New Website

Hi Folks - This blog was transferred to my new website a few weeks ago. I am no longer monitoring this site. The Green Girl blog and the Knitty Scribe blog can now be found at www.ozdustdesigns.com. Please come and join us there.

Peace and joy to ya all...
The Green Girl.

Oz Dust Designs is Live....

Hi Folks - quick note to let you know that this blog and the Knitty Scribe will now reside on my website. Please continue to follow the Green Girl as http://ozdustdesigns.squarespace.com/.

The Green Girl Blog will be a year old in just a few days - come check out the new web site and take part in the fun and giveaways as part of my celebrating your support for a full year.

Peace and joy to you all.....
The Green Girl

Hunny Bunny....

Bob, Louise, Roger, Dave (DH)

Well we are half way through the week and it feels like Monday. It was great to finally have some time with DH as he had a nice four day holiday. We did some visiting with his parents and his older brother and sister in-law on Sunday. The two hour drive is always a nice time for us just to chat and for me to get in some knitting. Thank the heavenly saints that knitting in the car doesn't make me motion sick like reading does. The trip home always happens in the dark, so I get to do a little star gazing, which is always nice. Since we're far from the city driving through farmland, the stars truly twinkle.

I have been wondering what to do for product for my Tiny Tots line in the Green Girl World for several months. I love making things for children and I didn't want them cut out of the Green Girl experience. Lately, I have been knitting with cotton for my dishcloth swap. This gave me an idea to start playing around with something that the wee ones might like and that would be easy for moms to clean. And so the Hunny Bunny was born. Hunny Bunny is basically a cotton cloth made in one piece to resemble a bunny. It can be loved, used in the bath or even used as a teething cloth (I've found that babies like to nubs of the garter stitch on their gums when they are teething.) Hunny Bunny will come in six colors - pink, purple, green, yellow, blue and natural. I'll be posting some in my Etsy shop in a few days, but I'm going to try and make a great quantity for the holiday craft sale that I am going to participate in this year. I think these are great for adding to a stocking, a baby shower gift, etc....

I can see now that the rest of the summer is going to be very busy. I have a commissioned project to work on as soon as the yarn order arrives, plus I have one new pre-made scarf to add to the collection (it just has to be made) and three patterns to create for the collection.  As they say, "No rest for the wicked."

Well, that's the latest,
Peace and joy to you all.....
The Green Girl.

Independent....

Hello one and all - it is the Independence Day weekend here in the good old USA. Picnics, BBQ's, and all manner of celebration is underway. Although I am not always proud of the actions of my country, I love my country and I love the freedom it affords to be the person that I am. I take my citizenship with great responsibility - just because I can does not mean I should.

On this weekend out of all the rest, it is time to think and ponder what it means to be a US citizen. This very thought brings up great debate within our land. I did nothing to hold the freedoms of US citizenry,yet I am fully free due to the passions of others and I am thankful. There are people that have come to these shores looking for the idea and the dream of what we tell the world it means to be a US citizen. To all those brothers and sisters of the stars and stripes, I salute you. Your struggles and your devotion to gain your independence in the United States, is an example that epitomizes the very basis of what it means to be a US citizen.

To all the people that will become a citizen of the United States this very weekend, I welcome you into our family.

Happy Independence Day to all the peoples of the United States - may we all give thanks for our chance to live in a free land. And may we all think and act responsibly as citizens of that free land.

Peace and joy to you all.....
The Green Girl (who is just a little proud now to be Red, White and Blue on this weekend)

Scruba Dub Dub...

Yesterday was a day filled with fun, laughter, and food poisoning. Rewind - day started out well (except for the ants, but let's just not go there as it's too depressing.). DH and I went to lunch together at one of our favorite local sandwich shops and then I dropped him at work so that I could keep the car, run errands and go see a friend that is recovering from knee replacement surgery. Forward - I'm standing in line at Walmart after having a major shopping attack in the cotton yarn section of the store. All those colorful little balls of cotton on sale for 1.54$ - no one could pass that up. Oddly enough I had only gone into the store for pasta so that I could try out a new recipe that I've been working up. Well, as I stand there in line I became violently ill - everything started to move in slow motion - sweat starting running down my forehead - then the wave passed and I went to the car with my purchases. As soon as I got back home the next wave hit and I was shall we say indisposed for the next hour. I called off the trip to visit my friend and relaxed for a while sipping tea. Muse never noticed me as she was enthralled by all the new toys I had apparently brought just for her pleasure - aka the new cottons. As soon as I was better, I pulled out a new yarn - Peaches n Cream Ivy League and started to make a Nubbie Scrubbie. This is another dishcloth pattern suggested by my Dish Cloth Swap group.

The cloth lives up to its name as a scrubbie - it is very nubbie. I can see it also being used as a body loofah, but it is too rough for the face or neck.

After completion of the scrubbie it was once again time to go get DH from work. I'm still not feeling 100% this morning, but I believe I'm well on my way back to the living.


Peace and joy to you all....
The Green Girl

Sharing - Caring - That's What Knitter's (and crocheters) Do.....

It's Wednesday and it feels like Friday already - actually, I don't know what day it feels like as they all seem to run together during the summer. Yes - that's right sports fans, it is officially summer now! For those of you that love this time of year - enjoy to the fullest - the rest of us will wait patiently for our lovely fluffy snow to return. I think seasons are fantastic as everyone gets a choice for what's just right for them, you just have to remember to be patient when it's not your turn. A lesson that hopefully we learned in kindergarten.

Well, the members of the Dish Cloth Swap chose their favorites from amongst the nine that I made and now I have to type up the tags and send them off. However, we have someone in the group that is a huge enabler, she is willing to pass on all kinds of new patterns and ideas just for the asking. Well Ellen, you have made Muse ecstatic - she's juggling the colored cotton and making up rhymes and songs every day. As it is my place to keep the peace, I have indulged her and made a practice version of the Mitered Cross Square . This pattern is well worth the donation to Japan's earthquake relief fund. As Ellen tempted us all with a super lovely version of this as a dish cloth, I decided to try my practice square as a dish cloth as well. Ok - it is easy to see that Ellen's is better, but I shall carry on as I begun and make more and then one day mine will hopefully look as nice. This is my first effort and it has not been blocked yet in this picture. It's on the blocking board now. I used US size 4 bamboo needles to make this smaller than a blanket square. 

Sugar n Cream - Crown Jewel Ombre & Hot Purple

As I am a lefty the problem how to knit this in the proper order arose. After a little fiddling in order to get the directions correct, it was a very easy pattern. If you are a lefty you knit the miters in the following sequence -1,4,3,2. I added a single crochet border once around in order to keep the size from growing too large.

So, to all the knitting and crocheting enablers out there- enable on.... You're all the best.

Peace and joy...
The Green Girl

A Tisket, A Tasket.....

Well all of the lovely dishcloths for my Annual Dishcloth Swap group are made and the group members are voting on their favorite five (I got on a fling and made 9 and now I can't decide.)

These are two of my favorites. The blue is a self striping cotton (Sugar n Cream) and the yellow is a speckled cotton that reminds me of fiesta corn (also Sugar n Cream). So, far these two have several votes from the group as well, so it looks like I will be parting with them. Yes, that is the idea, but I fell in love with them during the process. I'll just have to make more.

