Hats for the Homeless

When I closed The Knitting Loft, I wanted the community previously supported by the shop to be able to continue gathering, creating, and encouraging one another.  So I chartered The Capitol Hill Knitting Guild, under the umbrella of the national organization, The Knitting Guild Association.

We enjoy sharing our projects and learning from one another.  In addition, one of the things that we do on a regular basis is charity knitting.  Last year, we made hat and scarf sets for homeless children at The Playtime Project,  This year, in addition to providing yarn to Bread for the City for their crochet classes, we have chosen to support a local homeless shelter.  We are making hats for the men that they serve.  Our small group learned that the shelter serves 500 men.  But we haven't let that deter us.  The organization is grateful that we are helping and they will receive whatever we are able to provide.

So we've begun.  We are working in between our other projects and we are making progress.  We've also reached out to other charity knitters and crocheters on Ravelry and invited them to join us in our efforts.  And they have answered the call.

Today, it is warm outside in Washington, DC.  But we know that cold weather is right around the corner.  Knitting and crocheting hats is a small gesture.  But it's one that we gladly make.

If you'd like to help, you may find details in our Ravelry group thread.  Or, send an email to theknittingloft@gmail.com.

Until next time... 

A Cry in the Wind...

There's a cry in the wind.  If we paused for just a moment, we'd hear it.  It's calling you and it's calling me to stop being complacent.  With each appalling incident where an innocent life is lost, it gets louder and louder.

There's a rustle in the wind.  If we took our eyes off of our devices for just a moment, we'd see it.  It's the step we can take, the thing we can do, the difference we can make.  It doesn't ask for much.  But it does ask.  With each appalling incident where an innocent life is lost, it gets more and more urgent.

 So here's my first, baby step...

It angers me to live in the United States in the 21st century without a vote in Congress.  I love being a native of Washington, DC.  I love the culture and the pulse of the city.  I love the diversity and the food.  I even love the rhythm that politics creates.  But I hate paying taxes with fewer rights than those who live in one of the fifty states.

There's a cry in the wind.  And it's calling for my voice and the voice of over 600,000 citizens of the nation's capital to join in.  But we have no voice because we are not a state.  We are governed by people that we did not elect.

"District citizens pay full federal taxes and serve in the military and die for our country but have no say in whether we go to war, what those taxes are, who serves on our federal courts or in the President's cabinet, or whether the United States should enter into various treaties and international obligations. We can't even spend our own local tax money freely. Congress is implicitly our 'state legislature' and does whatever it wants here, even things it would not dare to impose on their constituents back in their home states."  Excerpt from DC Statehood Yes We Can. 

There is a move for DC statehood.  And every citizen of the US can play a part.  Read "Why We Need DC Statehood" and "The Case for DC Statehood".  Then, write or call your representative and urge them to support statehood for the District of Columbia.  Sign the petition and ask everyone you know to do the same. 

To learn more about DC Statehood and what you can do to help, click here.

I'm back...

#dcstatehood

All Things Are Possible...

 GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

1227 Pennsylvania Ave. SE

Washington, DC 20003

202.544.0702

www.theknittingloftdc.com

Saturday, August 4, 2012

10:00am - 5:00pm

I'd love to see you there!

Until next time...

A Dream Manifest...

Over the past few months I have been working... hard...very hard... on a daily basis.  I have been purposeful and prayerful.  I have been excited, scared, excited, and scared again.  I have been encouraged just to be discouraged and then encouraged again.  In so many ways I have been living principles that I've tried to instill in my children: setting goals, being persistent, staying focused, and doing what I enjoy.

It all leads to this...

The Knitting Loft, located at 1227 Pennsylvania Ave., SE in Capitol Hill, will celebrate it's Grand Opening on August 4, 2012!  If you're in town, I'd love to see you.

Until next time...

Don't Breathe on the Baby

Babies are such beautiful, delicate, and inspiring things.  They represent hope and all that the future has to offer.  They can be challenging at times but they also add a sense of purpose.  They innocently demand attention and they depend totally on their caregivers to mature and to grow.

