This year I am not in a mad dash to finish a huge pile of projects.  I have been busy with big life changes: a divorce and all that goes with that, getting a full-time job, meeting new people, dealing with illness in my family, friends’ life changes – you know, LIFE.

And usually I would be knitting or crocheting through all of these things, but this time I just didn’t feel the need to do that.  But now that the big life changes have settled it is time to fill moments with knitting and crafting again.

Lately I have been knitting more – simple things like dishcloths.  I finished this set for a friend:

Although it is not a colorway that I would have chosen, I think it turned out pretty nice.  The set is based on the Knit Nutt’s – The Squidge Cloth. Done up as dishcloths, a hand towel and then used Nancy’s hanging towel and just subbed in the stitch pattern for the whole towel. There was also a Four-corners dishcloth added to the set that I had knit earlier that wasn’t in the photo. If you look really carefully there is also a Tribble (tawashi/sponge thing) there in the photo too.

Now that my friend has moved to a new place with new kitchen colors we have realized that something with a little more POW! would be nice. Perhaps a blue set? So that is on my "Something to do" list, maybe for Christmas or a "just because" type of gift.

Back to Holiday gift-giving. I am toying with the idea of either buying those spice mix sets one sees at every craft fair lately, or perhaps make some of my own and pack them up in some nice jars. I think everyone would appreciate a nice brownie, cake or goodie/snack mix around for those times when you feel like having something good to eat but haven’t been out shopping lately. So now I am in the hunt mode to find either one recipe that I can make in mass quantities or really customize it to the individual giftee.

Wish me luck, and if you have any suggestions or ideas….

Peace

I had a birthday on the 28th of September. Yeah me!

Although I am only 48 – it was still an important one.  And now I am wondering, why do we make a big deal about the 10s?  Hmmmm, anyway, I celebrated for about 3 days.  2 days before and then on the actual day.

On the 26th I celebrated with some Reiki pals.  I was a part of a Reiki healing share where we get together and do group healing and eat (of course).  Nice group of people and especially nice was getting to celebrate with my “twin” Mary.  We share the same birth month and day, except she is only 47 this year.  Her girls gave me a very nice card, and a special birthday cupcake – sweet!

No time to knit because I had to scoot over to a new friend’s place to start the 2nd celebration.  Here are some photos from that part:

A special birthday cake for ZenKnit (Susan)

Happy but boy do I look tired!

Sweet!

I guess I am starting to look my age.  But that is very okay.  It is very nice to be what you are.  A nice older woman *grin*.  I can’t really claim to be middle-aged unless I am planning on living to 96. That is a bit of a stretch.  But honestly, every day is a great day.

On my actual birthday I went to work and then had dinner at my mom and dad’s place.  We have a tradition where mom makes our favorite meal.  Mine is swiss steak and vegetables and for dessert, confetti angel cake and ice cream – sweet!

But back to days and time… I have been having a lot of odd dreams about the end of things.  The funny thing is in the latest dream, the sun disappeared and I thought that it would be important to gather up all of my knitting (especially socks) and sock yarn because it was going to be very cold and I didn’t know if I would be back at my home – there was something about trying to decide if I would go to live with my twin Mary (great gardener) or head out for a trek to other places to seek out comfort and strength (newer friend).

And then I woke up.  Although it was kind of a weird dream, it was quite nice in that:

• I felt safe
• I had plans
• There was knitting!

Peace!

knitted bunny

I have been unfaithful to my knitting. Very unfaithful. I have taken up with my long time love of books. I think it began when I was somewhat forced to go through all of the books in my house in order to decide which were mine, and which are my husband’s. It could also be that I was just kind of bored with knitting – tired of the same old dishcloth, really kind of burnt out with the niceness of it all. I needed some bad boy energy, something more sexy, you know?

So I am reading SciFi again. A tasty 2-book series from Dan Simmons, Ilium and Olympos.

I did spend some time on Ravelry trying to get the love back — looking at lacy shawls, looking at sexy colors and even doing a few rows on the toe of a sock that was begun back in March of 2008(!), and I started a new dishcloth. But there wasn’t enough umph in those feeble attempts to really hook me. So I am back reading, journaling (personal stuff that’s not online), moving boxes of clothes and stuff back and forth within my too crowded house, and trying to figure out a way to keep myself out of trouble. The bottom-line is that I am bored with all of these activities, but not as bored as with the knitting.

