The Artful Yarn … where every skein tells a story

Just received my latest copy of National Geographic. I love that magazine and like George Bailey, I wish that I could travel to exotic locations someday. But for now I just live vicariously through its pages. In this issue there’s an article about folks who climb K2. The triumphant photos of summiting that peak reminded me of a backpacking trip I took in my teens in West Virginia. We climbed a pretty big hill in the Mountaineer State and I remember sitting on top of that rocky crag marveling a) that I made it up there and 2) how quiet it was, looking down at all the other hilltops with just sun and clouds and sky above us. But most of all, the Quiet.

Quiet is pretty unique these days. Even when we are home alone with no television, computers or phones “on,” our homes still aren’t quiet. I was recently reminded of this when the power went out one day. And boy, it was Quiet. I never realized what a hum goes on in our house until everything shut off. Even Kadee Dogger was unnerved by it. I thought the power would pop on quickly. But it didn’t. “What to do?” I thought. So much of my life is tied to electricity! Can’t watch a DVD. Can’t browse the internet. I could work on my laptop, but didn’t want to run down the battery. I could call someone, but I was sort of relishing the Quiet. Then I realized there was something delicious that I could do. Knit. Knitting requires no electricity. So I manually lit the pilot light on my gas stove to make a cup of tea, pulled out my project and started to knit. In the Quiet, I heard the soft “tip tip tip” of my needles. A comforting, rhythmic sound that I haven’t heard for a long, long time. I thought about women in ages past, who managed through their lives without electricity to raise children, run households and kept the faith. Women who were tuned into the Quiet . . . like I wanted to be.

I enjoyed my hour and a half in the Quiet. I calmed down, focused and felt each stitch in a way I don’t when I’m watching NCIS or the History Channel. I thought about relatives long gone. I thought about books I would like to read. I thought about spring garden plans. I thought about how tall our boys are getting and how I needed to organize the hundreds of photos I have of them. I thought about my dear husband and how hard he works. Then . . . boom! The electricity popped on. The Quiet escaped me and I started thinking about dinner plans, evening carpools and what I needed at the grocery store. My house was loud and I missed the Quiet.

Here’s hoping that you take the time in each day to seek the Quiet in your own life. If you have to pop a fuse to do it, so be it!

Wow! I felted my stash bag sample for our class this Saturday. I was expecting it to really felt, but if REALLY felted and you know what? It’s beautiful! For me, felting is a good metaphor for everything else that happens in life. You give something your best shot, follow the wisdom and then you have to step back and let the magic happen. You don’t always get exactly what you expected or wanted, sometimes you get something better but you always get something worth it.

Cheers!

Sending prayers to Doni R. today who had a tree fall on her house yesterday during that HUGE wind!! Doni – if you need anything, you know you can call on us! I will be in touch with her somehow today and will keep you posted via Ravelry.

Working on a couple of new projects right now (aren’t we always?!) Have been tinkering with a Fair Isle Cowl pattern.  I cruised around on Ravelry forever trying to find something that we thought would be a good beginner pattern. Nothing really jumped out at us. So we all looked at each other and said, “We’re smart women! We’ve knitted a little bit! Let’s create our own!” Like all knitting, math is involved. Some of us are great at math and some of us do not like it. We do not like it in a box. We do not like it with a fox! We do not like here or there. We do not like it anywhere! But . . . Fair Isle is a math project. Soooo . . . . a day later, I have something on paper that looks pretty good – did I say, “on paper?”  Have some beautiful sport weight alpaca burning a hole in my imagination. So armed with that, I set out.  Became enchanted with the idea of an i-cord cast-on. And so I did that! Now I have JUST started the cowl pattern. Three rows in and so far so good. But then my head was turned with another new project – a cute baby playmat in bold-colored nesting squares! It was like the call of The Sirens in Greek mythology. We have some new grandmas and grandmas-to-be at the shop and thought this project would be AWESOME! So armed with O-Wool Balance Bulky, I am knitting away on that!! LOVE IT! Didn’t like the way they started the playmat, so think we will teach a different cast-on for that – and left-leaning and right-leaning make-ones and then, yes, you guessed it, an i-cord bind-off! The little playmat is super easy once you get past the double-pointed needle phase. And I love the fun colors – January is a month that needs fun colors.

During all of this, we’re planning something like 8 classes for February. Our January classes are selling out and we are being approached by out-of-town groups to create fun experiences for them. How cool is that?! Meanwhile, the house is a trashy mess, we have cheese sticks, cereal and onions for food and let’s not even talk about laundry. But I don’t care! Having too much fun thinking about knitting, planning on knitting and actually knitting! And let’s not even talk about my newest attraction to crochet!

Haven’t gotten my blog on for some time – sorry! The Fall has been busy with classes, making new fiber friends and learning how to be a yarn shop! You have all been so wonderful and we are enjoying the holiday season with you . I can’t believe it’s “the holiday season.” Listening to the news this past week I am incredulous at the behavior of some Christmas shoppers and glad all over again that we share in a love of hand-crafted gifts that bring warmth and loving kindness to family and friends. Whether you make gifts from the needle, hook, your kitchen, sewing machine – any of the creative arts – a little of you goes in each gift. I like to tell folks that every stitch is a prayer, a wish for peace and happiness.  Wishing the same for you this holiday season. The Artful Yarn is here to help you with your holiday gifts and gift-giving! Let us help you and yours put together something special. We have some great kits for fun projects – all discounted for the holidays – as well as gift certificates, books, accessories and more. Hope to see you soon!

Okay – I’ve started three projects already and I’m not done yet! What is it about a chill in the air – it just gets creative fiber ideas flowing! Plus the reality that holiday gift giving is mere 64 days away. Is that right?? But I have a couple of things for myself I want to knit too – hmmm. What will I do when football practices are over? That’s my knitting time . . . well, I’ll have to see if our son can stand it if I knit at basketball practice. At football practice I am “far away” from people so they won’t see me (according to Son #2). At basketball practice, I would be in the gym – where everybody can see me. Generally I don’t care who sees me knitting or where, but I don’t want to scar my son for life. I see a teachable moment coming! After all, both of our sons have done plenty in their short lives that have made us a little more than sheepish – what’s a little yarn compared to those?! I mean, really!

The Artful Yarn is a great escape! So fun to come here. So wonderful to meet other fiber friends. So nice to be where people “get it” when new yarn comes in and you have to hug each skein – I mean, fondly place it in the cubbies. I love the new poster we have in our front window. It’s from an Etsy gal and it reads, Keep Calm and Carry Yarn. I love that!