• Off the Needles
• On the Needles
• From the Armchair
• Knitting in Passing
• KAL News
• Events
• Contest, News & Notes
• Life in Focus
• On a Happy Note
• Quote of the Week

Off the Needles

• Yarn: Fish Belly Fiber Works, Tributary Base in the Bougainvillea colorway (fingering weight held doubled)
• Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) and US 7 (4.5 mm)
• Pattern: KitKat Hat by Andre Sue Knits

• Yarn: Bergere de France Goomy 50- Imprim Ciel Colorway
• US 1 (2.25mm) needles
• Pattern: OMG Heel

• Yarn: leftovers (DK weight)
• Needles: US 3
• Pattern: Mary, Millie & Morgan by Susan B Anderson
• Comfy Cardi & Fancy Skirt

On the Needles

• Pattern: Anna (Frozen) Inspired Softie by Kristen’s Kords (kit)
• I favorited another Ravelry pattern that I may use as inspiration to jazz up the skirt.

• Pattern: Gradient Angles by Janice Hamby
• Yarn: Infinite Twist Helix: Colors= Spooky Purple, African Violet, Mona Lisa, Tickled, Sakura, Anthurium
• Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm)

From the Armchair 

• Designs by Shannon Cook, Romi Hill, Bristol Ivy, Tanis Lavallée, Joji Locatelli, Alexa Ludeman, Jane Richmond, Ysolda Teague, and Emily Wessel
• Visit their website for more details.
• For details about their KAL check out this Ravelry thread.

Knitting in Passing

• I shared a story about connecting with another Weight Watchers Member on knitting. I helped her with her first sock.
• If you’re a new sock knitter you may want to check out the Tin Can Knits Rye Sock Pattern. Great resource for a knit sock knitter because it explains the construction.

KAL News

• Click here to find about more about this KAL.
• Check out: Chat Thread & FO Thread 
• The 12 Months to Christmas KAL is a craft-a-long that helps you prepare for the busy winter holiday season. Complete gift projects each month (or just in the months that you choose) so you don’t have to scramble in December. Find some cool new gift ideas, cheer each other on, and we’ll provide some motivation in the form of the potential to win prizes!
• First Quarter Prizes:
  • Project Bag of Winner’s Choice from She is Sew Whimsical on Etsy (contact:  renee_schimel@charter.net)

• Declare a WIP from 2016 or earlier within the first 5 days of the month, posting a photo of it in the thread. Finish the project by the end of the month, update your post with your FO photo and you’ll be eligible to win a Ravelry downloadable pattern of your choosing up to $8.
• In March we also have a prize from Fibernymph Dye Works. The winner can choose a resist-dyed sock blank – either with sparkle or without – in their choice of colors.

• January & February Huddle & Instagram Winners
• 10 Grand Prize Winners
• Sponsor Love Thread Winners
• 10 Grand Prize Winners

Events

• Join me for my GoodReader class – March 25 from 4-6p at the Stitch House in Dorchester, MA ($30) 

Life in Focus

• Happiness Project 2017
  • January- Minimalism

February: Memory keeping

The Plan:

• Determine a sustainable plan for documenting memories through scrapbooking (paper and/or digital) in a creative, sharable way that doesn’t overwhelm me.
• Find, print and hang more photos in our home.

 

Why?

• I scrapbooked 2005-2009 of my life and then again for part of 2013. I am so grateful to have documented the stories of that time in my life, especially as my nieces and nephews were born. I want to fill in the gaps and document those stories before I lose them. Kids were still so little then. So many cute photos, memories, milestones. funny things they said.
• I have boxes of photos & memorabilia my mother thoughtful saved for me. I want to organize it and purge what I don’t want and find a system for making this into something worth saving and sharing.
• I want to remember and celebrate my life. I want to share stories with my family and pass along wisdom where I can.

What I’ve done so far:

• Identified an approach- Stacy Julian, Library of Memories approach combined with Project Life divided page protectors
• Sorted through childhood memorabilia based on these categories
• Assessed finished scrapbooks.
• Sort through emails and journals. Momento app all to pull social media.
• Reorganize 2014 photos already printed into LOM approach. Started scrapbooking them!
  • Heard tip to put photos in divided  Pocket Pages first. get that finished. Did that while binge watching with dan and my friend laura. felt productive but didn’t take as much brain space as actually scrapbooking. Easier to batch and liked that I could do it from the couch.
• Working on Project Life App for 2017 and 2016 photos. Appreciate that the app allows me to scrapbook on my phone anywhere.

Resources

Apps:

• Momento– access your social media feeds as a means for triggering journaling
• Google Photos
  • Photo Fab {free} Class (explains how to use Google Photos)
  • Becky Higgins Blog Post about Google Photos
• Pic Tap Go– for editing

Podcasts:

• The Scrap Gals
• Modern Photo Solutions
• Live Inspired with Tracie Claiborne

Websites + Blogs

• Simple Scrapper
  • Project Life + Library of Memories Approaches Combined
• Ways to cope with sentimental things
  

On a Happy Note

• World of Difference Shawl– has been a huge hit! Thank you for the overwhelmingly positive response.
• Visiting with friends. Binge watching, Season 3 of the Affair. The Crown. Black Mirror.
• I had a good appointment with my Physical Therapist.
• Weight Watchers is going well. I met a new personal goal!
• I spent time this weekend my niece and nephew.

Quote of the Week