Knit Two Together

Good Things

Life holds many good things. Sometimes when it seems that everywhere I look is ... well... blargh... it helps to think about the good things.

Good Things #1 My children. My eldest, at 14, is a sensitive, caring intelligent young man. He chips in and helps out, especially by looking after his siblings. My second son, at 12, is able to light up a room and to make anyone, especially me, laugh out loud when he does. My 9 year old daughter is creative, gregarious and very loving. They fight - constantly it seems sometimes - but they love each other and me and I love them so very much.

Good Things #2 My friends. They know me - both my most positive qualities and my most negative - and knowing me, they accept and love me.

Good Things #3 My work. I am lucky enough to be able to earn a living doing something I am both good at and love. The support of a few special colleagues has been so important and appreciated. It's humbling to realize that there are people in my life who, even though our only connection is through the workplace, still care on a personal level. At a time in my life where it would be easy to feel like an utter failure and to wonder if anything will be good ever again, work gives me a place where I can be competent and where I can make a difference. It goes a long way to helping me feel whole.

Good Things #4 The wonderful people who read this blog and take the time to comment and let me know that, even though we may never have met, they care too.

Good Things #5 Yoga. Working out regularly, feeling strong and flexible, taking that time to look after me makes a big difference.

Good Things #6 Sock yarn and sunshine. A few minutes of brilliant sunshine flooding my face and some quiet time with beautiful fiber and colours flowing through my fingers and transforming themselves into something warm helps me to find peace.

Healing

You are absolutely wonderful. I say, on a nearly daily basis, that I have the best friends in the whole world. You are among them.

Meanwhile, tonight I feel up to a word of explanation. Simply put, my marriage has collapsed and is headed rapidly towards divorce. I don't believe in innocent victims, least of all me. I have made my own mistakes and am far from perfect. Like many women, I have felt it my duty to ensure that life was as pleasant as possible for those around me. Unfortunately for me, I lost perspective on that and forgot to include myself in the list of "important" people. Over a very long time the hurts and cuts and pain built up to the point where I simply couldn't take any more. I believe that I have really tried to improve our relationship by working on communication. To me, that's the key. You have to be able to communicate with someone if you hope to develop some kind of relationship with them. It isn't working out that way, and at this point I very much doubt it will.

I'm working on me though. Seeing a good counsellor, unlearning negative patterns, learning positive ones, working through misconceptions, misperceptions, and mistakes, and trying to become a whole and yes, happy person.

And I'm knitting. I finished Africa's latest pair of socks. I'll have to get a daylight picture for you. They're deep purple/blue sportweight cabled tall socks. He's gonna love them :-)

 Lots more sock knitting to come - Africa will get Christmas socks, as will Frog (because of repeated requests, which is, begging), was thinking of a Christmas scarf for another friend and you know what? Somewhere in there I would like a new pair of socks!!

Don't worry my friends - I'm all right and getting better all the time.

This is me racing!

READY...



















SET ...



















GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!






















































THAT WAS AMAZING!!!!!!!




















How did I do?

In the first heat the track was pretty sloppy as it had been watered both to control the dust and to help it to pack properly. I started at the back of the pack and finished there too but really didn't mind. Coming over the lip and onto the track was scary and my heart was just pounding!

For the second heat they flip the finish order; last place gets pole position. I ran the first 3 laps flat out and in the lead until the better drivers caught up and a couple passed me. On about the 7th lap I blew a front tire but, never having blown a tire before in my life, had no idea why I was suddenly fighting for steering control. Undaunted I finished the race, and then some, never knowing that the yellow flag was for me! My amazing pit crew shook their collective male heads at me, muttered about not being able to save the tire and chewing up the track, put on a spare and got me ready to go in the main event.

I had some trouble with my 5 point safety harness and was late getting to the line up for the main event but the officials waved me onto the track anyway with a huge grin and shouted "GO GIRL!" for the newbie chick. The starter held off on the green and I caught up to my place, at the back of the pack. Determined not to finish last I really did my best to follow a smooth line and keep my foot to the floor. I had passed at least a couple of cars when the yellow flag went up - my friend Africa was in the wall and the tow truck was pulling him back to continue. Once the green came back he was racing again and had blown past me in the straightaway. Without warning his front end collapsed and a wheel went bounding 30 feet into the air! As he said, if you can't win then at least lose with style! Africa ended with a DNF in the main event, but maintains his substantial lead in the season points. Meanwhile, I was still racing and managed to pass another car when the green came back. The checkered flag came all to soon and I'm quite positive that another lap (or two) would have given me another position.