As I was knitting the cloths, I fell in love with all the lovely cotton/cotton blend colors and decided to whip up a self-designed crocheted basket. I'm sure there are other crocheted basket designs running around, but I whipped this one up all on my own in about two hours (I had to have a pizza break along the way.) I love the color - it is called aloe vera, which I think is perfect. I am considering designing a line of these in different colors and sizes as an offshoot of the Green Girl's - Oz Dust Designs. As Oz Dust Designs is a knitted fashion accessories line, I'm considering this as a home accessories crocheted line. I'll let all of that stew around in my brain, get some input from Muse and see how it all melds together. DH is working all weekend, so this is a bit a of design weekend for me. I'm hunkered down on the sofa, watching old movies, knitting and drawing all day and night. Then, presto, flip - I'm crocheting. Muse is having a grand time. She was sitting in a pile of cottons earlier and throwing them at me - this is her favorite way to inspire, she throws colors at me. Let's just say that dear old, Muse knows what works!

Well, I'm off for a cuppa tea and a biscuit and one more hour of designing and then to bed with a book (in my case a Kindle.)

Peace and joy...
 The Green Girl.

Monday's Knitter.....

Monday's are interesting days. Sometimes they go as planned, sometimes they throw you a curve, and sometimes they flat out knock you over. I wonder why Mondays are so unpredictable in this predictable way???

Here is Monday's Plan of the Day (POD for those with a military background.)

1) Finish dish cloth number 5 for the annual dish cloth swap.
2) Work for three hours on the new shawl design.
3) Send out two angel squares.
4) Photograph cotton stash for Ravelry group.

Here's how that turned out in the real world.
1) Woke up at 5:00am and fell back to sleep at 6:30am - ended up waking for real at 9:20am. What happened there????
2) Finally got the day going and the laundry started just in time to make DH's midday meal (he works at his lab on 2nd shift now so we have our together meal at midday.)
3) Was well into making a yummy summer garden salad with black beans, when my knife slipped and YOW!!! the fingertip of my middle finger (rt hand) was sliced 3/4 of the way through.
4) Cleaned the finger, added a butterfly stitch from the med kit along with ointment and a large bandage. Put a glove over the hand and finished the meal.
5) Sat down to knit - I had high hopes that the huge bandage would not get in my way. Wrong, wrong, wrong!
6) I was finally able to knit a few rows, but must take breaks to let the throbbing and pain subside.
7) Everything from today's POD will now be moved to tomorrow's POD.The rest of Monday's POD is now canceled.
So, I ask -whose idea was Monday anyway??? Ah well, hopefully there will be many more Monday's to try again. See how I just put a positive spin on this - no need in letting Monday have all the fun. Think I'll go make a cuppa tea and read a good book.

Peace and joy to you all....
The Green Girl

Presenting....

Orla

This is Orla - the second original design in my Autumn 2011 neck warmer series for Oz Dust Designs. Orla is a pre-made neck warmer and can be viewed in my Etsy Shop. For now, Orla comes in two colors. There will be more in the near future. 

There will a third pre-made scarf in this series and I will also have at least two patterns available by September/October as well.

Thanks to one and all for your support of my artistic ventures. And to Dave, my dearest husband - your love and support leave me without words. 

Peace and joy to you all....

The Green Girl

Ravelry Shares the Spotlight on Two Blogs....

I decided to share the blog entry from my Knitty Scribe blog here as well. If it weren't for Ravelry, neither blog would have stood a chance.

Peace and joy to you all....

The Green Girl.

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I Ravelry, Do You????

I suppose that many people that read this may already know what Ravelry is, but for those that don't here's the skinny. If you do, maybe there will be something new for you as well.

Ravelry is a knitting/crocheting web based community. I like to think of it as a Facebook type social network for knitters and crocheters. You have a Notebook page of your own, you can add your projects, stash , library, send messages, list your blog and website, befriend lots of lovely people and join numerous groups with specific themes. For Me Ravelry is a place where I have met some very dear people, learned tons of things in regard to my art, rekindled my love for other art forms, promoted my own designs (did I mention that you can sell your own personal designs - great way to get started) and basically made myself a village. Joining Ravelry costs you nothing - you can be as involved or not as you like.

Here are five things I love best about Ravelry:
1) the people- I've made some great new friends and they all have interests like my own. Yeah!!!

2) Being able to sell my original designs and get feedback on those designs before going public, from people with a similar interest (see a theme there?). You can offer your designs for sale or for free, which is fab!!!

3) I love the pattern database. This one function has saved me days worth of time in finding a pattern or a pattern book. Searching the internet at large can be a daunting task.

4) Being a member of group with a special interest that I share. For example: The Annual Dishcloth Swap. This swap is loads of fun and has a small time commitment. So, if you're really busy and how many of us aren't, eh?? - you can enjoy the fun and be done quickly and move move to the next thing on your To Do List. I highly recommend checking this group out - the moderators are awesome women and know how to have fun!!! There are other groups as well, things I never thought would fit into a knitting/crocheting social network, such as - IKEA Fans. Now, to be completely honest - next to knitting there is nothing more I love more than a trip to IKEA - I mean you should just see my home! And right there on Ravelry, I found a huge group of others that love their art and IKEA just like I do - and my goodness can we get chatty. There are other types of groups as well, things like design support, groups dedicated to specific people (The Yarn Harlot - Alan Dart or Debbie Macomber). You name it there's a group for it or you can start one of your own.

5) The fifth thing I love about Ravelry is the people that I've met. Yes, I know that was #1 on the list, but I'm using a literary technique here of book-ending. Start and end with the most important thing. If it weren't for the people and the developers of Ravelry, all the stuff in the middle wouldn't exist. So, "the people" is worth a double hit on the list.

I highly encourage anyone that's never taken a look at Ravelry do so. If you are a knitter or a crocheter, you will find yourself and your art opened up to a world made just for you and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I've never done this before, but I love this site so much and it has meant so much to the growth of my art, my skills, my business, my social connections that I am also going to share this blog thread on the Green Girl blog.
If you do Ravelry, tell us what you love best. If you don't yet Ravelry, go - go now - spend some time on yourself and have a blast. Ravelry

Knit On, Read On....
The Knitty Scribe. 

Drum Roll Please......

Esme'

Well, finally I can announce that the Esme' scarf/neck warmer has arrived at an Etsy Shop near you. This design has been eight months in the making. That includes designing, testing and knitting pre-made items. This a close fitting neck warmer that will go perfectly with a winter coat, sweater or as a fashion item for however you see fit to wear it in your wardrobe. 

Each Esme' is made of different color and has a different ornament (a few ornaments are repeated). It is sized to fit a small to a large neck. It closes with a keyhole opening in the center. I have used numerous fiber types   in order to accommodate folks with allergies or fiber preferences. Currently there are seven Esme' scarves listed on my Etsy shop. I will be adding about two dozen more over the next few days. 

This has been one of those designs that felt like birthing a child. Late nights, food cravings, worrying, choosing just the right yarn or ornament. However, I am happy to finally show off my little cozy neck warmer to the public. Please stop by my Etsy shop and take look. Many thanks.

Peace and joy to you all.....

The Green Girl

Sunshine - Sunblind - Muse is having a wild time....

When you are as pale as the white horse and you turn red within five minutes of a hot August sun - you learn to be thankful that you love to knit. It is officially still Spring on the calender and only the first week of June. However, it is 97 skin burning to a crisp degrees here in Chicago land and has been for a good week. I've actually gotten red from walking out to the mailbox at two in the afternoon. And when I walk back inside I'm blind for a good minute from that brazen yellow orb that's plastered itself in the sky.

Now, I could pretend that I have no idea why we are getting this kind of weather at the tail end of Spring, when it usually doesn't show up until late July and August, but that would be playing down what little smarts I have and my thought is to never play dumb when you know better. You don't have to push your knowledge at people, but if you know, you know!! All you need do is take a look at a map of the Jet Stream and you can see that we are sitting right under the break from cool to warm or should I say blazing heat. My nightly prayer is now to have the Jet Stream move lower so that I do not melt when I go outside.

