Just One More Hit. I Mean Row...No, I Mean Hit

Good God how did this happen?

This normally type A girl has gone and got herself a real live, true blue addiction!

I've been knitting for most of my adult life and have been really disciplined about completing one project before embarking on another...until now. All of a sudden I've got four projects on the go and I'm thinking I'm just a wee bit outta control.

On top of that, I just don't seem to be able to stop. I'll be talking to a knitting chick being all normal and stuff, you know, talking about the weather and things, and the next thing you know I'm bringing the conversation around to knitting again. It seems to be all that I want to talk about. Today I described my new yarn by saying " I just want to drape it all around me and sleep in it".

The other night, I woke up at around 4 ish and you know the first thing that popped in to my mind? Was it something important? World hunger perhaps? Was I stressed? No, I thought about the sweater I'm working on. To say that this is tragic would be an understatement. I mean really Gazelle,REALLY!

But here's the thing. It's not just me. I am NOT alone. A friend, who shall remain nameless until she outs herself by commenting, has admitted her addiction as well. She confided that when she should be joining her man at bed- timish, she stays with her knitting, wanting to finish up those last couple of rows before she has to start her decreases. In the end she goes to bed much later than normal...

Another friend who will reveal herself in her own time admitted to "fixing" her daughters knitting the other day unbeknownst to the child. Upon seeing her daughter's frustration, she told her " Oh it's fine, just leave it with me" and THEN, proceeded to undo more than several rows so that she could make her daughter happy. Superior parenting or Obsessive Compulsive Knitting Disorder? You be the judge.

Like most addicts I justify my addiction. I have knitting for when I'm waiting around in my car;a scarf. I have day-time knitting; a sweater for my nephew and I have my night-time work on account of my vision is crapping out and I can't see my day-time knitting in low light because I'm working with navy blue Alpaca. Then I have the projects that I didn't even think I wanted to knit. The yarn was just SO damn beautiful, I just HAD to have it! I'll figure out what to do with it after consulting my other addicts. Can you see the circle getting vicious already?

Is it just us? Come on, it CAN'T be just us? I promise man, I'll kick tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll get myself sorted.

Keeping it in the Family

Isn't this great? Some of our chicks with sticks have not only been busy improving THEIR knitting skills but have also been teaching their kids how to knit.

I recently had the honor of attending the very cool Birthday party of the beautiful Lily Flynn. The theme: A knitting Party! Here are a few shots of Lily and HER knitting buddies in action.

Lily's Mom made cupcakes that looked like balls of yarn and she and Her eldest daughter Bella sewed up goodie bags full of yarn and needles as well as a knitting journal. How great is that? Both her Mom and I were curious as to whether the children would be able to stay focused but they were loving it. As the evening wore on, they didn't even want to stop!

Check out Cristy and her beautiful girls! Don't Caroline and Catherine look like their are having a blast?

It warms this old girls heart to see that not only is my Motley Crew happy with their new talents but that their children want to participate. All of my buddies have younger kids so I think it's fabulous that they have passed this creative prezzie down to the young ladies in their homes! Time with my daughter, Sophia is passing so fast and she will be turning 15 next week. It seems like just yesterday I was knitting for her before she was born. I just KNOW that my Chica's are appreciating the time that they and their girls are now enjoying together. I feel as though we need to snatch whatever Mummy and Daughter moments we can with our girls before the next chapter in their lives begin.

Happiness is: KNITTING WITH OUR DAUGHTERS!!!

Cheating on my Girlfriend

Yes Chica's today I was unfaithful to my knitting!

The knitting girlz and I decided to take a sewing workshop at our favorite yarn shop in Brussels. Is that considered cheating? I mean my yarn is still my one and only but I just wanted to give something else a go. Perhaps I can get them both to meet? It could be the start of an exciting threesome... Mind out of the gutters now! I meant that perhaps I could trim my knitting with fabric. Did my knitting force me into the arms of another project? Perhaps I'm just trying to justify my infidelity? Go ahead and judge away. I had a blast today and after all, variety is the spice of life non?

Holla back!

Snoods to the Left of me, Snoods to the Right...

All hail the SNOOD!

Is it just me or does the word snood sound like some sort of creature from a Dr Seuss book?

Anyhoo all the cool fashionista types are wearing them and guess what? They are SO easy to make. Cristy is just starting her first one and Shazza is working on her second. C and Shazza's girls are also busily sorting out their own. Shaz is definitely leading the trend and is working on one for a bud. Thus far we've been working off of a pattern that our yarn shop lady recommended to us. Just cast on a whole shwack of stitches and work up until you feel like you've had enough. Easy peasy right. Now if I can just get Shaz and Cristy to model theirs, I'll post a pic.

FYI the prune colored snood is from Burberry, the Burgundy one is from is from The North Circular and the grey one is called "Snood Dogg" and is from one of my all time fav wool sites; Wool and the Gang.
Have I made one yet? Yes but I hate the one I made plus I'm kind of a traditional scarf girl. I gotta admit that I'm starting to cave though. The only thing keeping me from zipping over to the yarn shop tout suite is the fact that I bought yarn for two different projects just YESTERDAY. Good God what is wrong with me...Gentle with your responses svp.

Here is Sharon's first completed creation modeled by the much sought after model, Lynn. Disclaimer: Lynn is NOT a knitter and she is quickly becoming weary of my knitting banter. I believe she often thinks we should just shut the Fuck up about it all. Big love to Lynn for her infinite patience and support as we continue to piss her off and knit instead of working out.

Mucho Lovo,

G.

If You Knit it, They Will Come

I just cannot get my head around it and I am truly thrilled!

For years I've been knitting quietly on my own suffering the "slings and arrows", aka catty comments, of women who have come in and out of my life and have laughed at me for it...Until now.

I've been living as an Expat House Frau in Brussels, Belgium for almost three years ( which is a pretty good gig if you can get it) and recently I've had the great pleasure of meeting a group of women who I am fortunate to call my friends. I love good food, THEY love good food. I love wine THEY love wine. I love a Limoncello after a girlie lunch, THEY love a Limoncello after a girlie lunch. And they'll EVEN drink mine for me when I can't finish. Now is that friendship or what? I mean what more could I ask for right?

But wait, on top of all the mischief we've been making over the last couple of months, they have all, and many of them with great speed, become knitters. I mean really, to say that I have died and gone to gal pal heaven would be an understatement!

At first I thought it was a joke. I thought it would be a fleeting thing which they would get bored of in a couple of weeks. I tried to stay cool and reserved about my enthusiasm but when they got psyched about it, how the Hell was I supposed to contain myself?

The result is nothing short of amazing. We meet once a week to knit and chat and we meet at each others homes to help each other and create. We even meet at yarn shops around the city because I think we are becomming addicted! Some of us are just getting started while others have taken the yarn and run with it. Stay tuned for some fabulous photographs of our creations.

This Blog will hopefully be a hilarious and engaging account of my experiences with them and our "Misadventures in Yarn"!.