Maybe it is just cabin fever, not having enough business, experiencing a break from my corporate job and……

Sigh.

But Spring is coming, the sun has been out, I had a great play date with my dogboy Spencer, and a chance to kick back with friends, meet some new people, catch up on email and some further web site stuff. And today a call from work! I will be back to my corporate job for at least a few weeks. That for sure will keep me out of trouble!

Peace

Today at 6:00ish a.m. I birthed my new website, SusanAguirre.com. It isn’t complete by a long shot, but I do have most of my Reiki information there. My Tarot for Transformation pages will probably be done today, as well as my Zen Life section (links to here, my actual ZenKnit.com and HealingBeadwork.com websites too).

Why the changes?… I am in the midst of the beginnings of a single life again. Yeah me! I actually appreciate change and this is a good thing for me. New life, new website.

Please visit me there and let me know what you think: My main page is pretty plain, should I re-do? Do I need to have visual links vs. the hidden ones? Are the colors appealing? etc.

Peace

Merry Dishmas! Happy Handtowelica! Joyous Hope Yulelikethisgift!

I finished sewing the buttons on the hanging kitchen/hand towels for the kitchen sets I finished for gift giving.  Here are two photos of them all:

I wish you could see all the buttons.  Sewing on buttons is such picky work, but I was happily surprised that it didn’t take long to do that. I wish I liked the next part, which is wrapping. I kind of stink at wrapping things too.

I hope all your projects are done in time, or at least done enough that you can give an IOU without the giftee having to wait long for the finished project(s).

Stay warm and safe and I will see you here next year!

Peace

I know I haven’t posted much lately.  I have been so busy with this new job, still getting used to keeping regular hours and I don’t seem to have much time to do anything else but work, eat, sleep and get ready for the next day.  But I have managed to cram in a few birthday celebrations (for me and friends) and that was great!  Getting closer to being a crone (it’s a good thing).  I am officially 47 even though I have been telling people for a long time that I am 47 already. But enough of that – let me show you some projects!

Here is what I have been able to do since I last checked in:

Pretty impressive if I do say so myself. I have also finished a few bits to some already shared sets, so here they are complete:

Here are more details:
2 red, white, blue and cream dishcloths in the ballband pattern as written with 13 repeats. I am doing a hand towel using a modified KBB Kitchen Hanging Hand Towel. Using the pattern’s CO number, did the ballband pattern (modified) to use up all of the 59 stitches, knit those for 3 repeats, then I will continue using the variegated yarn to knit up the length using the basket weave 2 pattern from the book 365 stitch a day calendar. I will use the decrease and tab instructions as written from the KBB Kitchen Hanging Hand Towel. I have already done the matching tribble sponge.

The Blue, White and Yellow set is one squidge cloth (upper), a Christmas Cloth Pattern (lower) and a hanging towel using that same pattern. I still need to do a tribble/sponge for the set to be complete.

The white, yellow, violet and blue set are all done using the stitch pattern called corded ribbing, which makes up the stitch pattern in the blissfull moss rib used as written for the 2 dishcloths. I used the pattern in a matching hanging towel. I also have a matching tribble sponge here that completes this set.

For the Red and White set I completed the hand towel, which is a modified KBB Kitchen Hanging Hand Towel. What I did is use the CO number, did the ballband pattern (modified) to use up all of the 59 stitches, knit those for 3 repeats, then using those 59 stitches, switched to the basket weave 2 pattern from the book 365 stitch a day calendar. Then used the decrease and tab instructions as written from the KBB Kitchen Hanging Hand Towel. The set is complete with a red and white tribble sponge too.

I don’t think I covered everything yet, but I need to get ready for bed for another day. I hope you are all happy and healthy and making most of the time you have.

Peace

I have been very busy and it looks like there will always be more of that for a while.  Good stuff but a lot of change.  I am working a corporate job again.  That is taking a lot of energy as I get used to keeping regular hours.  Usually I am quite the night person – not a paint the town red all night, but the kind of person who goes to bed early in the morning because she doesn’t have to get up until she wants to.

