A little about knitting and a lot about nothing…
She knits so people don’t get hurt.
This is post 5 of 7 (remember I promised 7? or actually 6 because Sunday is the Superbowl?) I had a very captivating post planned for you, however…my son returned home from the Army today and I am finding myself a bit puddly.
Let’s talk tomorrow, ok?
Sweet dreams.
Love,
Regina
I would not want to spend my free time looking at my face, why would you? I know that sounds dorky, but another reason I decided against podcasting is insecurity. That’s legit, right?
Did you know? Directions for laundering microfiber cleaning/dusting cloths specific state NO FABRIC SOFTENER. This is most likely because the effectiveness of these gems is in part due to static electricity.
Did you also know? Static electricity causes fabrics to cling to each other? You probably did.
True confession: My husband walked around NYC for business one day wearing a dust cloth under his shirt. He discovered it in the men’s room of a restaurant at the end of his day. He still loves me, bless his heart.
The fourth project I finished recently was a baby blanket for the knitting art club we have at the middle school. Every year, the art teacher provides yarn, needles and instruction to students interested in knitting a blanket for the NICU of a local hospital. It is remarkable what these kids can accomplish! Some take to it like a fish to water. This year she donated over 120 hand knit/crocheted items. We were blessed with a donation of yarn this year from local yarn goddess, Jill Draper. Please take a moment and visit her Etsy shop Jill Draper Makes Stuff Her yarn is beautiful and her heart is expansive.
The blanket I knit was from an existing stash. I don’t care for the yarn, it split easily, but the colors are so pretty. I did not use a pattern, and I added cables when knitting the purple parts. I did not take a photo of the finished blanket. I blocked it aggressively and the end result was less crinkly and more lacy.
Sipping: Lavazzo Espresso Perfetto Blend (don’t be impressed, it’s for the Keurig)
Listening: Jessica by the Allman Brothers Band – Brothers and Sisters (can’t. get. enough.)
Saint du jour: St. Bridgid, patron of Ireland, dairymaids, cattle, midwives, Irish nuns, and newborn babies. I like this lady. With Killian as a maiden name what’s not to love. Apparently, Bridgid’s mother was baptized by St. Patrick! Let’s keep everyone under her care close to our hearts.
Peace to all!
Regina
I posted an adorable photo of Razz here
Saw this on a bumper sticker and it cracked me up. Seriously though. What’s all the fuss about being busy. I think it is highly overrated and I’m pretty sure Jesus would agree. That being said, I want to update you on what’s been happening in the Cosmicknitter Universe. Since the Universe was not made in one day, I think I’ll see what territory I can cover in 7 days…ok, 6 days-Sunday is the Superbowl.
I finished two sweet pairs of socks in the fall. The first pair was on some self-striping commercial yarn I found at Michael’s with purple as the dominant color. You can find my project page here: School Spirit Socks
Continue reading ““Jesus is Coming. Look busy!””
Yeah, so apparently, I was supposed to disconnect the hose from the spigot at the end of the summer in order to avoid a pipe burst. Who knew? The sunny side of a flooded basement is that I now have a clear idea of how spring cleaning is going to look like at the Messa household. One thing can be said about water: it doesn’t discriminate.
Razzle turns 8 years old today. He rescued us when he was 4. I don’t know how I ever got by without him. Tonight we are tailgating with him at Holy Cow Ice Cream.
Happy Birthday, Razzle!!
Oh if only that were true! But it is not. I make plenty of mistakes and many of them involve yarn and needles. Nonetheless, I am grateful for the experience and nothing keeps me humble like unraveling 50 rows of color work. I have shared photos of the socks I am making for my son; no need to revisit the scene of the crime. I am now entering version 3.0. I really don’t mind because I went into the project knowing that there would be a HUGE learning curve. I love patterns. I love well written patterns. I love following well written patterns. I am not a modifier by nature. I have never modified a pattern to this degree. Fortunately, it is springtime in New York, and I have time to tinker with this endeavor before they will be worn.
The cuff was ok. It was downhill from there.
I don’t necessarily consider this next experience a mistake rather, a lesson in common sense knitting. I am making the Spindrift Shawl by Helen Stewart. This is a great pattern! (thank you, Helen!) I had the presence of mind to utilize life lines in this pattern (for the first time in my life) What I failed to do was track what rows contained a life line. Fortunately, Helen uses a chart which makes it easy to count stitches on the needles to determine the row you are knitting. Now I place a line every 25 rows.
Have you used life lines before? I would love to hear how you apply them in your work.
Often times we hear that money is the root of all evil. The bible states that it is the LOVE of money that is at that root. I don’t think anyone can argue with that. However…as I was folding clothes this morning (some of my greatest revelations come to me while doing housework), I thought of how much I love money. Let me explain. Last year, my husband and I started a St. Vincent de Paul conference in our parish. The purpose of this society is to help the poor; the material poor, emotional poor and the spiritual poor. Today, thanks to donations to our parish poor box, I was able to write a check to the landlord of a man who was on the verge of eviction. It was at that moment I realized that this would not have been possible without money, and how much I loved having that money in our conference account! My faith tells me to seek the face of Christ in everyone I meet. Everyday, I ask God for the ability to do that, ’cause some days it ain’t easy! Well, today I saw the face of Christ in money…the money that possessed the generosity and good will of the donor. How wonderful! Imagine if we could live our lives this way? Finding God in the good, the not so good and the unexpected.
