I'd Like To Thank The Academy...

Only a week late, but better late than never! And it's International Woman's Day so this fits perfectly! I've been wanting to write a thank you letter to all the people that have helped me and Knitted Wit get to where I am. I think about it every time I prepare for and have a successful show. I was further inspired by a tweet from Madeline Albright this morning. (Technology is amazing!) "In honor of Intl #WomensDay, go out of your way to help another woman. We must support each other in order to succeed." I want to thank all the people who have helped me succeed. And most of them have been women.

While it could be challenging to work in a female dominated industry for all the stereotypical reasons, I have been surrounded by incredible women. Women who believe that a rising tide lifts all boats. Women who have shared their experience and knowledge with me. With their help I have grown from a one woman show out of a basement, to my back patio, to having assistants, to now moving out of my house and into a studio. What an amazing journey!!

With the help of my incredible support network, your continued patronage, and my hard work Knitted Wit is growing up! I'm thrilled for this next step and all the possibilities it brings. In a few days I will be launching an indiegogo campaign to raise funds for the remaining expenses for this transition. Please join me in the next chapter of Knitted Wit!

I plan on passing on the generosity that has been given me. In June I will be picking an entrepreneur to support on Kiva. I'm so excited to invest in women! I look forward to brainstorming with you about other ways to contribute.

Pack Up The Moon

I was lucky enough to get an early copy of Pack Up The Moon from Rachael Herron. This book is beautiful. And heart breaking. It's gorgeously written and I felt my self sinking lower and lower into the book. So many layers to the story. When I got to a really hard part I flipped to the end of the book and read the Q & A with Rachael. Her inspiration was from her day job of 911 dispatch. Wanting to complete the story since she only sees a few minutes of often very difficult stories. As some one who likes to make up stories about everybody I pass by, I can totally understand wanting to wrap up a story. This helped me dig into the story a bit more, but wow did I get my heart broken. I even emailed Rachael to break up with her for a few days. We're back together, trying things out again, but it's a little touch and go.

Reading Pack Up The Moon is sort of like listening to a This American Life story. The story gently unfolds from multiple characters, explains the sorrow of how everyone got to their place in life, and how they will continue on. It felt like such a raw look into someone else's life, so intimate. When I'm done listening to an episode of This American Life I feel connected to humanity. I have grace and understanding for people. When I was done with Pack Up The Moon I felt the same connection. An understanding that everyone has been hurt, nobody escapes pain. And hopefully everyone has the chance to reconnect.

This book is not like any thing Rachael has written. Grab your box of kleenex, make a pot of tea, cozy up with your book and dig in.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Thank you for all the lovely compliments on Debbi's pattern! She has earned them! The winner of the skein and pattern to make Spring Mix is Barbara G, and the winner of a pattern of your choice from Debbi is Jana! Congratulations!

A few things to let you know about:

1. I dyed up some fantastic USA Olympic inspired yarn. You can get it out at For Yarn's Sake! I think I might have out done Ralph Lauren.

2. I'm testing out some US grown, processed, spun super wash merino fingering weight yarn. I could not be more excited about this!!! Im pretty sure CSY members will get first crack at it! I haven't started dyeing for this yet, so go ahead and sign up!

3. Frances and I will be at Stitches West Friday and Saturday morning! Stop by booth 947 and say hello. I'm bringing yarn for a little trunk show! Thank you to A Needle Runs Through It for hosting me and Frances!!

Spring Mix Give Away!

Just a few weekends ago I was in sunny, w-a-r-m San Diego. The warmth was so good! While I was there Debbi Stone debuted a new pattern, Spring Mix, using my Single Fingering. It's a gorgeous pattern, a delicate lace that's easy to memorize.

thank you for the beautiful photo Debbi!

I have a skein to give and Debbi has generously offered to provide the pattern via Ravelry download. Hop over to her designer page and tell me which pattern you'd love to make. I'll draw two winners: one will get a kit to make Spring Mix, the second winner will get their favorite pattern from Debbi! Sounds like a win win win. I'll pick a winner Friday morning and ship out the yarn as soon as I have your address! 

Rose City Yarn Crawl Mystery Knit Along

Or as it will now be called: the RCYC MKAL! Much quicker!

Since this picture was taken I've done the first lace section. The first row took three tries, but gosh darn it I can count! 

I'm using Single Fingering in Toffee Crunch and Black Forest. There are so many tempting color combinations, it was super tough deciding I

on these two!! What colors and yarns are you using? Join us here in the rav group to post progress pictures and chat! 

Did you hear about the Yarn Ball? Tickets are almost sold out!! I have mine and I can't wait to see all the shawls knit up! Now to plan what Frances will wear ;)

On The Importance of Showering

Talking about showering may seem silly, but if you've ever been a new mom I think you know what I'm talking about. I don't care how the baby came to be with you, showering is important. We all feel better after one.

When we found out we were having our third baby I had some goals for postpartum to make it as easy for everybody as possible. One of my goals was showering everyday. Mainly for two reasons. The first one was I nurse. Milk is messy and everywhere in the first…while. And Frances is a spitter. And really, life is messy.

The other reason is more important I think. With the boys I felt like I couldn't take a break, the baby would need me, or Eric wouldn't be able to manage with out me. People! The world will not fall apart in the 20 minutes I'm in the shower. And yes, I take a 20 minute shower. I make sure that Frances is fed and then I don't feel like I'm mandatory while I shower. Eric can sooth, change a diaper, clothes or fix whatever ails her.

There are some days when I have to talk myself through this, that Eric is capable, I need the alone time, and Frances will live. I also think about what I am modeling to my family. That it's important to take care of myself, and they are a necessary part of the family. They have a role to play. When babies are so little, papas don't always play a large role. This is a way to force some bonding time.

So new papas, new mamas: shower! Help each other get that break! We call them showercations.

What are things you do for self care? Some stay at home parents I know have a standard of getting dressed to their socks so they're ready to go out the door. It is very easy to wear pajamas all the time! I'd love to hear how you care for yourself.

Happy New Year!

New year, fresh start! 2013 proved to be busier and different than I ever could have dreamed. Frances Jean has been with us for 6 weeks now, but I don't quite remember a time with out her. Her brothers are keeping a close eye on her, and are always happy to jump in and help.

I am a big fan of the new year. I love setting goals, having a focus, and setting out on a task. In no particular order here are some goals for the next year:

1. Blog once a week. It might not always be about Knitted Wit and that's okay. Ive been inspired by Fringe Association and January One's blog. Who inspires you? I don't have a blog feed anymore so I tend to just read the ones I come across on twitter or facebook. 

2. Craft in some way everyday. I've been following people on social media that are doing a make something everyday, so it's not just knitting or sewing, but also cooking. I'm going to focus on knitting, spinning, and sewing. It can be just 5 stitches knit, that is crafting. I want to take the time to do something with my hands every day. 

3. Self-Care is my theme for 2014. Number 2 falls under this self care. I get so wrapped up in Knitted Wit work that I don't often take time for myself or really stop working. Having children, especially a new born, are helping me with this but I can do better. I plan on making an appointment tomorrow to see the chiropractor. I have no idea why it's so hard to make time in my day to take care of myself, but I always find time to watch my story! With parents aging and having kids I want to be healthy for the long haul. I also want to be an example that I am worth the time to take care of. I think that of other people, so I must believe it for myself. 

So here's some proof. I wound up a ball and cast on. I've since done three rows, I'm up to 4 stitches. Watch out! 

What goals are you setting for the new year? What is your tactic for following through?