Top O' The Morning To Ya!

Happy St Patty's Day to everyone... I hope you're wearing green and if at all possible, drinking green beer and eating corned beef & cabbage! Not only am I a Boston girl, but I am part Irish... so I've always loved this day.

REVIEW: The Knit Kit

The Knit Kit
Where To Find: The Knit Kit

When I first heard about The Knit Kit, I was very intrigued and just had to check it out. After all, what knitter (or crocheter) wouldn't want an all-in-one, Swiss Army-like kit? Something that you can grab on the go, as you're headed out to your kids' soccer game, family picnic or a day at the race track. We've all had those moments of quickly grabbing a WIP while running out the door, only to discover when we get there, happily knitting away, that we forgot something... stitch markers, scissors or a tape measure usually. I've been caught red-handed digging around in my honey's tool box at a go-kart race looking for something to cut or measure with.

The Knit Kit, which retails for $19.95, includes a row counter, tape measure, thread cutter, mini crochet hook, scissors, stitch markers and point protectors - all in a 4.75" x 3.5" x 5/8" little plastic kit that is TSA approved.

What's missing? This list could be almost anything depending on who you ask, but I personally think the most important thing they forgot is a cable needle (though it is possible to use the crochet hook in a pinch). A needle sizer would also prove helpful, especially for sock knitters who love using DPNs. ETA: And, of course, a yarn needle! I had noted that as a huge missing piece and then forgot to mention it (thanks Mom).

What's the deal and real-world use of The Knit Kit? The construction leaves a lot to be desired. Think of a typical mass-produced plastic item... Made in China. I can already see the flimsy crochet hook breaking (I was worried about snapping it the first time I removed it from the side). The folding scissors are typical of the ones we all used in the 80's... good in a pinch, but if you should happen to run into the aiport security worker who's having a bad day, you won't be disappointed if she forces you to leave the folding scissors behind (everything says they are TSA approved, but we all know its ultimately up to that person checking your bag).

For $19.95 I would haved liked to see The Knit Kit constructed a little better - something sturdier. I would not spend $20 on this item, but I'd be willing to spend $29.95 for something that I didn't think would crack if I dropped my knitting bag, something more Swiss-Army like - and something not made in China.

The Knit Kit certainly serves a huge purpose in the knitting world and only time will tell how well this ingenious gadget will hold up to every day use of knitters on the go. I'm sure they will be flying off the shelves of your LYS this month, and hopefully after initial sales, the makers will consider taking it a step further to a more upscale version in the coming months. While The Knit Kit won't replace my gadget box that I often take on the go, I will use it as much as called for, especially when traveling by plane. I would recommend one to anyone who does a lot of airplane traveling - and doesn't have the time or want to put together their own kit - to add one to their knitting bag for sure.

Mr Sheepie and Emma and Fill-Ins... oh my!

So glad its Friday!!! I'm really looking forward to the weekend... we're supposed to have nice (even if muddy) weather, I'm going to visit little Miss Emma and will cook our corned beef & cabbage dinner on Sunday. Yes, I am part Irish, so its our St Patty's feast, but I could enjoy a good 'ole New England boiled dinner (which requires a Sam Adams added to the water) anytime.

Alot of you asked about Zeus' birthday sheep yesterday...

Mr Sheepie is a Hard Boiled Softies by Kyjen. Its labeled as "super tough" and actually has a rubber "egg" inside that makes the "oinking" noise as opposed to a squeak. The outer plush piece can be taken off and it is made with a tough inner lining. For those of you interested, I found it online here and also here (I've never ordered from either of these sites before). Woof It Down also had the Bumble Bee and Penguin in stock. So far this toy has shown no signs of doggy damage and if the kids keep an interest in it, I'll surely go get another. Even though it was Zeus' birthday toy, Tut and Sophie have seemed to enjoy it the most.

For those of you in the Multitasking Group on Ravelry, you know that I've decided to do another little hat drive. Last year I collected chemo caps to donate in honor of my Mom & Dad and it was a great success. Now, with my Great Niece being in the Special Care Unit, I've had another ah-ha moment and decided to ask my knitterly friends for help in collecting a big batch of preemie and infant sized hats to donate in honor of Emma. If you are too busy, no worries... however if you're interested, basically we just need to use yarn that is soft (remember these are extra special little babies) and if at all possible, washable. I’d like to collect the hats by April 5th, which should give everyone who would like to join about 3 weeks for knitting, then some time for shipping. Emma says thank you in advance...