So, as sitting on the deck in the morning is kinda out as it is in the 90's before noon, I've taken the positive approach and grabbed the knitting and let Muse run wild on a new shawl design. As per her thoughts, I'm making a pre-made item to sell on my Etsy shop called the Orla neck warmer.  Muse decided that I should use the same design idea and make an Orla shawl, but it will be a pattern for those that wish to make their own. I'm thinking about making about 5 shawls as finished items for a special one time sale. Muse and DH think that I should offer something to those that do not wish to play with sticks and string, so the five special pieces is my decision thus far. What's your opinion???

As long as the sun continues to warm us past the point of toleration, Muse and I will settle in for nice days of design and knitting and when she takes a break, I'll get in a great Pilates workout to keep the old bod in shape.

Stay cool - use sunscreen and knit one, purl fun!!!

Peace and joy to you all....
The Green Girl

Party Time....

Wow - this has been a productive and busy week. As you may notice, there is now a link to my Etsy Shop, the Facebook page and a search bar on the side of the blog. The Etsy shop and FB page are both in their infancy, but I'd appreciate your stopping by and sending me some feedback. Many thanks!!!

Getting these pages done was a nice aside from working on the actual website which giving me fits. I think the company that supports the page was on vacation all week as well as I was never able to get them on the phone. However, I shall not give in and will prevail. It may take some bribery with chocolate or something, but I'm not beyond that. Or perhaps one of the support crew has always wanted to learn how to knit of crochet. I have been know to use that as a ploy in the past. Hoot hoot - want to learn to knit??? Hmmm????

Anyway, after getting quite a bit checked off my list, I decided it was time to party!!! Let's have a party - get down - that's right!!! Did that little chant get you in the party mood, too??? So, what does party mean to me on Friday night at home alone (poor DH was working)? It meant getting out what is a new yarn to me and I think relatively new on the market, Caron Simply Soft Party in Black Sparkle (or as I call it Black Diamonds) and starting an evening wrap all for me! This is one of those yarns that has a metallic sparkly thread running through it and I can say so far no breaks in the thread, which is what I always look for in these types of yarn. If that thread breaks easily, you'll end up with a rough and scratchy item - no fun! This black is truly like looking into a sea a black diamonds. The thread is black as well and makes a lovely and elegant look when worked up. These pictures are just swatches, I'm starting the actual wrap today. I know - the Green Girl actually did a swatch!!! Does the muse know??? Yes, she does and I think I have traumatized her. However, I wanted to gt a good feel of how this yarn works in pattern and I can say it passed with an A+++.

Specifics - 99% Acrylic - 1% polyester. Machine wash and dry, but as with all my hand knits, I hand wash and lay flat for a longer and more gentler life of the item. Each ball is 164yds/150meters - 3oz/85grams. On this particular ball band there is a pattern for crocheting a cute pair of wristlets.  They would make a great gift for a teen. This is a mid-weight yarn - #4.

Now you know how the Green Girl parties on a Friday night. Oh, I added a bowl of popcorn and some tele to that line-up as well and had an enjoyable evening.

Peace and joy to you all...

The Green Girl.

Don't forget that you can now that the Green Girl blog with you on your Kindle e-reader. Just got to Amazon.com/Kindle store and type in The Green Girl. Thanks!!!

Feeling a bit Sheep(ish)....

Occasionally something comes along that really gets the muse to doing her happy dance and when the muse is happy, it is usually really infectious. Of course that means that I get the infection. The great thing in this case is that the medication is a trip to the yarn store and several balls of Vickie Howell's new Sheep(ish) yarn line for Caron.

Hot Pink(ish)

This is one of a few times that having an infection is a really good thing. Sheep(ish)  comes in 21 lovely retro colors. With names like Robin Egg(ish) and Plum(ish) - colors that really take me back to my childhood and teen years in the 60's and 70's. The colors are saturated and you just can't help reaching out and touching each lovely colored ball. Sheep(ish) is a combination of 70% acrylic and 30% wool. It is a lovely mid-weight yarn that can be washed in cold water on the gentle cycle and dried flat.

Plum(ish)

As many of you know, knitting is my passion, but as I also crochet, I can see these colors being done up in some fabulous retro granny squares or crocheted beanies with crocheted flowers. Currently the muse and I have our heads together working on the Autumn 2011 line-up for Oz Dust Designs and at least one neck warmer will be made exclusively from Sheep(ish). The color line-up follows the Pantone colors to watch and they will add a lovely pop to our typical Autumn color offerings.

Robin Egg(ish)

This is a small swatch of Robin Egg(ish) knit up on US size 7 rosewood needles. The texture is fantastic and  the feel is soft with no scratchiness at all. I'll be making a swatch project on my Ravelry page for those of you that follow the Green Girl on Ravelry (greengirl7). As I make new swatches in other colors and patterns I'll upload the pictures to that page as well.

Chartreuse(ish)

 Sheep(ish) can be found at your local Joann's and online through Vickie's website (http://vickiehowell.com/). They yarn is very reasonable in price and is great for beginner - advanced knitters and crocheters. So, grab some girlfriends and go for lunch and a little yarn crawl and check out Sheep(ish). I think you'll be very happy with what you find.

Peace and joy to you all...
The Green Girl


Remember you can now follow the Green Girl on your Kindle e-reader. Just go to Amazon.com/kindlestore and type The Green Girl.

Lotta Bit or Itty Bit....

I was reading the profile of a knitting friend today and it made me want to ask you all this question - how much of a project do you have to have completed in order to visualize it in the final state? In her profile, my friend wrote that she has to have a good six-eight inches of knitting done in order to start feeling that the project will be finished and used.

That seems to me to an itty bit of work to get a feeling of completion. It seems that she is basically saying as long as I have a the project underway, pass the cast on stage, I'm good. I on the other hand want the project done at about three row stage, but I don't get that completed feeling until at least 50-65% is hanging off the needles. And there is still a voice in the back of my mind saying, "You still may have to frog this whole project don't get too excited." Is that fear or experience speaking - maybe both???

Frogging a project is not my most favorite thing to do and I would guess that many of you would agree with that. However, I am trying to take on a new attitude in regard to frogging. I was reading a scene in a Knit Lit novel where they were using frogging as a way to let go frustration with a kind yoga, stretching things to help take away their pent up anger towards the project being frogged.  So, I have begun to see frogging as a way to get my zen on rather than a way to add stress to my life. Breathe in, stretch your arms out all while frogging a row of mistakenly knit fabric. Breathe in - out - frog it all about. See there's already a little rhyme to help bring on the state of peace that knitting usually carries. Can we now say that frogging is good for our health??? Perhaps?? Maybe it's time a for field study!

Now for some business news - the website is still coming along although I'm having trouble with it accepting the blog as a feed and the shopping cart is not cooperating. Paying someone to do this may have been a wiser decision in the long run, but I am learning new things, which is suppose to keep my brain from shriveling away as I age- so that's the positive side of all this.

For all of you that follow the Green Girl Blog, I have added a search function to the blog page in case you want to look something up by keyword. Honestly, I don't know how I would survive without search boxes on the websites that I use, so please forgive my tardiness in getting this useful tool out for your convenience.

And lastly - don't forget to pass the word that The Green Girl blog can now be taken with you on the go, through download onto your Kindle e-reader. Just go to Amazon.com- the blog can be found under the Kindle Store - The Green Girl

Peace and joy to you all.....
The Green Girl

Je Suis Fini......