According to friends in the stands, I finished as the 8th car. However, there were several disqualifications (including the arse that put Africa into the wall) which had a big impact on the final standings. The official record will say that I finished in THIRD PLACE in the main event on my very first race day!

It won't be the last!

This is me.

This is me. (Pardon the cleavage... ahem...might as well flaunt them since I have them)

I am 44 years old; my birthday was earlier this month.

I am a veteran teacher with 20 years of classroom experience.

I am the mother of 3. You may know them as the Boy, Goofy, and Dragonsdottir.

I have been happily married to the same wonderful man for 18 years.

I am blessed with friends who know me and love me for the person I am.

I am a compulsive knitter.

I am a beginning spinner.

I am spray painting a car orange.

It's kind of a special car.

Those are fire holes in the hood.

Africa and a couple of his gear head buddies took a few days off work to build it for me as a birthday gift. He considers it fair trade for birthday socks.

 

This is me.

 

Rocky Mountain Raceway Park
Tonight
Gates open at 6:30.
Racing starts at 7.

Family friendly. Everyone is welcome.

(It can get pretty dirty - bag your knitting.)

One More

One more insane week at Mach 5 with my whole damn head on fire then I can start to slow down to the much more manageable Mach 3 with my hair on fire... (Top Gun fans?)

World Wide Knit in Public Day is next Saturday June 14. I'd love to be able to meet as many of you as possible. I know that Make 1 is hosting a little gathering in the park behind the shop and there are plans on the Ravelry board for knitters to be at Eau Claire. Drop me a comment and let me know your plans. Maybe we can get together?

Surfacing

The last couple of weeks have been quite intense in my world and I have neglected things terribly.

I promised purple, and I did knit purple. I even took a picture of the purple. But I haven't downloaded it yet, and I forgot to take the after shot...

Purple?  yes. Seriously purple felted slipper socks for my favourite knitting victim. Using Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky and 6.5mm dpns I cast on 44 stitches, knit a shortish cuff - about 4 or 5 inches or so, I didn't measure - then my favourite PGR heel on 22 stitches (FAST!) and down the instep until it looked like it would fit Ronald McDonald ending with a standard wedge toe and kitchner stitch. Then I machine felted them about as small as they would go. One of the things I love about knitting for Africa are his entirely normal sized feet. I think the slippers are probably a bit on the long side for him but he would never complain and tells me he loves them madly - particularly because they are very very purple.

I also knit a sock out of some blue-green Lana Grossa Meilenweit Colortweed that's been marinating in the stash for a while. It wasn't exactly what I wanted to knit with but I needed something already in a ball that I could grab for mindless stockinette socks to knit at University one day. I'm so glad I did. What a surprise in that ball! There are 3 shades of blue and 3 of green; each colour going about 4 rounds on my basic 64 stitch fingering sock pattern (see the last post for details, such as they are). It's really quite pretty and I'm endlessly entertained by the regular striping. I find myself enjoying the colour running through my fingers and thrilled by what's coming up at the same time. One modification to the plain sock I made was to switch up 0.5mm when I got to the cuff ribbing. I wanted to have just a little more slack in the cuff to make the sock a bit more relaxed around my calves. If you, like me, enjoy the blessing of very "shapely" calves (you know, the kind that make buying sexy knee boots something of a wistful dream) then I suggest this as a quick and easy way to produce that dudge of extra space you need for comfort. I'll post pictures next time...promise.

Meanwhile...

I have finished that course I was taking at the University. Thank. Wool.!! My purpose in taking that course was to upgrade my qualifications to administer and interpret more advanced standardized educational assessments. There were 2 tools in particular that I hoped to become competent in using. I also wanted to test drive a master's level course because I have been considering returning to school for a master's degree. The Faculty of Education had it's own agenda which largely included recruiting people into it's master's programs. It didn't take long for me to realize that I was absolutely not in the life position to consider starting a master's degree, particularly at my local University. I kept waiting and working and hoping that we would get to the stuff I was really there for. When it did come, they chose to squeeze an absolute ton of information into a single day. The result was that I've come away with a general overview of the tests I wanted to master, experience in using only one of them, and very little in the way of training for interpretation of results. I could have achieved that level of competence with $400 and a 2 day workshop rather than $1600 and a 7 month long 600 level course. Piss me off. Bunch of butt hamsters anyway. It's done now though and some life lessons learned.

