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Knitspiration Yoga

all photos from printerest, clockwise upper left: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8 center: 9

I'm back with another knit-spiration, and this one is a little odd but go with me on it. 

Before I got pregnant, and little bit during I was obsessed with yoga, it was the only thing that quieted my mind... now knitting does that for me too and yoga has been pushed aside. But I'm wanting to get back into it again and then I started about how I could join my two loves and this inspiration board was born. 

I'm sooo ready to do some yoga outside this summer and for those chilly mornings yoga socks, mits, and a sweater sound amazing! 

If you want to check out my entire inspiration board check it out on pinterest and let me know how you fellow yogis use your knitting in your practice! :-) Also what are you guys inspired by right now? I need more inspiration for my next board. :-) Thanks!

Stash Flash Goals

Hey All!

I'm in a very friendly mood today, and felt like sharing my lack of organization skill and my goals to fix that.

I am not naturally inspired to organize but the girls at the MustStash Podcast have spiked my interest and I'm going to try my best to participate in their Stash Flash for this month. The main idea behind stash flash is to organize or set certain goals concerning your knitting stash and complete them this month. And to be honest my stash is kind of pathetic and a little embarrassing. Because I live in Tokyo most of the year, that means I live in a New York City toy sized apartment, thus my stash needs to be efficient, portable, and storage friendly. So... No... my stash isn't the typical looking stash but maybe this can help a few of you who are limited on space as I am.

My Main Goals for Stash Flash Are: 

1. Organize yarn, notions, needles, and patterns

2. BEEF UP my stash, I’m new and my stash shows it

3. Photograph FO’s for project pages

4. Block and finish all lingering projects

5. Get project bags for my WIP’s instead of plastic bags

My current stash/all knitting things are housed in a basket tote thing and for the most part I love it. its compact enough to fit under my desk and I can travel up and down the stairs with it easily. But because it's just one big pit things are NOT organized inside and it doesn't fit a ton, so I have overflow creeping out on to the desk, the couch, pretty much anywhere BUT the basket tote. haha. So that needs to get some new organizing done before I leave for Portland in a few weeks which will be where most of my stash enhancement will take place. So this is a June project for the girls on the podcast but mine will last probably the whole summer... hehe.

Also I realized I needed a way to keep my knitting time and projects organized outside of Ravelry. I started using my Erin Condren Life Planner and I LOVE it! I wrote all my goals in the notes section and I am able to write my WIP goals for the every week and month. I also use it to keep info for gift knitting in the back and I always have it with me. It also has a pouch in the back that I keep a needle gage in. Have you ever thought to use your planner to help keep your knitting organized? Try it!

I will return late this month with an update. You can also check out my project page on Ravelry here.

If you are interested in a planner to help you organize your life and your knitting check out the Life Planners and if you want use this link and create an account and you can get $10 of your first order! :-) And the NEW planners are going to be released on June 12 so definitely check it out!

Hand Dyed Heaven

Photos taken from each individual shop's product photos.

Lately I've been oogling the world of hand dyed yarn! It is sooo gorgeous but with my trying to not over stash my yarn stash I have yet to actually purchase some of this BEAUTIFUL yarn but I wanted to share what was on my wishlist and explain why and introduce you also to the heaven which is hand dyed yarn. Especially since I can't find amazing yarn like these in Japan, I am slowly going to start working through my wishlist... be prepared for some awesome yarn hauls in the future. 

Stray Cat Socks - I came across this shop while searching Etsy and fell in LOVE. I haven't started knitting socks yet but when I saw these self-striping balls in amazing colorways like "silver star" and "hopeful heather" I instantly wanted to learn how to knit socks. These will definitely be my first sock project!

Juno Fibre Arts - These yarns have the most wonderful muted tones! I want pretty much every colorway to make hats and sweaters and shawls, everything! IF I had to choose my favorite colorway at the moment it would be "Clifftop." (pictured above) Her bases look so fluffy and they have the best sheen to them. This will be one of my first hand dyed yarns so help me. :-)

Gynx - I fell in love with this dyer from her podcast. She is wonderful and so lovable. Every colorway she has seems to have an awesome story behind it. She is so fun to watch and I have a ton of fun perusing her shop. My favorites right now if I had to choose are "siren" (pictured above) and "lavender tea."  She also has an amazing sounding self-striping collection coming out soon that I'm so excited for! Another reason to learn to knit socks! 

Dyeabolical Yarns - This shop's yarns are so fun! I instantly fell in love with her colorway "poisoned cherry" (pictured above). What I LOVE  about this shop is that you can shop the way I love to shop for yarn... by color! Once you find the colorway you like you can then choose from her various bases. No more trying to match bases with the colors you love. Easy! Can't wait to try!

Ewe and Me Yarns - This dyer has some of the fluffiest and delicate looking yarn I've seen yet. And what's even more amazing is her hand painted yarn. Not just hand dyed, but hand painted! "Ocean Tide" (pictured above) is my favorite right now but there are so many beautiful colors!

