Coming Up...Purple?

Everything is not exactly coming up purple, but I have much planned knitting that will incorporate purple in the very near future, because guess what??? No, I mean it...really, you guys! 

GUESS WHAT?!?!?

Sweetie got me tickets to see DONNY OSMOND for my birthday!!!

Gahhh! So excited that I am having Deep Purple dreams and planning to knit purple, sparkle socks to celebrate! I may even get myself a purple jumpsuit to wear to the concert (which isn't until July, so maybe a swimsuit instead?)...but first, socks for sure...

 

Then perhaps I'll knit socks for Donny, too! I mean, he was known for his purple socks back in the 70s, so why not now, too? I could not be more excited for this concert, it was a great surprise! Thank you, Sweetie!

Another surprise was this fairly spectacular
travel mug and cake from Jess! Wow!

It was a good birthday, and in other Knitting Knews, the scarf finally arrived at its destination in Kansas! The Girlie loves it, yay!

I am also knitting away on a very involved birthday gift for a cute grandson who will soon be two! Here's a progress shot, 7 of 9 blocks complete, ready for arms, legs, faces, fins and tails...

See the purple block there? That's going to be a cat! The last two blocks are more complicated, involving colorwork and texture, and all nine will be  the animals from Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? I am currently working on the body of the goldfish, then the sheep will be last. Super fun!

After that, PURPLE SOCKS AHOY! 

The other yarn in my "happy mail" photo from Leading Men Fiber Arts (one of my fave dyers!)  is for a Christmas vest or colorwork sweater. I have not decided which yet, but this fairly neutral green, the color is called "The Grouch," is pretty spectacular!

So many possibilities, and the 5-year-old is still asking about the Super Mario Bros.U Deluxe sweater he would like me to knit him next...but first, purple!

Oh, and did I tell you that I'm going to see Donny Osmond in July??? Gah!!!! And super yay!

What's bringing you joy today? Whatever it is, even if it doesn't include purple, I hope you have lots of it in your immediate future!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

It's a Good Day!

Today is a good day. The sun is shining, spring-like temperatures are on the horizon, and I've already been productive as part of a church project making Peace Crosses for our community. (I'm not in any of the pictures, but I took them all, so that proves that I was there! If you were also there, thank you! It was only an hour, but the work was restorative and fun!)

Also, I've nearly finished the requested red and tan scarf, and now I mostly need to decide on fringe or not. I'm leaning toward not, as I'd probably have to buy more yarn for fringe...but the jury is still out. 

The socks are coming along. I've made a pretty significant error on the cuff of sock 2, but since these are purposefully "wonky" socks, I've just done a quick repair (that doesn't hide it at all), and moved on. We'll see if anyone ever gets close enough to my feet to find it. Might be bad news for them, if they choose to point it out...lol!

Got a LOT of pictures from the newly-minted teenager recently, as she just did a class trip and then had a birthday the next day! These girls just keep growing, and  I am excited to hug them in person on an upcoming visit we have scheduled!

And the boys are still keeping us on our toes! So active, and with the sun peeking out more and more, we are outside and moving with them as much as we can! My quiver is full of these joyful, young people, and there are days that I cannot get enough!

There are also days that I just need a nap, which means balance is the name of the game. I am getting over a fairly significant cough, so still taking it a bit easy as that abates. Have any of you parents and grandparents figured out that perfect balance? If you have, please send the formula! I want to do ALL THE THINGS, but there are simply not enough hours in my days...still, today is a good day. 

What are you up to today? Is the sun shining, or is this a cozy up with cocoa, a movie and some knitting today? Whatever you are up to, I hope that today is a good day for you, too!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Silly Pretty Knitty Gramma

Part of the challenge of being a knitting Gramma is finding the balance between connecting with the"kids these days" and just being me. Silly, pretty knitty me, who sometimes hears the eyes of the next generations rolling when they aren't even in the room! I'll give you an example: 

Silly, pretty knitty me finished a sweater this week, so I did a photo shoot (as you do, when you've just knit an awesome sweater like this Fall Frolic):

The shoot involved two locations, one fall (yes, I was jumping; no broken bones or bruises,  yay!)  and zero other humans. Just a knitter, her phone and a tripod...and about 200 resulting photos (some were very silly)!

Silly, pretty knitty me also loves to knit for her grandchildren, which can be a dangerous game. No knitter wants to think of her babies' babies crying to mom or dad, "But it's ugly and it itches!" So, it's important to ask before venturing into a big project.

