• 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

• Off the Needles
• On the Needles
• From the Armchair
• In my Travels
• KAL News
• Life in Focus
• On a Happy Note
• Quote of the Week

Off the Needles

• Pattern: KitKat Hat by AndreSue Knits
• Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) and US 7 (4.5 mm)
• Tosh DK in Pop Rocks Colorway
• Tink Yarn
• Vanna’s Choice
• Cascade 220 Superwash
• Neighborhood Fiber Company

On the Needles 

• Pattern: Anna (Frozen) Inspired Softie by Kristen’s Kords (kit)
• Hook:
• Yarn:
• Bought kit at Stitches West 2016 with Jasmin, who purchased the Elsa kit. I use Genius Scan Appon my phone (to save file for personal use anyways) download to iPad into GoodReader App.
• 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)

• Yarn: Bergere de France Goomy 50- Imprim Ciel Colorway
• US 1 (2.0mm) needles
• Pattern: OMG Heel

• Pattern: Sunwalker by Melanie Berg
• Yarn: Sun Valley Fibers MCS (Merino Cashmere Silk) Fingering in Kensington Colorway
• Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) 

• Pattern: Instructions from this tutorial
• Yarn: leftover sock yarn
• Hook: D 3.25 mm

• Pattern: Heart Garland by Sarah Anderson
• Yarn: Pussyhat leftover yarn- Tink Yarn, Cascade 220, other stash scraps
• Hook: H (5.0 mm)
• Idea from Andie of AndreSue Knits Video Podcast
• Works for Marce of Brown Berry Chronicles Video Podcast KAL  #MakeWIPsNotWaste

 

From the Armchair

• The Other F Word podcast: conversations about failure
• Minimalism; A Documentary About the Important Things  available on Netflix in the US.
  • Check out this review from Life Edited to learn more.
  • I’ve also been listening to the Minimalists Podcast
• The Bletchley Circle on Netflix
• What I Know For Sure: (audio book of short stories/essays written and ready by Oprah Winfrey
  • A favorite quote from the book”…when people say they’re looking for happiness I ask ‘what are you giving to the world?’ It’s like the wife who once appeared on my show wondering why her relationship with her husband had broken down. She kept saying “he used to make me so happy. He doesn’t make me happy anymore’ what she couldn’t see was that she was the cause of her own effect. Happiness is never something you get from other people. The happiness you feel is in direct proportion to the love or happiness you’re able to give. If you think something is missing in your life or you’re not getting what you deserve- remember there is no yellow brick road. You lead life. It doesn’t lead you.” Oprah

 In My Travels

Vogue Knitting Live NYC

• Class with Bristol Ivy (highly recommend)
• Visiting with friends!

• 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.
• Start planning your February project. Must post in thread by February 5

• Mini Skein Interception- sponsored by Fibernymph Dye Works- ended January 15th. Prizes Announced!
• Small & Self Indulgent Interception– Sponsored by Knit Knight Designs
  • Cast-on on/after January 1. Finish by January 31.
  • Create project 300 yards to less- that you plan to keep for yourself. Could be something to wear or something for your home. Anything that will be a bright spot in your life. Just tell us why it brings you joy to make/have etc.

Life in Focus

•  January Happiness Project Update (in progress): Minimalism
• Interesting Things to Read:
  • Things I don’t need
  • Join the Clutter Free Revolution
    • “I think a handful of brilliant and recklessly deceitful entrepreneurs have convinced us that our individual value as human beings is more closely tied to the things we own. Here’s the really weird bit: We know. But we pretend that’s not what’s going on. Instead, we proudly show off our new stuff, and say things like, “You’ve got to get one of these!” Sure, it’s fun and that excitement is real. But in most cases, we haven’t really done our homework. We skip that step and go straight to believing if something’s for sale, it must be good. We’ve not learned about where our stuff comes from, what kind of harmful materials went into making those things, whether or not the people who made that stuff were treated fairly, and if there’s an environmentally responsible way to safely dispose of all that stuff when we’re done with it.  So, here we are; this peculiar species, frantically racing about – consumed with doing anything we can to make enough money to buy these curious things we’re convinced will make us happy. The truly astonishing thing is how fleeting our happiness has become. It’s almost like finding the thing has become the source of our joy – even more so than the thing itself. Before we know it, we’ve become preoccupied with finding the next thing, and the next thing.”   Evan Zislis

“Failure is so important. We speak about success all the time. It is the ability to resist failure or use failure that often leads to greater success. I’ve met people who don’t want to try for fear of failing…It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case you fail by default.”   ~ J. K. Rowling