Singapore!

Just got back from Singapore, the Lion City. It's a lovely place, and the people are marvelous. Didn't plan to go there, but had to fly out when my husband ended up having emergency surgery on his way back from India--instead of making his connecting flight, he had an ambulance ride and his life saved! I flew over to be with him, and after two and a half weeks, we've just arrived back home.

I have learned so much about things like the love and help of my family and neighbors, getting a passport renewal in a hurry, the stellar medical care in Singapore (better than stateside, I believe), and my own feelings about death. Yep, death. Not scared of it for myself at all, but suddenly I understand that if I get a deadly disease, it'll be scary for those who love me. So scary, in fact, that it's worth fighting to stay alive... for them, not for me. Being on the wife-end of it has radically changed my perspective on my own demise. How could I have missed this? Well, I know it now, and my husband is going to be just fine.

Whew. Now we both need to sleep a lot... at night... which is not happening for me at the moment, this post being written at 2:00 am.

My Mother's Crochet Hook

The Blog Week question for today is... well, I'm not using it,* so here's the wildcard question: Do you have a particular knitting/crochet tool that you love to use?



Here is my knit answer: Yes, my favorite knitting tool is a crochet hook. It saves me when I have dropped stitches, and I love it because it was my mother’s. This is one of the earliest tools I remember seeing her work with... takes me way back to being, oh, a toddler probably.

This little steel hook has “0 Boye 0” written on one side of the grip, and “U.S.A. 10¢” on the other side. I do love it! From mother to daughter, it’s part of the legacy. Sigh.

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(Blog Week Wildcard tag: knitcroblowc)

* The Blog Week Day 7 yarn question just wasn’t going anywhere for me. I have yarns that I use a lot, but I’m not especially enthralled with them. When working on patterns that I’m designing, I try to use widely available, easy-to-care-for yarns that aren’t too expensive... but not 100% acrylic.

Magic Wand

The Blog Week question for today is... well, I'm not using it, so here's the wildcard question: Do you have a particular knitting/crochet tool that you love to use?



Here is my crochet answer: I love to use this big, old wooden crochet hook. It belonged to my grandmother, and it was hand-carved by someone with a purpose. It’s not pretty or artistic or even ergonomic. It’s just a big, old hook that has seen many, many years of use... sort of a magic wand handed down from mother to daughter to daughter (me).

It measures out to be about a size M hook, and I use it for making items with plarn (made from cut-up plastic ), like The Ultimate Recycled Market Bag. I have also used it to make cat beds (a hugely modified kitty pi), using 2 strands of bulky yarn held together.

My grandmother had a doll-repair business, and I remember helping her, using this hook to reach into the doll bodies for re-stringing the arms and legs. Can you see that there’s dried paint on the end? Apparently she stirred some paint with it too.

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(Blog Week Wildcard tag: knitcroblowc)

My First Lace Motif

The Blog Week question for today is: What is the current state and use of an object you have knitted or crocheted?



Here is my knit answer: Knitted lace has been a daunting idea for me, and this was my first project that featured an actual picture in lacey stitches. It's a bluebonnet, the state flower of Texas, and by the way, we just finished an outstanding season of wild bluebonnets blanketing hill and dale. The motif was designed by my favorite knitter, Sasha Evans (sashapervaya on Ravelry), and it is featured in her headband pattern, Bluebonnets.

Current state: I keep forgetting to wear it... fits great, I do wear headbands when I go out at night, like to a concert or a movie, but I just keep forgetting to get it out. I’m going to put it in a little ziploc and keep it in my purse, so it will be there when I need it.

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(Blog Week Day 6 tag: knitcroblo6)

Love Those Legwarmers

The Blog Week question for today is: What is the current state and use of an object you have crocheted or knitted?



Here is my crochet answer: I made these as prototypes for my Witch Warmers in Crochet pattern, and I knew I would wear them more than the other items (armwarmers and neckwarmer), because I am a dress-wearer. Yes, I wear dresses and sometimes skirts pretty much all the time. For me, it’s just way more comfortable, and that means on chilly days I need a little extra on my legs. I particularly like legwarmers because you can start the day with them over your socks, and then as it warms up outside, you can just take them off and have your normal socks... sort of like convertible kneesocks.

Current state: well, since they were prototypes, they are waiting to be frogged down to the ruffles and re-worked. This is because the pattern was improved during testing and these don't have a jogless (virtually) join to the stripes. Thanks to Absinthia, I can remake them so the jog doesn't end up spiralling around my leg.

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(Blog Week Day 6 tag: knitcroblo6)