Of course, asking brings its own challenges, to be sure. This morning, between ambushing Pop Pop on the couch,

and sneaking Mommy's cookies,

The 5-year-old told me (again) that he would like a Mario Smash Brothers sweater. "You know, like this, Gramma. I know you can knit it,  just like the game,  Gramma!"

This kid has faith in me, his silly, pretty knitty gramma...and I'm gonna give something a try here soon, I think. But first, I'm gonna have some fun with a pair of self-striping socks...

and there's a scarf promised to one of the faraway granddaughters, inspired by Taylor Swift, of course...

I guess being a silly, pretty knitty Gramma is pretty fun for this knitter, actually. It brings me so much joy to knit for them! 

What's bringing you joy today? Whatever it is, devour it and keep doing it. Life is short, so be sure to make the most of this (and every) day!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health! 

Cookies also bring me joy. 😊 

PS-For those who've asked, my father-in-law is in hospice care at home, and he is doing well. Your prayers and good thoughts are much appreciated. Thank you.   

Choose Happy (when you can...)

Because you can't always Choose Happy. 

Sometimes happy is not in the picture for a bit, and that's ok. Sometimes you don't get a choice, and the emotion of the day is sad...or angry...or anxious...or whatever. It's ok. Let yourself feel it. Rather than slapping on a smile and pretending, give yourself some time to do what you need to do to get through it.

What?!? Is that what YOU always do, Pretty?

Well, first of all, that was a fairly accusatory tone. Secondly, ouch. No. That is not what I always do. I'd sure like to do that more often...but I am far from perfect, and I know it.

Pretty is queen of slapping on a happy face and pretending that all is well in the Pretty World. It is a coping mechanism, as much as any other. I can fake it 'till I make it to happy, right? Sometimes, but not always...and that's not the healthiest way to approach those icky emoticons. 

What I should do instead (at least according to just about everything I've read about emotional health) is 1. acknowledge what I feel, 2. allow myself to feel it, and then 3. figure out how to move forward, even though it feels really bad sometimes. 

Sometimes moving forward means slapping on a happy face and just doing the next right thing...but sometimes it means taking a nap, or a break (preferably with a cup of tea and some knitting).

A shawl I have recently knit.

Sometimes moving forward means having an occasionally difficult conversation, or an easy talk, with a friend or family member. 

Sometimes moving forward means having an ugly cry. 

Most of the time, for me anyway, moving forward means finding a way to get outside myself and do something for someone else...perhaps even for the person who is at the center of whatever emotional outburst I happen to be in the middle of. 

During 2021, I had lots of opportunities to do this well. During 2021, I did not always take those opportunities. I will try to do better in 2022.

Will you join me? I can teach you to knit along the way, you know, if you're into that kind of thing. If not, I can just stand with you as we do our best to Choose Happy...when we can. 

Thanks for stopping by. Knit in Good Health, and Happy New Year!

It's a Life...

It's a Wonderful Life is one of my very favorite movies. I identify with George Bailey, a rule follower who does what needs to be done because somebody has to...even when he would rather somebody else do it. I have seen it so often that I sometimes skim past the opening scenes, when the Clarence the clock-maker is called in to get the rundown on who this George Bailey fellow is. But this morning, as I was going through photos to blog, I got to wondering what that conversation might be if Joseph were telling Clarence about Pretty.

Clarence: If I do well, will I get my wings?

Joseph: I suppose so, but this one could be a challenge.

Clarence: What do you mean? Is there something wrong with this gal?

Joseph: She is Pretty.

Clarence: Ummm, would you like me to clean your spectacles, Joseph? I am very good at cleaning spectacles. Perhaps I could earn my wings if I clean enough spectacles?

Joseph: No! She is called Pretty...pay attention to what happens here...

Clarence: Wait. Is she taking photos of her front porch?

Joseph: Not the porch, what's on the porch?

Clarence: A pumpkin...?

Joseph (slaps head in frustration): Okayyyy...there is a pumpkin, but what else do you see?

Clarence: Why is there winter-wear up against the pumpkin?

Joseph: Not just winter-wear...there are socks, too...she knits.

Clarence: Wait. She is taking pictures of knitwear...on the porch...who does that?

Joseph: Pretty does that. The neighbors have started to notice...

Clarence: Can I go back to the George guy?

Joseph (with a heavy sigh): You can do this. Here...let's look at something else.

Clarence: You mean she's a cat lady, too? A cat lady who knits? It really doesn't get more stereotypical than that...

Joseph: She only has two cats...

Clarence: Two is halfway to four, and four is halfway to eight. 