VoolenVine - Kristin is probably one my favorite podcasters ever. I found her podcast and instantly became a devoted viewer. So naturally I was super excited when she started to dye yarn! Her yarn is exactly up my ally of a color palette with muted purples, teals, and greys. She has a constant changing supply which makes it fun to see. Earlier I fell in love with her Poe inspired yarns but I missed out on those. :-( But Currently I'm in love with her " Tough Chickie" and "Gothic Garden" (pictured above) colorways. 

So naturally my wish list is VERY long but filled with gorgeous color from indie dyers that are amazing! Please visit these dyers when your hand dyed yarn fancy hits you because they are truly talented and amazing. I am not being told to talk about them nor being sponsored. They don't even know who I am as I'm typing this, but I truly would recommend them to anyone in a heartbeat.

Do you like hand dyed yarn? What shops and dyers do you buy from? Let me know!

KnitCrate Newbies Series #1

Photo is not filtered or edited so you can see the real color of the yarn.

I recently talked about KnitCrate Newbies when I signed up for the program and about a week ago I got my very first shiny red envelop package! I can tell you now that I'm going to be counting the days every month for my KnitCrate to arrive!

Each month I'm going to share what I've received in my KnitCrate so if you end up being interested in joining and learning to knit you can do it a long with me and see what's in store. 

Here is what I received in my first KnitCrate and my thoughts on each thing:

YARN - 1 hank of Blue Sky Alpaca Worsted Cotton in "dandelion" for practice swatches and 1 skein of Ella Rae Seasons in "wine, peach, tan" for the pattern project.

VIDEOS & PATTERN - this first package came with 11 instructional videos and a cowl pattern.

FUN EXTRA -  Knitter's Pride Dreamz needles, 10" Straight US 8

SWEET/SOOTHING EXTRA - David's Tea: Read My Lips

I LOVED this first KnitCrate! The videos were exceptionally well done and really really easy to follow along with. But my favorite part of the KnitCrate? The YARN and the NEEDLES. I haven't knit with straight needles yet but I loved working with these. They are GREAT beginner needles and probably some of my favorite right now. And the yarn was so soft and beautiful. The cotton was meant for swatches but because I  know these particular stitches already I'm saving the practice yarn for a future project because it is so pretty.  The pattern is the PERFECT first project for a new knitter and even myself with a couple projects under my belt this was awesome for perfecting my knit and purl stitches. I am finally done knitting the cowl. It took me a little less than a week and now all I need to do is block it and seam it. I ordered a "block n' roll" mat from KnitCrate already and I'm anxiously awaiting it arrival.

Overall this was an amazing first KnitCrate and again I recommend it for EVERYONE to try out if you are a new knitter.

Did you get a KnitCrate newbie series one package? If so share with me your thoughts and how your first project is going! I'd love to see it and encourage each other on this journey!

BTW if you are wanting to just buy any of these products and would like a discount use this link to get 10% off your first purchase.

I HATE Knitting

I hate knitting... Plain and simple... It's stupid and a waste of my time... 

These are the emotions I went through a couple weeks ago when I tried knitting my first hat. I had to frog (start over, rip out, what have you) the project THREE times! I was knitting so tightly my hands ached and my eyes hurt from concentrating on such a little area. I wanted to give up!

But... I couldn't.

My personality is not to quit and I found myself being drawn to pick up that curly, tangled yarn again and again until I was able to get past the place I kept messing up. That's the moment I realized this was definitely a skill I needed to continue to hone and progress. Every time in my life that I've wanted to give up and quit and persevered through has become some of the most important lessons of my life. 

Knitting is slowly teaching me many life lessons while having fun and creating things. I am a creator and I don't quit. Knitting has reminded me of that. 

So some days and moments I do HATE knitting but more often than not I LOVE knitting and will continue to experience frustrations while creating beautiful pieces of art. 

Knit-spiration: Spring Cherry Blossoms

Photos from pinterest: (clockwise top-left) 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 (center image by knitfitch)

Ever since moving to Japan I have acquired an awe obsession with Sakura (cherry blossoms). They are such a happy surprise and bright spring welcome after a grey, cold winter, especially in an urban jungle like Tokyo. This year with my new found hobby of knitting and the arrival of sakura season, I've been so inspired!

It first started with a yarn find on KnitCrate.com from the March Indie Box that you can purchase without a subscription. It just looked soo pretty even if you don't like pink. That led to finding spring knit patterns on pinterest and that led to a whirlwind of pink, cherry blossom, spring knit inspiration...KNIT-SPIRATION! hehe

I wanted to share my knit-spiration in a collage for you all. You can also check out my entire pinterest knit-spiration board here. Enjoy the pretty blossoms, pink hues, and lovely light spring knits.

If you too want to purchase this beautiful yarn to make a beautiful spring knit, use this link to get 10% OFF your order. Enjoy!

Words & Yarn Book Review: Knitting Yarns, Writers on Knitting

The following post is NOT sponsored by Audible, I am just sharing this service and the books I love because I truly LOVE this product and service. I am not being compensated for this post.

My new favorite obsession as of late is curling up in  a chair and working on my knitting while listening to a audiobook! It is the most heavenly experience... oh and don't forget a cup of tea too! 