Babies are also very vulnerable.  They are susceptible to injury, sickness, and disease in ways that are unlike adults.  Caregivers are very particular about who they let get close to or handle their babies.  And they should be.  Healthy development just might depend upon it.

A dear friend once told me, "Be careful who you let breathe on your baby."  In a lot of ways dreams and goals are like babies.  They, too, represent hope and provide vision for the future.  They add a sense of purpose and can also be challenging.  Until they become a reality they require diligence and depend totally upon the dreamer.  Sometimes the breath is blatant criticisms.  Other times, it is subtle indifference.  Either way, it can harm the dream and the dreamer if allowed.

Today I say to you, "Be careful who you let breathe on your baby."  And if by chance a harmful breath comes your way, surround yourself with the truth, and keep on nurturing.

Until next time...

One Year Ago...

One year ago today I was lying in ICU, heavily sedated, with several broken bones, and a tube in my chest.  I was fighting for my life.  The coming of this anniversary has been on my mind over the past few months.  I wasn't sure how I would feel or how my husband and kids would react.  My best friend picked up the phone and checked on me around the very same time that she received the phone call...one year ago.

There are no words to describe what I experience each time I approach an intersection or hear the wale of a siren.  A sense of security that I once had no longer exists.  And that's okay.  See, I am healthy and living a full life.  More importantly, I have decided to pursue a dream.  I am teaching others to knit and working towards opening my very own knit shop.  I am living my life with passion and purpose and I'm doing so one day at a time.

This is what it means to be held, how it feels when the sacred is torn from your life and you survive.  This is what it is to be loved and to know that the promise was when everything fell, we'd be held.

 
As you read this post, I want to challenge you.  One year from now, make sure that you are not where you are today.

Until next time...

Nomo

Today my family is grieving the loss of our family pet, a beautiful Akita named Nomo.  Ever since I was a little girl, we have always had full-bred Akitas.  They are absolutely beautiful dogs.  They are incredibly protective yet gentle and loving.  I often thought of them as my "other brother".  Nomo was no different.  He will be sorely missed.

Until next time...

Share The Love

I recently combined my two favorite things.  I enjoy teaching and I love knitting.   So I decided to start providing knitting instruction to anyone and everyone who wants to learn.  I held my first "official" class and it was one of the most fulfilling things that I've ever done.

We looked at independently dyed (indy) yarns and garments that I have made.  Then we began.  I watched as they fumbled with finding a comfortable way to hold the needles, tried to determine which way to wrap the yarn, and struggled to keep the loops from slipping off of the needle.  I smiled seeing myself in them as I remembered my very first lesson.  We joked and laughed and they enthusiastically followed my every lead.

After awhile, with trial and error and effort, they slowly got it.  I began to see a bit of comprehension on their faces.  No, their stitches were not perfect.  But they understood what they were supposed to be doing even if they didn't always know how to do it.  This was the mark of being off to a great start.  And I was extremely pleased.

I encourage you to teach someone to do the thing that you delight in, whether its dancing, baking cupcakes, playing chess, building model cars, or gardening.  Whatever it is, share the love.  You'll be glad that you did.

Until next time... 

**NOTE: If you would like to learn to knit or learned as a child and would like to pick up the skill again and are in the DC metropolitan area, please contact me at cheryl@liveloveknit.net.  I'd love to have you join me.

Can You Say - Wrapigan?

It's been quite some time since I've written and a lot has happened.

On May 27th, my kids and I were involved in a very serious automobile accident. My children were able to walk away. I spent 3 days in ICU and 10 in the hospital. I am home recuperating and grateful to be alive.

...And I'm knitting!

Not since my first sweater (pictured here) have I been so excited about a knitting project. But I am in a state of euphoria over my newest one. I have just cast on decadently delicious Peruvian Tweed Alpaca yarn to make the Wrapigan. It's not quite a cardigan because it has long ends that can be wrapped in several ways. And it's not quite a wrap because it has sleeves. It can be worn open in the front or in the back. It was designed by the Stitch Poet, out of Charlotte, NC. It is both sassy and sophisticated. You may click here to purchase a copy of this and other Stitch Poet patterns. You'll love her work. I certainly do.

