Ahead of my time?

Thrifting, upcycling and repurposing....I was doing those things before they had au courant names and before every blogger and his dog was doing it. 

In the eighties, when I lived in a small city in western Canada, I deplored the waste of clothing and household items set out as 'garbage'. Usually I left such items where they sat as someone's trash was sacrosanct and who would risk the humiliation of being caught garbage-picking. 

Recycling my own clothing was a safer way to reuse, but the intent was to make the refashioned garment appear new.   I certainly didn't make known the source of my textiles. 

Move ahead three decades and I live in Toronto, where curb shopping is a major source for home-furnishings in many neighbourhoods. Enter any Value Village or Goodwill and you will see men and women from many economic classes strolling the aisles, scooping up finds. 

So, change can be good, but is this trend reactive, a collective effort to be unique in a brand-conscious era?  Or is it a new attitude toward using our resources that will last?

Learning Curve

Well, here is the first photo I've posted to my blog. Not too inspirational. Socks. That I knit and gave to my sister. Best part, I took the picture while at their family cottage. 

Going again in August. Now that's something to look forward to. 

Changes I never wanted to make

Hello again, my friend. I've been listening to Neil Diamond lately.  

I don't really want this post to be all about the space of time since I last posted, so I won't. 

However...the last few months have helped me crystallize more clearly what I want to talk about--CHANGES.  Not my mind, my address or my underwear (although they all have their place) but about the changes that get made for you by living until a certain age. 

There are other changes people face unwillingly in their lives, such as relationships gone wrong, disasters or serious illness. My issues don't begin to compare with what so many other people have endured. 

But my changes have affected Me, my marriage and friendships on a fundamental level--how I view myself and my aspirations. Or another way would be to say, Have I been blind to what I am really like, but others have always known about me?

I don't like that question. I'm sure I won't like the answer. 

The Blogiverse Is Too Big!!

Hi,
After a long hiatus I am back at the blogging. Still hardly know how to do ANYTHING but type, but if I wait until I learn everything I want, I'll never get started.

I started this blog to join in the Blogger's Block of the Month from Canton Quilt Works. Besides the fact I'm behind on my blocks, I've felt stymied by my inability to make progress with this blog. So why am I joining another Blogland endeavor? Because this one is exactly what I have decided to do with my knitting--knit only from my stash.

My stash is pretty impressive considering I've only been back knitting for a few years and I rarely buy yarn for a project. Mostly what I do to acquire yarn is unknit sweaters and other items bought at Value Village or Goodwill. I know more and more knitters do this. Sometimes I score some great yarn--enough to do a whole garment. Otherwise I collect yarns to be used for "odd-ball" knitting. It limits what I can make in some ways, but it does challenge me to find patterns using my found yarns.

This week my Mom gave me 2400 meters of natural Aran yarn from a sweater she knit and frogged about 20 years ago. I've wanted to acquire enough yardage to make an afghan. I wanted it to be wool, rather than acrylic or blends. I've picked out the pattern (an Aran sampler I'll write about in another post) and swatched. It's a free pattern; I've downloaded the blocks I plan to knit and started on the first one yesterday.

Whew! This has been quite a bit after my time away. I want to finish the first block tonight, so I'm on it.

Ciao, Linda

Passing on the Craft

Yesterday I helped a young friend take her first knit stitches. She is expecting her first baby in a few weeks. She asked me to teach her because she would like to knit for her baby. Well, not in time for her little girl, but anyone who knits knows she is learning a skill that will be there for her the rest of her life.

Every time I have the opportunity to teach someone to knit, I jump at it. I keep a small suitcase filled with odds 'n' ends of yarn and a collection of knitting needles for teaching. I use a suggestion I read to cast on for the learner so they can focus right away on the stitch. It works for both adults and children.

I love knitting and almost as much I love passing on the skill.

Time to knit,

Linda

Something New

Hi,
Today I used FaceTime for the first time to call my son and his family. He and his wife live in BC with my only two grandchildren. It was wonderful to see everybody while we talked. Today was an experiment--next time we'll call when Grandpa is home.

I've had my IPad 2 for about a month now and I'm very happy with it. Of course, there is a learning curve, but so far it does most everything I want.

Now on top of that I've ventured into the blogging universe. There are some really great blogs out there. Mostly I read about quilters, knitters and sewists. (I just figured out why unlike quilt and knit you don't simply add 'er' to the end of 'sew'. Now sewist makes more sense.)

I don't know if anybody will be interested in my observations--at least I'll try my hand at blogging for myself.

See you later,

Linda

Starting slowly...

Hi again,
I'm writing this as if I actually have an audience. If I'm the only one who reads it, I'm okay with that.

As far as deciding what direction to take this, I think I'll wait to see if it takes on a life of it's own. Maybe I'll finally get regular at journalling.

I know I want to explore creativity, expressing it in my various fiber pursuits. I'll leave it at that for now.

Linda