This will be my last post until after Dick's surgery.  It has been postponed until Wednesday August 3 because of a nasty case of poison ivy.  As Roseanna Roseanna Dana would say, "If it's not one thing, it's another." It's amazing how many things have to be undone and redone to change the date of a surgery.  I will take my MacBook with me so I don't have to write "Knitting: A Love Story" on my iPhone like I did from Hawaii.  I have so appreciated your comments and support.  In the midst of all of this stress, knitting has kept me sane and strong.  I probably have knit more in the past two months than I ever had in any two month period.  

There it is; my wonderfuly, relaxing continental grip.  (Wait a minute!  Does grip only apply to golf or can it be applied to not only how you hold your club but how you hold your needles?) I believe this helps me relax and calm down.  I've found myself on many days over the past several weeks picking up my knitting to slow my breathing, to loosen my chest, to calm my mind.  It always works.  Sometimes I pick up my knitting when I am stuck on a problem.  Some where between K1, P1, ssk, ktbl I realize I have found the solution to my problem.  I am sure the rhythm of knitting is magical.

Why would anybody want to mess with this powerful Zen?  Last fall I was shocked to get my Vogue Knitting magazine and see an article called "25 Tips For Faster Knitting."  Why would anybody want to do that!?!?!?!?!? Then I decided to explore farther and did a Google search.  There was article after article.  "Learn to knit in the round.  Knitting in the round decreases the amount of time you would need to turn your knitting over and adjust your stitches on the needle."  Oh, really!  YouTube, Craftsy, The Craft Session, Knitted Bliss, Pinterest.  They and more have articles on how you can knit faster.  Did you know there is an international trophy for World's Fastest Knitter?  I would like to be known as an elegant knitter, an amazing knitter, an adventurous knitter. I don't care to be known as a fast knitter.  Once again, I think it is because I am a process knitter more than a product knitter.

​One of the suggestions I found was to knit in the dark so you get used not looking at your knitting.  Are you kidding? Another suggestion was to play fast music to increase your speed.  Please! I love this suggestion, "If you want to knit faster, crochet."  One suggestion was knit with heavier yarns while another was knit with finer yarns.  I say knit with yarns you love and enjoy every minute.  

For me knitting is about absolute enjoyment.  It is about bringing me to my quiet, calm space.  I love my yarn bowl which says "I knit so I don't kill people."  What has made me a more efficient knitter is reading and understanding a pattern before I begin.  Carefully swatch and practice any new techniques before you start.  AND KNITTING, KNITTING AND MORE KNITTING. 

I do have my hospital knitting ready.  It is beautiful and I love it.  I started it the day Dick had his heart cath and have been knitting it as we waited and waited and waited.  It has gotten me through this stressful time.  Not by being fast but by being rhythmic and soothing and beautiful.  The need for fast has never entered my mind.  While the need for calm has been present every day.  My plan is to visit Spun while we are in Ann Arbor, maybe take a class at the Apple Store and KNIT, KNIT, KNIT.  I will do my best to  post at least once.  Thoughts and prayers are welcome.

It has been over a week since I last shared my love of all things knitting.  I am in over my head, hanging on by my fingernails (two fine metaphors for being overwhelmed) about Dick's surgery. One week from right now, we will be in phase 2 and he will be healing.  Waiting is not my strong suit.  I love anticipating Christmas, vacations, knitting projects but this anticipation has gotten the best of me.  I have found that knitting is one of the few activities that brings me back to calmness.  But that is another story.

Over the past few weeks, I have been experiencing the exceptional customer service of Earthfair.  I will let them tell you what they are all about. "Earthfaire specializes in hand-crafted yarns, beads, kits and knitting patterns.  We partner with the finest designers and dyers in the world so you can make beautiful things." I don't even remember the first thing I purchased but I do receive weekly emails announcing some pretty exquisite projects.  My sister Kathy told me about this fabulous knitting book she just purchased "Knit The Cat 7."  She said it was really something. 