Last week also marked a bit of an achievement of sorts. When I left my last school, which I loved, it was partly because I needed a change of direction in my career. With the help of a wonderful mentor I sat down and made a plan for what I hoped to have happen over the second half. Without a master's degee, my options are somewhat limited in terms of upward mobility. Last spring saw me overjoyed at several offers and thrilled to be in the position of actually being able to choose my next teaching job and location. I chose the junior high offer over both senior high offers in part because I felt that it gave me the best chance for advancement in the direction I wanted to go. On Wednesday last week, that goal became reality when the Principal offered me a Curriculum Leader position. This is an admininistrative leadership position and is definitely a promotion for me. Starting May 16 I will become Curriculum Leader - Student Services. I will have responsibility for supervising three special education programs plus the program planning for all students with special needs in the regular stream. I will also become part of the Leadership Team for the school and will have a much more significant role in the transition to a middle school than I would have otherwise had.  I am thrilled to see my years of experience finally paying off in this kind of recognition.  Throughout this school year I've had many opportunities to realize I made the right decisions last spring. This one is the latest. So, deep breath Gina, and time to crank it up a notch or two.

There's something else too, but I need to stop procrastinating and actually finish my report cards today. Besides, it's so wonderful it deserves it's own post. Next time...with pictures... :)

Toe-Up Sock Techniques

Life just goes along these days. It's busy. It's mundane. I don't really feel like there's a whole lot to blog about right now. It's a knitting blog though, and I've been knitting, so here you go.

My new favourite knit it in your sleep sock pattern:
1. Get some yarn.

2. Using the Turkish Cas-on start with this many:
    Lighter fingering or cotton based sock yarn - 16 wraps / 32 stitches total on 2mm needles
    Fingering weight - 12 wraps / 24 stitches total on 2.5 mm needles
    DK weight - 8 wraps / 16 stitches total on 3mm needles
    Heavy DK or Light Worsted - 8 wraps / 16 stitches total on 3.5mm needles

3. Make wedge toe by increasing 4 stitches every other round until you have:
    Light Fingering/Cotton - 72 stitches total
    Fingering weight - 64 stitches total
    DK weight - 56 stitches
    Heavy DK or Light Worsted - 52 stitches.
    I use knit front and back on the corner stitches.
    After about 2 rounds I pull the cast on tail through to the right side to serve as a start of round marker.

4. Knit around and around for a while.
    Try it on for size. Stop when you can comfortably pull the sock up to your ankle bone or so.

5. Work Priscilla Gibson-Roberts' short row heel on half the stitches.
    Hint: slip the instep stitches onto 2 dpns to give them a little slack and reduce the pulling at the corners.
    Another Hint: on the first round after you've finished the heel, knit 3 together in the first and last instep stitches to close any possible gaps. Do this by picking up and twisting a stitch from the row below right in the corner and slipping the last yarn over onto the left needle. Knit the first stitch together with the picked up stitch and the yarnover. Do the same at the other end of the instep stitches.

6. Knit around and around and around and.......until
    a) you feel like stopping
    b) you are nearly out of yarn
    c) the length of the leg is roughly 1" shorter than the length of the foot from heel to toe.

7. Switch to 1X1 rib for about an inch.

8. Use EZ's Sewn Cast-off. Work it loosely so there's a lot of stretch in the top of the sock.

There you go. I wouldn't exactly call it a pattern. It's more like the techniques that are working for me right now.

I made these like that:

   

Cider Moon "Blizzard"
100% Washable Merino
64 Stitches on KP 2.5 mm DPNs
Colourway: "Asbury Park" which is off white, turquoise and light brown but which reads as mint green from a distance. Also please note the spiral striping. This yarn came in a single hank. I split it exactly in half using an electronic scale. I knit them exactly the same way, on exactly the same needles, one after the other. So WTF is up with the spiral stripe?

Love that Heel! For me anyway, its a whole lot faster to knit than a flap. I don't think it will wear as hard as a flap would, but I'm not really all that concerned. There's probably more sock yarn in the stash than I could knit in a year of nothing but socks.

Also knit these as demo/gauge samples for a local indie dyer. For those of you in Calgary, Linda Marlow-Thomson will shortly be opening a stall at the Calgary Farmer's Market. Linda is a retired teacher and new fiber friend of mine. Her hand-dyed yarns are gorgeous to look at and to work with. Linda also makes specialty yarns and will be stocking patterns and kits as well.