I am off to find God in my dust bunnies.
Wishing everyone a Happy Easter, and a spring brimming with hope and blessings!
Peace to all.
ReginaMary
A few days back, I asked for advice on a sock I was knitting for my son. I took the advice of the majority, which was to start over. If the sock bothered me that much in the early stages, it would always bother me.
So I did.
I unraveled the sock and started over. I went from stranded knitting on 5 dpns (black needles, no less…) to knitting on one long circular. I scrapped the stranded pattern for a solid yellow sock with the Hufflepuff mascot done in duplicate stitch. So far, I have this:
The knitting is neater, the ribbing is tighter and my stitches are more even. Overall, I am very pleased with the decision. It isn’t going to be the fancy-pants design I dreamed of, but it will be a sock I can be proud to say I made!
Thanks to everyone who sounded in, I appreciate your input.
Oh, by the way…I was not willing to try my first magic loop sock AND stranded knitting at the same time. You’ll have to wait for that momentous event.
The last post by Cosmicknitter was November 2015! A lot of stitches over the needles in the past year-almost year and a half!
Well, for starters, I have moved my blog over to WordPress. I like the functionality so far, but this is my first post. I was so pleased to learn that my previous Blogger posts could be imported. This blog will have three distinct areas of content: knitting posts, all things Razzle, and stuff that makes me happy.
So, without further delay, here is a summary of what I have been up to!
I discovered podcasts, lots and lots of podcasts. Podcasts like The Knitting Pipeline, Susan B Anderson, Curious Handmade Knitting and the Cottage Notebook. I fell in love with The Grocery Girls, and out of love with Facebook.
I discovered new knitwear designers, football and became addicted to KALs – especially football themed KALs like Michelle Hunter’s Scoreboard 2.0. I had so much fun knitting this cowl! 
And MYSTERY KALs like this one…
From finding the ‘inspiration’ to the final product, this was such a great and challenging project that really boosted my confidence and taught me new skills. Thanks, Michelle!
I also embraced the swatch. That’s right! I have fully accepted the swatch as my knitting sherpa. I knit a Timber Bay for my sister, currently residing in Tokyo, and it fit her BEAUTIFULLY. I measured her head once, and after that, I was completely dependent on my gauge swatch and the pattern. Another confidence builder.
I knit myself a sweater-the second one ever. I chose to knit Mothed by Mags Kandis again. Just love this sweater. This time, I used Miss Babs Yowza in Aubergine and the finished product was perfect. Can you see the pretty details on the sleeves?
Finally, I overcame the fear/guilt/panic of having multiple projects in the works. Presently, I am working on two pairs of socks, one sweater and a shawl KAL. I recently spent a snow day browsing Ravelry and websites while listening to podcasts and purchased 3 patterns for no particular reason other than I loved them and wanted to knit them. In most cases (actually, in all cases) I had yarn in my stash all ready to be knit. This may sound silly, but it is not something I have ever done before. It feels good.
I look forward to spending more time here, sharing my days with you. I look forward to making more knitting friends.
It is funny. If I wear a knitted sweater, people always ask me if I made it. Chances are, I did not. Actually, 100% of the time, I did not. I knit myself one (1) sweater (which I inadvertently felted!). I can tell you that I enjoy knitting mittens, cowls, or socks for myself more out of necessity. Anyone I work with will tell you that I walk at least one mile during my lunch hour under any and all weather conditions, so dressing warmly in wool is a must! When it comes to knitting nice but not utilitarian projects for myself, it is damn near impossible for me to do. That being said, the one thing I get immeasurable delight from is knitting for others. I don’t know. People of all ages love receiving something hand-made and infused with love! Knitters just love knitting; it is a win-win situation. That brings me to this recent project. I work in a middle school. Every year, our art teacher (jfam on Ravelry) initiates an outreach project for students and adults alike to participate in. The Knitting Art Club begins meeting in November with a brief explanation of 1. the art of knitting, and 2. the value of giving to people in need. The Knitting Art Club has made hats, mittens and scarves in the past, but this year, our focus is blankets to be donated to the NICU of our local hospital. So many people experience the unfathomable joy of childbirth, but at the same time, that euphoria comes with the experience of knowing the fragility of life first hand due to giving birth to a child whose life is in the balance. How profound. Given that personal experience, knitting a blanket for a newborn brings the love, faith and support of so many people…known and unknown. No matter what your faith, the power of having the unconditional and anonymous support of others can be life changing. Since this project began, I have been humbled by comments from people who have had a traumatic delivery. So many people live their lives in quiet gratitude for the people who brought their heartache a glimmer of peaceful closure or joy. This is what life and living is all about. Sharing experiences. Reaching out. Bringing hope to the hopeless and love to those who feel all is lost. While I would love to knit some of the amazing sweaters I see online, nothing will compare to the joy of knitting a blanket for one of these infants! Knitters, keep one of these projects in your bag at all times! Knitters, keep your thoughts and prayers focused on each and every stitch that will make the blanket whose purpose is meant to wrap a child in crisis or adorn their tiny bodies at baptism. As knitters, we can give no greater gift than a part of our lives…prayers, time, and love.
Sharing my adventures in the needle arts and life!
Knitting Blog By: Keisha Knits
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Welcome to My Hybrid Blog: I Write About Sewing, knitting, Style, and Art
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