I started searching.  First I went to Amazon and then I Googled but the only books I found were in German.  Back to Kathy.  I asked her where she got it AND if this was Knit The Cat 7, shouldn't there be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.  She finally figured out she bought it from Earthfaire (an online shop I had just introduced her to) and we decided there should be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.  I emailed Earthfaire and asked.  Right away I got an email from the exceptional Ellen Sandin.  She told me she was on vacation in ICELAND and would start looking for the books when she got back.  Can you believe it ICELAND! That in and of itself made her a person extraordinaire in my book.  She emailed and said she found a distributor for the books and set up a spot on the Earthfaire website where I alone could purchase them.  Is this exceptional customer service or what!?!?!?!?!?!  A few days later she emailed and said the distributor had called saying 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 had not been translated from German so did I really want them.  To make a long story short, I got Knit The Cat 7 and two other WollZauber knitting books.  

This one and. . .

this one.  They are both amazing.  They were supposed to be saved for Dick's hospital visit but I must admit I have taken a peak.  Now my plan is to take these with me to the hospital and plan what I will use out of my ever growing stash for each pattern.  I am very excited.  

​After I received the books, I got an email from Earthfaire announcing three of the most fabulous kits I have ever seen.  Of course, I had to buy them.  They are now "in the queue."  

This is FINS by Mindy Ross and the gorgeous yarn is a set of gradient skeins by The Unique Sheep called Impressionist's Sunset.  I mean really! How could I resist this very unique and edgy pattern in my new obsession, gradient yarn. This definitely is not hospital knitting but Dick won't be in the hospital forever.  Then came. . . 

TEETH also a Mindy Ross pattern.  I loved the shark reference.  Maybe I couldn't resist because I had just finished watching the original Jaws for maybe the 20th time.  Whatever the reason, I couldn't resist.  This yarn is Frolicking Feet once again a gradient yarn in Silvered Spruce.  And then came. . . 

My color was called New Orleans and I couldn't resist because New Orleans is my favorite place in all of the world.

Now you know why I couldn't resist this colorway which sold out in but a couple of hours.  How do I know that? I text Kathy and told her what I had just bought, she immediately went online and New Orleans was gone.  

You may want to call me Sybil after my last post extolled the virtues of the LYS over the online shop.  I do not have multiple personalities, I am not inconsistent and I definitely am not flip-flopping.  I love LYPs.  I love going back and developing relationships.  I love walking in and having someone say, "hi, Jan." Most of the time you do not build a relationship buying yarn online, but Earthfaire is an exception.  I didn't actually get a hug from Ellen, but she did PERSONALLY do everything in her power to fulfill my wishes.  (I almost said needs but need has no place in the yarn discussion.  It is always about want.) I am a verbal communicator.  I love the art of conversation.  I would love to have an actual conversation with Ellen.  I know if I walked into Earthfaire (which by the way is in Newfoundland, NJ), Ellen would say "Hi, Jan!" and give me a hug.  Even though LYS are my favorite, online shopping has given me access to yarn shops all over the world.  I remember the day American Express put a stop on my credit card because it had been used in Adrian, MI and a few minutes later in Denmark.  That was a purchase from my favorite shop to buy Kauni.  I would never have had access to Knit Purl in Portland or Caterpillar Green in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada or Websters in Ashland, Oregon or Little Knits in Seattle just to name a few.  I would love to have every one of these be my LYS, but until the time that is possible, I will have to do without the hugs and family relationships for mind blowing yarns.  Each one is a little bit of heaven.  I would encourage you to visit Earthfaire and when you do tell Ellen "Jan Parson sent me." and you read about Earthfaire on Knitting: A Love Story.   I may have actually felt a cyber hug from Ellen. 

My knitting buddy, great friend and all around funny lady, Linda, retired from her Elementary Principal position June 30.  You would think that we would be spending every day knitting together but we haven't.  How have our lives gotten so busy!?!?!?!?!  She even wanted me to go to Ann Arbor to Spun but it was the week of July 4th and that was one crazy week with  pre-op testing for Dick, cardiologist appointment for Mom and trying to catch up on the summer list before Dick's surgery.  I was sad but not too sad because I knew Saturday was YARN TASTING AT TWISTED FIBER ART.  I gave Linda the day as a retirement gift.  In preparation, I started a Bandito scarf made out of Evolution in Catnip with the club colorway from last fall Hello.  