This yarn is on the heavy side of dk yarns.  It is 100% mercerized wool which takes the dye beautifully, feels soft and cozy, and won't felt.

The sock on top is 52 stitches on 3.5mm KP DPNs. Gauge is 6.5 stitches and 7.5 rows per inch. It used almost exactly 50g of Linda's hand-painted yarn.  Leg length is 4.5 inches: Foot is 7 inches.

The sock on the bottom is 56 stitches on 3.0mm KP DPNs. Gauge is 7 stitches and 8.5 rows per inch. Once again, it uses almost exactly 50g of yarn from the same skein. Leg length is 3.5 inches: Foot is 7 inches. The only noticeable difference in size between the two socks is in the leg length. The foot circumference  and fit is identical.

That tassle of yarn attached to the bottom sock is every scrap that was left from the original 100g skein. You can indeed get a pair of shorty socks out of a single skein. I know that Linda's also going to put up some kits with 100g multi-colour and 50g co-ordinating semi-solid to use with toes, heels and cuffs. It's also interesting to notice the difference in patterning between the two socks. The bottom sock has a subtle spiral pooling which I actually quite like. The top sock has a much more even distribution of colour. May not ever happen again, but I think it's interesting to note particularly after the obvious difference in the Asbury Park socks.

Next up? Purple. REALLY purple.

Golden Compass

We're doing a novel study at school with my grade 9 students of Phillip Pullman's Golden Compass. Don't panic. We're steering very clear of the religious debate. I teach in the public school system. The book is an approved resource. If I can hook 14 year olds into reading something that JK Rowling didn't write, I'm going to do it!

In Pullman's world, every person is born with a 'Daemon" which is a physical manifestation of their "soul". Throughout childhood the Daemon can change forms to reflect the child's developing personality. During adolescence the Daemon settles into it's final form. This site has a "Find you Daemon" quiz. Right now my Daemon remains changeable. In 12 days it will settle into it's final form. I would love it if you would click through and give some feedback about this Daemon choice for me. You don't have to identify yourself or your feedback. If you decide to look at your own Daemon, by all means let me know and I'll be happy to give you some feedback too.

Brief Update

Hi.

Updates added Thursday, January 23.

1. Car is at the body shop. They haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe next week. If they have time. I guess. Unless something happens. Or not. Apparently, there is a 2 - 3 week delay for ESTIMMATES in Calgary right now. We're coming up on 2 weeks now, so I expect it to be another 2 before we hear anything.

2. Have heard nothing from insurance. Interestingly, Fuckhead is insured through the SAME company. Puts them in a bit of a spot doesn't it. I spoke with an insurance adjuster. Apparently the other driver has yet to file a claim. I think that's interesting since he had to walk back a block to pick up his wheel from the middle of the road after he had knocked it off of his own car. Most likely he plans to fix it himself (which brings up some frightening safety issues) and so didn't phone his insurance company. He'll be getting a call from them now though. They need his statement, and admission of guilt. Assuming that he continues to be honest and admits that the accident was his fault then his liability insurance will cover the cost of a rental car for me for however long it takes to get mine back. If he doesn't, then insurance also has the police file number and the fact that he was ticketed on scene will establish his fault. It's important because I don't have loss of use coverage myself. Lesson number 2 of this ordeal: Get "Loss of Use" coverage included on your auto insurance. I hope he's a decent guy and just sucks it up when they call.

3. I saw my chiropractor late last week. I had been having lots of headaches and was in quite constant back pain. He's been my go-to-guy for 13 years and I have a great deal of accumulated trust. His diagnosis was "level 2 soft tissue injury" which is a fancy way of saying "whiplash". Apparently when you get hit from the side your torso gets whipped around pretty aggressively. All of the shifting and rebounding happens very very fast and you're not really aware of it. It can take a day or two before the pain settles in. I have filed a medical claim with insurance. There is a no-fault clause which will cover 21 chiropractic/massage therapy treatments. I have 4 sado-masochistic sessions therapeutic massages booked within the next 2 weeks and another chiropractic assessment at the end of that. Massage and chiropractic will contine with intensity over the next 12 weeks. Oh joy.   I have had one massage and another booked for tonight. When I lay down it feels like I am sleeping with a tennis ball under my right shoulder blade.