The shawl is done! I did what I always do of course and I changed the pattern to fit my own design taste. However, I like it a lot so that's what really counts. Once I started making the changes, I quickly got over the blah-ness of the project that hit last week.

I made the shawl shorter as I wanted more of a shoulder warmer than a big heavy wrap. I also changed the pattern to garter stitch for the fold over collar. That simple pattern change added some dimension to the garment I added a closure with a small i-cord loop and lovely silver button and finished it off by tacking down the back of the collar with a matching button.

This will be perfect to keep my shoulders warm when I'm wearing my jeans and button up blouses. I plan to keep it in the car for when I visit cold restaurants and movie theaters during the summer and it will be perfect for wearing on chilly days when Autumn returns.

I thought this pattern was appropriate given it's name, "Because I Care." I find that I need to care for myself a bit these days, so this made a perfect break in my business knitting and gave me chance to be good to myself. I think that's something we women don't do enough sometimes.

So, take my lead and do something yourself today - it can really renew your spirit and your joy in living.

Peace and joy...
The Green Girl

The Closer.....

I've had an odd thought about my knitting this week. It seems that I love to start a project and adore the closing or finishing of a project. However, when it comes to the mid-section I'm not so excited. Now I know that this has not always been the case and I wonder why it's popping up now. This is a very weird feeling I have these days, as I love knitting in all it's forms and functions, but I just seem to have no joy over a project while in the middle.

I honestly don't know if there are knitters that do this anymore, but we used to have group in Pensacola and all we did was the finishing of a garment. We were what we called "The Closers." The LYS would take in items that folks wanted finished and once a month we'd get together and do the work. I can certainly see why we did only the finishing as the beginning is the more exciting time of a project for a lot of people.


I also know that I am in a time of transition in regard to my designs - I've been researching different techniques of lace knitting (more to come in another blog,) and I have some new ideas running around my head for the Autumn line-up. And it is very true, that when I design I knit a lot of swatches and quick little mini samples - done and dusted - fast and quick. Perhaps that why this whole beginning, ending thing keeps going through my mind. I see these things as the fast part of knitting a project. If it's not that, then I don't know what's up with me.

This is my current dilemma: I'm in the middle of a nice warm shawl, it's about half done. It's a friendship shawl from the Knit Along with Debbie Macomber pattern series. I'm using Bernat Denim Style yarn, which is 70% acrylic and 30% cotton. I have loads of this yarn in the stash as I really love it  and as I am a denim girl, it's perfect for wearing with what might be called my uniform - jeans and button up blouse or tee. Now I want someone to finish working the mid-section so I can work on how I'm going to add to the design by making a closure. Everything seems to be in a fog right now. Perhaps the right thing to do is keep on working my way through and try to relax ( I have to look up the definition of that word.)

As my first landlord used to say, "Don't worry, it will all come out in the wash."

So, the question for all of you: Do you remember ladies that took in projects for finishing?? I know it was done a lot back when I was a kid in the Stone Age. Second question: Do you ever feel this way about your knitting?

Peace and joy to you all...
The Green Girl.

When Summer Feels Like Winter....

The weekend was cold, very windy and rainy - after three days of 97 degree weather, we were back in sweaters and jeans on Friday. Last night they were even calling for a heavy frost. So far the week has been, sunny, cloudy, windy and cold. This weather is not conducive to designing a summer wrap - instead I want to toss the lovely summer weight yarn and get out the wool again. I am trying to be patient and ride out the last month of spring with the knowledge that summer will surely be different.

So, I am designing a summer weight wrap to help with the evening breezes and the freezing cold of the local theaters and restaurants. You know what I mean, you walk into the cinema, get your popcorn and soda, all ready to go and enjoy a good film and then when you enter the theater it's like walking into an industrial freezer. You start to shiver and your muscles start to contract in order to circulate more warm blood around your fingers and toes so they don't get frost bite. You wish you had kept your winter parka in the backseat of the car for just such an emergency and by the time the film is over, you wish you could walk out onto the surface of the sun just to feel a little warmth. I think that image is clear enough and that you fully comprehend the need for a summer wrap.

The design is on it's second go round. At first I was going to do a long rectangle, but decided it was too pedestrian for this project. Now I'm thinking about a wrap that actually fits around your shoulders and hangs like a sweater - something that will allow the wearer to use their hands without having to struggle to keep the wrap on at the same time. I'm working with Bernat's Satin yarn - it's 100% acrylic, but feels like a soft polished cotton. So far the yarn is working out well. The drape is soft and fluid, but still holds its shape perfectly.

This pattern will be available for sale on my website when it's done. I'm hoping to make the pattern one that can easily be made in a winter weight yarn as well. Could end up being a great holiday gift. Now, as for the website - I mentioned before that we were having problems with our internet going in and out at will. Well the repair person finally showed and tested all the lines - our house, modem and all of our other personal equipment are working fine - he said that the problem is on their end and until that gets fixed we're up the creek. So, the website is still being worked on and hopefully I'll be able to upload it fully within a couple of weeks. Who knew this would take so long. Grr.....

DH is still stuck in the lab on third shift and having trouble sleeping in the day. I still tiptoe around the house in order not to wake him - it's like living a tomb for us both. Sheesh!!! And the muse - well she's livid as I have made her stop all her happy dancing during DH's sleep time. She's being very sullen and refusing to help with the wrap design. I think she's going to strike any day now. Poor old Muse - can't seem to catch a break.

Have a great week and don't forget to take the Green Girl blog with you on your Kindle. There is a 14-day trial offer at Amazon.com.

Peace and joy to you all...
The Green Girl

Announcing... The Green Girl Blog.... Now on Kindle....

Hi Folks - It is an exciting day here at the Green Girl Studios - within the next 48-72 hours, The Green Girl blog will be available on Amazon for Kindle download. Your kindle will be uploaded automatically when the blog updates - there may a minimal .99cent fee (I have no control over that as Amazon and Kindle dictate those policies.) However, you will receive a free 14 day trial period of the blog if you sign-up for it.

I would like to ask that you check out the blog during the trial period at least and give it a rating. This will help in the way the blog is marketed.

For all of you that have followed my words over this first year, I want to thank you from the bottom of my finger tips. Having this blog published via Kindle is a huge step forward on my goal to knit and write for a living. You have all been an immense help. Many thanks!

Please spread the news......

Peace and joy to you all....
The Green Girl

Angels, Muse and Garage Sale.....

This is one of those weeks when you ask yourself, "how did I get here?" Every once in a while, I will end up with a week that is so over scheduled that I go looking for my evil twin to see if she's been messing with my day planner. This is one of those weeks:

Four squares for Baker's Dozen - one regular and three angel squares. My halo is getting a workout, but good!

Muse wants me to start a wrap for myself because I happened to mention that I love this new yarn and it would look good as a wrap. I think maybe the evil twin put her put to this - some investigation should follow to check it out.

And the biggest part of the week is the development wide garage sale. This is a huge event starting with set-up on Wednesday, sale Thursday - Saturday. Now, I am not complaining about this because DH and I have lived in our house for two years and I have wanted to unload a lot stuff in a sale, so this is perfect. Problem, I had tons of steam last week and now I don't. I still have two closets and the kitchen to clear of my once loved treasures. Ugh!

Part of my apathy for this is that the weather has turned hot and humid and I don't do hot and humid - you would understand if you had to wear a wig all day and had your own personal global warming happening 24/7. It's like wearing three bulky weight Icelandic wool jumpers all the time. Maybe that's why I'm losing weight, I'm sweating it off. Richard Simmons would be proud!

