Knitting Passion

Lisa submitted to me a pattern to base a stitch design on, resembling the well known “bullseye” rash, that Lyme sufferers get. Here it is.

I haven’t created a stitch pattern yet, but one thing at a time.

I like how she has given examples of two different color combinations for scarves.

Good Job Lisa!

bullseye rash, Lyme Disease, knitting, stitch motif

Here’s the tick I designed. Ewwww…..

This big guy will grace everything I make for this cause. After all, we’re trying to raise awareness, aren’t we? What’s more eye-catching than a big ‘ol tick on your scarf?

knitting, tick, stitch motif, pattern

I have just started knitting my very first scarf to benefit Stitching for Lyme. It’s very simple, as it’s been requested for Christmas. This will be no problem. Here’s the pattern W/out gauge cause I haven’t figured it out yet):

Lyme Scarf #1

Yarn: 2 skeins of this yarn—>
Needles: Sz US 10 (6mm)

*I am using circular needles because I don’t want to lose one. This project doesn’t have a designated bag, yet, so I didn’t want to misplace anything.

Duplicate stitch tick pattern or bullseye rash pattern in a contrasting color on one of the corners of the scarf.

You can also use the pattern to do an intarsia tick, which is what I prefer, but I suck at writing patterns, so you’ll just have to see the finished product when I get it up here. Let’s see how long it takes.

Stitching for Lyme, knitting, scarf, yarn

This is a story from Lisa that tells about her new friendship that was brought about by knitting.

Funnily enough, the friendship was originally a hearty animosity.

“You never can tell what the next day is going to bring, or what dynamics might change in the most unexpected ways. Yesterday a friendship arose out of what was once a bitter rivalry between me and another woman. What brought us together? Strangely enough, it was knitting.

“Denise and I live across the country from one another. We’re finding that we have quite a bit in common, but what initially brought us to the same place was Lyme disease. While I sought the support of an online community for my suffering, Denise was there, talking about a specific protocol of alternative treatments that she claims have done wonders for her. Being skeptical of her remission, I openly worked to debunk the person whose products she was pitching, and unfortunately that’s when the war began. For months we bickered across the boards; when we weren’t bickering, we were doing our best to ignore one another.

“When Keri came up with ‘Stitching for Lyme’ and I presented her ideas to the online group, Denise and I found out that we had something else in common: we both knew the peace that knitting and crocheting could evoke in a person while making a scarf or a blanket, and we both wanted to be involved in this higher cause. I’m not that great at knitting, as I’ve only known how to do the very basics for about a year (Keri is the one who taught me!) and I have been hit with intermittent arthritis in my hands (among other places), which makes practicing hard, but I can crochet well and plan on contributing what I can once the effort officially begins; Denise crochets and knits very well, and she also hopes to be able to contribute to this wonderful cause.

“Denise and I wouldn’t be friends today if neither of us were knitters…it’s funny how things work out sometimes.”

Isn’t knitting awesome! Man, I love this stuff!

knitting, friends, Lyme Disease

My good friend Lisa (for whom I’m knitting the sweater that probably won’t fit her…), has been living with Chronic Lyme Disease for… geez, around a year, now. It might be more, but my memory stinks, as you all know.

I asked her to write a brief statement about Lyme disease to better understand what she’s dealing with. Here’s what she had to say:

“Lyme disease not only attacks sufferers in a number of ways physically, but it attacks them mentally as well. It frequently causes memory problems, cognitive dysfunction, anxiety attacks, and debilitating depression. If not treated soon after infection, and sometimes even with proper treatment, Lyme disease can easily turn into a chronic infection. According to the Lyme Disease Association, the typical chronic Lyme disease patient suffers the same level of debilitation as a patient with congestive heart failure.

Most patients go years without a diagnosis because of vague and conflicting diagnostic criteria, as well as the common myth that Lyme disease is only endemic to the East Coast. The disease affects people of all ages, disabling men, women, and children in different areas all across the country, disguising itself as MS, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome, mental illness, and fibromyalgia. People need to be aware of the fact that Lyme disease goes grossly underreported – and that the public has been, and continues to be, grossly undereducated about this insidious widespread disease.”

Lisa has become agoraphobic due to the symptoms of chronic Lyme Disease. She cannot leave the house– even to let the cats outside. Her life has come to revolve around something that could have been treated, had a doctor taken the time. She saw many doctors, but because of the ISDA guidelines, was never treated properly.

I will be selling the scarves I make online, with all profits going to the Lyme Disease Association.

Lyme Disease, Stitching for Lyme

There are tons and tons of “good causes” that one can contribute to. Whether its money or time or used goods… or knitting?

When you think of donated knitting, you immediately think of chemo caps, baby hats and blankets. But I am going in a slightly different direction. I am going to be knitting for Lyme Disease.

What? That’s not a cause!

Oh yes, my friends, it is.

There is so much about Lyme Disease that is not known by the general public. Things like the pain all though the body that repeats on a monthly cycle. The arthritis, the nausea, the fatigue.

Imagine not being able to sleep all night because of the night-sweats and constant vomiting.

These are symptoms that don’t go away, especially when your doctor tells you there’s nothing wrong.

The ISDA has many different, and conflicting, guidelines as to what Lyme disease is, how it is diagnosed, and how it should be treated. So it’s no wonder that men, women, and children everywhere are suffering with no one to turn to.

There is so much conflicting information, that in many cases Lyme Disease is mis-diagnosed, or under-diagnosed. For more information, please go to the website of the Lyme Disease Association, and educate yourself and everyone you know about this severely underrated disease.