Joseph: Yes, but it's not about the cats. We just need an intervention with the knitting! She knits all the time! Her neighbors are talking. Her friends are talking. She is knitting at work! You have to get down there and save her from her obsession with the knitting!

So Clarence comes down, he talks to me about the yarn, and I knit him a hat while we sip hot, buttered rum by the fireplace. In the end, he returns to heaven with hats for Joseph and God, and they all decide that these are the best hats they have ever worn. The bells do not ring, and Clarence does not get his wings, but he does thank Pretty warmly for the hat...and he decides that perhaps wings are overrated. 

It would be a different movie, for sure. I would likely still watch it, with the cats...and maybe some knitting. 

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Howling at the Moon

Last week, I blogged about a rogue appendix. Since then, we have taken another trip to the ER to address a post-op infection, and we have spent the past week waiting for himself to feel just a little bit better at least. I think, as of yesterday, he has finally turned that corner! I am happy to report that his fever is gone, and his pain management is down to OTC medications. Of course, he is not quite howling at the moon yet!

To celebrate, I have started knitting in color. First a baby sweater, with a sweet rose pattern at the hem, knit in a cotton/linen blend. It has not been blocked or buttoned yet, but here's a picture anyway. I really like how it turned out!

Next up was double the fun...I started a double-knit scarf for Peanut, in her school colors. (Shhhh! It's a surpise!) The school mascot is a wolf, so I found a pattern for a colorwork wolf howling at the moon, and took off with it! As Peanut says, "You mess with the wolf, you get the howl!" 

Today is going to be a good day, I can feel it! I hope that your day is good too, and that you get in a good howl at the moon before October hits tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

All About Yarn...and more!

I told you to ask, and you did not disappoint! And, since you asked...

Pajamapat wants to know about the Thank You Scarves - 

The worsted-weight yarn I used was from Heirlooms, or Scandanavia Knit and Weave, and the colorway was Hemmingway! I have some more in my stash, in a different color...one with some pink. I did not see a link to this yarn anywhere on Ravelry, and since I bought it at the Great Lakes Fiber Show in 2015, I'm not sure it's even available online...but I have given you a link, and I hope you can find it! It was a little rough while knitting, but softened up nicely after a wash!

Tom - If you have not figured out where babies come from yet, I think you should consult the internet. All of the information on the internet is helpful and good. Good luck with that.

Debbie asked what my favorite "guilty pleasure" food is, and I answered on Facebook that it was Ramen Noodles. Now, that very much IS a guilty pleasure food for me, and I don't have them often (read the label...these are TERRIBLE for you!), but then I got to thinking...they're probably not my favorite guilty pleasure. That position should be reserved for chocolate-creme-filled donuts from Donut Land, in Brunswick, where I grew up. As a kid, we had Donut Land donuts more often than we should have, I am sure, and that is my favorite donut in the universe. Yes, hands down, there is no better donut. (Hmmm, I feel more strongly about that than I probably should. It's a good thing I don't live too close...lol!) These days, I don't live around the corner, and I have that donut only every few years...I am thankful that I got one in 2016. It may have been the highlight of my year!

Lauren asked, "What is your favorite yarn to work with?," and this was, by far, the most difficult question I got this round! Usually, my favorite yarn to work with is the one I have in my hands! I am truly not that picky, and I will knit with just about anything, so I really put on my thinking cap and went through my projects to jog my memory. Good News! I have an answer! Well, actually, I came up with a couple answers, because you just cannot use the same yarn for every project. So, here you go, Lauren:

For any DK-weight project that I really care about, I will seek out some Destination Yarn in the Souvenir base! This is the softest, squishiest, superwash I have ever worked with, and I just love everything I've made with it! There have been a couple of shrugs for the girls, 

a hat or two, 

and some other things. You can get this yarn online at Jeanne's Etsy Shop, or you can see her in person at some local yarn stores and festivals from time to time. She's got great colors in so many varieties...there are not enough hours in the day, week, month, or year to knit all of her fabulousness! Honestly, check her out!

For socks, hats and other fingering-weight projects, I will always tend toward Knit Picks yarns! My current favorite there is Felici, a self-striping yarn that comes out with new colors each year. If you're going to make something that takes more than one skein, make sure to get enough up front, because even though they may get more of the same "colorway" next year, something is likely to be a little different...the stripes may be wider or narrower, or the color sequence may be slightly different. But, in any case, this stuff knits like a dream, wears like iron, and is as soft as butter! I fondled many of my friends' socks-in-progress before I finally jumped in to this pool, but I currently have socks in about 6 of the colorways, and there are at least that many in my stash, just waiting to become something fun! FYI, Felici makes really fun baby booties,

and mittens!

