Sorry but I just couldn't find a word beginning with "f" to complete the alliteration.  I did complete the bag, carry all, attache, purse though.

This is where it all started.  Me falling in love with a bag in the Noro Spring/Summer magazine.  What is not to love about this? Right?  I get to try out a new fiber, Noro's Rainbow, I get to knit with great colors, I get to use entrelac then I get to felt it.  WOW!!!! Is this perfect for me or what?!?!?!  I even waited until I was visiting Silver Threads and Golden Needles in Franklin, N.C. to buy the fiber. Of course, I bought two different colors of Rainbow, the one in the picture and this. . . 

Why did I buy two?  It is a bad habit I have.  If I love a pattern, I buy at least two different colors in case I really love it and must knit it again.  Because, what if I love it and can't find the yarn that is perfect?  I know it makes no sense but it does add lots of great yarn to the yarns in the Stash Studio and the projects in the queue. At the time of the purchase, it made more sense that it does when I explain it to you.  Well, let's get into it and see.

There it is during the knitting when I was feeling very overwhelmed about all of my present knitting responsibilities.  (Oh WOW!  Where did that come from!?!?!?!?! It almost sounded like this was "have to" rather than "want to" knitting.  Well, you do get a little insight into my frame of mind.  More about that to come.)  I learned so much from this project.  I love projects that I learn from even when they don't turn out perfect.  Noro Rainbow is more like roving than yarn.  It is so very fragile that it is exactly like knitting with cobwebs. (Now how would I know what it's like to knit with cobwebs!?!?!?!  I did love the knitting.  The color, entrelac, the rhythm, the excitement of knowing the magic of felting is just around the corner.

TaDa! Finally it was done.  The directions said to sew the sides up with the Rainbow doubled BEFORE felting.  I was sure it was wrong.  After all, would the front and back stick together forming one heavy, 2 sided piece of fabric?!?!?!  I called my favorite people at Silver Threads and Golden Needles, and guess who answered the phone. . . Laura, the wonderful young woman who waited on me the first week in May.  Just hearing Laura's sweet voice sent me back to my experience in Silver Threads and Golden Needles in May with Laura.  It is a fabulous memory. Laura asked around and assured me the front and back would not felt together.  The phrase "trust me" may have been uttered.  

This is my Rainbow Bag getting ready to have a life changing experience.  I was a little nervous.  Many people told me to be careful because the fiber would felt quickly.  I guess my definition of "quickly" and other's is different.  I set my washer to small load, water temperature to hot, threw in my Keens which always accompany my felted object and we were off!  After about 10 minutes I was getting nervous.  What if I had gone past the time Yikes!.  I checked by pulling the soon to be "purse" out of the water.  If anything, it had stretched!  It was stretchy, enormous and fragile!  I dropped it like a hot potato.  One cycle ended and it was still not finished.  I started another cycle.  Finally it was ready.

This is after I had tugged and stretched the section above the sewing.  I pulled it out and freaked.  Every place had felted differently.  The area that was sewn together felted pretty true except for the top, it was all ruffley. Both the top and bottom edges hadn't felted nearly as much as the rest making the top and the bottom look a little "wonky."  Thank you to my friend Thea for giving the the term "wonky."  Sometimes it just says it all.  ALSO, the flap felted much more than the part sewn together so that the flap was probably 2/3's of what the bag was.  I wished I had taken a picture of  that but I screeched and began tugging and pulling.  You can see a little bit around the top of the bag where things aren't exactly equal.   

See the ruffley edge?!?!  Then I had a brainstorm.  I knew exactly what I would do to fix this.  Even through it is not perfect, the colors POP which makes me a very happy girl.

I made a pleat at the top of the bag to take up the extra fabric from the edge felting less than the rest of the bag.  I covered it with the strap.  Then I cut point around the edge of the flap to make that edge not ruffle. It's not perfect, I am growing to love it.  I love solving knitting problems, don't you?  Once this was finished, I realized I was still feeling very, very overwhelmed.  Then a realized it is not about the knitting.

