Tis the Season

Santa Phil

Amazing that it is December 16th........2013!
This year... and the past 40 have whizzed by.

Turn back the clock to the '60's and I was the kid who couldn't sleep on Christmas Eve because of the excitement of the next day. I would do just about anything to prove to Santa that I should be on the "Nice" list and deserved special attention for my clean room and good behavior. I remember jumping into the family station wagon every year and driving around the neighborhood to admire the festive Christmas lights and decorations. As we got older, we ditched the station wagon and headed out on foot -caroling and collecting money for the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. We caroled and collected so much that our school won the Farkelberry Award for most money collected!

My mom would make me Festive Christmas skirts of red felt, holiday cutouts, beads, sequins and anything else you jam on a piece of felt---they were works of art and the envy of many little girls at Boyd Elementary School.  When I outgrew the skirts (which was only twice), they were re-purposed as Christmas tree skirts.

I fondly remember our Christmas trees...red and gold ornaments and hundreds of white paper stars that my mom made by cutting, weaving and folding notebook paper. The ornaments never changed or altered. Our trees were probably no larger than 6' tall, but to me they were gigantic, magical and PERFECT.

My mom was quite the homemaker (that's what mom's were called back then). She knit all of our Christmas stockings (there were 2 of us). (Perhaps that's where my love of Christmas stockings started). Each year, the stockings would contain the following staples:  Scotch tape, toothpaste and underpants, as well as a few treats.

I remember decorating (overdecorating) Christmas Sugar Cookies and getting our annual Fruitcake from Dr. H. These items were left on a plate for Santa along with a glass of Scotch, Santa might need a little pick me up.

In the morning, we were allowed to dump out the contents of our Christmas stockings. There were few surprises---tape, Crest, underpants--but it was still thrilling!

We had to wait until everyone woke up before the all important present opening. It never failed that my father would come down with a cold, stomach ailment or the Hong Kong flu on Christmas Eve and require extra rest on Christmas morning.

The present opening took all of about 5 minutes, but it was the most exciting 5 minutes of the year! We had the rest of the day to enjoy our gifts and look through the big basket of Christmas cards-reading each update- and then it was off to my Mom's Friend, Helen's house for Christmas Dinner.

Over the years, the traditions would alter but overdecorating Sugar Cookies, tape, toothpaste and underpants remain. I have the memories of Christmasses past to fill in the voids.

The magic of Christmas still exists, but over the years, I have come to embrace the "Reason for the Season" more than the trees, lights, stockings, gifts and baking. I am more of a quiet observer than an active participant.

In the past few years, the "Magic of Christmas" moment, the moment when you let yourself enjoy "This Most Wonderful Time of Year" comes when I walk through Mary Schmidt's front door! Her husband, Jim "Santaman" Schmidt, LOVES Santa Claus and has been collecting them and carving them out of wood for years.  His Santa collection gets put on display every December and the Schmidts are kind enough to allow Knitwits to tour their Santa packed home.

The display is AMAZING--words alone cannot describe the experience. It is a major undertaking for Jim, months of unpacking, lighting, wiring, hanging,.....followed by months of packing, unwiring...
Santaman has hinted that this will be the last year for the full-out display.

This photo is of ONE CORNER of ONE ROOM- the whole house is filled!

This year, the Santa Tour is this Sunday, December 22nd.
RSVP at the shop--you won't want to miss this opportunity.
Bring family (young and old) to the shop, enjoy Hot Cocoa and Cookies and we'll take you over to Santaland and bring you back.

The Knitwits Connection

This weekend, Janet and I were talking about Knitwits and what we do best--we're really good at hanging out and connecting with our customers.  "Knitwits-Where Friends Are Made". We have lots of friends and customers dropping by to knit and talk. Old friends met new friends, knitters helped fellow knitters and patterns like Turkish Bed Socks quickly become the project of the week.  The "Hanging Out with Friends Factor" is a key ingredient in what makes Knitwits work!

I went home yesterday (Sunday), turned on the TV, cleared off the UFOs from the couch and laid down for a little nap--still feeling a little punk from my cold. I woke up a little later and Bill Moyers & Company was on the TV. This is not a program that I usually watch but I was groggy and I couldn't find the remote amongst the UFO pile.

Bill's guest was Clinical Psychologist, Sherry Turkle, and the topic was the effect of technology on social behavior. As eyes opened and my brain woke up, I became engrossed in the discussion!