4. Several very caring friends are concerned that my chiropractic evaluation won't be enough documentation should conflict arise with the insurance company. They have nagged me into seeing my medical doctor. My expectation is that he will offer me muscle relaxants (no thanks) and suggest I see a chiropractor or go for massage (see #3). I saw a medical doctor Thurs. Jan 23. Guess what? She examined me, told me that she agrees with the assessment my chiropractor made, asked if I would like a prescription for an anti-inflammatory or for a muscle relaxant, recommended I go for massage therapy, and commented that because I am such an athlete (If you know me, you are laughing hysterically right now) I will recover fairly quickly. LMAO! I'm telling you this yoga/tai chi/ pilates rocks!

5. I am also very busy at work right now. It's the end of semester, the pile of marking is significant, there are mid-term exams, then there are report cards and individual program plans to write. All while leaving early to go for torture massage therapy.  I am blogging while supervising the last exam. I am not going to blog about it. Let's just say that gifts of alcohol would be welcome.

6. My oldest continues to fail grade 7.  I am at a complete loss there. So much harder when you love them. I now know exactly how parents feel when I call them. Crappy. We're working with him.

7. I have finished the body and one sleeve of the Mr. Greenjeans cardigan which you have never seen. I am using Manos del Uruguay worsted (which is a thick and thin single ply yarn that averages out to an aran weight.) The colourway is called "Lava". It's mostly black with shades of reds, shades of browns, and the occaisional bits of greys. I am knitting a size smaller on needles a size larger. It seems to be working out just fine. Today I picked up the stitches for the second sleeve. I started a new ball for that, there is about half a ball still attached to the first sleeve and I have another whole ball besides. I may decide to make the sleeves full length rather than 3/4 since I think I'll have plenty of yarn. My plan is to knit the second sleeve to match the first, then do the band and decide if I want longer sleeves at the end. On the chance that I end up with significant yarn left over, I think it would make a gorgeous cabled hat, or could be paired with another lone skein of Manos in a different colourway for a scarf.  I have managed about 10 rounds on the second sleeve since I blogged this. 700 piddly stitches. So close to finished and yet so frustratingly delayed.

8. It's 11pm. Please forgive me for not including any links today. I will try to get some decent pics of the cardi for you next week.  Blessings be.

The Language of Knitting

I am shamelessly stealing that phrase from Brenda Dayne for the title of this post. In the midst of the Holiday Hullabaloo I took some time out to listen to Cast-on to hear Brenda talking about her Italian holiday. Her story of watching a local knitter and of learning a new stitch pattern then later being able to pass it on to other local knitters touched my heart. Then I read in Knitty. I could so easily picture myself travelling somewhere, knitting companionably with someone regardless of language or culture. That is the joy, the universal language of knitters.

I try regularly to explain to my family and friends why I am never without something to knit. Partly it's because I can't stand to have my hands quiet. I need the motion of my fingers and wrists. Sometimes that movement is soothing and at other times stimulating. Meetings and lectures are rarely pleasant or productive experiences for me without my needles in hand. I may only complete a round or two on a sock but that tactile stimulation helps me to focus on what I need to be learning or remembering. Partly it's because of the people I meet. A child will come to watch my fingers waving about and the needle tips flash. An elderly woman will pause to look and smile, then shake her head because, for her, knitting was work. A gentleman will ask how I do that, and tell me a story about his mother, or his wife, or even himself knitting during the war. A younger woman will look at me, shake her head, and tell me how she could never do such a thing because she just doesn't have the time but it looks nice. Knitting makes me open and approachable, available to listen.

Once in a while the language of knitting takes over. Tentative hands take the needles from mine. Awkward fingers try a few stitches. Concentration knits the brows together, and once in a while the tip of a tongue peeks out with the effort of learning. Then a slow smile gradually begins to form. Eyes begin to glitter. Fingers move a bit more surely. A young student of mine recently asked me to teach him how to knit. He's 14. Bright and capable, with an assortment of talents but easily bored and talkative in class. He came to me a little while ago asking if I could teach him to knit. He wanted to make a hat. It wasn't hard to find a spare pair of straight needles and his mom picked up a ball of acrylic in hot pink. There were a couple of false starts and some frogging. Eventually we rewound the ball as a double strand and got bigger needles. Visible progress is immensely rewarding and soon he was knitting away - in class - much to the pleasure of his teachers. You see, knitting takes up just enough of his active mind that he has to focus but no so much that he can't listen. With needles in hand, his mouth closes and his body stills. The other students readily recognized the difference and will now suggest to him that he should get out his knitting so they can work! A few of them have shyly told me that they too know how to knit, and would I mind helping them? The language of knitting makes it ok to be different, to sit quietly, to take pride in accomplishment, to share a craft.