It's suppose to starting chucking down the rain as well for the rest of the week. Ugh! That means no one at the sale and I'll have to drag all the stuff back into storage for another time. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that perhaps it will skirt around us just this one time.

This is also pay the bills week - always a lovely part of my monthly planned activities. And honestly, what does FICA do with all of our money???

Friday night we are suppose to attend a cast party for the most recent KVTA production in which DH helped to build sets and did the sound.

Then let's throw in all the other daily things that happen in any given week. My mind is racing in the circular fashion in which nothing ever seems to settle into place and at the end you feel like you are a wet rag that someone forgot to ring out and let dry.

As soon as I find the evil twin (I think she's lurking around here somewhere) she and I are going to have a big talk about how it is not appropriate to schedule for other people. And I think I'm sending the muse off on a long errand and a trip to the pub.

What's your week like???

Peace and joy to you all....
The Green Girl.

Nothing Like a Good Yarn....

Now, I could mean "a yarn" as in a story, but you all know better. Of course I mean that lovely fiber that knits into all kinds heavenly soft fashions, socks, hats, blankets, etc.... And we all know there is nothing better than a good sale - combine a sale with yarn and what do you get - a very happy Green Girl!!!

Yesterday, while DH slept after his midnight shift at the lab, I went out to do the weeks marketing. Along the way, I had to stop and pick-up yarn for two Baker's Dozen squares and of course I had to use my coupon for 40% off one item and 25% off my entire order, so I looked around a bit - trying to get the best value for my meager pittance. I found the yarn for the squares and the I noticed the Loops and Threads now has the big jumbo skeins that will knit an entire blanket with one skein and they had a Neapolitan color variation. Just like the ice cream, strawberry pink, vanilla and yummy chocolate - to good to pass up and I had that coupon, so I'd be saving money (and what may I ask is better than that - that is bragging rights!)

I thought I had completed my shopping and started toward the registers and low and behold right there at check out an entire bin of Stitch Nation on clearance and my favorite color to boot geranium red (just like my gran's flowers.) With coupon I got each skein for 99 cents/skein. It was at this time that the muse appeared and started doing her silly dance - you see I was thinking I'd use this for some of my neck warmers, but the muse had other ideas. There was just enough of the yarn left that I could make myself the Einstein coat from The Knit Stitch book by Sally Melville. The muse is insisting that I use this yarn for myself as it is my color and the perfect amount for the coat. I gave in - the muse was so stinking happy and how often do you get to knit a wool/bamboo blend coat for 10 bucks!!!

Ah - there ain't nothing like a good yarn...... and P.S. I've lost 7 pounds - please do not send them back if you find them wondering the streets. Many thanks!

Peace and joy to you all.....
The Green Girl.

Unglued....

Hi Folks - I'm feeling a bit like the edges are starting to un-glue this week.

1) Have been waiting for 6 weeks for the internet guy to show up and fix our service - he's coming today. Hopefully I can now get the website finished. This has been a big and disappointing set-back.

2) Re-injured the broken finger last night - Woohoo!!! What else can I say.

3) Planning a huge development wide garage sale with my sister in-law so the house looks like a disaster zone as I stage all the salable items.

4) Am now on the 35th  neck warmer for the summer fairs - only 65 more to go by July - minimum.

5) We were invaded by ants yesterday so I spent most of the day vacuuming those up and DH laid down ants bait outside as soon he got home. Yesterday's warmth brought all those babies out to play. Woohoo!!

6) DH is now working 3rd shift (was promised this would not be the case in order to get him to take this job). He's not sleeping well and neither am I. We both decided we're each a little bit traumatized once again.

7) Started to knit a piece of Shetland lace this week with a lovely soft cream mohair.

8) My body feels exposed and in desperate need of a sit down with an umbrella drink.

So, that's living in the Green Girl's world this week. I hope you all are finding ways to combat your own stress and are looking forward to fun summers filled with love and laughter.

Peace and joy to you all....
The Green Girl

Broken Fingers....

Well, shortly after my last blog, I decided to go and make some fresh whole-veg juice in the Vitamix. Yum!!!! Good for me and helps me keep the veg bin cleaned out as well. Then when I went to clean-up, I dropped the 5lbs Vitamix base on my hand and fingers. Tears, blue air, stars, dead relatives - I saw them all!!! After about a 15 minute rest to compose myself, I gave my hand a good look over and there was no denying that the middle finger on the right hand was either broken or dislodged. Bending and moving were not an option and actually neither was touching - the barest of touches and my pain reflexes went back into overdrive. So, I did the ice thing as best I could, took Tylenol to the maximum dosage and had DH pick-up a finger splint on his way home from work. It was a ghastly day and much to the muse's chagrin, there was no knitting.

The next day it became clear that the finger was displaced. Holy cow this was going to hurt so much when it got forced back into place. Everything just went blank and it felt like I was down for the count. However, finger is now back in place and on the mend. So, since I couldn't knit, I read about knitting. Six books in all. Some novels, some instructional and oh my did that get my juices flowing!!! It just made me want to knit more. It did not help that the muse was dancing around singing her little "whistle while I knit song." I mean talk about rubbing salt in the wound.

This week I have been slowing allowing the finger to come out of the splint - I can knit for about 15-30 minutes and then I can tell that it's back in the brace or back out of the joint, take my pick. So, not getting a huge amount done, but I'm starting that little bear I talked about last week.

Hope you all have a great week.

Peace nad joy to you all.....
The Green Girl.

Give a Dog a Bone....

Poor Muse is so anxiety ridden these days. No, Muse you're not a dog, the title is just an expression. Muse wants me to knit toys - bears and bunnies and dolls. She wants me to knit little clothes for them and accessories. Everyday for weeks now she has made sure that there is a book, magazine or pamphlet with a toy design in my viewing range. She's tired of all the time I've been spending knitting neck warmers to sell at the summer fairs.

It is difficult to knit the same item time after time after time, but it must be done. I've been doing a wool/acrylic blend for most of the neck warmers, but I have come across an acrylic/nylon blend that feels heavenly and is working up in the pattern beautifully. Berroco's Comfort yarn is the brand in question. It feels like a cotton/silk blend and the colors are really vibrant and saturated in their depth. I think this just may be the my new yarn od choice for my non-wool clientele.

But, back to poor Muse. I really think I must do the old girl a good turn and make one little toy in order to calm her down. If I don't, I'm afraid we'll have a full on melt down and she'll hit the pub for an overextended stay and then huff around the studio. That can be extremely frustrating. Having a tiff with one's muse is just not a good thing. In an effort to stave off the big pout from Muse, I pulled a book by Val Pierce, 20 Knitted Bears. These little bears are all basically the same and then the outfits are made to dress them as you wish. You could actually make one little bear and several dresses, kind of like an infants version of Barbie dress-up. They are truly sweet little creatures and quick to work up. So, I have decided that after I make one more neck warmer (it's already on the needles - I have to finish - right???) I will make one little bear and couple of dressing up pieces and take them to my little, Kate. The size and shape will be perfect for her little two and half year old hands.

There, there dear muse - I have not forgotten you or the valuable service that you play in my knitting, but for heaven's sake after this little detour please let me get on with finishing my supply of neck warmers or we'll be living in the shed come summer when I have nothing to sell.

What has your muse inspired you to do lately???

Peace and joy to you all.....
The Green Girl

Lazy Days and a Knitting Haze....