BILL MOYERS: If you’ve ever lost your smartphone, as I have, you know it can feel like a death. The experience highlights just how our world has been engulfed by social media and how our technology has become a vital organ of our being.

And it's happened so fast. Facebook is not quite 10 years old, Twitter is younger still. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg told a reporter that in 2016 -- just three years from now -- “people are going to be sharing eight to ten times as much stuff.”

Like anything hurtling us forward at breakneck speed, the advancements are great, and so are the dangers. For every Arab Spring or political movement using social media to foment change, there may also be campaigns of abuse and hate. For every Wikileak and revealed secret, there’s the encroachment on personal privacy by the NSA. For every new friend meeting through cyberspace, there’s the risk of estrangement from the real world.

Our devices change not only what we do but also who we are. So I’ve come to Sherry Turkle to try to explain how and why. She’s a clinical psychologist who was one of the first to study the impact of computers on culture and society.

SHERRY TURKLE: Well, I call it "alone together." That we're moving to a space where we feel free to respond to the three promises that technology now makes us, that we can always be heard, that we can be wherever we want to be, and that we never have to be alone.
And that third promise actually is terribly important because I believe that the capacity for solitude is terribly important to develop. I even believe that if you don't teach your children to be alone, they'll only know how to be lonely. And by not developing this capacity for solitude, we're not doing our children a favor.

“What concerns me as a developmental psychologist is watching children grow in this new world where being bored is something that never has to be tolerated for a moment.”

“Everyone is always having their attention divided between the world of people [they're] with and this ‘other’ reality [on-line relationships].”

I hope you watch the interview or read the transcript.

I think the most shocking concept discussed was that people feel more connected than ever with Facebook, "Likes", YouTube, Twitter and so on, but many of them have never looked up from their computer or mobile device. Many have never left the comfort of their home. They never really operate, feel, smell or taste the real deal--they never have a real face-to-face, real-time conversation with their "Friends" and "Followers".

I'm very guilty of being suffering from separation anxiety when I stray too far from my iPhone or computer. My anxiety level rises as my battery life drains. I'm a slave to the rings, dings and pings of my iPhone--often dropping the task at hand to see what notification has just been received.

Yesterday, a mother and her nine year old daughter came in for a Beginning Knitting lesson with Janet. Both were so excited to learn to knit and Janet was thrilled to teach them. There were no electronic devices, no phone interruptions, no multitasking....just knitting and conversation. As the Mom was checking out, the daughter went out on the porch.... and knit a few more rows.

For a Knitwit, there is no such thing as boredom as long as there's yarn and Ravelry.
Lonely moments are few and far between, unless its Monday and the shop is closed. A phone call or text to a Knitwits can usually remedy the problem.
If there's time to sit...there's time to knit.

Connect with us at Knitwits!

The UFO Mothership

Some nights were made for knitting and last night was one of them.
It was Sunday night.. the shop closed at 4:00, I bailed on dinner plans, John was in RDU, there was nothing good on TV (unless you like Football) and I could stay up as late as I wanted.

I was a knitting machine and I had my little Barn Wood Yarn Buddy keeping me company.

I keep my current UFOs (UnFinished Objects) in a laundry basket in a prominent place in my living room. It is full of possibility and good intention but it sits there taunting me. Last night, I figured that I'd visit the "UFO Mothership" and line up the UFO's that needed really some attention and just plunge in.

I started with the first Christmas Stocking of Christmas Stocking Season. I had started it a few weeks ago and tried to knit the heel in traditional sock fashion instead of following the pattern. I ripped out the heel and knit it flat as directed. An hour later, Viola--I was binding off the toe! That was easy.

Next up was a sweater called Aidez that I started knitting at the shop earlier in the day. The sweater is a slightly fitted cardigan that is cozy, cabled and knit in Chunky Yarn AND a possible KAL. I was researching a Cabled Pullover in Chunky weight yarn for a customer when I stumbled across this pattern--it's nothing like what I was looking for but it is the perfect cozy, comfy, weekend, throw-on cardigan that I could wear as a jacket since I don't like coats. More importantly, it has all of the makings for a good KAL- multiple sizing, plenty of yarn options, engaging and slightly challenging.

I started knitting the swatch (which was also the Left Front Panel if all was on track) at the shop and I had finished the 3" of ribbing ready to start the Aran patterning. Let the fun begin!

