Gypsy Wools in Boulder

Okay, I'm fairly certain that I am obsessive about my knitting. I challenged myself at the beginning of this year to abstain from buying yarn as a New Year's resolution. Clearly, that didn't happen. So, I've resigned myself to failure and have accepted defeat in this situation. Recently, I had a fabulous opportunity to study Japanese Internment Camps at the University of Colorado in Boulder with TEA/NCTA which is a great chance to learn about an interesting topic and then share that knowledge with my students. One of the side benefits is that I also got to do a little shopping in the evening. But, let's be real. The only shop that I went to was Gypsy Wools on Pearl Street. This is a lovely shop with a fabulous selection of hand-dyed yarns. One of my favorite is Kona Sport and I took advantage of this shopping opportunity! I've justified my expedition in some ways by choosing yarn that I will knit into Christmas gifts - not that I don't have enough already. Anyway, I love this yarn and I've already started a project with it. As I was talking to the owner, she mentioned she was finishing some dying and I asked if I could take a picture. Isn't it lovely? I fight the urge to spin or dye my own yarn. I can only handle so many addictions so I will just have to support others in their endeavors! And trust me, I did :)

I am suspicious of anyone who says they are a knitter and goes on a week long training without yarn or needles. Just sayin'.

Pink

I just found out that one of my best friends, Kim, is going to be a grandmother. Not only is she going to be a grandmother but she already knows that she will be cuddling a precious little girl. I can already imagine the fun she will have with her planning tea parties, playing with dolls, dressing her in pretty pink bows. To some of you, my description may sound a little sexist. Why can't she play with trucks? Why does she have to wear pink? All I can say is, calm down. Of course she can do all those things. I believe girls have the ability and should have the rights to do anything that any boy has the right to do. But, isn't it also okay that she wear pink proudly? I love pink and all things that are stereotypically girly. That's okay, too. Right? Kim will be one of my first close friends to have a grandchild and I want to knit and sew thoughtful items that will make both baby and grandma feel special. I can already envision the Ysolda Teague Tiny Shoes I want to knit and for which to find the perfect buttons. There is a little dress, Clara, that I've been wanting to knit but really didn't have anyone in mind and now I can knit it for someone special. I love to knit, but I really love to knit for babies!

I love spending time with family and can't imagine not living close to my children. We all get busy and lead very separate lives but still manage to intertwine ourselves in a way that makes us supportive and inseparable while still being able to stand on our own. It is an interesting paradox. In many ways we are stronger alone because we are never alone. I took this picture a few months ago when I drove up to Prescott with a friend and it makes me think about growing up in a small town. Yuma seemed like a small town when I was there but you certainly wouldn't know that now. However, even though we live in a large city now, I think we make small towns out of our communities - church groups, knitting groups, co-workers, etc. I pray that I always live close to my children and am able to provide them with a sense of community and small town feelings. I hope they always know there is a place to come "home" and will never feel lost or alone. I wish, however, at this "home" that I had a porch on which I could sit in a rocker and knit. Not the old lady kind of mindless rocking but a place where you can enjoy the outdoors and still produce a beautiful piece of art - with a lovely view, of course. I suppose that I am dreaming a little bit. The weather is currently 113 for a high and the low is 93. Definitely not the weather for rocking on the porch and knitting, so for now, I will sit in my air conditioned sewing room and create! It's really a beautiful room.

I have mentioned many times that I love knitting baby items. I don't know what it is that draws me to these pieces. My friend, Stacy, asked why I like little things so much and I didn't really have an answer for her. But as I begin to contemplate some of the things I have recently made, it might be the immediate gratifications as small items knit up more quickly or it could be the the sheer tininess of the item that causes me to smile.

Something else I learned about myself recently is that I'm not really fond of pop culture cartoon characters. Mostly, I prefer ideas or concepts that are more enduring rather than trendy items that are simply a passing fad and quickly fade from our cultural minds. I tend to be drawn to classics like Teddy Bears, flowers, hearts, farm animals and such. Maybe you think that's weird but have you ever thought about what causes some of our likes and dislikes? I'm sure our upbringing has a lot to do with the choices we make, along with our likes and dislikes, but there has to be outside influences that help us make these determinations.

Perhaps this is just too much contemplation. I've been knitting a lot lately and the themes seem to be Teddy Bears and Flowers. I like them :)

Fear can be paralyzing. That statement may seem like a weird way to begin my blog but I'm feeling a little nervous and apprehensive right now about school beginning in just a few weeks. During the summer I become quite optimistic about what I can accomplish and get into a routine of knitting and sewing all day. I stay in my pajamas if I want and stay up late without fear of early morning consequences. My Etsy shop is benefitting greatly from my time of leisure but today I feel my heart beating at a quicker pace. I worry that I won't be able to finish everything I have set out to accomplish and that once school begins all of my creativity will cease. Do I feel this way every year? I don't know, but I think so. For tonight, I will try not to think about the upcoming end to my summer break. I will continue to knit and quilt with a optimism and hope that the creativity will not stop just because summer break has come to an end!