Dick will be having heart surgery on July 29.  He tricuspid valve has a severe leak.  This has thrown us for a loop.  It was discovered in a routine physical.  Dick takes no medication and has never had a surgery.  He bicycles 14-18 miles four times a week and is very fit.  He is asymptomatic.  His primary care physician  heard something different he'd never heard before.  We've been on this treadmill since March.  When Dick started giving Wealth Magement 101 to me, I realized how afraid I was.  Tomorrow we go in for a heart cath, next Thursday for re-op testing then the surgery July 29.  I have made a reservation for Murphy in his favorite kennel, a reservation for me at the McCauley Inn on the campus of St. Joe's, filled my iPad with books and picked out hospital knitting.  If I am not as regular at Knitting: A Love Story, please forgive me.  I will do what I can, when I can.  I am sure it will be a great way to re-channel my fear and anxiety.  In the mean time, thoughts and prayers would be great.

Saturday, June 18 was World Wide Knit In Public Day.  I hope all of you had a favorite place to celebrate everything fiber and show off your skills and the art of knitting.  This was Ann's By Design second year to host knitters to exhibit their love of touching and creating beautiful things out of beautiful fiber.  I had to stop and reminisce about the past year and the family that has been built at Ann's By Design.  It is just like the friendships created in the book The Friday Night Knitting Club.  Last year at this time, I didn't know most of these ladies' names but now I feel like we are sisters brought together by a lovely little shop and its wonderful owners.  My intent was to help Ann for a year get her business off the ground.  Now I can't imagine life without the warm, accepting, supportive family that has grown around Ann's By Design.  Now let's seeing exactly what happened on WWKIP 2016.
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This is a picture from last year.  Ceil is the person on the left.  Ceil didn't join  us this year because her nephew got married on June 18.  Ceil was not happy.  She wondered if maybe the wedding couldn't be moved.  We know Ceil will be with us next year for sure.

Even dogs love to knit in public!  This beautiful 9 month old golden doodle was a welcome visitor.  His coat was so beautiful, I think he would knit up into a beautiful cowl.  Then you would carry that wonderful puppy smell around with you.  

This was the party stop.  Lots of laughter, lots of knitting, lots of fun.  In the blue hat is my knitting buddy Thea.  Fun follows Thea.  She is one terrific person and part of the Ann's By Design family.  Notice the sun in the back ground then look up at the picture from last year.  Last year was cold and drizzly.  Not enough rain to send people inside but enough to make it unpleasant.  This year was beautiful.  Our plan was to fill the park benches around down town Adrian.  We assigned benches, gave people treats and we thought they would be on their way.  Until knitters came in asking if they could find a different bench not in the sun.  Last year we didn't even have to think about being out of the sun.  What a difference a year makes. It was a beautiful day to be knitting in public.

Sitting on this bench is Emma our youngest participant and the one who traveled the farthest.  Emma is visiting her Grandma for a few weeks and is going to knit something for her Mom while she's here.  Isn't that a great idea.  After WWKIP was over, they came back to the shop and Emma got to choose a knitting bag and yarn.  What a great Grandma! Sue on the left is the first person in my Block Of The Month to finish her afghan.  It is beautiful.  

There it is finished!  She did such a great job on every facet of the project.  

Isn't downtown Adrian lovely.  With the benches and the trees.  In the purple on the right is Dawn.  Dawn is one of our teachers at Ann's By Design.  She teaches beginning knitting and crochet.  Next to Dawn is her friend Deb.  Doesn't that look peaceful!?!?! It could have been any day and I could have said, "In purple on the right is Dawn."  Dawn loves purple.

The peace was interrupted by a Fire Department Parade.  The Adrian Fire Department was celebrating an anniversary (maybe 100) and every village, town and township in the county had a fire engine in the parade, all of them revving up their sirens.  I told Ann I thought it was great that she arranged a parade for WWKIP.  I bet we were the only registered sight which had our very own parade.  

​I didn't get to knit in public but I had a ball.  I visited all of the participants and minded the store so Ann and Phil could visit also.

This is Sue in the teal on the left and her friend Dawn.  I think they both have been in the crochet class.  I have known Sue for years.  She is funny, friendly and full of life. (You didn't think I could get by without an alliteration, did you?!?!?!)  Aren't knitters and crocheters the happiest looking people?  It is the Zen, the Yoga, the rhythm and the magic of the obsession which creates the smiles.   

