Dear well meaning gift giver, Hello! Can we chat for a second? I’m a borderline hoarder. I’ve been pretty open about my struggles with getting rid of things so allow me to continue that here. It’s worse when I’m depressed – MUCH worse – but I have to make a daily conscious effort to examine the things that surround me and decide whether there’s something I truly need to keep. I could name off the list of stupid things I’ve held onto for far too long, but there’s some that’s really just too embarrassing right now for me to share and the list would be too long. So just trust…

My friend Liz likes to tell me to lower my expectations. It’s something I need to hear more than I like to admit, I’m afraid. Every holiday season starts out the same – I get excited, the house starts looking like a Christmas factory exploded, the holiday obligations start, I try to do everything, and before I know it I’m pissed and hateful toward the holidays and can’t wait for them to be over.   In an effort to lower my expectations when it comes to the holidays, here’s a list of what I’m giving up this year. I’m not looking at the internet for holiday ideas. That means no…

A lot of people know that I spin my own yarn from time to time. I have this really lovely, old Ashford Traditional that I picked up from someone on Ravelry. It’s been a great wheel for me, and I’ve even splurged and purchased the lace flyer (for those not in the know, the lace flyer is a piece of equipment that you change out and it makes the twist go into the fiber faster, allowing you to spin thinner yarn. More twist generally = more strength in the yarn so you can get it thinner without it breaking). The problem with a wheel, though, is that it isn’t exactly…

So much for test dyeing ahead of time. Things don’t always go right, but being able to go with the flow makes life 100x less disappointing, yes? My fiber isn’t as vibrant as I had hoped it would be but it’s perfectly mellow and autumn woods-like and, therefore, a wonderfully perfect souvenir for our weekend away together. And I came home to find my new drop spindle arrived in them mail while I was gone (a 3D printed mini from my friend Jen of TurtleMade – I’ll show you later this week!) so I’m excited to play with it and this fiber and see what pretty thing the finished yarn turns out to be!…

In the midst of toddler meltdowns and dog accident clean-ups, I took some time to play in the kitchen with some yarn and dye. Not a proper acid dye, of course, but food coloring. Much like dyeing easter eggs, wool dyes with food coloring, too. A little color, a little vinegar, and a little patience goes a long way. Hopefully I can recreate these colors this weekend on the “good stuff” – the sock yarn and spinning fiber tossed so haphazardly into the corners of the craft room. And then, of course, make them into pretty things.

Any hobby, generally, starts out the same for me. First, I pick up a few minimal supplies because I’m learning something new. Then, once I decide I love this new hobby, I start buying ALL THE THINGS. So, as you can imagine, as a knitter I bought a LOT of yarn in the beginning. I like to think of myself as a minimalist wannabe with hoarding tendencies. I love the idea of having less things – both because it’s less clutter and it’s more eco friendly – but I have these bad habits of keeping things far longer than I need to. I’ve dreamed, often, of having “zero stash,” meaning…

Sure, I’ve made blankets before. None that I’ve ever properly quilted, though. This is lots of fun, however! Knitting will always have my heart, but I can really get on board with adorable quilts!

I cast on tonight for a Solaris cardigan. I haven’t finished any knitting in ages, and I really should try to finish a thing or two, but I’m feeling the need for someone new. Something fairly mindless that I can pick up and knit at random without having to consult too many notes. Something without charts to keep track of. Something easy.