Before I get too busy...

I just wanted to share the first item I've ever worked on for myself....a lovely scarf made from the yarn I bought at the Southern Christmas Show (the creme colored). I'm super excited AND I'm trying an actual pattern. I'm in the pull-ups phase of knitting soon to be on to big girl panties.And this is just a little "pumpkin" hat I made for another "youngin'" I thought it was super cute (and yes, the bear is mine). I'm also working on a baby blanket for both my old teammate and current teammate, both pregnant (well, one's wife anyway). Wish me luck!

A Lazy Sunday Afternoon

I've been told that blog-readers enjoy looking at pictures, so in light of this news I went a little picture crazy this afternoon. I was sitting on the couch, watching Two Weeks Notice with Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock when I looked around at my half-knitting projects and nifty knitting baggery and thought I should share it all. This is my new knitting container. As of right now it holds all of my knitting goodies. It zips and velcros AND has my name embroidered on the top. It makes me happy.

Next in line we have my Vera Bradley bags that were never meant to hold knitting supplies, but that do it surprisingly well. The travel bag holds all my needles and larger supplies with ease.

It zips 3/4 of the way around and has a netted zip at the top where I keep my circulars and smaller straights (in a seperate case). You see my larger needles at the bottom with other tools too big for tiny spaces, but too small to float around the big tote. There is also a handle on this bag, so toss in a few balls of yarn and it's on the go with you. I keep my smaller straight needles zipped with the circulars in this (which is made to hold curling irons, but does a great job with the needles).

The last Vera item is this tiny case meant to hold jewelry.It's super small, so easy to throw into a purse. There's small pockets throughout and a pull-out section with 3 zipped sections. My point covers, needles, stitch markers, and other small items hang out in this bag. It's the most versatile of my collection. Now on to what has happened to that "interesting" yarn I purchased. Below you fill find it laid out on the fabric I bought to line the purse (that's what it is) for my sister (left). The one on the right is my purse, or hat as the mood strikes me.

This last piece is seen drying on the counter of my kitchen being shaped by a cake pan. It's my mother-in-law's Christmas gift...my first felted item (a purse). Picture it with sewn on leather straps and a magnetic close. I'm proud! Now, back to my laundry and paper grading on this "lazy" Sunday afternoon.

Are you sure you haven't seen Johnny?

That's me at the NC Zoo...on a field trip with my class...and I'm knitting. I can assure you that no children were lost or injured due to my knitting while under the guise of "chaperone." There were cries of "those are some big needles" and my knitting addicts stared and gawked like I was putting on a show. I should have danced, too. The addiction continues...

The Southern Christmas Show

I have still not made it to a real yarn store yet. I will admit that I am a bit intimidated. I know that I am still a baby knitter and live in a paranoid fear that those who are more experienced than I will laugh at my attempts. I am learning that that attitude is not typical of any knitter I have yet to meet, but it's still a little scary to enter the world of knitting without a tour guid. Well, I went to the Southern Christmas Show in Charlotte, NC yesterday. I was hoping for yarnage of some sort since it's a crafty type thing, but I wasn't expecting any. Well, there was yarn. I was so excited. I spent LOTS of money on my first skein of 100% merino wool




and two skeins of wool, mohair, silk blend.



















My little sister picked out some of the random stuff below for her Christmas present (I'm making her a purse). I'm working on it right now with some awesome size 19 circular needles and the project is flying by. If you are interested in the stuff check out http://www.thebaggirl.com/.

Can you help?

Let me begin by saying that we are a poor school, and all the supplies currently used by the knitting club were purchased by me. That being said, if you know anyone or any business that might be able to donate some knitting supplies to us, please let me know. The jewelry club has supporters and are being sent all kinds of things every day. I'd love to have the supplies to be used with my students. If you know anyone who can help, or if you can send us goodies, email me at faithdellinger@gmail.com for my school's address. I will not ask for money because I know people don't trust that, but needles, markers, point covers, yarn..we'll take anything you can spare. Pass the word! I'm attracting more knitters every day! Our club is now the largest in the school! Help us continue to be the Shiz-knit!

It's rubbing off...