I did three pattern repeats and decided to measure my swatch. When I looked at the sweater schematic, the measurements for my size said 9" across the bottom. My "swatch" read 7" unstretched. Better do a little mini blocking to get a better measurement. I drench the bottom of my "swatch-igan" into a little Soak solution and do a little wet blocking. I pin my knitting to a blocking board and hope for the best.

While "Swatch-igan" is drying, I went back to Christmas Stocking #1. I have a hot mess of hundreds of yarn ends and seaming to do. Since I taught "Seams Like Fun" the day before, I tackle the seaming first. Perfection on the first stab--I taught myself well. Since I'm on a roll, I knock out the weaving in of yarn ends in record time. It's not a FO yet, but I've made some serious progress.

It was time for some Junko indulgence knitting. I started a Purl Bee Sweater Shawl last week after seeing our friend Mary's. Not a sweater and not a shawl, this Half Sweater has fake sleeves, a back and the most fabulous collar to keep you toasty warm without the bulk of a full sweater. This is the garment I want to wear over my pajamas when I have a knitting night.

You start with the back panel and 4" of ribbing. Next comes 10" of an easy brioche pattern. The brioche pattern is an easily memorized 4 row repeat, but it's slow going. I got 3" knit when the redundancy started to get to me.  Back to the "UFO Mothership".

Next up, this week's Scarf-A-Long sample. Of course, this is the UFO with the most pressing deadline--Wednesday night. Elizabeth started the project last week after I frogged Plan A. Plan A was an "A-Long" of my own design that spiraled and curved---it looked much better in my head. I'm not going to blab the details of this week's project, but its easy, beautiful in it's simplicity and yarn choice and quick to knit. I knit until I got sleepy.

Wow, I knit from head to toe last night and really enjoyed my visit to the UFO Mothership!

Signing off to get back to knitting.
Feel free to e-mail me at the UFOMothership,  ufojunko@gmail.com.

Knitwits "Where Friends Are Made"

Besties, according to the Urban Dictionary, are friends who have each others' backs, look out for each other, spend lots of time together, and are just really good friends.

Selfies, according to the Urban Dictionary, are pictures taken of oneself while holding the camera at arms length.

Janet and I are Besties who try to take Selfies.

While we like to think that we're Urban Dictionary material, we aren't--we're not 14-21 years old.

Whatever!

Unsuccessful Selfy

I met Janet soon after Knitwits opened 10 years ago and we've been friends ever since. We've been through thick (real thick) and thin (real thin), happiness, extreme sadness, sickness, health, richer and poorer.  In fact, I think we've been through every imaginable emotional state (and hairstyle) together.

Our Knitwits tag line is "Where Friends are Made"--and it's so true.
One of the best things about Knitwits is that all who enter, regardless of knitting skill, becomes part of our friendship circle. It is the true magic of Knitwits.

Friendship is a priceless gift and a major perk of being a Knitwit.
Our lives are touched each and every day by the random acts of kindness, sharing and caring that takes place within our walls. I can think of no other place where husbands are dispatched to fix plumbing issues, complimentary carpet cleaning happens just because, pots of Jambalaya or other meals and snacks are hand delivered and tears of joy and sorrow are shared so freely.
If we sold laughs, hugs and friendships, we'd be golden.

 

Every now and again,  Life gets crazy or "the business end of things" makes you forget that you have a Bestie.  Besties aren't perfect and neither is Life. A phone call, a hug or someone finishing your sentence is all that's needed to snap you back into place.

Janet, myself and the whole Knitwits gang are extremely proud of Knitwits --while we'll keep plugging away at Life and the business end of things, it is the Knitwits Circle of Friendship the we are most proud of!  Knitwits--Where Friends are Made.

Maude's Selfy

Someone wasn't Ready Selfy

iPanic

 

After piddling around at the shop for most of the afternoon, I finally get myself in gear to make a run to the bank and post office. It's 5:35PM and I have the deposits slips ready for the bank and I have our mail order packages wrapped, packed, sealed and labeled. After rummage around for my cars keys and my new iPhone 5C (I forgot my purse at home, so that's one less thing I have to find)---I'm in my car and on my way at 5:45--plenty of time--the bank closes at 6:00, the Post Office closed at 5:00 but the lobby is open 24/7.

I space out and miss the quick turn for the bank, no problem, I'll stop after I go to the post office. I run into the post office lobby since I've missed the last drop-off box pick up. I dump the flat packages in the mail slot and put the big boxes in the parcel "drum" depository. I move with grace and utmost efficiency--I'm back in my car and on my way to the bank in record time.