Some sat on benches and some brought their own chairs, but a good time was had by all.  Until next year, do what you love, buy what you love and knit in public every chance you get.  WE MUST PASS ON OUR OBSESSION!

I will close with quotes from my very favorite greeting card.  One I have given to many, many people.

"There's a fine line between hobby and mental illness."  Dave Berry

"I walk the line."  Johnny Cash

That says it all for me.  

Before I get into my knitting story, a couple of you have asked how you can get on my email list to regularly receive Knitting: A Love Story.  I have talked to my Tech Genie, Catrina, who says it will be easy for me to set this up. She also says, Knitting: A Love Story hosted by Weebly has an RSS button (the orange button on the right side of the bar.)  It doesn't work for people who use Google Chrome.  Her guess is for those of you who couldn't get it to work for you, that is probably why.  I will work with Catina to get the email list set up.  Thank you so much for asking.

You all know that I am rather obsessive/compulsive.  If one is good, three are better, etc.  You have seen my tubs of yarn in the Stash Studio.  I am currently on overload and this is why.

These are all project I am currently working on with most being started in the past 6 weeks.  All of a sudden I realized, I am overwhelmed.  I don't know where to start and I don't know what to finish.  Starting in the upper left hand corner and going clock wise: (I have always wanted to use that phrase!  I see it all of the time in knitting magazines when they are describing yarn or knitting accessories or projects.) 1) the yarn for the yarned bombed chair for the Chairity Auction; 2) Knit the Sky; 3) Noro entrelac bag; 4) Brioche Cowl from Spun class; and 5) a second Caterpillar Arrow shawl.  I really don't know what to pick up first.  I knit a little every day on Knit the Sky.  I have until September to get the chair done.  I love knitting Caterpillar Arrow.  Brioche is my new obsession.  I am just searching for a pattern to combine Brioche knitting with gradient yarns and I will be in heaven.  Can you imagine my excitement at combining Brioche and gradient yarn?  I think that issue will come up again.

I would like to say these are my only projects on the needles but that would be a lie.  I have almost as many projects on the needles as I have projects in the Queue.  I am working on a post about what I have in the Queue.  I think you will swoon with all of the beautiful things I have waiting.  You might even wonder when Jan's Stash Studio will become a LYS.  I really do have enough yarn to open my own shop.  But remember, I am not just a knitter I am a yarn collector.  

I thought maybe if I looked at this from a different angle I would be inspired.  Each has its strengths and each has its weaknesses.  Brioche is the newest so it definitely is the most exciting.  I still have that "planning for a project" excitement with Brioche.  Sometimes I think the best part of the knitting process is every thing you do before you start knitting.  In my case that always means going through my tubs to see what I have that would be perfect.  I will complete my Chairity Auction chair without buying an inch of yarn for it.  I will complete my Caterpillar Arrow without buying yarn.  I love finding the perfect pattern then finding the perfect yarn.  

No matter which angle I look from, I can't make up my mind.  The Knit the Sky will be done by the end of the month.  The Chairity Auction chair will be done my September 1.  Caterpillar Arrow is my current car knitting.  SOOOOOOO, I guess that leaves Entrelac Noro and Brioche for me to knit on tonight.  I must say that Knit the Sky and the Chairity Auction chair have almost become "have to knitting."  Maybe I'm on to something here.  could the "have to knitting" designation be putting a damper on these two?  

As I'm writing this, I'm thinking about a pattern called Shock Wave which makes my heart race and and a smile cross my face.  Now the big question is, can I finish some of these projects before I dive into Shock Wave with reckless abandon?

I would like to say writing about it has made me feel less overwhelmed, but I can't.  I guess I'll go ponder this over . . . KNITTING!

Remember when Linda took me to Spun in Ann Arbor for my birthday and I noticed a Brioche class coming up?  Remember my 2016 Knitting Goal #10: "to learn brioche and use Twisted Fiber Arts sock yarn to make a scarf"?  I am definitely on my way to checking off one more knitting goal.  