My students are addicted to knitting, and I'm loving it. We meet for knitting club once a week at the beginning of the school day. I have about 14 kids in there (2 boys). Last week, we attempted to cable cast on. I decided to start there because I have issues getting the twirly cast on to stay tight. Plus, if they can cable cast on they can practically knit anyway. Well, most of them about cried attempting to do this and I'm only one person, so needless to say not everyone had it when they left my room. Now, I teach 99% of the knitting club anyway, so as the week progressed I began to assist my students when they would ask for help. Within 2 days a student needed me to teach her to bind off because she knitting herself a bracelet. That same day another student showed me the 3 potholders he'd already made and binded off in his own, special, didn't read the instructions way. I began to get complaints that my students were causing a stir because they would knit in class...any class. They'd put down their knitting to write or work, but lecture time was knitting time to them. I taught one gentleman how to change colors two days ago and his multi-color scarf is going great (I saw it when he pulled it out to work on it when he finished his quiz). Another girl has a nifty bag from Michael's hooked to her backpack full of her current project and other supplies. The teacher that's helping me has already bought extra yarn and asks every day for some more assistance (she's addicted too). And, I'm about to infect one more...tomorrow I will teach Courtney how to knit. She mentioned that she'd love for me to teach her last weekend. So, I bought her a bag, the Stich and Bitch book (which is still helpful to me) yarn, needles, and a starter kit with measuring tape, stich markers, point covers, tapestry needles, etc. I spent tons of money on her and all she said was "I would love for you to teach me to knit the next time we're together." Well, tomorrow's the day and I'm all prepared.

Knitting is spreading around my school like wildfire. We've even started an after school meeting every Wednesday to just sit and knit. The students have taken to calling themselves "The Shiz-knit" and I let them. Honestly, we are.

Twisted Sister

Once there was a girl named Faith...

She was a lovely girl who loved to knit, and so she embarked on a journey to knit her future mother-in-law a nice, felted purse. She was doing great.

Until she noticed a problem...she had twisted her circular knitting!!!!!!! And she was already knitting on her second ball...she became upset and cursed her knitting.

Now she knew it was entirely her fault, so she had no choice but to frog the demon wool.

After she had successfully frogged her former almost purse...

SHE WENT COMPLETELY INSANE. Her code name of KNITWIT had never been more applicable.

She enventually ended her rant and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

The moral of the story? For the love of pink hippos please don't let your circular knitting twist. If, however, it does please catch it before you turn out like this young lady.

Running ragged

I feel like a chicken with it’s head cut off, except I can see where I’m going and I’m powerless to stop myself. My students have been driving me up the wall lately. I’m convinced that they have been inhabited by the devil to torment me and keep me from fulfilling God’s will for my life (that or it’s puberty). Either way you look at it they are wild and crazy kids (and it’s way less fun than that old Nickelodeon show). I’m also troubled by the things that I’m forgetting to do these days. I’m concerned that knitting is filling a scary void in my life. I’ll forget to grade papers or call a parent, but I always make time for my knitting. I think I’m going to have to start making lists of things I must do every day and not knit until they are all complete. I now fantasize about winning the lotto so I could knit to my heart’s content and never have to work again. I’d buy that book, Knitting for Peace, and knit to help organizations all around the world.

To switch gears, as I often do, someone called me the knitting queen this weekend. In fact, I think it was a former queen of Atlantia (back to the SCA game again…confused? Read the previous blog) which makes it pretty special. Anyway, I’m typing this blog on a word document instead of babysitting my students in the computer lab, so I should go. You’d think they could handle word processing, but alas that’s what I get for thinking.

Tales of a traveling knitter

I attempted to knit in the car this weekend. I, of course, was not driving. I discovered many things about myself and this particular knitting ability.

1. I cannot, ever, in any way, cast on the correct amount of stitches while moving. It's just impossible.

2. I cannot, ever, in any way, talk, ride, and knit at the same time.

3. Only knit things you've already started while riding. Do not attempt to end or begin anything.

On the plus side I did finish two hats while "camping" this weekend. I was super excited about THAT. My fiance and I were at an SCA event (that's the Society for Creative Anachronism folks...I dressed like a medeival chic and knitted...double cool) and so I had a lot of time to sit and relax and knit. They were offering a class on socks, but I didn't come with the appropriate supply of dpns so I didn't go. I now wish I would have. I bought the prettiest self-patterning yarn just for socks at the marketplace at the event. Which brings me to something else...I BOUGHT MY FIRST REAL YARN!!! And geez, Michael's is tons cheaper. I'm going out to buy size 2 dpns tonight so I can knit my first pair of socks. I forsee much frogging in my future. Ah, and to correct myself, I meant a ribbed scarf, not cable or whatever I actually said...silly me.