I've never knit with alpaca before. It's now my new favorite yarn. I also have a knitter's confession to make. I am a bit intimidated by patterns, especially if I really like the garment. My first sweater was made under the tutalege of a skillful knitter and friend. Here, I'm on my own. (Okay, I'm not really on my own. I have my Ravelry friends, including the designer, to help me.)

Stay tuned for the finished product. I can't wait to wear it! I promise to jump, shout, strut, and pose when it's finished. Oh, and of course post a photo here.

Until next time...

Dining With Wisdom

I recently received a one-of-kind invitation to dine with Shirley Paden! For those who may not know her, she's a world-renowned knitwear designer. Getting a spot in one of her workshops is a feat. A dinner invite is "beyond, beyond". Of course, I accepted.

Memorable conversation can be had around any dinner table and that evening was no different. We had fun and good fellowship as we laughed and talked about everything from husbands to make-up. And of course we talked knitting.

Of the four of us, I was the newest knitter, having started about four years ago. We asked Shirley several questions and she graciously and honestly answered them all. I sat back and drank in the opportunity as I listened to her share her perspective on the shift in the fiber retail industry. She talked openly about the business of knitting, including her long-lasting relationship with Interweave and Vogue Knitting. She spoke of her students and those who work for her.

She told us stories of her early beginnings as a designer and her recent trip to Denmark. I asked about her fabulous pieces and learned that they are knit one time only. As I listened, I realized that the knitting community, while vast, is really small and that the giants in the field are generally welcoming and accessible.

After a couple of hours had gone by, I sat back in my seat as revelation whispered in my ear. You are dining with wisdom. It is said that when you want to learn about something, you find the best in that field, whatever it may be, and you learn all that you can from them. I was in the midst of a golden opportunity. And I'll never forget it.

Shirley was in town conducting her Finishing Workshop. Taught with the organization and attention to detail that is a Shirley Paden trademark (take it from a trademark attorney), it was a great investment of both time and money. She provided us with everything from the darning needle and contrasting scrap yarn to the miniature garment pieces that we practiced on.

We learned to see the details in the knitted pieces. They became like fabric in our hands as we eyed the patterns in the stitches. We became familiar with recognizing stitch direction and learned the proper way to seam for optimal strength. We even got a taste of her Casting-On Workshop when she shared four different cast-on stitches and the kind of edging produced by each.

I absolutely love knitting. I left the workshop armed with a new perspective on the craft. I now see hand-knit garments with a different eye. And I understand, a little more, the adage "the devil is in the detail". Thank you, Shirley, for giving me all that I need to conquer this knitting devil!

Until next time...

Now That It's Spring...

Until next time...

Love is...

Patient
Love is kind
It does not envy
It does not boast
It is not proud
It does not dishonor others
It is not self-seeking
It is not easily angered
It keeps no record of wrongs
Love does not delight in evil
But rejoices with the truth
It always protects
Always trusts
Always hopes
Always perseveres
Love never fails. 1 Cor. 13:4-7

May your Valentine's Day (and every day) be filled with love.

Until next time...

Legacy

I recently attended a Founder's Day program for my sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Having gone with my mother, a charter member of her chapter, I left with a burning question on my mind - What is MY legacy? What am I leaving this world?

The answer came a couple of days later in the form of a "thank you" from my little sister from undergraduate school. We recently reconnected and it's just like old times. She shared with me how much I helped her when we were in school. According to her, I touched her life in ways I never knew. On this particular day, she touched mine.

Then it hit me. Everyday, with every encounter, I contribute to my legacy. I impact the lives of others and leave my thumbprint on all that I touch.

Guess what? So do you.

Until next time...


To all of my sorors, Happy Founder's Day!

It's 2011!

In so many ways it is a gift to be able to cross over from one year to the next. For whatever this may mean to you...








Until next time...

Immanuel

For several reasons, this has been the most stressful holiday season I've experienced in years. And I haven't liked it one bit. Since Thanksgiving, a small voice inside of me has been repeating one word over and over again. "Focus, focus."

"If I could only focus before Christmas day gets here," has been my urgent thought. And then it happened. While listening to Handel's "Messiah," I heard what I needed to hear.

