K is For...

K is For...
Knit
Bet you never guessed what today's letter would stand for! Of course, knitting is my thing. Not that I don't do other close work, but I knit every day. It's what I think of when I wake up in the morning. Well, that and the song that is in my head most mornings, but that is a different post!
















K is For...
Knitty

Many wonderful free patterns some of which have become classics already. Some like the Clapotis have over 16,000 projects listed on Ravelry alone!





















K is For...

Kunststricken: Decken, Garnituren, Spitzen Band 408/760

by Herbert Niebling

This is Egeblad by Christine Duchrow. I have knit this and it was a fun project!













This is Lyra. I have the pattern but have not knit it yet. I will!

K is For...
Key














The Three Keys to Happiness

1. Something to Do. This is why I think people who create things are happy. And creating can include really anything-cooking, making a fence, knitting, painting...

2. Something to Love. Friends and family are such an important element to our ultimate happiness. This also includes giving back. Find a way to share what you have. If you have no money, make sure you give your time to something. My mother is constantly involved in charity work and I know that is part of why she is such a young 80 year old.
If you are single, you may have a best friend that always knows just how to pick you up, or make you laugh when you want to cry. Pets can even be an incredible source of companionship, there to greet you at the end of a long day. I’ve had pets all of my life and marvel at their willingness to love us unconditionally. The love for God can be a huge strength for you as well.

3. Something to Hope For. Everyone should have something to hope for. Something that drives them towards a goal. It’s been said that if you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it every time. Have something to aim for; a dream that you hold close and never let completely out of sight. When people lose hope they get complacent, and complacency often leads to a poor attitude. This self-perpetuating cycle of negativity can lead to serious depression, and ultimately harm cherished relationships.


The secret to making these keys work is to act. You sometimes have to force yourself to make the effort but it will work in the long run.
The bottom line is we are responsible for our own happiness. Government programs, promises from elected officials, and pats on the back from bosses may offer temporary mood boosts, but ultimately happiness is a self-induced state of mind. Be responsible for your own happiness.

Talk to you later,
Lynda
The man who lets himself be bored is even more contemptible than the bore.
- Samuel Butler

J is For...

J is for...

























Johnny Cash John Lennon Dr. John









Well Johnny Cash is really for Michele who dearly loves his work-me not so much...
John Lennon who with Paul McCartney wrote some of the most intellectually stimulating songs I have ever heard. And Dr. John for sheer craziness! This I need in my life regularly. Which brings me to:

J is For...
Jeeves and Wooster












What I wouldn't give for Jeeves to bring me my paper and coffee in the morning. And scrub my back and take care of my clothes and well, I could go on and on don't you know?

J is For...
Journey

Not only the group Journey, which we have been listening to a lot around here. Seems like we have all been on an 80's music kick around my house. What fun and you can sing along!
But also Journey as in the path our lives travel as we live. Peregrinations, travels, pilgrimage. It doesn't seem as if I physically go anywhere but my life has had some interesting paths and the dictionary says that a pilgrimage is a long journey and if life isn't that long journey, I don't know what it is. We make itineraries but where we end up isn't always where we thought we'd go. I guess the important part is really the journey and what you did along the way. And how you lived-a life aimed at doing the right thing, for me. Not always easy to figure out but I'm trying.


















Looking for a moral compass,
Talk to you later,
Lynda

Even with the best of maps and instruments, we can never fully chart our journeys.
Gail Pool

I is For...

I is For...
Inspiration
Inspiration is all around me. The hundreds of patterns I want to knit. The Yarns I want. The places I want to go. I am so drawn to my work every day. The first thing I think about when I wake up is what I will work on today. The second thing is where is my book. Life can be so busy that it is important to breathe deeply and enjoy. Inspiration is rooted in breath.
Some of the photos I find on others' blogs inspire me greatly:
This is from Moonstitches:













This is from Tying Up Loose Ends















This is from Ysolda Teague.





















These colors are amazing. Mango Moon from Wild Fibre.


















This I found On wazz' Ravelry project page, so new the pattern isn't posted yet! The designer is Kate Davies.















Inspiration is everywhere. A sudden brilliant, creative, or timely idea is as essential to life as the act of drawing in breath. It is all so tied to my relationship with God and the people I love. That desire to create echoes God's creation and makes life worthwhile.

Well, talk to you later, I gotta go make something.
Lynda


Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working.

Pablo Picasso

H is For...

