Introducing my new family member!

I have also been MIA recently but for a much different reason than JJ. I have been a busy little knitter! At my last post I mentioned that I would be straying from my normal scarf projects to make my first toy. Marmie visited and we took a trip to the store to purchase all the necessary tools for my monkey. I have been knitting away with teeny tiny little needles (size 3 and yes, I know that 3 is not very small but consider that previous to this I was only knitting with size 11.)

In addition to this I also ventured across the country for my first knitting lesson! I was planning on teaching a group of 3rd graders how to knit. Before I mention my monkey, let me give any of you considering teaching kids how to knit some pointers.

1. When you visit a website that tells you to teach kids to finger knit before using needles, follow that advice. (unless, of course, it is a one-on-one lesson.)
2. Draw diagrams to show kids exactly which holes to place their needles in. Again, this is for large group lessons.
3. If you do decide to skip the finger knitting, definitely start by casting on and knitting one row. (This is something that I actually did!)
4. Have something to give them when you are done because chances are they will have more tears and frustration than knitting. I wish I would have knit them each a back-up-swatch just in case.

All-in-all I would say the trip was successful. The kids did not learn how to knit but they got to see the process, learn a cute little phrase for remembering how to knit, and I got to see them again! Thanks CLCS for letting me visit!

I was in Boston last week because it was my Spring break. It was also a beautiful coincidence that I decided to start my previously mentioned Monkey Moo on this trip. Vacation is a great time to start knitting something! I had a lot of time to devote to my monkey. The head was the first part I made. I learned how to increase (thanks Marmie!), decrease (thanks Stitch n' Bitch!) and reviewed some other important techniques.

After the head I moved on to other body parts. I decided to postpone the mattress stitching to the end of the project because I didn't have the stuffing in Boston. After a few days I had the entire body finished and a deflated version of my monkey.


Then came the other new technique: mattress stitching. Thanks to a tutorial linked through the Monkey Moo page (http://mochimochiland.com/weblog/2008/03/mattress-stitch-tutorial-for-toys/) I was able to complete all the seams on my monkey and start to stuff him.


This morning I added the finishing touches: the eyes, eyebrows, nose, and attaching all the limbs! So here he is folks. Introducing for the very first time...Maggie's Monkey Moo!


I have to admit, I am having separation anxiety. I am not sure I can send this guy to his intended owner. I might just have to knit more! The other good news is that some folks were so impressed with my knitting that I now have more requests to knit things! Let the games begin!

M.I.A.

so i havent posted in a while again. and theres a real good reason for that. not only have i lost my camera for the millionth time- ive also broken my computer! ugh oh. made it 26 years without getting the blue screen of death but it finally happened! im hoping the laptop fairy stops by my apartment sometime soon, but im thinking the chances of that are slim to none! and the worst part is i have tons of pics of my knitting that i could upload on a different computer- but that damn camera just wont be found!

oy vey.

Time to Stray!

I have slowly, but surely, moved on since my first scarf. The everything-has-to-have-an-order teacher in me has been moving through the Stitch 'n Bitch book step by step. I follow the order of suggested swatches like my life depended on it. I have just completed my stockinette stitch swatch (ha! try saying THAT 10 times fast!) and my first pattern. Yup, the very same one that lil' sis gave up on. And how do I feel after completing these swatches...eh. I have accomplished some new skills but I am ready to make something, especially after reading Marmie's last post. JJ has moved on and it is time I do as well.

A good friend of mine is about to have a baby so I feel like this is the perfect time to branch out. I was going to move on to a baby blanket, but upon further reflection I realized this is a scarf, just wider. So I am going to jump right in and try to create a knit stuffed animal! I have the expert on my side this time. Marmie has flown in to SoCal for work this week and we are spending the weekend together. So while we will get to have a little spa time, chick flicks, and martinis, I also plan on having her help me pick out the tools for my Monkey Moo. (http://knittedtoybox.blogspot.com/2008/04/monkey-moo.html)

I know, I know, I am a crazy knitter! But don't be too impressed. While I am waiting for my new adventure to begin, I am completing the next step suggested by Debbie Stoller (Stitch 'N Bitch author)...the ribbed scarf. Look out east coast family, we don't need this many scarves on the west coast! Someone may be receiving an unexpected present. ;-)

-Mags

Nice spring day...and a renewed dedication.

Having spent all day yesterday at the spinning guild, I awoke with a renewed sense of productivity and creativity this morning! I love how this incredible group of individuals come together each month and constantly amaze with their talent. I cam home and spun for several hours - loving every minute!

As to knitting; well, in recognition of my Dad's 77th birthday I wanted to create something really special for him. I'd never knitted him a single thing over the years and wanted to remedy that with a piece that was beautiful, masculine, and spoke to the quiet intelligence of this man. I thought a simple, yet lovely, cabled throw in camel brown would be perfect. The problem was that I hadn't done any cabled knitting in about 25 years. No worries - I would just jump in, read carefully, and do it.

And this is it:
It is a soft, warm collection of traveling cables - and he loved it! I call it my "Marriott Throw", because most of it was knit at the various Marriott hotels I stay in for work. It feels like a nice, warm hug - just what I wanted.

The multiple pairs of French Press Felted Slippers that I promised my multiple nieces! Stiill in various stages of finish and with 2 more pair to knit, I've made major progress on this project.

That pretty pink pair? Those are for me! Sweet daughter, JJ, was up for a visit last week and we had a great time felting slippers, including the pink pair she had made. As we were trying on the wet slippers for sizing and shaping, I asked her what size the friend was that was to receive this cute pink ones. She sweetly announced "your size" and said she had made them for me. She had noticed that while I was putting slippers on every female around me, I had failed to make myself a pair. I still need to find the perfect buttons, but I am so touched by her thoughtfulness. Wow...just wow...