I have a little Etsy shop update. I listed a few sets of markers last night, as I'm trying to space out my listings so they stay fresh and closer to the top. Hop on over and check these out... Easter Egg colored bumpy beads and "Aliens Attack."

Now, its time for a little Friday Fill-Ins...

1. When I look to the left, I see lots of pictures on my office windowsill.
2. The sunroom/dining room/workout room (which is really just a cramped unuseable room at the moment - time for spring cleaning) is the room that has the best view in my home.
3. Let it work dammit.
4. These days, nothing is done dirt cheap!
5. Spay & neuturing pets is a responsibility that all qualified citizens must share.
6. If you have any desire to knit preemie or infant hats feel free to join in my collection of hats for donation to the Special Care Unit where Emma is at.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to another new episode of Ghost Whisperer, tomorrow my plans include going to visit Emma and Sunday, I want to eat corned beef and cabbage!

Woofy Day Party

Happy Doggy Day! This week was my turn to post over at Dogs on Thursday, so hop on over and read all about the new season of Dogtown!

My big guy celebrated his 8th birthday this past Saturday and as promised, here are the pictures! If you only stop by on Thursdays, Zeus would sure love for you to scroll back to Saturday's post and check out his handsome self!

I'm 8 and still act like a 2 year old most of the time...

Like my birthday Sheepie? {click on links for more pics} Mama says its supposed to be chew proof... we'll see about that!

Mmm, C-A-K-E! Let's see how much I can munch before Daddy takes it away to cut it up to share with my brother & sisters (Mom says the best thing about these cakes from Woof It Down is they are perfectly sized for 4 portions)...

My pesky sister had the nerve to lick my cake...

Birthdays are hard work...

Emma Wednesday Part 2

So within minutes of getting my Wordless Wednesday post up this morning, I realized those crazy kids (um, my nephew and his fiance) posted a tun of adorable new shots of Miss Emma Ann. She had her first bottle feeding on Monday and apparently thought it was the funniest thing in the world, as I'm told she spent most of the time laughing and smiling at her cooky parents.

I think this is my most favorite picture thusfar... Emma's first bottle feeding.

Happy, smiling and looking so curious...

You want me to eat? I'd rather just bust out laughing...

Emma Wednesday

My great niece Emma is 2 weeks old today, and still a great candidate for my wordless wednesday pics! Here she is with her Daddy and Momma...

Quick note for today for my fellow furbaby parents... hop on over to Green Earth Journey and enter the Woof Purr Creations giveway!

REVIEW: Knitting The Threads of Time

Knitting The Threads of Time: Casting Back to the Heart of Our Craft
by Nora Murphy
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: New World Library (February 10, 2009)

While I do love to read, knitting usually takes priority over my time and I do not read anywhere near as often - or as fast - as I would like. However, there are times when certain books come along and they truly capture you. Knitting the Threads of Time is one of those books.

I received Knitting the Threads of Time in January and its been sitting in my ever growing "to be reviewed" pile, just waiting for me to get to it. Opportunity struck when I grabbed it on the go to a hair appointment and I've had a hard time putting it down ever since!

These days, you simply just have to take a look around or pull out your current work in progress in public to be instantly be reminded of just how many lives our craft touches. I've had complete strangers approach me while knitting in public to ask what I'm working on, thus striking up conversations of handmade gifts, fiber arts, local yarn shops and more. I've also often had many non-knitting friends stop to ask about what I'm doing and get a closer look, only to open up about a favorite handknit item gifted to them long ago by a beloved Grandmother or to tell me about their relative or other friend who knits that I simply must meet.

In our current era of uncertainty over the economy, war, global warming and violence, one thing seems certain. Across the country, more and more people are picking up needles and creating handmade gifts for their loved ones. Its not out of necessity, as it was many years ago when Mothers had no other means to provide socks and garmets for their families, but more out of longing for some other meaning. Perhaps for some its a spiritual connection, for others its routed in deep family traditions and for others still, its simply something fun and hip to do.

Knitting the Threads of Time begins with a request from the author's young son for a handknit sweater and continues, taking the reading on a journey through the entire process - complete with all the frustrations, joys and tears. The book is creativley organized into four sections: The Back, The Sleeves, The Front and The Neck. Through these four sections, readers will watch the sweater - and more - evolve through one amazing fall and winter season.