The weather has been cool and windy these last few days, but we refuse to close the windows again and turn the furnace back on. It's kind like the Yarn Harlots furnace wars - we've started now and we don't intend to lose the fight. So, the mornings have been cool inside the house in a way that makes you want to slide down under a huge pile of blankets and just let your face stick out into the cool air. It is the kind of feeling that lulls you back to that sleepy, dreamy place and then POW the telephone rings and rips you back into the present with a force like a hurricane.

Then there was this morning - I learned my lesson and turned the phone off just a for bit. I was awake by 7:00am and having my cheerios and then I settled back under the covers with a cuppa tea and good Brit-Lit book about a woman that owns a knitting shop by the sea in Britain. Totally - 100% - absolute laziness on my part, but I don't care. Nope, I don't care even one little knit or purl that I didn't get in the shower until 9:15am. Now you know I don't care because I actually told you the time. So, think me lazy, slothful or sluttish - I don't care. I had once fantastic morning and I deserve it, as I'm guessing most of you do as well.

This change in my morning routine was actually a requirement in my mind. I've been getting up when DH leaves at 6:30ish and starting my knitting for the summer fairs and not putting my needles down until midnight for weeks now. Unfortunately, I'm not quite where I want to be, but I'm not far off either. I have had to continue with the cleaning, cooking and laundry after all and I needed to start my April square for my Baker's Dozen group on Ravelry. However, I noticed that I was running out of steam on my projects a little, so some light reading (about knitting of course) has re-charged my batteries. Now you can call it laziness if you like, but in reality it's a bit more like therapy for someone in a knitting haze.

The square for April has been frogged twice, but it's now moving right along. The MOM for April is our only gentleman member of the group and his choice of color is orange. Baby is he getting orange. The label calls the color pumpkin, but it's nowhere near, it's plain old fashioned, peel me one of Florida's best - ORANGE!!! This is one of the blankets that I am most looking forward to seeing completed, as I seem to have developed a passion for the color orange over the past year. I am sure this is because the muse has bewitched me somehow, but that's okay. It's a fun color in the end.

All in all, I call this a good day and it's not even noon. Yahoo!!!!

Peace and joy to you all.....
The Green Girl.

The Hybrid....

Today was a fantastic day!! Oops, I should say yesterday was  a fantastic day as it is now just shy of 3:00am. I know, what in the world am I doing awake and blogging at this time of day?? Well, let's just say that Zumba is the culprit. You know Zumba, the Latin fitness dance craze - well I did a little too much Zumba on Thursday and hyper-extended my right knee to the side. After getting to sleep tonight the pain woke me two hours later and I am now sitting with a bag of frozen peas on my knee and waiting for the pain killers to kick in - so why waste time - blog!

lft to rt: Dad, Cathy, Mom. In back, Steve. In front my DH, Dave

.

Anyway, on Friday (that would be the yesterday,) DH and I went to visit his parents, which also gave me the opportunity to meet his cousin and her DH (see picture, and lest we forget, DH and I have been married 29 years.) I know it's disgraceful that it has been that long, but I can honestly say that it seems like I've known Cathy and Steve my entire life. They are two of the loveliest people I've ever met. At dinner, I learned that Cathy and I both love quilts and this got the muse every excited. You see, the muse remembered that my gran taught me to quilt when I was young and if I do say so, my gran was a quilter extraordinaire. Stacks and stacks of quilts of her own design, awards from local, regional and state competitions. I mean these quilts will make you cry they are so beautiful. Then when my gran passed several years back, I received my favorite quilt from my childhood, "Grandma's Flower Garden." It was not the most elaborate, it was not of her own design, but it spoke to me and held sway over me my entire life. I was allowed to sleep under that quilt every time we visited Gran. It didn't matter if I had been naughty or nice, that quilt was always waiting to enfold me in its layers and keep me warm and safe. I would lay awake and count all the pretty colors in each flower until I finally fell into a peaceful slumber and although I wanted that quilt so badly, Gran always said that one day it would mine, but not that day. She meant of course after she passed, the quilt would pass to me. It was a long wait, 42 years in fact, but that meant that I had my gran that entire time and I would have gladly waited even longer to keep her with us just a few more years. Ah the sweet, sweet memories.

Grandma's Flower Garden

The muse made me realize that knitting brings up the same kind of emotions for many people. A sweater that we love as a child will remain our favorite even when we've outgrown it. The memories that are imprinted by an especially loved hand knitted item are strong and powerful just like the memories of my gran's hand-sewn quilt. So, why not combine these two lovely art forms and create a hybrid blanket - one square quilted, one square knitted - can you imagine the power that blanket would hold - the joy it would give to the receiver - I believe it could be truly magical!!!

Cathy and I talked about quilts that had been given as wedding gifts over the years and how special those items are to the couple. As I have mentioned before, my oldest niece is marrying her beloved this summer. I thought I knew exactly what gift we would give the happy couple, and then all that changed after talking to Cathy. I am going to make a hybrid wedding quilt - it will contain shades of white, ivory and cream. My knitted blocks will consist of the the "Tree of Life" pattern to represent the family tree and the quilted blocks will consist of differing designs that I still need to research. Each stitch whether sewn or knitted will be made with love and blessings for a long an happy marriage for Beth and Nick. In the end I hope that it will hold all of the magic that their love brings to life. I'll share pictures and the journey in future blogs as the project unfolds. Wish me much luck as I have had this epiphany only two and half months before their wedding day. For this I blame the muse, she is always coming at me with these ideas when the time-line needs to be fast-tracked in order to be completed on time. This time I'll give the muse a break as I believe myself to be as excited as she!

Thanks ever so much Cathy. Meeting you has brought joy to my life and I pray that this hybrid quilt will bring the same joy to Beth and Nick.

Peace and joy to you all....
The Green Girl   

Tick, Tock....

It seems the the time is playing tricks on me once again - I looked yesterday at a calender and found that it was already April. When did that happen? We are one-quarter of the through the year. And the birthdays hit this month - April is a very popular month for babies old and new in this family, including my own. There must have been some very hot July nights in the past, I'm just sayin.

I've been so busy working on the website, the products for the summer fairs, and making the transition to spring that I've accomplished nothing else in my knitty domain. I have finally got the "Big Wash" underway - that's washing and drying all the blankets and comforters from the winter bedding. It can be an all day experience and as happens most times it has become a two day military maneuver. One day this week will be the transitioning of the clothes - out with my beloved winter woolly knits and in with the spring cotton and bamboo.

This lack of time for any personal knitting has left the studio in chaos once again and that has to be sorted this week - I can't live like this another day. Plus, I now have a stack of personal projects. I was married in the same year as Charles and Diana, my oldest niece was a baby at our wedding and she is marrying in the same summer as William and Kate and then I also have my littlest niece Kate. Although Kate the elder is quite lovely, my two girls are the prettiest - yes of course I'm prejudice, I'm the auntie for goodness sake! It is my job to think my girls are the fairest in the land. Anyway, the royal wedding dolls will be knit as a keepsake for my girls. You'll be able to read about my knitting of the forthcoming Royal Wedding on the Knitty Scribe blog later today.

OK - the clock continues to tick and I feel even farther behind now that I seem to have misplaced the month of March. Happy Spring everyone......may the flowers bloom and the birds sing and inspire you all to great knitty heights!!!

Peace and joy to you all....
The Green Girl

Bright Lights and Web Sites.....

The last few days have busy, busy, busy. I'm knitting like I'm on speed in order to get my product supply to a healthy level for the summer fairs and I've been busy working on the website for Oz Dust Designs, by The Green Girl Studio. The domain name is in concrete, the design process is in the very active stage and I hope it goes live next week. It's all very exciting, but very mind numbing when you stop to consider all the things you don't know about this process. It's been one of those things where you say to yourself - "Self - you've done well, you've learned a lot, but if you had a million dollars you would have done the smart thing and let a professional make this site for you." C'est la vie! One day this little business will be large enough to have people to do these things and at least I'll know enough to nod and tell them they are doing a good job. See, I'm staying positive!