My other knitting project is my favorite thing to knit - colorful, textured and creative shawls. Here's a couple of peeks at the current creation:

and

I guess when I look at it all, I'm pretty happy with what I've done so far this year.

Oh yeah, except that sock.

love, marmie

Taking this show on the road...

It has been a long time since all of us ladies have blogged, and as JJ has pointed out, a lot has happened. In addition to all that worldly craziness, we three knitters were recently reunited for the funeral of a close friend's father. It was a very sad time for us and admittedly, I just couldn't post anything for awhile.

However, my knitting is progress, albeit slow and steady. Here is the latest update.

Back in February I took my knitting on the road for the first time. My man and I headed to Vegas for the weekend and I thought the 4 hour drive would be a great time to get my knit-on. I made a lot of progress on my striped scarf. See below!

I made a few mistakes along the way but was able to fudge up a fix to make the holes not so noticeable.

The following week I booked a flight to Boston for my April vacation, to visit the friends I moved away from last August. My former assistant principal invited me to come back and visit my old school. I was pretty excited but my excitement grew even more when she suggested I teach my former students how to knit! I am not quite sure where to even start with 20 third-graders but I am pumped to take my show on the road again!

On the heels of this excitement, I showed up to school one Monday morning and a student of mine came in with her own yarn and knitting needles. Inspired by my new hobby, she had asked her grandmother to teach her how to knit. Her first attempt had a few holes but I was so excited to see her progress. It also gave me hope for my future job as a knitting teacher. The best part for the little girl in my class is that she was more focused than I have ever seen her in class. I emailed her mom and said that she should bring her knitting to school every day. Oh boy can that girl knit! I think she has surpassed me in talent at this point. Every day she brings in her bag of projects and knits away while we do our school work. It is a real transformation for this student who couldn't sit still for more than 5 minutes. I believe I have found the cure for students with ADHD! I am so proud of her accomplishments that I took a picture of her first project, just to post here.

So you can see it has been a busy month since I last posted. After my friend's dad passed away it was time to bring my knitting on the road again. The red-eye flight back to the east coast for the funeral took a lot out of me. I slept most of the next day and had a heart-breaking reunion with my friend at the wake. However, my soul never felt more full than when my two knitting ladies and I sat down with a glass of wine, hearts hurting, and brought out our projects to share. We laughed at our blunders, we talked about future projects, and we stitched together the pieces of our souls that needed to be mended.


I boarded the plane back to LA with one project complete, and my mind ready to move on to the next.

When we started this project I knew we would have a lot of fun. I am moved beyond words at how knitting has already formed bonds and relationships that I will cherish forever.

ANOTHER note to self: dont forget to blog!

so its been a while. in the amount of time since i last bloggity blog blogged, much has happened. i was snowed in for a week! i bought my first shovel! i stood on the beach in the snow! i broke 100 3 times in a row while bowling! team usa men's hockey beat team canada!! oh snap! so you can see i've been a busy lil girl.

notably absent in that list is my knitting. but alas my dear friends, fear not. for i have accomplished the impossible....i made my first pair of ballerina slippers!! woo hoo! however this was not done overnight, so let me start at the beginning.....

so i finally made it to my knit shop around the corner, Knit and Stitch = Bliss. totally cute! i was a bit lost looking for worsted weight yarn, so i asked for help. who knew there were so many colors to choose from! so i bought this to die for navy blue. i also got a stitch counter, new needles and darning needles. now at this point i was incredibly excited. but i was sick. little did i know, but at the time i was suffering from an infected wisdom tooth that was slowly killing me. but i felt like crap. so i went home, but on horton hears a who and started to make a ball out of my new yarn. 10 mins later i called marm wondering how in the world she does this! i was ready to give up. like a good momma, she laughed at me and informed me that the knitting shop should have a machine thing that could just wrap that sucker up itself. ugh. not one to give up one something, i continued to roll that ball. that shit took me 3 hours! and let me tell you, horton hears a who is NOT 3 hours long! so that right there explains my absence in knitting. i was bored. and angry. and wishing i was a knitting insider that would have had the damn yarn balled at the store. but alas, my pride is too much so i couldn't bring myself to walk in the store. so i watched the count of monte cristo for my next attempt. thank got that movie is 17 hours long! with 2 balls of yarn i was ready to take off....

but instead of being able to knit, i spent my entire snowed in/no work week watching dexter, digging out my car, and sledding. that's right. i bought a sled. i finally started knitting on day 6 of snowtorious b.i.g. i did just as i was told and followed the directions. (note to self- when following directions make sure you read that stuff along the sides of patterns. kinda important!) i was able to finish 3 top pieces that one day!!

at this point i truly was excited. i wasn't just making silly little knick knacks to learn different techniques - was making a difference. and i had a game plan. i was heading to nags head, nc with some friends for presidents day weekend and thought this would be the perfect time to finish my knitting. boy was i wrong.....

stay tuned for the next edition of "my mom can make this in a day," i can already tell you're skimming this over!

Note to Self: don't forget why you knit

Sorry for no posts lately. Why?

this

This unfinished sock is staring me in the face every day. My thought was that if left out, I would quietly pick it up and finish it as I had my morning coffee. This has not happened. I've picked it up, stitched a bit - sl1, k1, sl1, k1. But that's where I stop.

I'm not a sock knitter - I detest every stitch of this thing and it makes me dislike the act of knitting - crazy! So back it goes into the unfinished pile until it makes me happy to pick it up again.

To compensate, I've made these. Beeswax candles from our hives. They smell wonderful and made me feel competent and re-centered.

Sometimes I forget that I knit because it makes me happy. Life is too short for bad yarn and unfulfilling projects.

love, marmie