I could go on and on telling you what a wonderful tale is being told in Knitting the Threads of Time New and that you should run right out to get it, but instead I will share with you the following excerpt which New World Library has graciously allowed me to print. Enjoy it... I know you'll be hooked and longing to read more!

Knitting the Threads of Time
by Nora Murphy

A woman sits in her comfy chair. Two needles and a ball of yarn keep her company. She’s knitting away at something. Maybe a scarf? Socks? She enjoys the sound of her needles beating like a soft drum. She inhales the smell of the waxy yarn. She exhales the satisfaction of watching a single strand transform into an object of beauty. She is perfectly present, in perfect bliss.

This is not a revolutionary act. It is not a moment to record in the history books. All the same, this woman is a revolutionary. She, and millions of women around the globe like her, are making history in their homes. They are creating clothing for loved ones. They are the grandmother who knits a Christmas stocking for her grandchild, the young mother who stitches a star quilt to honor an elder, the two seventh graders who crochet a baby blanket for a teacher’s newborn.

Their craft often has to be wedged into the harried schedules and nonstop demands of modern life. The grandmother knits in the hospital waiting room while she awaits the results of her husband’s surgery, his third. The young mother penny-pinches time and money to piece together the dozens of diamonds that will become a star. The preteens’ work competes with homework, pimples, and text messages from boys they haven’t yet kissed.

What these modern artists often don’t see are the remnants of an ancient lineage to which they belong. The grandmother, the young mother, and the girls are all descendants of the women around the globe who have transformed fibers into clothing to protect their families for tens of thousands of years. They are the heirs to goddesses who understood that human survival depends on the cloth. These ancients — from China to Egypt, from Peru to the Pacific Northwest — understood that clothing contains the power of creation. The modern knitter is no different. She too, replicates the act of creation; she too keeps the child, the clan, the community alive.

In North America, most of today’s needle artists don’t have to worry that our children will go cold if we don’t finish the sock, the quilt, or the blanket. We have the luxury of buying most of our clothes at big chain stores at the local mall.

We choose freely to make garments. Yet by this choice, contemporary crafters keep the ancient tradition going — a tradition that reminds us of our primal existence on this precious earth, that reminds us where we’ve come from and who we are.

Inside a stitch, just a single knitted stitch, lies the paradox of the ordinary, everyday textile hero. Her simple stitch helps keep the story of humanity alive; her work casts on stitches for the next generation.

I am a modern-day knitter, though I admit this hesitantly. The domestic sciences have never been my strong suit. I nearly flunked home economics in high school. We started with cooking, but my assignments resulted in burned objects destined more often for the trash can than the table. I didn’t fare much better when we started sewing. I loved the idea of making my own clothes, but I couldn’t figure out how to thread the bobbin without swearing or slicing my finger. I couldn’t cut fabric on the bias. Lacking domestic skills didn’t much matter until I had children of my own — children who need three meals a day, every day, who need clothes to keep them warm in the long winter months.

Despite my domestic demerits, I’m the one in charge of my household, which includes middle schooler Andrew, first grader Evan, and my partner and the boys’ good friend, Diego. Everyone pitches in: Evan takes out the recycling, Andrew cleans the downstairs bathroom, Diego folds the laundry. Still, under my management, the house is often cluttered, and dinner rarely gets four stars. There’s just one domestic art that doesn’t stump me — knitting. It’s not that I’m very good at it. It just doesn’t scare me the way cooking and cleaning do.

Last winter I managed to make wool socks for Evan and Andrew. It had been years since I had knit. I was surprised that none of the basic dance steps with the yarn and two knitting needles had left me. I remembered how to cast on, knit, purl, and bind off without having to think — a bicycle kind of thing. Plus knitting, unlike sewing, has no bias. Knitting welcomes everyone, and the yarn goes any direction you tell it to.

From the book, Knitting the Threads of Time © Copyright 2009 by Nora Murphy. Reprinted with permission from New World Library.

About the Author: Nora Murphy is a freelance writer who specializes in writing for nonprofit organizations in the urban communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Her stories and essays have appeared in such places as the anthology Twelve Branches (Coffee House Press, 2003). She holds an MFA degree in writing from Hamline University. She lives in St. Paul.