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Knitting for the Soul

Thursday, July 28, 2005

I'm still waiting...

My book should be back from the printer any day now. I know it'll be here soon, but I still run to the Post Office every day to see if it's arrived. Hopefully it'll be here by Saturday. Once I'm sure that the cover images printed correctly, it should be ready to hit the presses!

In the meantime, I 'm making more time for my knitting. With a business of my own and a new part-time job in the evenings, it's been tough finding time to do HALF the things I want/need to do! But, if something has to go, it's not going to be the knitting!

Last Christmas, my husband's niece announced to the family that she was engaged. In fact, her fiance re-created the proposal for the benefit of the family since we weren't there to see it. It was hilarious! I am so happy for them. I decided that day that I wanted to make them a Colinette Ab Fab afghan. I knew that the bride would love it, but I allowed my husband to talk me out of making it. He said it was too expensive and not practical for young newlyweds. The wedding is next weekend, and for the past several days, the Lord has really been placing it on my heart to knit that afghan for them. I know it's late and I probably won't get it finished in time, and I know that I really didn't have the extra money to shell out. I don't think I've ever paid that much for a wedding gift (not even including the time it'll take to knit it). Knowing that my husband and I are divorcing, it's really important to me to give her a gift from my heart. I know they have a traditional bridal registry, and they've picked out some great items, but I just don't want to be another place setting or a kitchen appliance that gets lost among all the other gifts. I want to give them a family heirloom, something tangible to let them know how very much I love them, and maybe most importantly, I want to pray special blessings for their marriage into the afghan as I knit it for them.

I'll be sure to post a picture before I deliver it. Now all I have to do is make sure that I don't keep it for myself! (just kidding) :)



Friday, July 22, 2005

The clock is ticking!!!

No, not my biological clock... that one quit working ages ago. I'm referring to my book! I sent both the book and the companion journal off to the printer this morning. I should have a printed review copy by the middle of next week, and if everything looks as it should, I'll be a published author by this time next week!

This project has really been a labor of love for me. It's been fun and exciting, but it's also been painful and emotionally exhausting - not writing the book itself, but living through the experiences that have provided the insights and revelations that I write about in the book. I thought I'd be nervous about exposing my heart and soul to the world in the way that I am, but I'm not. This is by far the most authentic thing I've ever done and I'm truly excited about it.

Last week I was at the Post Office getting a P.O. Box for my new publishing company and the guy at counter asked about the company, I guess he was intrigued by the company name. I told him that I'd written a book about the connection between knitting and spirituality and that I was forming a publishing company to self-publish it. He made me promise that as soon as it was available, that I bring a signed copy in and he would buy it and see if he could drum up a few more sales for me!

It was a very bittersweet moment for me, particularly in light of the fact that my husband declined my request that he read the book before it went to press. I'm fully aware that we're separating and that I didn't need his approval or even his feedback, but I'd thought that he would at least read the book out of respect (if not just a tiny bit of love left) for me. I'd hoped that by reading it, he would see a part of my heart and soul that he'd been unable or unwilling to notice during the years we've been married. The "honor" of being the first to read something so important to me was to have been my last "gift" to him. But then, I shouldn't be surprised that he refused. So... I'm about to put this baby out there into the world for everyone to see. If I start to feel anxious about how it will be received, I'll remember Jack at the Post Office, who thought enough of me to buy the book even though I'm sure he's not even a knitter! :)


If all goes as planned, the book will be available by this time next week. I'll post here first, so stay tuned! Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers...


Friday, July 01, 2005

Summertime... and the knitting is easy!

It's been a long time, I know. I've missed knitting and blogging about knitting, but I'm back. It's been a long, difficult winter/spring, but I can truly say that it's going to be alright. I'm back, stronger, more focused, and more faithful than ever. God is moving in my life and blessing me in more ways than I can count!

I won't bore you with all the tear-jerker details of what's been going on in my life, but I can give you some updates on the good stuff. The book is back from the editor/proofreader with only minor comments. I asked a professional whose opinion I admire tremendously to read it, and she ended up writing a review that's going to be on the back cover! I've selected a printer and a name for my publishing company. Other than my standing 9AM Sat morning knit-in with my friend tomorrow at Starbuck's tomorrow, I'm dedicating most of the long weekend to getting this book finalized and ready to go to print. I feel like I'm in the last stages of a long delivery and I'm ready to PUSH!!! Stay tuned for more details... I can't wait to post an announcement that it's ready for prime-time. You'll read it here first!

I took about 2 months off from knitting to rest my arm from a wicked case of tendonitis. I thought it was from all the work I do on my PC. Since I couldn't stop working, I begrudgingly gave up knitting for a while and lo and behold - my arm got better! That's a bummer. I'd rather it be from the computer. Isn't that sick? Well,
I've finally learned how to pace myself and as long as I don't try any marathon knitting sessions, the old arm seems to be holding it's own. Of course know my back is driving me nuts, but I know this is all my body's response to all the stress I've been under lately. This too shall pass.

So now, my knitting buddy Nim and I have started another knit-along (okay, so it's just the 2 of us). We just finished black Rumba sweaters that are awesome and have just started on the Cable 8 that in the Spring 2005 issue of Interweave Knits.




The pattern is so simple and on #11's, it'll work up in a flash. WARNING: Should you decide to try this one at home, please be advised that there was a significant error in the cable pattern. After knitting and frogging several rows several times, I searched the internet and kept finding pictures at other blogs of completed sweaters but with no mention of the pattern error. I thought I was losing my mind! Finally I thought to search at google for "Cable 8 errata" and there it was! Now that I've got that straightened out, I'm good to go!

The thing I love most about this sweater is the yarn I'm using... It's 100% organic cotton, grown in Peru. It's called Pakucho. The yarn comes in 6 or 8 colors, ranging from off-white to olive green to the color I'm using, which is called "Chocolate". The cotton grows naturally in these colors (no dyes!) and is hand picked and sorted by color. There's an article on the yarn in the Spring 2005 issue of Interweave Knits (same issue as the Cable 8 pattern). You can also learn more here. I got this wonderful yarn at an unbelievable price from my new favorite online yarn shop, elann.com. See Pakucho.