Whew! That wasn't a lot of questions, but they were difficult ones. Thanks for asking! You guys should get credit for writing the blog today, so thank you to Debbie, Tom, Lauren and pajamapat!

I'm still working on my Hitofude, (in Shimmer, a hand-dyed, alpaca/silk blend lace-weight yarn that is lovely to work with...sorry, this colorway is discontinued...),

and some other things...and this holiday weekend should give me a little extra knitting time...yay! I hope you also have some fun plans, especially if you have an extra day off on Monday.

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Ask Me Anything!

Back in June, I mentioned that I was thankful, especially to a good friend who had given me a job. I also mentioned there that the job might be temporary, covering for a gal's maternity leave...and it will indeed be temporary. She will return to the office mid-September, and I am glad for her. A young family with a new baby girl and a solid job with a great boss...what a package!

What this means for Pretty is that I am hitting the pavement to find a new job, with my boss's help. Again, so thankful for Chuck...he is a State Farm agent, and since I have become licensed and have really started to understand the company software, he has reached out to a handful of other State Farm agents in the area with whom I have set up some interviews. As a matter of fact, between Tuesday and Thursday, I had 3 interviews...and I have one more scheduled this week! The interviews have gone well, and I have a good feeling about my future. 

Thank you, Chuck! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

In the course of my first three interviews, I answered a lot of questions. A. Lot. of. Questions. But that got me thinking... Here I am, answering lots of questions about who I am to perfect strangers. I wonder if the folks I know have any questions about Pretty? Since I tend toward over-sharing, TMI and "Wow! We really didn't need to know that much about your underwear size, Pretty!" (which is, in essence, why I blog), I don't know if there are any questions left even. 

Have you ever had a question about Pretty? About her knitting? About anything? Leave me a comment, or shoot me an email (prettyknittyjewelry at yahoo dot com) and if I know the answer, I'll blog it! Heck! I'll probably blog it even if I don't have an answer, because 1. I love research, so I am likely to find an answer that I don't have floating in my brain already; and 2. I like to talk - a lot. I like to talk a lot! :)

If there are no questions, I'll just blog about knitting. 

Speaking of knitting, I'll bet the first question that comes to mind for most knitting-blog readers is this: "What are you knitting, Pretty?" So, here you are:

A thank you scarf for a boss/friend who has poured wisdom and knowledge into me, even though I an a "temporary" hire. He saw me floundering about between jobs and, realizing he could help, called me and offered me a place. He also offered encouragement, company training, and much grace as I have started to learn the insurance industry. I don't possess enough words to express my appreciation for all of that, so I simply could not NOT knit for this guy (and there was a second for his son, who also works in his dad's office and was a tremendous encouragement to me)!

There is also some secret knitting...but I can show you this photo:

That doesn't give too much away, right? Oh, you know what it does give away? It's not really knitting...it is crochet! (Good eye, to those of you that caught that!!!) Sometime this fall, there will be more photos, and I'm sure there will be a fairly major reveal. Until then, I'll try to get some progress photos of a certain Hitofude to hold you over. 

So, there you have it. If you have a question, leave it below, or email me. If not, I will blog about knitting...and speaking of knitting (and crochet), I had better get back to it! Christmas is only 4 months away!!!

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!

Saturdays Are For...

White Cat: Saturdays can be glorious, don't you agree?

Black Cat: I dunno...what are they good for?

White Cat: Well, there are morning naps...

Oh, and afternoon naps!

Black Cat: Yes! And cat naps, where you cuddle up to your best friend!

White Cat: Don't forget playtime...

Black Cat: Playtime?

White Cat: Sure! We play all the time! Don't we?!?

Black Cat (With a heavy sigh and the silent thought, "How will I ever get her OUT of my space on the couch?"): Yeah, we "play."

White Cat: What? We don't play? What would you call it?

Black Cat: Whatever it is, it's better on Saturday afternoon!

White Cat: Yeah, it is. Except when Pretty finishes things. Look what she's done to me!!!

Black Cat: Wow. Bummer. I'm outta here.

Pretty: Have you two been blogging again? (sigh!)

Well, friends, looks like another chapter from the cat files. I hope they haven't said anything I'll regret! In any case, thanks for stopping by to see us. Now, on with your Saturday...and I Hope it is glorious!

Knit in Good Health!