Since I am not talented to knit and read at the same time... the next best thing was an audio book! And I have been subscribed to audible for awhile now and LOVE it! Audible provides me with a tone of titles a my finger tips (no pun intended) that are great for listening to while knitting. When you can check them out! 

So since this is becoming a daily habit and I have a feeling a lot of knitters are bookworms like me as well, I've decided to start a series called Words & Yarn Book Reviews. And this first one I'm going to start with a GREAT opening book...   Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting by Ann Hood.

While I've been working on my first "in the round" project which will hopefully end up as this boot cuff pattern, I've been listening to a wonderful and delightful compilation of essay by writers specifically on knitting. There are short stories about knitting and life lessons, stories about what knitting teaches us, and how knitting has helped various writers get through certain points in our lives. 

Yes, I am a very new knitter but this book struck my heart to the core with just the first story. The book talks about successes and failures in knitting and life. It talks about giving up and starting again; it talks about how knitting is often taken on as a hobby to relieve stress and quickly becomes more than just a hobby; and it talks about how sitting down to knit is more than just knitting, it becomes a great meditative experience. 

The biggest thing I've learned about about myself and the magic of knitting by listening to this book is that knitting is the BEST therapy! This last week has been a rather tough week emotionally as a new mom and knitting has given me that quiet time and space to reflect on things and be grateful for the quiet moments I have with my son after a hard day. The clicking of the needles and the focus it takes me because I am so new to knitting helps me quiet my mind. Which, let me tell you, is a VERY big deal for me. I am that type of person that focusing on TOO many things at once. And this book adresses this and really brought to my conscious mind to be grateful for this.

Also the BEST part of this book is all the stories Hood has compiled together, while listening you will find yourself feeling like you are a part of the BEST club in the world. You are a knitter, and proud to be one. Yeah people may thing its just a grandma sport but after listening to this book you feel a part of a special secret society of knitters that you can relate to and would in real life totally "get you." It makes you wish you were friends with every writer in the book. 

However, as they said in my favorite TV show as a little little kid, Reading Rainbow, "don't take my word for it..." and go check it out yourself AND also try listening to a book while you knit it will make the experience THAT much more fun!

Pure Bliss...

I know what pure bliss looks like. It looks like me sitting on my glider in my sons room with the sun shining, snuggled up with him for his nap, knitting and sipping on a cup of tea with an audiobook playing. This is what pure bliss looks like.

This has become our morning ritual most days... I still need a nap where I hold and snuggle him and I'm pretty sure he does too, or at least I like to think so. This quiet perfect moment will only last 30 mins at times and 2 hours at other times but I revel every minute I do get because I know too quickly around the corner this will not be. He will grow up and want to play or fight me for taking naps and then years and years down the road it'll probably be just me snuggled with a blanket knitting in my old age chatting to him on the phone while he holds his own baby. Or again, at least I like to think so. :-) 

This particular moment happened yesterday after a huge major melt down because he had gas in his tummy. And mom was about to rip all her hair out and melt down herself because she couldn't figure out what to do. After some much needed swaying and shh-ing he finally settled down in my arms and we took a moment of pure bliss and quiet. I will treasure these moments my whole life and every knitting project I do sitting in that chair holding my sweet baby boy will remind me forever of this feeling. 

I'm officially a KnitCrate Newbie

I am OFFICIALLY a KnitCrate Newbie!!!

I originally heard about KnitCrate from a blogger and vlogger I follow called Organized Like Jen. When I saw that she gets a pattern and BEAUTIFUL yarn every month, I knew I needed to be all over that. But at the time I didn't know how to knit and even now I'm not up to the level of the "beginner" knitcrate option. Then miraculously KnitCrate had an announcement about their new "newbie" knitcrate. I signed up on the waiting list and got my invite the other day. I'm sooo excited, especially since they do ship internationally!

If you want to learn how to knit along side me or know someone who would be interested in joining check them out and get on the waiting list now!

Also if you check out knitcrate and want to purchase something in the store use this LINK to get 10% off! :-) 

Let me know if you join and stay tuned to see what comes in my first one in May.

My First Knitting Project: COMPLETE

So I figured I would start this blog by sharing my very first completed knitting project. I finished it yesterday on the first day of spring this year. It was really simple and fun and a great first project. I got to know knit stitch REALLY well. It was a pattern I found on Ravelry from CraftSnob called "It's a Cinch" 

The best part was i thought I ruined it by doing it wrong. This will show you how much of a novice I really am:

The pattern calls for 86 rows of knit stitch. So I did this unknowingly that it was a garter stitch. Then literally freaked out thinking I did it wrong and that it was supposed to be knitted normal like knit one row and purl the back. But all was well when I looked back at the pattern to see I did it right without really realizing it. Happy mistake I guess. The only thing different I did was on the ends I didn't quite start the rows right, not sure exactly what I did, so the edges are a but thick but hey its my first ever. 

I used a worsted weighted yarn called "classy" from Dream In Color Yarn in the colorway Amber Glass. This is amazing yarn (at least a newbie like me likes it). 

I can't wait to share more of my knitting adventures with anyone who will read this, hehe. 

Until next time... sayonara from Tokyo!