Sunday, June 18, 2006

Happy Birthday Paul!


"Will you still need me, will you still feed me, -
when I'm 64"
As an eternal Paul McCartney fan, I cannot believe the day has come! Paul is really what he sings about. He was so cute way back then, and he is still so cute in 2006!

All these years, for all of us, marriages, children, homes, events, deaths, births, music, knitting.
And right there in the song what does he say, "You can knit a sweater by the fireside, Sunday mornings go for a ride."
Nothing better than to sit by a fireside, knitting.

Creating lyrics, scarves, melodies, afghans; it's all the same, really, just a variation on the theme of life. We are what we weave into our hearts; we leave here those strands, to be picked up by others and continued. That's life.

You remember the line, "You'll be older, too. Aaah, and if you say the word, I could stay with you." And the Beatles, and Wings, and Paul, have always been there for us.

It has been one of the blessings of my life, that I have walked the years with Paul McCartney and his music. Happy Birthday Paul and many more!


Sunday, June 11, 2006

5 Steps To Becoming A Knitter!

So, you’re sitting on the bus home from work, or
maybe the ferry, or the train, just fascinated with the
young woman across from you working on her knitting. The
color purple, needles flying away, it looks so complicated,
but so beautiful! You’re intrigued, and you’re
thinking....I wish I knew how to do that!
Well, you can learn knitting if you wish. Let
me be your fairy godmother! I can grant your knitting
wish, without so much as waving a magic wand! But, if you
insist, just imagine that silvery scepter and a bit of
abracadabra twirling over your head, infusing you with all
kinds of knitting secrets!
The 5 Easy Steps To Becoming A Knitter are as
follows:
1) You need to get motivated! Think back to
the first time you learned to ride a bicycle. Maybe you
used training wheels for a while, or your mom or dad just
hung on the side until you were ready to go it alone. But,
there came a time when you knew...this is it! And away you
went, solo, for the first time! You were scared, sure, but
you were also absolutely determined to see it through
without landing on the ground! You were motivated!
That same feeling is present in everything we do.
The degree of intensity is the only difference. If you
really want to learn to knit, or do anything else for that
matter, something inside will be nagging at you to find out
more.
Pick up a knitting magazine and find the simplest
pattern there, or go online to a few of the better pattern
sites. Choose a simple scarf, block afghan, purse, or vest
to start with.
2) Put time aside. You do for everything else,
don’t you? You always have that extra hour for “American
Idol” or “CSI”, so you need to put time aside for knitting,
too. Of course, once it becomes second nature to you,
knitting goes just great with TV or picnics, or train
rides, or whatever. If you can find time to shop at the
mall three times this week, and you really want to learn
knitting, you will find the time!
3) Are you willing to learn new skills? Now
that’s a silly question, because we all learn new skills
all the time, only we don’t pay it much attention. If you
work for a living or take classes, or mind babies, or run
your own company, then you have your own special set of
skills. The best part here is that you can fill up on as
many new skills as you like and never have to worry about
calories! Unlike school, there is no homework either!
4) Are you willing to make mistakes? If you’re
not, don’t try knitting! Don’t try anything new, as a
matter of fact! If you think about it, everything you have
ever done in your life you made mistakes at. Learning to
walk, talk, use a cellphone, drive a car, take a test,
speak a foreign language, drive out-of-state, be a parent,
or be a child, mistakes are all around us! That’s how we
learn. So, take a chance on you! You will be pleasantly
surprised!
5) Pick up a simple knitting guide to help you
learn best! I can’t think of one better than my own, of
course, “Ready Or Knit...Here I Come!” which can be found
at my website, www.TheKnitStitch.com. This guide will
walk you through all you need to know about learning to
knit, complete with patterns, information on yarns, accessories,
and lots of helpful tips to get you going!
So, remember, if you really, really, really, want
to learn knitting, follow these 5 simple steps and the next
time you are on your way home on that bus, ferry or train,
it will be your purple (or red or yellow) yarn, and your
needles flying, and I can just bet you this: there will be
someone watching saying, “I wish I knew how to do that!”

Monday, June 05, 2006

Easy Knitting For Summer!



Now that we are a few weeks from summer, and thanks to my son for being born on the first day of that season, so I don't have to wonder when it starts, here are a few easy patterns for the warm weather. Nothing heavy sitting in your lap on those 90+ degree days, just fun, easy stuff that you can take anywhere at all. No excuses for sitting there with idle hands!

So, the next time you're stuck in that shore traffic, break out the knitting!

These little bracelets are knitted up in no time using any of the many fun yarns you can find in any yarn store or department. I used a size 4 and 5 needle, cast on about 9 stitches and knitted every row. Make it to fit little wrists or larger wrist, it's up to you!

The top picture was done using Lion Brand "Fancy Fur" and the bracelets below that were knitted with Lion Brand "Incredible" ribbon yarn. Both yarns are so easy to knit with; when finished, just sew the seam and you're done!

It's not too early to be thinking about Christmas and the other December holidays. Or how about birthday parties, or pool parties, or camp-outs, or for no reason at all?

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