I will say this, Mike web master extraordinaire at the "web hosting facility" (this is all very TRON to me) was very nice on the phone when I called blabbering about things that I'm sure made no real sense. He was patient, thorough, and allowed me to repeat myself several times for clarification. I hope this secretive place out there somewhere has an employee of the month award, Mike should definitely get the award for March 2011. Oh why not give it to him for the year, he knows I'll be calling again with more blabbering.

OK - that's the latest and greatest from the world of Oz.

Peace and joy to ya all....
The Green Girl

S-P-R-I-N-G...

S - is for the "slip stitch"
P - is for the Purl 2 together
R - is for ribbing - 1x1 -2x2 - or 1x2
I - is for Increase - make one or yarn-over
N -is for needles and notions
G - is for Gauge - the bane of all knitters, but a must have even though it can lie.

Just a little reminder of the true meaning of the new season and all that can be accomplished.

Peace and joy to you all.....
The Green Girl.

Wearing of the Green....

Happy Saint Patrick's Day -2011... Have you knitted yourself a shamrock to wear on this day?? Don't get pinched because you're not in green.

As I am of Irish heritage many times over, this is a special day for me. Not because of Saint Patrick, but because I feel an extra pull on the heartstrings that bind me to the Emerald Isles.

I am thinking of my ancestress that came to the United States to raise a family and used knitting as her occupation. My hands feel more in tune today because of my connection to her. So, I am casting a on a sweet little neck warmer, in what else a lovely shade of green merino wool. I think I might have a little shamrock or Celtic knot button to sew onto the finished product. It won't be finished until tomorrow, but as they celebrate Saint Patrick's Day for the entire month of March in the Ireland, I'll wear the neck warmer tomorrow. My fellow Americans may think I'm one day short (which is typically true,) but I'll know that I am really channeling my Irish Green Girl...

And for always,
Peace and joy to ya all.....

The Green Girl

Missing....

I've been thinking about things that I miss. Someone said something to me late last week that got me to thinking about:
1) How exciting it was when I was little to sit down on the sofa with my mother and look through the Sears catalog, marking up the styles that we liked and put "outfits" together. Outfits was a big word used back in the stone age for ensemble. No one's mother could pull-off an "outfit" like mine, she was the queen of the outfit. We never actually bought even 1/4th of the outfits we put together, but it was a great time to play with my mom and share something together. I miss those days.

2) When I started learning to read, I taught my Grandfather (PaPa) at the same time. He had very little school - something like second or third grade, but because he was needed on the farm, he never really learned to read that well. We learned together and then later when I was a teen, we would sit and read books and newspapers together and discuss their meanings and that would lead to discussions on the meaning of life type stuff. All really good stuff and good times. I miss those days.

3) Then this evening, I started thinking about how I missed my brother. He is many years younger than I and he was the greatest thing that I ever asked for and actually got (save my DH.) I remember how I fed him, bathed him, diapered him, taught him his ABC's, rocked him and sang him to sleep. When he was little we shared a bedroom and he would stand in his crib and knock things from the top the dresser that stood between my bed and his crib onto the floor so that I would wake-up. When I would jump up from the noise he would giggle - his laugh today is that same giggle (it's burned into my memory and my heart.) As he got a little older, he would come into my bedroom and  stand at the edge of my bed and in a still small voice he would say, "Sissy, can I sleep with you, I had a bad dream." I happened to be home visiting my parents when he was in high school and his first girlfriend broke his heart. I miss sharing those days with him.

All this "missing" is what I get when I am trying to make up product for the summer fairs. I sit and knit and knit and I think and I reminisce and then I miss. I guessing that this endless knitting could help with remembering as well. Someone should try that and let me know how it works. Lose a shoe or a lip-gloss - knit until you remember where you left said item. If this works, I may try it for finding the cell phone that I lost a few months ago. I was sure it would turn up by now, but no go.

Enjoy some time missing and membering the next time you knit, I found that it's kind of like meditation. At least I was in a trance.

Peace and joy...
The Green Girl

La Liste....

The check list:
1) Finish web site
2) Finish the laundry
3) Work with Amanda to start the second round of the Baker's Dozen Group
4) Knit 100 neck warmers for sale at the this year's Craft Fairs (starter stock)
5) Finish Fair paperwork (that is when the coordinator sends it to me)
6) Finish the laundry (this needs to be stated twice as it is an all the time chore)
7) Plan the garden.
8) Start knitting my Spring socks
9) Get a handle on my book reviews for Knitty Scribe.
10) Finish research and write rough draft for my Ancient Civilizations paper. Hoping to present in 2012 at annual meeting in Chicago (this is the non-knitty side of my life.) 
11) yada yada yada........

This is only part of the list that keeps running through my mind on auto-repeat. In one day I have become very busy. That's a good thing, but it's daunting as well. The Green Girl is going global, viral, (choose whatever word that fits). I am going on the Craft Fair circuit this summer. I'm going to be offering two of my designs pre-knit and three patterns for sale. So, I've been knitting late into the next day's early morning - going to sleep, waking up a few hours later with an anxiety attack and going back to knitting for about a week now. I'm also going to offer these neck warmers on my website (should go live by the end of the month of early April) and through Etsy. So far, I'm planning about 12 colors - 4 neutrals, 4 brights, 4 pastels. They will fit any teen or adult. I'm making a child size, but I have to get it tested by a few children so those may not show up until Autumn.

Neck Warmer - Bright 

Neck Warmer - Neutral

As of today, I cannot check anything off that list, but everything is in motion. I consider this a triumph as very little was in motion a week ago. Ah -there goes the dryer bell - time to turn back into Washer-Woman!!!

What amazing tasks are you up to these days???

Peace and joy...
The Green Girl.

We are Women -

Hear us roar - In numbers too bug to ignore......

Happy International Womens Day!!!! Today we celebrate that fact that we are strong, beautiful, intelligent, capable, etc.... This is something that should be celebrated daily in the lives of all women.

Point of Interest regarding the Green Girl - I am a feminist!!! The definition of this word is as follows:

"The doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men." Let us note that this does not say we are better, stronger, the same as, or superior to men, but equal in standing in the social, political and human rights arenas. Feminism has gotten a bad name because a lot of people think that the word means something other than the definition listed. 

 

I have been a feminist since 1972. I organized my school's first and perhaps only bra burning in junior high school. They were training bras for the most part, but we were women in training at the time. I still carry the flag of equality throughout my life. I love being a woman, I love knowing that my husband is strong in ways that I am not, but we are equal in voice. He is better than I at his career, I am better than him at my career and we celebrate that fact. 

However this is a blog about knitting and I want to celebrate that idea. There are numerous female role models in the knitting world, wonderful women that share their art with everyone. Where would my knitting be without Edna Geraldine Russell Mullins or Mary Lucille Tinsley Street (my grans). Then there are the knitting worlds more famous icons - Elizabeth Zimmerman, Nicki Epstein, Debbie Bliss just to name a few. And there are all the independent knit designers that can be found on Ravelry, Etsy, etc... I am proud to be among such an illustrious group - each and every one of us unique and talented in our own ways, giving and noteworthy in the journey of life. We are strong... we are invincible.....WE ARE WOMEN!!!