Now I have to force myself to bed because if I don’t I will regret it big time when the alarm goes off at 5:30 a.m. Ouch!  But the commute is pretty clear, and it will be nice having a regular paycheck again.

What I am doing is reading documents and entering bits of information into a database. It isn’t straight data entry. You have to search around to find key information. Kind of like "Where’s Waldo" for nerds. It is strangely fun and nice because the area is as quiet as you would like a library to be. No ringing phones, no people talking much, not a lot of walking around. Peaceful!

I get to cram some knitting time into breaks and lunch, but my production will be very sloooooooow because evenings and weekends are pretty jammed with trying to have my regular Reiki and Tarot and a somewhat regular life too.

But I do have some projects progress to show you.  Here is one of my newest sets:

The pattern for the hanging towel and the dishcloth on the upper right are both free, and fantastic patterns.   The one on the lower right is called be my dishcloth and it is also free.  I still need to do a matching scrubbie.

The other set I have to show you is fabu.  I did two ballband dishcloths or warshrags as the Mason-Dixon gals call them. Then I did a modified version of the KBB Kitchen Hanging Hand Towel.  What I did is take the CO of 59, and modified the ballband pattern to make it work, did that for 3 repeats, and then continued on in a Basket Weave 2 pattern from the 365 Knitting Stitches a Year Calendar. I have that towel completed now, but just haven’t clicked a photo yet; have to do a tribble too, so it will wait until then.  Here is the photo I do have:

More later!

Peace

Using the right tools for the job is always a good idea. Sometimes I forget that even though I can knit washcloths/dishrags/handtowels or whatever you want to call them=those cotton things, on straight needles, perhaps using my trusty old Denise Interchangeable Knitting Needles are the best tool for the job. Lightweight, bendy, easy on the hands, wrists and elbows, low to no drag on cotton yarn; just all around good, better, best tools for pretty much any job. I could put the little stoppers on and make them into bendy straights but I am forever dropping one, so circular used as straights really works the best too.

So, back to the dishcloth/washrag/hand towel thing. They are this year’s christmas theme. Inexpensive, colorful, quick and easy to knit or crochet and heck, who doesn’t need a nice cotton cloth to do a nice regular job around the house?

I figure I need at least 12 sets are needed for family members and a few friends, and by a set I mean:

• two dishcloths
• one longer hand/dishtowel (hanging or straight)
• one sponge type dishthingie like a Tribble or one of the many tawashi patterns there are out there on the internet, either knit and crochet or a combination of both.

I haven’t decided on who gets what set or if colors really matter. Except that I do want Jessica and Joe’s set to be red and white because they are a newish couple and I know that when you are just starting out you tend to want things to match your decor. Those of us that have been around for a while (keeping up a home) know that color doesn’t matter if you are talking about mopping up a spill or whatnot. Oh and then there are the more masculine colors for the male relatives because I don’t think they would take kindly to a lot of girlie colors, or maybe I only think it matters? Most of it really depends on the mood I am in and just how sick of green and yellow I am going to be by the end of this particular large many itemed project.

Onto photos, details and links!

Set number 1:

eLoomanator’s Diagonal Knit Dishcloth (.pdf pattern)

I still have a few items to do, but in order to do those I need to find a matching pale green, pink or brown cotton to use for the hanging towel and the tawashi.

The following set is complete except for finding a button for the hanging towel:

The small green/blue/yellow cloth on the upper right is a Ballband Dishcloth
The cloth on the lower right is a combination of the Ballband dishcloth on both ends, and a basketweave pattern in the middle, same set-up for the hanging towel. The round variegated cotton sponge is a Tribble.

This following set is complete!

The long dishtowel is from a free pattern called Vignes, the square light green cloth is called Baby Fern Stitch Dishcloth. There is another Tribble, this time using alternating variegated and solid green.

This is the finished dark green square from the previous photo. Another free pattern called Little Shells.

On this one I finished the two dishrags:


Both variations on the Little Starbursts Dishcloth.  And I have started on the handtowel tonight:

Which is a Christmas Lace Kitchen Hanging Hand Towel.  Once that is done, probably tomorrow I will also need to do a tawashi.