Fiber magic. It can overcome anyone at the oddest of times. For New Year's Eve we had a few friends over. Nothing spectacular or large, just a few friends to share the evening with. My spinning wheel was sitting in it's corner out of the way when my friend noticed it and asked if I could use it. I told her yes, I spin as well as knit, although with far less skill. She asked if she could try.  Of course there were drop spindles and fiber ready to hand and before too long she had learned the basics of drafting on the drop spindle and was really eager to try the wheel. A little while, a few false starts and broken threads, a great deal of smiles and laughter, and she was spinning. Naturally, Africa had to give it a try as well. I wouldn't go so far as to say he actually spun yarn, but he sure was fabulous at treadling. The language of fiber makes it ok to take a risk and try something new, to laugh at mistakes, and to be a bit childlike again.

This language of knitting is a global language. It crosses barriers of time, distance, and culture with ease. I am endlessly fascinated by the range of fiber connections around the world. Knitters Without Borders/Tricoteuses Sans Frontiers has raised over half a million dollars for Medecins Sans Frontiers/Doctors Without Borders. The Dulann Project (now ended) send thousands of hand knit hats, mittens, sweaters, and socks to Mongolia. The Red Scarf Project was overwhelmed by the generosity of knitters and had to actually set limits on donation sizes so that they could actually manage it all. Afghan squares, washcloths, premie hats, and prayer shawls play a role in most knitter's lives at one point or another. Knitters are generosity personified. All we need is somewhere to send it and we'll dive into the stash for something perfect, spend hours knitting, and happily mail the FO into the wild blue yonder. We love to knit for each other too. Sometimes the only time a knitter will recieve a hand knit is if he or she takes part in an exchange of some sort. I adore my Sockapalooza socks partly because they are the only handknits I own that did not come from my own needles. Someone out there spent time choosing pattern and yarn, working thousands of tiny and intricate stitches, and creating a package of goodies to go with them. A stranger did that for me! No, not a Stranger at all. A Knitter. A Friend.

There is a map over there in the right sidebar. It's a world map covered with red dots. Each dot represents a visit (or several visits) to this blog from a specific IP address. Visitors have found Knit Two Together literally from every continent except for Antarctica. It wouldn't entirely surprise me to one day find out that a researcher has spent part of an Antarctic sojourn, knitting in hand, and surfing knit blogs. Between May 8 and December 30, 2007 there were 10, 533 visits all of which are represented on that map. People have hit this little blog from 62 countries around the world.

NORTH AMERICA

(8,322 visits)

Canada

• British Columbia

• Alberta

• Saskatchewan

• Manitoba

• Ontario

• Quebec

• New Brunswick

• Nova Scotia

• Newfoundland

  and

  Labrador

• Yukon Territory

• Northwest Territories

United States

Mexico

CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA (40 visits)

Guatemala

Costa Rica

Venezuela

Peru

Chile

Brazil

Uruguay

AFRICA

Egypt

Sudan

South Africa

Uganda

Kenya

Tanzania

Isreal

Saudi Arabia

Yemen

United Arab Emirates

AUSTRALIA

(436 visits)

New Zealand

ASIA

(155 visits)

Japan

S. Korea

Taiwan

Phillipines

Thailand

Malaysia

Turkey

Armenia

China

Mongolia

India

Russia

EUROPE

(1,614 visits)

Norway

Sweden

Finland

Iceland

United Kingdom

(

Faroe Islands

,

UK

)

Ireland

Spain

Portugal

France

Italy

Greece

Denmark

Belgium

The

Netherlands

Switzerland

Austria

Germany

Croatia

Bulgaria

Romania

Serbia

Hungary

Poland

Latvia

Belarus

Estonia

Ukraine

Only a rare few ever leave comments. Looking at this list I can see why. The range of culture and language is enormous. How do they find me? What do they see? Do they return or just flick past? The language of knitting has allowed me to be part of this world wide communication. Through knitting and blogging about it I am part of something global and yet as small and insignificant as a baby sock. Thank you for being a part of the web of fiber connection. I know that the new year will bring many more opportunities to share through knitting. The language of knitting allows me to belong, to find peace, to communicate, to write, to give, to celebrate. May it do the same for you. Happy New Year.