Found just the perfect addition to my new shawl.

The accessories are so very important a button poorly chosen can make a piece "wonderful" or "why did you choose that?" or even "fugly". I'm always on the hunt for good buttons and good closures and last year I found this wonderful "Closure" by Jul Designs.

I've tried it on different shawls a few times but it did not have the right fit, it's kind of heavy and makes a strong statement. I did not want the closure to take over the shawl. I knew I loved it but did not know how or where to use it. So I put it in a very special spot and forgot about it. All this searching I've been doing looking for things I rediscovered the closure and it's perfect for my "Stash Buster Square Shawl".

Finished Ready to Wear.

$300 dollar socks?

I confess most of the time when I visit blogs I really only look at the pictures. If something catches my eye I may read a few paragraphs. I try and post lots of pictures in this blog because I really don't think people read the stuff I write. Only look at the pictures and maybe read a head line or two.

I sometimes amuse myself with some blogs, a couple of my favorites are the "The Panopticon" by Franklin Habit and of course the Yarnharlot by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Both are funny and good writers and great knitters. I was just reading Franklin's latest blog post reminds me of that always puzzling question: "You should sell your knitting" or "If I pay you can you make me one?"

I never know quite what to say either. I usually say that I don't sell my work I only give it away to someone who is a "knit appreciator". Stephanie wrote about "knit appreciators" people who really appreciate the amount of work that went into this garment and the expense of the fiber etc. Like Franklin says below, a pair of socks hand knit $300 dollars. So if I knit a pair of socks for someone they really need to appreciate it.

I kind of know that when people who do not knit are complimenting me when they suggest that I sell my stuff but.......

Franklin's answers:

• "I don't sell my work" sounds snotty (even if you don't mean to be).
  
  
• "You couldn't afford it" sounds presumptuous (because it is).
  
  
• "For a pair of socks like this, at least three hundred bucks" will bring a gasp of disbelief followed by a minor cardiac event. And once the paramedics have left and the spilled drink is mopped up, you have to talk to the innocent victim about fair trade, and the rights of artisans to earn a living wage, and the number of stitches in a sock, and Wal-Mart, and how actually, no, good yarn doesn't cost about a buck a ball.

So far so good

The eat less part is "iffy" but I did not buy anything! (Groceries don't count!) So far so good for my "new years resolution". I heard on the radio that today was the day that people stop doing their new years resolutions. I'm going to write it and tape it on my mirror to remind myself.

Thank goodness I'm not looking for anything at the moment and am very careful to put things in some sort of order so I can find it when I need it. Like my car keys and my purse etc.

Here is a project I'm almost finished with. The "Stash Buster Square Shawl" has turned out well. Originally I was just going to make a little swatch for an example for my upcoming class I'm teaching. Then I just fell in love with it and kept on knitting. My new most favorite project, but I'm fickle.

The edge did not look great and I did not want to sew in all the ends so I solved the problem by sewing a felted edge to give it a finished look. The felted scarf that I cut up and sacrificed happened to be the perfect color match and I have lots of scarfs so I won't miss it.

"Design Your Own Shawl" will be the class.

Buy Less and Eat Less.

I swear I spend half of my life looking for things. I can't remember where I put anything, then I get obsessed with finding it. I know sooner or later it will turn up but I want it now!

I started this sweater last winter and then the weather turned hot so I had to put it down. Knitting a large project resting in my lap made of wool can get uncomfortable when the weather is warm. This is a winter project, although we are pushing 80 degrees here in L.A. but it's a winter 80 so not the same. I need a nice warm wool sweater in case it does get cold so I wanted to finish this project.

It was 80% complete so I set out over the holidays to finish this sweater. Showed my husband and he really liked it and somehow took interest in the project. He would ask me how I was progressing almost daily. Besides feeling like "leave me alone" this is my hobby what do you care, I would give him an update. Sort of like I just have the sleeves to complete then I'm done. Or I made a huge mistake and I'm frogging the sleeves and starting over.

Then I ran out of the red yarn, but I know I had extra skeins of this but where did I stash it? I somehow have collected yarn, not just a couple of bins but many. What was I thinking? Will there be a shortage of yarn? Before you laugh too much about this I am a product of my childhood. We did run out of yarn, there was a war and nice wool was really hard to come by. I know the world is different now intellectually but somehow there is a residual and one never forgets.

Now for my New Years resolution: Buy less and Eat Less in 2012

On the needles

Sort of like "mindless" knitting. It started out as a little swatch for my upcoming class on design your own shawl class. But I just liked what was developing so I kept on knitting. This is a great project for a "stash buster". For all those little balls of yarn you have left over and don't know what to do with.

When I first started spinning I was not sure how much yarn I would get out of maybe 2 or 3 ounces of fiber. Then making it a 2 ply I would end up with these small amounts of wonderful yarn but did not know what to make.

Here is one solution:

Just as I suspected.

The Rose Parade was just not as exciting as it would have been if it was held on January 1st. I'm just saying and having a bit of a rant. I have since found out why, which this enquiring mind wanted to know. Because if the 1st falls on a Sunday it is not held so the good people could go to church and not be distracted with the parade. "Never on Sunday" protocol was instituted in 1893! I think it's time to change this policy! (If I ruled the world this would certainly change!) I want the Rose Parade on January 1st rain or shine. Of course we all know that it NEVER rains on the Rose Parade so that is why I would put in rain or shine.

According to one of the articles I read

sort of to do with religion, but perhaps not in the way you might first think. It's all very practical and logistical: The policy was put in place"to avoid frightening horses tethered outside local churches and thus interfering with worship services." And, to ensure there's no competition with the National Football League, the Rose Bowl game is also held over to January 2.

I have no idea how the parade looked because I did not watch it. Maybe this would be a good year to go down and look at the floats in person. After the parade they usually display the floats and I've always wanted to go see them and never got around to it. This is sort of on my "bucket list" along with going to get tickets one year and actually go to the Rose Parade. I figure by Wednesday everybody would have gone back to work and too busy to go look at floats so it would not be as crowded. Will let you know how it goes.

Happy New Year....

New Years Day is just not the same without the Rose Parade. Just pretend that they are saying 2012 and 123rd Rose Parade. We all know that once you've seen one you've seen it but it's somehow very comforting and lovely to watch.