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...