Oh my!  Once again the picture doesn't do the beautiful yarn justice.  It is a pale blue moving into a teal moving into a purple moving into a copper. It is so amazing.  I thought I should have something Twisted on my needles to knit during our two workshops.  Bandito, a scarf designed by Anne Campbell, the grandmother of Twisted Fiber Art, seemed like the perfect option.  After the four rows of set up, it is a one row pattern.  Every row is the same with the kfb at each end making this beautiful 2 row 2 stitch pattern.  It is the perfect example of sequence knitting.  We left at 9:00, talked all of the way to Mason, Mi and before you knew it we were there.  

We were greeted by three of Lydia's relatives wearing beautiful shawls in TFA Evolution.  You may remember that Twisted Fiber Art and their upstairs neighbor Keen's had a fire last year.  Keen's is all set to go, but TFA will be moving into a lovely new home soon.  I can't wait until the open house.  The YARN TASTING was in the basement of Keen's just like in the old days.  It was great to be back.

See the lady in red?  I saw her come in and she looked so familiar.  Being the shy person that I am, I went up to her and asked if she had been to a yarn tasting before.  She hadn't but said she was from Royal Oak.  At the same moment we recognized each other.  We were both in the first Detroit News Knit Detroit.  Let me introduce you to Barb.  We reminisced a bit about what a great time we had with Jocelynn Brown.  This table of women is paying rapt attention to the wonderful Beth.  Now let me reintroduce you to the Twisted Women of Twisted Fiber Art.

This is Meg and Twisted Fiber Art is her baby.  I love the story behind TFA. I am sure I have told you this before but I think it is worth repeating.  Meg wanted Anne her mother to knit something for her with colors that blended together.  At that time there was no such yarn.  Anne said there would be too many ends to hide even for her beloved daughter.  In came Hazel Meg's daughter.  Meg wanted to find a way to work from home with her new baby and Twisted Fiber Art was born.  Meg invented a process to ever so slowly blend one color into another.  And the rest is history.    

This is Anne, mother of Meg and designer extraordinaire.

This is Hazel, daughter of Meg and a genius at the cash register/computer.  She is the problem solver on all things involving that frightening machine.  This isn't a picture from Saturday as I don't seem to have one.  Hazel has grown up so much since my first meeting with this adorable girl.  On my first sighting,  Hazel had on this great stocking cap made out of Evolution.  I told you the story about me stalking Anne begging her to give me the pattern.  She wrote it up (hand written for me) and I loved making it.

This is Beth, the wonderful woman who always solves my buying issues and answers my myriad of emails.  Beth always shares Knitting: A Love Story with the Twisted customers.  I get some of my biggest reader boosts after a trip to TFA.  

The morning session talked about the different types of fiber dyed into TFA.  Each of us got a little bag full of beautiful little Twisted Flowers.  The Twisted Ladies talked about each yarn and its properties.  We also had other little surprises in our adorable little bags that one of the Twisted Women had made.  We had a pen with the end to touch touchscreens, a little note book, stitch markers and a Twisted pin.  It was like opening a magician's bag and finding their bag of tricks.  The morning was lovely but the afternoon was a mind blower.

The afternoon was about how to make the most out of the different kinds  of Twisted fibers.  Meg says she's not a public speaker but she was great.  When Meg talks about TFA, it comes right from the heart.  For every technique talked about, there was a sample knit up.  You know what a sucker I am for a knitted sample.  

My new friend Jen is holding up a sample of Evolution.  Jen is a hoot.  She is a friend of Beth's from long ago.  They are both upbeat and funny.  I loved meeting and spending the day with Jen.

This is a sample of what two colors of self striping can do. I am going to use this pattern with pink yarn for my yarn bombed chair.  We got this great folder with pictures of all of the samples and blurbs.  It is a treasure.  Each time Linda and I have gone to a yarn tasting (this was our third time), they have gotten better and better.

Oh, wait!  Look what I just found!  Three generations of Twisted Ladies.  Hazel (Isn't she growing up), Anne and Meg.  Some how this felt like a family reunion where you see the cousins once a year and remark on how their children are growing up.  Hazel is getting tall and beautiful.  

Look at that fabulous Brioche scarf made from two colors of long striping yarn.  The garments made from TFA are all exquisite, unique and unforgettable, as are the Twisted Ladies.  