I've becoming a hat making machine. I have requests from students and friends alike. I think my Christmas list will become:

Mom--hat
Dad--hat
Sister-hat
hairdresser-hat, etc.

And, my students are so excited about knitting club. One of them bought the requested needles and brought them to school today to show me. I have boys and girls in there too, so YAY knitting club. That happens Wednesday morning...I'll keep you posted.

And we're off...

I am a knitter (with a little k, per the definition of my beloved yarn harlot Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee). I started knitting a whopping month ago. Yes, a month ago. I’d had slight affairs with knitting before. I once attempted to knit a scarf that ended up growing wider and wider with increasingly more holes. My best friend taught me to knit then, and when she left me alone with only a base knowledge of knitting, I caved, threw my holey scarf away, and decided I stunk at knitting and would never try again. Then, my beloved came back, singing the praises of this wonderful art. Whatever...I suck. Then, she purchased a bag. My heart sang at the prospect of having a hobby that would allow me to purchase bags (yes, more than one…I’m needy). So, right then and there I chose yarn (which I’m sure, being the Knitter-with-a-capital-K that she is, made her twitch since I picked up the pretty stuff with no regard for anything else) and needles and we left the store. She taught me to cast on and to knit and purl and I was exicted, even when I messed up, because I was getting it this time. Then, she left again. I forgot to ask her how to end something you’ve knitted. Was I destined to knit on this obscure and horrendous skinny scarf-like thing for all eternity? Would all my knitting be gifted still attached to their knitting or stich holders?This is when insanity briefly ensued and I put my needles to a use better than a useless, non-ending scarfy thing. I just want to say, right now, that I love the little asian woman who taught me how to end my knitting on YouTube. Bless you…I love your country’s food. My first accomplishment was a scarf for my sister, with 2x2 cables.

(Please forgive me if my terminology is not correct. I’m the protégé of one many hours away, and while she will correct me after reading this, there’s nothing she can do now). I also started a seed/moss stich scarf with three different colors in bamboo thread..I’m halfway done with that and it’s going to be beautiful. I made a goofy looking had for my fiance, although another, better one is already in the works. He wanted a Jayne hat (from Firefly and Serenity) but in our haste we just bought yarn and a pattern and I knit away. It wasn’t until after I was finished that we found an actual pattern for the real hat and, sadly, the colors we saw when we had pulled the hat up on our cell phones in the Michael’s to pick color was nowhere near correct. He’ll get the real thing later.

I’m reading the funniest book of the century (mentioned earlier…Yarn Harlot by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee). Even in my short knitting experience I find myself laughing hysterically at her kniting adventures. I’m comforted to know that even experienced knitters make mistakes. I naively thought that someday, I wouldn’t accidentally drop a stitch. I do know that experienced knitters know to pay attention and look for their mistakes so they can fix them sooner. I know that I’m already falling in the knitter’s trap…I made a list of things to knit for Christmas. I’m teaching, taking master’s degree courses, and attempting to plan a wedding for March while continuing to lose weight..sure I can knit mulitiple things for multiple people. No biggie. I’m already seeing the error of my ways thanks to that lovely book…I won’t be consumed by “IT.”

We have to run a club at the school in which I teach, and I decided to start a knitting club. I’m very aware that, as a baby knitter (and that’s a new knitter, not one who knits exclusively for babies), I probably shouldn’t be teaching others how to knit. But, I’m confident in the books that helped me, an overhead projector, and middle schoolers who are super excited (thanks to my obsession…I tell every class, every day, how my knitting is going). I am a bit nervous about the little girl who asked me today “Can I bring my knitting bag on club day?” I hate to tell her but if she’s better than me she’s in charge.

Anyway, long blog shorter than it could be, my leader told me to start a knitting blog, so here I am. She bugged me and bugged me. Then, as I’m talking to my lovely fiance about my knitting, he says “Why don’t you just start a knitting blog so you can obsess online?” They ganged up on me. They win. But I love knitting and I’m proud to be a knitter aspiring to one day be a Knitter.