. We had a spare room, not really a room, but a nice sized entry into our house. Mark put a table in there with all my supplies for blocking. I purchased the extra blocks from Julie at Knitting Blocks, even though I didn't really need them for five 4" squares of yarn; I bought four boxes of "no rust", not "rust resistant", pins from Lacis, definitely an overkill; I have watched every youTube video available; and I have read every article I could find.

Must go now; must block ... must block now ... no more waiting ... blocking room is empty ... can not hurt husband's feelings ... must block ...