There's no line at the bank when I get there--but I'm feeling a little guilty because I have a handful of deposits to make and I know the girls want to get out of there in just a few minutes. The tellers are pleasant as usual and we chitchat and catch up while I'm waiting for the deposit slip receipts. I'm back in my car and the time is........whoa-where's my new phone?

I go back into the bank and I have the girls call my phone number..........silence.

No panic yet but I feel it building up quickly.
I return to the shop--Janet is on the shop phone (panic) and I tell her that I'm having a mini-emergency and I NEED the phone. She's in the middle of a high finance transaction-10 skeins of Cascade Pluscious-to be mailed (of course). She hands me her iPhone and I call the non-emergency number for the police.

The kind and calm dispatcher listens to my dilemma and gives me 2 phone numbers, one for the post office and one for the Lakeside Park Police. I call the Post Office number and after two rings, I hear an angel say "Hello, Dixie Branch, Covington Post Office."

Dixie Branch? Covington? I'm trying to reach the Post Office on Buttermilk Pike in Crescent Springs!

She confirms that I have the right post office and she listens to my sad saga. She tells me to hold while she looks for my cherished phone. I hear clanging and banging in the background, I hear her footsteps coming closer to the phone and then I hear, "Is it a new white iPhone 5C?"

Phew!
Janet finishes her high finance transaction and drives me to retrieve my phone.

Business as usual at Knitwits!



Related Links:
http://www.wikihow.com/Find-a-Lost-iPhone

What To Do If Your iDevice Is Lost Or Stolen

If your iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch, or iPad is lost or stolen what do you do? There are things you should do in advance - before you lose it or it's stolen - and some things to do after the fact. Here are some suggestions:

  1. Reporting a lost or stolen Apple product

  2. Find my lost iPod Touch

  3. AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon can block stolen phones/tablets

  4. What-To-Do-When-Iphone-Is-Stolen

  5. What to do if your iOS device is lost or stolen

  6. 6 Ways to Track and Recover Your Lost/Stolen iPhone

  7. Find My iPhone

It pays to be proactive by following the advice on using Find My Phone before you lose your device:

  1. Find My iPhone

  2. Setup your iDevice on iCloud

  3. OS X Lion/Mountain Lion- About Find My Mac

  4. How To Set Up Free Find Your iPhone (Even on Unsupported Devices)

What to do if your iOS device is lost or stolen

 

What's on the Needles and Score Keeping

I often write about the millions of the projects that I have going on at one time and I'm not joking around. It seems that my WIP's (Works in Progress) get worked on based on the following criteria:

1. Window of Fun--The fun of the project and the loveliness the yarn is greatest at the beginning. The "window of fun" gets smaller and smaller as time goes on. Must knit fast if going to finish before the Window of Fun closes. Measured on a 1-10 scale with 10 being highest fun factor.
2. Pressure Meter to Meet Deadline--how long can I put off an obligation before it bits me in the back. Measured on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being no pressure and 1= Final Deadline
3. Handiness of Materials--do I have all of the necessary tools or materials to work on the WIP

Here's what I'm talking about.

TUCKED PULLOVER
I'm working on Tucked Pullover from knitwear Fall/Winter 2013. This is a bottom up pullover with textured yoke knit in Elsebeth LaVold Silky Wool. Joanie and Miss Mary commented on the sweater when they were perusing the magazine, so I thought I would give it a test drive the pattern since we have a decent supply of Silky Wool. 
Window of Fun:  10
Pressure Meter:  10, no deadline
SCORE: 20 out of 20

Yarn, check...#4 circs, check, pattern, check. Cast on and knit.  One evening and 7" into the deal and one ball of Silky Wool later, I realize that I read the pattern wrong and did k1p1 rib instead of k1 round, p1 round. ooops--will it really matter?
Window of Fun down to 8.

Ball #2
Go to knit Tucked Pullover, can't find pattern.
Window of Fun down to 7.