In the mean time, I will be knitting scarves to create awareness about Lyme Disease. Any knitters that wish to help can email me at kandrews41006(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

I will also be posting patterns here as soon as I possibly can.

Lyme Disease, symptoms, Stitching for Lyme, knitting, scarves

I am so excited today!

I get to teach the beehives in our ward how to knit!

I have NO idea what I’m going to teach them!

I think I’ll have them make a wristwarmer. That way they can finish it rather quickly, and they will be able to see how easy it is to make something that they can use.

And just for my family that’s looking at this, here’s a picture I know you’ll enjoy…

LDS Beehives, knitting, teaching knitting

I just wanted to check in. I’m in the middle of moving, so I haven’t been able to blog much. Sorry people. I will be frequent as soon as I am done moving.

Updates: I’m halfway done with one sleeve on Lisa’s sweater. I showed it to her tonight and she loves it, even if it doesn’t fit.

I’m almost done catching up to the back episodes of Cast-On, and I’m getting excited to be up where everyone else is.

I blew $50 at Petsmart today and am kicking myself for it. As a result I shredded my last debit card.

I have some blogs about Lyme Disease that I’ll be posting very soon. I also am starting a knit-something-or-other to raise awareness. I can’t think of what it’s called, but more on that later. I just designed my first “tick” motif for this cause. It’s cool.

Marie is crawling.

That’s it. Hope to be back ASAP.

moving, knitting, Stitching for Lyme, Lyme Disease, debit cards

Knitting is not a hobby that requires a specific set of tools. Yarn and needles are standard, yes, but not absolutely necessary.

I have knit with toilet paper instead of yarn. I have also knit with two pens instead of needles.

You can knit with spaghetti. Or shoelaces. Or fabric cut into strips. (I’ve done this.)
You can knit with crayons. Or pick up sticks. Or twigs. (I’ve done this too.)

Knitting with wire is very popular for making jewelry.

The point I’m trying to make is this: there is no correct way to knit. Knitting is making loops inside of loops, and the rest is relative. The tools and materials used really don’t make a difference when you get down to it.

Knitting is imagination plus determination to equal creation. (I just came up with that, how awesome am I?)

Imagination + Determination = Creation

The Knitting Equation.

That’s lesson number one.

Knitting Lessons

Well people, I have to clean my house. This means that I have to stop all fun things (like knitting and spinning and blogging) until it is done. I am so sick of looking at it, and since I’m the only person in this house (with 2 other adults, mind you) that picks up after anyone or themselves, I have to go do it. Although I’d like you to know that I’ll be listening to Cast On full blast on my computer. Ha! Take that unappreciative family members! Although I can’t blame the kids, of course. Marie is an infant and Kyle does try… So I’ll see you on the cleaner side of the street.

cleaning, complaining, podcast, Cast-On

with flash

without flash

Have to start dinner.

spinning, homespun yarn

Oh man… I LOVE hand spinning.

I just spun my first rolag* of hand dyed wool into my first ball of handspun yarn!

Heeheehee!!

*A rolag is the length of finished fiber you get when it’s carded**. See the pics of the colored wool in my post below. I spun the bright green fiber because it was the smallest amount.

**Carding is the process of brushing the fibers using special carding paddles. See here.

I have to go grocery shopping now, but I will post pics later today. I’m so giddy!

PS: My mom says I’m completely insane. And also that I am reverting back to a past life. She just doesn’t understand!

hand spinning

… here’s the sweater as it is at this point.

sweater

“Touch the spindle. Touch it I say!”

Every time I think of spinning yarn, a picture of Sleeping Beauty, engulfed in a evil greenish haze, reaching out toward the sharpened spindle of a spinning wheel, comes into my head. Followed shortly by images of Rumplestiltskin spinning straw into gold in exchange for the new queen’s first born child.

Needless to say, my childhood was filled with unhappy and even scary images of spindles, spinning wheels, and spinning yarn in general.

So when I decided to learn how to spin yarn from natural fibers, (the next logical progression for an obsessive knitter), I decided to start with a drop spindle. Not only is it easier to use, but you can make your own, and no scary mythical creatures will come to your door, looking for an opportunity.

That being said, a while ago i ordered a drop spindle and some fiber on eBay.

Today, it CAME! Along with the drop spindle and beautifully hand-dyed wool (from sheep, people) I also received some black alpaca (kinda like a llama),

and 120g of angora

(from bunnies!!!). If I am successful in my spinning endeavors, I plan to raise angora rabbits for the fur, as well as for their manure. (Bunny poo is the most fantastic fertilizer you’ll ever find.) So we’ll see how it goes! Ooooh I’m so excited!

wool, fiber, drop spindle, spinning, Sleeping Beauty

Yes, my friends, it’s true. I’ve already screwed up the sweater.

After staying up until 3 am to finish the back panel and join the shoulders together, I’ve found that

a) The sweater is going to be too small for anyone other than probably a 12 year old (due to me screwing up and casting on 4 stitches to few, as well as substituting the yarn without making a gauge swatch… honestly have I learned nothing? Well at least I’ll make sure to make guage swatches from now on…)

and

b) It doesn’t really matter anyway because the pattern I have didn’t provide a means of joining the sides together. What this means is that I have to wing it, and hopefully it won’t suck horribly.

Since this sweater is for Lisa, I know she’ll still be very appreciative, even if she can’t wear it. Maybe she has a niece it will fit.

Oh well, I still have to do the sleeves, anyway, so hopefully they won’t be orangutan arms.

sweaters, knitting screw-ups