H is For...
Hats





























































H is For... Mike Holmes
My newest crush if for Mike Holmes. Is this guy amazing or what? Honestly, at every gathering of women I go to to, You just have to mention his name to get the girls going! Everyone loves him, from my mother to kids my sons' age! Not only is he honorable, he is cute in a VERY rugged way!



















H is For...

Howl's Moving Castle

Beautiful, very magical movie based loosely on a book by Dianna Wynn Jones. This film created by Hayao Miyazaki is a masterpiece. Gorgeous animation and a lovely story. Get it, watch it, love it!


H is For...
Hardanger




















One of my favorite types of embroidery.

Hardanger, or Hardangersom, is a form of whitework using counted thread and drawn thread work. It is worked on evenweave fabric of either cotton or linen with linen or pearl cotton threads. Though traditionally worked in white thread on white fabric, color has been used for many years now, both in the fabrics and threads.

While the history of Hardanger embroidery is not well documented, it was popular during the Renaissance period, when the use of linen for clothing increased. It spread its way to Italy, where lovely lace motifs of Punto Taglito and Punto Rialto were done. There it developed into the Punto Aria patterns of Venetian lace. Some motifs of Hardanger show an Assyrian and Egyptian influence which can be traced to the Vikings' many sea forays far into the Mediterranean Sea. The eight-pointed star of Hardanger embroidery is also found in the embroidery of India and is a universal symbol.

As these patterns and textiles moved further north, they were modified into Norwegian Hardanger, Danish Hedebo, English Ayrshire work and Ruskin Lacework. Originally Hardanger was called Norwegian Drawn Work.

H is For...

Home

He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home. ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


Home, the spot of earth supremely blest,
A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest.
~Robert Montgomery




Talk to you later,
Lynda


Home is where you can say anything you like cause nobody listens to you anyway. ~Author Unknown

G is For..

G is for... Guitar




















This is hard to believe but Wikipedia says Jeff beck is 66! What! Not so...
Jeff Beck is one of the best guitarist in the world today. Really right up there with Clapton and that is saying a lot.








G is for...
Goose



















Domestic geese have been used for centuries as watch animals and guards, and are among the most aggressive of all poultry. We used to have them when I was a kid. It took two people to feed and water them as the minute you turned your back to them they would bite you on the back of your leg! They sure did taste good at Christmas though. They really are a good watch bird/doorbell! They always let you know when strangers are around and they are fearless!

G is For...
Glee

Entering its sophomore season, GLEE is a biting musical comedy that has quickly become a pop-culture phenomenon. The highest-rated new scripted series of the season boasts critical acclaim, a loyal fan base of "GLEEks," two certified Gold albums, more than 10 million song downloads and an incredible 19 Emmy nominations - earning it the distinction of being the most-nominated series of the year. To top it off, the genre-defying, award-winning series has been picked up through its third season.
I love this show! It is biting comedy and phenomenal singing! And it makes me happy just to watch it. My family (all men) say it is gay...sounds good to me but go figure. I like music that I can understand the words when sung!


G is For...
Gloves

They still tend to be fingerless though.
How about something to suit the season? Pumpkin fingerless gloves perhaps?


















G is For...
Grey Goose




















G is For...
Gratitude
I am grateful for this lovely day and the health and strength to enjoy it!
Love to you all,
Lynda

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.
Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC), 'Pro Plancio,' 54 B.C.

F is For...

F is for...
Friends.
You know, I hardly think I could get by in life with out my friends. Humans are social animals meant to live in small, stable groups. Increasingly, we are isolated. I lived for six years in an apartment in Madison and didn't know most of the people in the building.
I don't want to live like that anymore. That is why I enjoy small town life. I also maintain that I enjoy the rural community I live in because I am inherently nosy! I like knowing people's family histories and who they are related to and divorced from...
When I was sick a few years ago and not able to get out for a few months, I missed hanging out with my friends very much. I really need to talk and laugh with the girls!
I think that it is therapeutic...















Here is Terri in the summer with long hair.














Here is Michelle and Maryanne in a blurry picture-sorry!













Janet, Terri, Anne, Sue and Sue's friend.









Craft Center friends.













James, Betty and son Patrick.

F is for...
Free Patterns

















Z-Cuff Socks from Vogue Knitting
Aren't these cute?

And sort of in that same note:

F is For...
Fingerless Mitts




























Both of these pair were knit with my hand-spun.



















And this pair is a free pattern from Classic Elite.

Talk to you tomorrow.
Lynda
My mother used to say that there are no strangers, only friends you haven't met yet. She's now in a maximum security twilight home in Australia.

Dame Edna Everage (1934 - )