Finished second ball last night. Must remember to wind and take home new skein.
14" of knitting in the round with shaping every inch or so---lots of mindless knitting.
Getting close to "The Great Divide", where front and back are worked separately--my motivation.
Window of Fun still at 7.
SCORE: 17 out of 20

ENTRELAC ROCKS
I knit an Entrelac iPad Cover in Noro Silk Garden for a shop sample and possible class. The class is a go but the iPad cover is too little to fit iPad--makes a cute purse though.
Must prepare for class and re-knit entrelac "swatch" in two colors of basic yarn for demonstration purposes.
Window of Fun: 7--working with Noro Silk Garden was a 10.
Pressure Meter: 8, I have a few weeks before the class is scheduled
SCORE: 15 out of 20

SINGULAR SOCK
In the beginning of the summer, a customer asked if someone would knit the mate to a sock. Jill mangled her hand and was out of commission and I'm the singular sock knitter---so I cast on and knit to the middle of the instep. The patterning was matching perfectly, but I was knitting a little tighter than the original. The sock was put aside until I figured out how to remedy situation.
Window of Fun: Dropped for 10 to 5 quickly
Pressure Meter: 5
SCORE: 10 out of 20

Fast forward 3 months, the sock still in instep mode and phone call from customer about status of sock. Told her situation and she says finish it as is and we'll make it work. One evening should finish up knitting the toe and doing the kitchener, another evening for weaving in the ends and blocking.
Window of Fun: 3
Pressure Meter: 2
SCORE: 5 out of 5

I can continue with the million of other projects that tease me.. but I'll spare you.

Bottom line: the higher the score, the more likely I am to work on that project. The lower the score, the higher the priority.

Yikes---its almost October and Christmas Stocking Knitting needs to get cranked up. Xmas Stockings start at a Window of Fun of 3. And we know what the deadline is........

iLove

Captain John suffers from iLove.


He LOVES everything Apple.
He says, "The products work the way they're supposed to work."
He loves the entire Apple product line, the simplicity of the product designs, the ease of product use, and the Art of the new product releases. He was one of the many who waited in line last Friday for the release of the new iPhone 5S.

I love my Apple products, but I have my limits-- there will be no waiting in line at the Apple store for me and there is no immediacy to upgrade to the latest models and I'm usually two-three software updates behind.  When Captain John suggested that I trade in my trusty iPhone 4S for something worthy of waiting in line for, I grumbled, "What's that going to cost me?"

Well, we got into his "new" car, a vintage 1978 Honda Civic CVCC, and ambled out to the Apple Store at Kenwood Mall--reaching max speed of 63 mph.  (The car situation is a whole 'nuther story.)

I got the new iPhone 5C, the cheaper model that required no waiting in line. The very next day, John sold my old iPhone on eBay in 20 minutes and for much more than we paid for the new phone.

I do love the new iPhone but there is some getting used to. Remember when TVs went to the wide-screen HD format and the remote control could do things that you never knew you needed to do? Well, the new iPhone is like that. The screen is much larger, it is lightning fast and it is capable of so much more than I am.  I do love the extra $ that's burning a hole in my pocket--I'll probably end up spending it on iPhone 5C accessories since all of my old cases, cords and adapters are now obsolete.

I love that John loves Apple products and old Hondas (he has three with a combined age that is close to our combined age). John loves that I love knitting and have more projects going on than the combined age of his Hondas.

Moral of this story:
Enjoy what you love and share the love with others!

One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life:
That word is love.
-Sophocles

A Day Off and A Day Away

My Blogging Machine- Love the Cover!

Sometime during the day yesterday, I decided that I would take today off.

Jill and Janet are scheduled to work and I would normally go in anyway to try to make a dent in the tremendous amount of undone work piled in and around the office. There are towers of books---full of inspiration and information that I intend to peruse "some day". There are stacks of file folders filled with random papers---some may be important "some day" and some just waiting for me to figure out a suitable filing system. There are bins of yarn and UFOs (unfinished knitting objects)---you got it, just waiting for "some day" when I got the urge to do something with them.  Scattered amongst the piles and bins, handwritten notes and tattered e-mails that serve as reminders of things I must remember to do.

Is today that "some day"?

Heck No!
I have the whole day ahead of me with no commitments but plenty of good intention but I'm really fighting the urge to go into the shop.

So, here I sit at my computer blogging with a second cup of coffee.
Blogging has often helped me get my thoughts organized---the ideas that are racing around in my brain have a chance to formulate as I type them out on the keyboard for all to read.

I ask myself a few questions:
What would the perfect day be?
What direction should the resuscitated blog go in?
Should I pre-blog, make a list of potential blog entries?
Should I do laundry while I blog?
Would a third cup of coffee be a bad idea?

Coffee, yes. Laundry, yes. Pre-Blog, maybe--but blogging just happens. Resuscitation, just try to keep the blog going this time. Perfect Day?

