Have a good week.

For today's Knitting and Crochet Blog Week post, I'm going with the wild card topic, describing my perfect knitting day.


On my perfect knitting day, I'm staying in a house on the beach with a deck that overlooks the ocean. I knit something fairly mindless with long rows so I can frequently look out over the water, checking for birds, whales, and dolphins.

When I need a break, I drive to the local yarn shop and in indulge in whatever I want-- yarn, needles, magazines, books, etc.

I have a delicious, healthy lunch at a little cafe and browse through a knitting book while I eat.

At some point I take a delicious nap.

I keep a journal and pen by my side all day in case I get an idea for my own design.

When the day ends I crawl in to a soft, comfy bed and fall asleep with the sound of waves crashing outside my window.

The topic for day four of Knitting and Crochet Blog Week is "knitting for all seasons."

A lightweight scarf knit with my favorite yarn, Misti Alpaca Pima Cotton/Silk.

 I live in Northern California where it never really gets cold enough for heavy wool garments. Plus I don't like the way wool feels against my skin, so I tend to knit with blends of pima cotton and silk or bamboo.

A cotton crossover sweater knit for my niece, Lily

I mainly knit lightweight accessories all year round, although with the recent arrival of my niece I have started making baby sweaters, which I love.

Cotton daisy stitch wash cloth

I also knit a lot of cotton wash cloths. I love using my own handmade cloths to wash my face at night and I like to give them as gifts, too, along with scented soap.

Other accessories I like to knit are small bags and flowers.

The assignment for day three of Knitting and Crochet Blog Week is to write about someone in fiber crafts that inspires you.


"Knitting is where I give the wild woman inside of me free rein. If she wants to be the wise woman as well, that's fine; if not, also fine. I no longer care that my kitchen cupboards are stuffed with yarn, and my  closets with half-finished projects  ... At this point in my life I say: Judge me if you dare."  - Susan Gordon Lydon, Knitting Heaven and Earth .

One of my heroes is Susan Gordon Lydon, author of Knitting Heaven and Earth, which I credit for making me fall in love with knitting. It is a deeply spiritual, moving book about Susan's love of knitting and how it was almost like a wise, supportive companion accompanying her on a journey of love and loss. Her writing is beyond superb; this is one of the few books I've read multiple times and plan to read again and again.

Susan was one of the founding editors of Rolling Stone magazine and the author of The Knitting Sutra and Take the Long Way Home. She died from cancer in 2005, the same year Knitting Heaven and Earth was published. To read more about Susan's accomplishments, her colorful life, and the challenges she faced, see this article from SFGate.

The theme for the second day of Knitting and Crochet Blog Week is photography.  We were asked to create an imaginative story or scene related to our craft.



I knew right away that I wanted to feature my soft bunny, but coming up with a scene wasn't so easy, so I took her outside for a photo shoot. She posed in the grass, on a tree branch, in a pink geranium plant, and more. After looking over all the photos, I decided this one is my favorite. She looks so pretty with flowers in her hair.

To see more photos for today's Knitting and Crochet Blog Week challenge, copy the code 3KCBWDAY2 in a search engine and check out the results.

Update: If you'd like to nominate my soft bunny photo for a prize, please go here . Thank you!

The theme for the first day of Knitting and Crochet Blog Week is color, which worked out perfectly because I am in the midst of knitting this very colorful ruffle scarf. (Disclaimer: The color has been enhanced a bit with PicMonkey, an awesome free photo editing tool.)


In my every day life, I tend to shy away from color. I am a quiet person who doesn't like a lot of attention, and my closet is dominated by greys and blacks that make me feel safely invisible at work and play. But when I knit, I often go with variegated yarn in shades ranging from ocean blue to hot pink and revel in the unfolding of color as my project grows. The idea of knitting in grey and black is unappealing.

This orange scarf is an anomaly. I don't think I've ever knit or worn this color. I bought the yarn because I was oddly drawn to a photo on Ravelry of a lace shawl  that was knit with it. The color is called "Flame," and I think it will be perfect on days when being safely invisible is just unacceptable.


To read more Knitting and Crochet Blog Week posts about color, do a Google search on 3KCBWDAY1.

It was a relatively quick, easy knit, with just a few issues that were due to my inexperience with sweaters. Note to self: When casting on and binding off, leave looooong strands of yarn to use for sewing the seams. I didn't do this and ended up having to weave in about a zillion ends, which is one of my least favorite things about knitting.


Speaking of Lily, here is a photo of her taken earlier today. She is eleven months old now and getting so big. I'm looking forward to her first birthday next month so I can give her the basket full of gifts I've been collecting for the occasion.

I know I've been gone for a while. Not sure what happened, just needed a break I guess. I do plan on participating in Knit and Crochet Blog Week next week and would love it if you did, too.