I called Spun early last week to sign up for the class.  Unfortunately the class was filled and I was disappointed.  I put my name on a waiting list but had resigned myself to the next class in August.  Before the end of a day I got a call saying someone had dropped out or the instructors had agreed to take one more.  I'm not sure which but I got in the class.  Hurray!!!!!!  I needed to buy my yarn before Sunday.  The materials called for were either Shepard's Wool Worsted or Berocco Vintage Worsted.  Why, you might ask, didn't I just use something from my stash?  It's not like I don't have something, right?  It is understood and often a written rule, when you take a knitting class you buy your materials from the LYS offering the class.  OMG! I love that rule!  A legitimate reason to buy more yarn.  I love it.  I went to Spun on Thursday to pick out yarn.  I started my day with a fender bender on my way to get my hair colored for my (significant number) class reunion; hair color in Sylvania, Ohio; then yarn buying in Ann Arbor.  Luckily, the fender bender didn't slow me down.    

Yarn spotting! I had every intention of purchasing the Shepard's Wool.  I just couldn't find two colors I loved together.  Then I searched the Berocco Vintage with the same conclusion.  I couldn't find two colors I loved together.  Then I saw it.  Malabrigo Merino Worsted in single ply.  I did fall in love with these two colors.

It is so yummy.  The one is a deep coral/peach and the second a deep teal/grey.  Well, I was happy. I purchased my yummy fiber, something I thought was perfect until I spotted something else just as I was walking out of the shop.  

Once again, my photography doesn't do the yarn justice.  This is The Fibre Co.'s Terra, a blend of silk, baby alpaca and merino wool.  It is so exquisite in colors Belladonna and Acorn.  So I had to buy it, right? I decided to use the Malabrigo for the class then use the nearly perfect Terra when I am more advanced.  Now let's go to class.

Here we are 1:40 on Sunday getting ready to enter a knitting class and learn a new skill.  You know how much I love knitting classes.  I had every intention of teaching myself Brioche.  I have several Brioche books, a couple of Brioche online tutorials but I love knitting classes.  I love the combination of social knitting and skill development.  I love meeting new people.  I love spending several hours surrounded by irresistible yarn.  

Two tables were set up.  One for continental (left handed) knitters  and one for English (right handed) knitters.  What a great idea!  Nobody had to interpret Brioche from an alternate style to their's.  I even picked up a phrase I loved.  Continental was called "the warped way."  I love it.  See the hands way to the left with the red, white and blue yarn in front?  That is Renee.  She made the class an absolute joy for me.  I kept looking around, drooling over the yarn and trying to keep from buying more yarn.  Renee's comment was always, "Just step back!"  She kept me on task.  Thank you very much Renee.  

Next came our instructors, Lynn and Lizzie.  OMG!  I have yarn older than they are! When they introduced themselves they told us they are both computer science PhD students researching artificial intelligence.  My first thought was, "YIKES!!!"  They have both been knitting for 10 years and fell in love with Brioche a year ago.  They used the word addicted.  I think they are my kind of people.  

If you don't know what Brioche is, it is hard to explain.  It is a scrunchy, puffy kind of knitting that is usually seen in two colors.  For that reason, I thought the technique would be similar to double knitting.  Well, it's not.  It even has it's own vocabulary: brk = brioche knit, a.k.a. "bark," and brp = brioche purl, a.k.a. "burp."  People were just barking and burping all night.  I think it is "talking dirty" in knitting.  

For the first few rows, things are pretty much a mess, then all of a sudden there it is!  BRIOCHE!  I love it.  

This is the beginning Brioche pattern which I like to call Baby Brioche!  I am pretty proficient in Baby Brioche.  

This is what happens when you learn to increase and decrease in Brioche.  I'm not sure if it has it owns "talking dirty" name.  Lynn and Lizzie made up the patterns and the Brioche Basics.  I am impressed.  Except for Survivor Shawls, I have never written a pattern.  Now for the unveiling.

Brioche is also two sided just like double knitting.  I can't wait to show you.  Opps!  Do you see my mistake on the wrong side just to the right of the stitch holder.  I think this cowl has just lost its double sided feature.  

I had a great time at Spun which I love more every time I go.  I tried to convince Lynn and Lizzie to have Brioche 2.0.  I thought maybe if I used their language I would impress them.  I learned something new; made a new friend, Renee; spent the afternoon in the presence of knitting addicts and I didn't buy more yarn.  It was a great afternoon.  I can't wait for Lynn and Lizzie's next class.  They are really 5.0 instructors.