Kung Fu Knitting

I have made another felted scrap bag. This time I crocheted it and I really like the results. The cost was nothing as I just used left over yarn from other projects. Mostly I remembered what kind of yarn it was, but I spit spliced the yarns together for color changes just to make sure they would felt. I wanted to make a Lucy-type bag from Two Old Bags . So after I had crocheted up the height of the bag, I winged the straps. I edges the entire top of the bag and that stopped it from flaring. I also edged the straps and that added extra stength to them (they are not going to stretch as much). I would definitey do this to my knitted bags in the future. As with knitted straps, the crocheted straps are felting more slowly. I've put it through a hot wash and cold rinse two times, but I think I will give it another go for the straps and the bottom needs a little extra felting as well. Overall I am very pleased at how it turned out. I think it took me about 7 hours to crochet and I am quit...

November is Crazy Birthday month for me. My Kung Fu teacher, my BF, my sister, my mom, my dad's partner. And last year was the last time for my grandmother. I miss her. So I am knitting up a storm before I can even get to xmas gifts. :sigh: Last year I made a hat for my dad's partner. Unfortunately, it got back to me that it didn't fit. I wasn't aware that he has an unusually large head. This year I am making a big-head proof hat and I bought the yarn for it today. All I can say is that I am in knitting heaven. This Baby Alpaca Grande by Plymouth Yarns is heavenly, so soft, omg good to the fingers. Not only that but I had forgotten how much I like knitting with my big Britanny DPN's. The yarn glides across them just right. Plus with US11's I am almost done in a couple of hours. Can I say that I love making bulky hats? Such satisfaction! Can you see an Addi US2 40 inch circular needle peeking out in the picture? I have a 29 inch, too. Now I can try sock knitting...

This is the Farrow Rib scarf that I am making as a xmas gift for my father. I decided on US8 needles and doubling up. It was going to take forever on the US2s I started out with. Eris I am still working on the collar for Eris. Every weekend I sit down a plow through a chart. It's really almost done. The right side is looking so much better than the left that I am thinking of frogging it again. Andean Silk really doesn't frog well though. Felting This is a bag that I am crocheting for felting. I am really excited to see how it will felt down. I am trying to do the straps like the lucy bag from two old bags. I just have a little bit to finish up. It's a nice weekend project. New Yarn So an order arrived from Knit Picks (0ne that I was only supposed to make when I finished the collar for Eris, whoops!). I can now start on my KR gift elf present and my mosaic socks for the 6soxKAL. I am to be using the varigated yarn and the color your own for the socks. Ella I restarted Ella u...

I need to study for the written portion of my upcoming Kung Fu test. One aspect about Buddhism that we need to know about are the 4 Noble Truths: There is suffering There is a cause to all suffering There is an end to all suffering There is a path to end the suffering What is suffering? According to Buddhism there are three main types. Suffering can simply be part of the normal phases one passes through in life: aging, death in the family, youthful angst. There is suffering in our lives because they change and change can bring loss of good things in our lives. Suffering can also be from ourselves, our innate vulnerablity for suffering. ------------------------------------------------------------------ The last bit on suffering reminds me of a poem by Robert Frost. This poem seemed to capture the aloness I felt as a teen, the bleekness and sadness that one can feel inside. I think this must relate to the third type of suffering. Desert Places Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fas...

This is my finished Panta. I don't really think it suits me, so good thing it's a gift! I made it out of some Berroco Foliage that I bought at my LYS. I love self striping yarns. It's tried to be a scarf two times already. I am glad that it's finally happy to be a head band. Maybe it will like being fingerless mitts as well. Off to cast on!

Yesterday my program took a trip to the Cayuga Nature Center . I love this place. The treetops tower is the coolest. Anyway I had stream duty, so I hung out in a shady stream and looked for salamanders with the kids. Yesterday I started knitting a Panta . It's already done and will make a nice gift with a pair of mitts.

There is this very cute kindergartener at work. She's about the smallest thing that you have ever seen with really large blue eyes. She's a very dreamy child and I think that she's got a lot going on internally that she doesn't share with the world. The other day she was carrying around a little teddy bear. I had noticed that it had accompanied her everywhere for a couple of days. It's yellow and the fur is sparkly and it's been well used. This was our conversation: Me: "Well how is Mr. Sparkles bear doing today?" She cups the bear in her hands and looks down at it tenderly. Her: "She's my only hope," a large pause as she looks into the distance, "for the final battle." And walks away. Do you think her parents are LOTR fans? On another front I am having a personality conflict with the person I am teaching kung fu with right now. We've hung out for extended periods of time and had some really great moments together so I know ...

I wanted to post some progress pictures the other day, but the batteries in my camera went kaput. And I keep for getting to buy some more. So here's my update: It's taking a really long to time to finish the flourish look a like because the second to last row is a killer. I have been working on Eris and the Farrow Rib scarf as well. I didn't work on Ella this week or cast on for a new pair of socks. I had been waiting for the new pattern in the 6 sox knit along, but had gotten busy since then. I really need to put in an order to Knit Picks for my holiday gift elf present (from KR ). I aM going to knit some thing really special for Cayli1, but I promised myself that I can't do it until I finish the collar portion of Eris. One of the reasons I am so busy right now is that I am teaching My Kung Fu and Tai Chi classes with J. AND teaching the kids class with A because My teacher is out of town for a couple of weeks. He left us with a list of requirements for testing in Dec...