​The relationships built with a LYS are very special.  You can buy comparable yarn at an online shop, but you can't build relationships.  I have online shops I love but I have never been able to give and receive a hug or see the look of pride in the eye of the owner or catch a smile of pleasure at a compliment like you do at a LYS.  It can feel like a a great seller/buyer relationship but it can't feel like family.  I can buy (and have done plenty of it) beautifully, exquisite yarn from an online shop, but I will never have that friendly person look me in the eye and say, "That is really beautiful, what are you going to make?"  I can never have Laura from Silver Threads and Golden Needles walk me around the shop and help me find patterns or Mary from Yarn Quest help me choose colors that blend together. When you buy beautiful yarn online there is nobody to make you feel like you have just picked the perfect yarn for the perfect project.  I encourage you to pick a LYS you love and develop a relationship.  It will always feel like home when you walk in the door.   

My day was great.  After many hectic, busy and chaotic days, this day with my dear friend Linda was like like a cool drink of water in the dessert.  It was like a dish of ice cream after a day of yard work; a cold beer after a round of golf on a hot day.  It was a a happy/sad day.  When Linda goes to Oregon in later this month, she and her husband will begin looking at homes for a potential move.  Both of Linda's sons live in the Washington/Oregon area.  As we were enjoying Twisted Fiber Art and our day together, I couldn't help wonder how many more days like this we would have.  Linda has been a very important part of my life for a long time. Our trip to Twisted Fiber Art reinforced for me the importance of relationships, friendship and family.  May your life be filled with warm, friendly relationships and beautiful yarn.

The day was August 8, 2015.  It was an amazing, life altering day.  First, for the very first time I realized I could actually get rid of some yarn from the Stash Studio AND I got my copy of Lea Redmond's Knit The Sky.

"Cultivate your creativity with a playful way of knitting."  Don't we all need more playful in our lives?!?!?!  I felt that Lea had written just for me.  She believes like I do that it's more about the process than  the product.  (Though right now I must admit I have fallen in love with some amazing product!)  She thought that 7 skeins of lace weight yarn in colors of blue, grey and white would cover it.  Oh, my!  Lea,  you don't know Jan! I waited until September to get my first yarn at Yarn Quest in Traverse City.  Of course, they didn't disappoint.  I found many beautiful blues, greys, and whites.  I found Interlacement in pale blue and dark grey.  I was on my way.  January 1 in Myrtle Beach would be my first day to Knit The Sky.  

Then I noticed that things I thought looked blue looked grey and I needed more blue.  A trip to Yarn Envy in Ottawa Lake, MI was in order.  After we got to Sunset Beach in January, a trip to Knit 'N Purl added to my collection of blues, greys and whites.  Along the way I visited my Stash Studio and pulled out some beautiful Tilli Thomas with crystals and beads to represent precipitation.  I decided it would be too much to have different bling for rain, snow and ice.  Beads, crystals and sequins would just mean precipitation.  Then Spun opened in Ann Arbor and I felt I needed something from there in Knit The Sky.  Then we went to Maggie Valley and Black Mountain Yarn, and Silver Threads and Golden Needles added to my collection,I ended up with 58 different yarns and fibers with which to Knit The Sky. I had light blue, dark blue, turquoise, white, light grey, dark grey, touched with silver, alive with beads, sparkling with sequins.

I kept it in this wonderful basket I bought from Kellie at Knitting On The Fringe.  It kept my mess in one place.  I Knit The Sky for every day from January 1 to June 31.  I didn't take my basket of yarn to Hawaii or Maggie Valley but I did take notes and catch up when I got home.  I intended to knit for a year but it would have come close to encircling the equator.  Now I would like to introduce you to my sky for a year.

See the little fufu's of yarn?  I decided to make mine a little different.  It also made it unnecessary to hide all of the ends.  Isn't it beautiful!  I can see the beautiful Hawaii sky, the Sunset Beach sky, the Michigan winter.  It is all there.

One side has fufu's and one side is plain.  See that big grey piece?  Michigan Winter.  See the Black stripe?  That is where my Spartans went out in the first game of March Madness.  It was truly a black sky in my heart.    

I'm not sure I will actually wear it since it does feel like chainmail.  It was a fabulous experience.  At one time I wrote grants.  When a grant was sent in, I had this tremendous feeling of loss.  Like there was something I should be doing.  I have that same feeling now.  But..........on July 1st, I started a new project.  I call it Knit The Day.  I knit 2 rows of the high temperature and 2 rows of the low temperature.  I still find myself looking up and trying to decide which yarns I will use to KNIT THE SKY.