 

Finally, let me say as a feminist and a knitter, I am thrilled to have the menfolk joining our art form in greater numbers. Designers like Alan Dart - Kaffe Fassett and many famous male sports icons are well known, but it is the man on the street that seems to be jumping into the stash with more and more abandon. I recently read an article about men taking up knitting as a way to save their health. I'm glad to see that men are finally learning what we women have known for decades, knitting is a stress reliever (ok sometimes it's a stress inducer, but you get the picture.) 

So, celebrate being a girl - keep bringing your talent to the masses, and most of all - find your own peace and joy and spread it around....

Peace and joy to you all....

The Green Girl.

The Art of the Edit....

This week saw me complete two cowls, and scarf. That would normally be really good progress, However, I could have finished more......

I think that many of us get very excited to publish our patterns whether for free or for profit. I understand it is an exciting moment. However, that excitement should not allow one to over look the need of a second pair of eyes (aka - the editor or the test knitter.) For example, I wanted to publish a pattern earlier in the week. I sent it off to an editor and am patiently waiting for her to send it back to me on Monday. I'm disappointed that I cannot publish yet, but in the end you will all get a well written pattern.

I remind us all of the need of an editor or test knitter because I spent two days re-writing and frogging a simple scarf pattern that should have been finished in an evening. The original pattern that I pulled as a freebie from Ravelry was so poorly written that there was nothing to be done, but start from scratch. In each section something was glaringly wrong. I think part of the problem was that the writer wrote things such as:
       1) Start the pattern again working only k1,p1 on the front and purl on the back. Keep the pattern correct throughout. OK - problem is that this was not the entire pattern, there were two more lines to the original pattern listed on the first page. She kept forgetting to list or refer to the full pattern. If you did just what she wrote, you did not get the pattern that she wanted.
       2) Making a loop for the end of the scarf: These instructions looked fine except that the author forgot to tell you that after you knit the first half, you have to cut the working yarn and start the yarn again on the second half or you get a three inch piece of yarn loop hanging out the side that can in no way be reincorporated in the design.

And the list went on and on. These are things a test knitter or editor would have caught. The pattern is cute as can be, but the bad writing made it impossible to make without having to guess at what the author wanted. This pattern should have been knitted in two halves and then stitched together because you get a funny look on the second side because the pattern is done in the opposite direction. So, I offer two suggestions - get someone to edit for you - be that a read through - a test knit or both.
 And then find yourself a pattern writing template. TKGA has a great template to follow for writing a concise and well put together patten. These tools are invaluable for those of us that self publish or submit or patterns to magazines, and other publishers. It could mean the difference between someone giving your pattern a second thought or having it end up in File 13 (aka the recycling pile.) It also keeps fellow knitters from shaking their head and wondering what you thinking.

In the end you'll be happy that you spent a little more time on your written instructions and so will the people that take the time to make your designs.


Peace and joy....
The Green Girl

For my Mates Downunder.....

Happy Monday!!! Hope you all have had a great weekend. I have once again separated my shoulder and rotator cuff on my right side. Spring is coming and I have started to come out of my hibernation and on Friday I thought a good way to pep up the old bod was to do two Pilates routines in one day. I've done it before, but this time it was a bad idea and the shoulder went snap, crackle, pop! That stopped my cleaning of the studio for Saturday in its tracks. However, I found that I could knit with little to no pain because my right arm stays pretty stationary when I knit. So, with ice on my shoulder I snuggled up on the sofa and finished my little eyelet and lace cowl.

It's still pinned for blocking in this picture, but you can get the general idea of the pattern. And with full intention, I actually made the i-cord that is woven through the neck. As you may already know, I hate making i-cord. I usually use a little Embellish Knit i-cord maker, but this time I made it the old fashioned way.

I made the i-cord long enough that it can be tied in different ways so that you can enhance the type of outfit being worn. Above it is tied in a traditional bow, which is feminine and enhances the knit design.

And in this picture, I've knotted the i-cord for a slightly sporty look. You can also add a pin to the neck for another look.

In the end I like how this turned out. I'll be putting this pattern on Ravelry tomorrow and selling it for 1.99$ US. The proceeds will go to the earthquake victims in New Zealand. My friend, Jane lives there and although she and her family are doing fine, I want to help the people of the area in some way. If you don't have a Ravelry account, I'll also be listing this on Etsy and E-bay or you can contact me directly. You'll be giving to a good cause and this will make great gifts.

Peace and joy to you all...
The Green Girl.

The Hands of Time.....

Do you ever wonder about your ancestors?? It has been a passion of mine since I was a child to know them - know as much about them as I can - to try and understand their thinking and their choices - to try and know what came together to bring my collection of genes into this world. Perhaps it is one reason why I hold degrees in biology and ancient history and language. I just cannot get enough. I started tracing my heritage about 30-35 years ago, but never found all that much. Then came Ancestry.com!!! The mecca for us family history nuts. And oh what a flood gate it opened up for me. I won't bore you with all the things I've found as in many ways I'm just a normal American girl, but there is a mystery that has been solved that is directly attached to moi' and I think you'll like the story.....

I am left-handed. I understand fully that I was given a right hand so that I would look like all the other babies laying in the hospital bassinets, but the right hand I was given was for the most part non-functional.Oh it looks nice with a bracelet and ring or a watch, but put a pen in it and it acts like a launching pad. Nothing works very well when in my right hand. That's okay though, we have learned to get along and have had a pretty easy relationship for the past 48 years. I get zero sympathy from family, as there is no one - not a soul on either side of my family that is left-handed. Just me and me alone for at least 4-5 generations. That makes you a real oddball at all the family functions -"Put her on the end so she won't hit the person next to her with her elbow while we eat." "Don't let her cut that - she can't use the right handed scissors (actually I could, I never got that- they worked fine in my left hand.) And the list goes on and on that I could not be taught this or that because I was lefty. Then once I had a teacher tell me that being a lefty made me smarter and more artistic. Well, the jury may still be out on both counts, but that comment gave me confidence.

Then about two nights ago while weaving my way through the past, I found a census from the 1700's and on that census was one of the greatest surprises of my life. It stated - Katherine Mullins - born: Ireland - arrived: six months ago - head of house (widow) - occupation: LEFT-HANDED KNITTER!!!!! And the angels sang!!!!!! I have a many times great-grandmother that was not only a lefty, but a knitter as well. Someone else like me - I can only conclude that she was  strong woman to have come from Ireland alone with her children to start a life here. She holds her needles like me, her left hand ached after long hours of knitting like mine do. I am not a complete oddball - I am part of her - her abilities skipped many generations and landed in me. I'm as happy about this as I can be - silly maybe, but for me and me alone a little inspirational. Now I have a little niece, Kate (Katherine) and I am waiting to see if she is a lefty as well. I think granny would be happy to know us both - I have loved meeting her over all these intervening years.

Who are you like???

Peace and joy to you all....
The Green Girl

Fresh and Pretty....

Happy Saturday!!!! We woke this morning to absolutely no snow for the first time since November. DH has informed me that we may get as much as one inch tomorrow or it may all be rain. We shall see - regardless I know Winter is not over yet.
That has not kept me from diving into a little Spring knitting. If you've seen the posts from earlier this week, then you will know that I had a good knit followed by a good frogging session. However, not to be detoured I started over and have now finished what I think of as a pretty little Spring lace cowl.
I did not intend for this to be a cowl when I began so it was not knitted in the round, but I like the way I put it together in the end. All's well...... If nothing else this was a nice little pick-me-up piece of knitting and a good way to get me thinking about the warm weather to come.

Lace being blocked - still a rectangle

Completed cowl - yarn: Omega Stella (Limon)

Peace and joy to you all...
The Green Girl.