"Immanuel, God with us."

I reflected on those words. What does it really mean to have "God with us?" Just imagine - the God of the universe, maker of heaven and earth, the God that is full of power and wisdom, and might. The God that is the embodiment of love. That God...here.

...With us.

What an amazingly wonderful thought. In that moment, I slowly exhaled as a smile made it's way across my face.

NOW, things are in focus.

Aaaaaaaaah! Immanuel...the magic of Christmas.


" BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, " GOD WITH US."
Matt. 1:23

May the blessings of the season be with you now and in the New Year.

Until next time...

Shirley in Review

I have been waiting all year to meet her. Her name is Shirley Paden. For those who are non-knitters, she's a world-renowned hand knitwear designer. And I had the privilege of attending her Design Basics Course which is based on her best-selling book, "Knitwear Design Workshop: A Comprehensive Guide to Handknits".

I love learning, knitting, and learning about knitting. And there's nothing like learning from the best. Shirley Paden is certainly that. Anyone who knows her work knows that her patterns are not for the faint at heart. Just in case you didn't know, her class is no different. Take a look for yourself...



We spent an entire day learning to take accurate measurements, configuring garment pieces, and crunching numbers in specific mathematical formulas. But it wasn't all for naught. Despite our bewildered expressions and Shirley's gentle (and at times, not so gentle) nudging, we were able to translate those formulas into actual knitting patterns. In the end, she "felt our energy" and we did her proud.

I now have a greater sense of design technicalities such as the importance of swatching. I am also inspired and encouraged in my ability to envision a garment and create it. In looking back, I'm determined not to let the time, experience, and money invested go to waste.

I LOVE to knit!!!

Until next time...

NOTE: I was unable to reformat the video image.

The Kitchen

Those who know me know that I spend LOTS of time at my parent's house, the same one I grew up in. Even my husband and kids enjoy going. It has become our second home. Because of the time that we spend there, my mother and I are often planning our meals together, haunted by the question, "What are we havin' for dinner?" Which brings me to the subject of this blog.

My mother's kitchen is where I spend most of my time when we visit. It has become a womb of sorts for me. She and I are there together. It is warm. And we are intimately connected. We cook and we talk. We watch the small television together and we laugh. I ask her opinion, get her advice, and curl her hair. She asks my opinion, makes suggestions, and sneaks treats to my children. We shop in bulk and split our purchases in the kitchen. We plan, we dream, and we catch up on the family. I correct her knitting mistakes. She models the depth and breath of motherhood. Sometimes she stands at the sink and I at the stove. Side-by-side we simply exist in the same space amidst the sounds of running water and frying fish.

I drink in these moments, savoring each as if my life depends on them. In so many ways, at least for now, it does. I recognize that they won't last forever. But in the meantime, if you're looking for me and I'm not home, chances are I'm in the kitchen.

Until next time...

Mission Accomplished!

The final rescuer is on his way out of the San Jose Mine. The world needed to witness and experience what has taken place over the past 24 hours.

Thank You, Lord!

Until next time...

Amazing!!!!

There is no other word to describe the demonstration of the human spirit and the will to survive exhibited by the 33 Chilean miners. They have been trapped several thousand feet below the surface of the earth in the San Jose Mine for more than 60 days.

I have been captivated by the story since first learning of it. As I pen this post and watch the rescue live, I am filled with awe at what man is capable of overcoming when sustained by the hand of God.




Until next time...

Miss Y'all!!!

Warmth is what I felt as I read the get-well wishes sent to me by my knitting friends after my surgery. It made me smile to know that my absence had been felt. I pondered the fact that I was worthy of the investment made: a greeting card, a postage stamp, and hand-written sentiments. These acts may seem small but the thoughtfulness that they represented are not.

Community was the word that quickly came to mind. I thought about the fact that Fiber-istas are a special group of people. We come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and walks of life but we are knit together by a love for yarn (pun intended) and the great things that can be done with it.

It's been quite some time since I've been able to sit-n-stitch with The Knitterz. I hope to make it out soon. I'll have to. I need your help on my Shirley Paden project.

Until next time...