And finally, the start on set 5, just one dishrag done:

The Squidge Cloth.

It still seems like a lot to go but I have plenty of time. If I get all the sets done I may just keep adding to them, or do extra sets for myself, who knows?

Peace!

My kind of party is a lot of just laying around until I feel so slug-like that I can’t stand myself any more.

I finished my goal of 10 blankets for Project Little Lambs. I am so tired that I don’t even want to put in a link for you. Really.

I don’t know why I am so tired, but I am. It feels good to be done, not that it was a big heavy weighing me down kind of thing. I guess it was all the making sure all the ends were woven in kind of stuff. I spent a good 3 hours finishing up last night, the last bits of crocheting to do on the final blanket, and then working on the blanket of a million ends, it’s slightly less daunting multiple ended brother.

I really finished this a.m. because I just couldn’t do any more last night. I kept myself amused by watching Hairspray. Such great music and the beautiful costumes, just so much fun.

So here is the last blanket:

This was another larger sized. It was nice enough but the yarn for the dark brown blobs of it was so silky it was kind of hard to work with. The photo makes it look very uneven and that the closer brown portion is larger, bu I am so short that whenever I take a photo of my blankets, they have a weird perspective —- those brown sections are really the same size.

Now I am going to do a whole heap of dish and hand towels for Christmas 2008.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Peace

I don’t know about you, but I am always fascinated by the parts of knitting that we don’t usually share. The wrong side, the private side. But then again I search for patterns that don’t have a right or a wrong side – being totally reversible is cool, especially for objects that get used or you just know they are never going to be wrong side down all the time.

Right – wrong – public – private. We have so many back and white kind of words like, you know, black and white. I hate black and white. I love the colors, but I hate the concept of totally one or the other.

Yes, this is about life and knitting. Knitting and life, a life filled with knitting and thinking.

I joke with my students and clients that I would really like to be able to take a vacation from my own head/brain. If I could just turn it off for maybe a weekend. Sure, I can kick back and be different, but the thoughts are usually there in the background…

I wonder why my business isn’t so busy anymore – is that *good* or *bad*? Yes, it is nice to kick back and get a little down time, but having a bit of money doesn’t hurt. I wonder if I should get a *real* job? I wonder it that would be like giving up? What would happen if I took a vacation from my teaching? I wonder if I would be happy with a regular job

On and on, damn that monkey mind – Gah!

I know that when I start getting fussy about things aka life, then it is time for a project break. But to be a good girl, I made sure that most of the finished blankets were really done – all the ends tucked in and such. I have left the blanket of a million ends and the not so evil younger brother waiting till I get back in my groove.

Time for a little me time! Hand towels! Dish cloths! Here we go!!!

First, my cherry moss square hand towel – sized for a person who doesn’t have huge hands (that is what I am saying out loud but in my head=didn’t have enough yarn – dang!):

Shown with the partial list of other stitches that would make nice towels, and the small bit of a ball band dish cloth.

My first ball band dish cloth. Amazing, I didn’t know what I was missing. I am in serious love with how these things feel. But back to the top of the post. I always wondered what the back side looked like. Why don’t most people show the side I want to see? I really want to see the side you aren’t showing to me. I think there are other people *out there* who want to see too. So here it is, the private side of a ball band dish cloth. (I can only imagine how many weird hits this post is going to get)

Meh. But the front side is pretty. I am set to make a gazillion of them, so be forewarned.

Back to life, if you care to follow. I am in the process of making some big changes in my life. Being unbalanced isn’t the best part of me. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE change, but when the change has to do with how I see myself and what that means, it can get icky messy. A little bit too real. Having Buddhist leanings I know that I need to be okay with all parts of myself – public and private, not so icky and icky, good and whatever. I am usually okay with that but I realize other people aren’t quite okay with me being different. That part sucks. And sometimes I wish I wasn’t aware enough to notice.

But then a few heartbeats later I realize that it (whatever the it is) really doesn’t matter all that much. I have a very blessed life, full of friends and family, with an amazing heap of stuff all around me .

Anyway. Enough of the rambling. I am hoping that you are feeling whatever it is that you need to feel this moment. Right now I am choosing happiness and

Peace