Junko's Perfect Day List:

1. Get up whenever I get up.
2. Hot Coffee.
3. Knit.
4. Good hair day.
5. Spend time in a lovely, peaceful setting.
6. Learn something unknown.
7. Spend quality time with good company--good food, great conversation, much laughter
8. Do something for me---mani/pedi, massage, cupcake
9. Coffee.
10. Knit.
11. Nap
12. Go to bed when sleepy.

Weidemann Hill Mansion, Newport, KY

My Perfect Day is scheduled for Saturday, December 7th, 2013, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.
We (Knitwits) have rented the lovely Weidemann Hill Mansion in Newport, KY for the day and we're planning "A Day Away" from the chaos, hustle and bustle of our regular routine. Janet and I imagine a day spent in our Downton Abbey style mansion decked in Holiday style, filled with our favorite people. Coffee, tea and trays of lovely refreshments are available throughout the day. Guests explore the many rooms full of turn of the century decor, relax on the heated patio with the greatest view of Cincinnati and have lunch in one of the lovely formal dining rooms.

Knitting and crocheting is encouraged throughout the day and special guests stop by to enlighten and entertain. Laura Lough from The Unique Sheep will give a presentation/fashion show of her lovely hand-dyed yarn. Dr. Theresa Holstein will give a presentation on surviving "The Change". Santa will deliver Holiday Cheer....and gifts.  Klaude Kocan and his team of Merry Massage Therapists will be "On Hand" to give Hand and Neck Massages (appointments can be made for a more substantial massage). Janet may even "Cook Up" a little something.

Guests are encouraged to display their own works of art---quilted, needle pointed, painted, knit, crocheted, baked, beaded, etc.  Many of our guests are full of talent that often goes sight unseen.

The cost of "A Day Away" is a $135* and includes lunch, a skein of The Unique Sheep Yarn, Hand and Neck Massages and every thing on my Perfect Day list except #4-Good Hair Day.
* Tickets purchased before November 18th will be sold for $125.

Well...So much for the day off, I just got a text that I'm meeting someone at the shop in a little bit.
Some Day.......

The ART of Blogging

Junko, I kept your lovely e mail and today when I redesigned my web site, 

thought I would forward the new  site so you can see it.

 As you can see, Asian influences are very strong for me....

who knows if it started on Rogers Drive and the wonderful folks next door.

I hope all is well with you ...

Regards

Joy

I received the above e-mail today from a former next door neighbor.
When I say "a former neighbor", I'm talking about over 20 moves and 45 years ago.

Joy (a very fitting name), was and still is stunningly beautiful, the mother of a childhood friend, art teacher and an artist. I clicked on the link and entered the amazing world of Joy, the artist.

I clicked on everything that you could click on, studied every one of her paintings and read every word that was written.  My final click landed on "Blog".
Her first and last blog entry was dated 01 December 2011 11:43.

WHAT???? 01 December 2011 !!!!!!
I felt like I hit a dead end.....hungry for more posts and more tidbits of information about the 45 years since we lived next door to each other.

Thinking that she may want some information about me and what I've been up to since the age of say 6 years old, I thought I would send her the link to the Knitwits Blog. It has been so long since I checked on this blog that I had to Google "Knitwits Blog" to get the http address. The search results popped up and I clicked on the KnitwitsBlog.Blogspot link.

WHAT???? May 17, 2013 !!!!!!!!
The opening line of the entry was "It's been a very long time since I blogged!"
I'm so sorry I've left you all dangling again.

While I was there, I reread several of the past blog posts (many of which start out "It's been a very long time since I blogged!") and was amused to read the accounts of my history that I found blog-worthy. As the Knitwits Blog administrator, I can also access the "backside" of the blog---the charts, graphs and traffic statistics about readership.

WHAT????  Over 20,000 people have read the Knitwits Blog !!!!!!

Well, For Joy and those 20,000 others..........It's time to resuscitate this blog!
 Here's a little update:


Dear Joy,
Thanks for the e-mail and link to your website. Beautiful!
Since you moved from Rodgers Drive, I went on to finish first grade and eventually graduated from Fox Chapel Area High School. I then went to Penn State and majored in Art. Since graduation, I have have a variety of careers--retail, marketing, management....slight u-turn.....flight attendant/knitter.....another u-turn......Knitwit.

Perhaps in the few years that we wore down a footpath between our homes, we influenced each other in more ways than we realized.  An Asian influence emerged in your art and a deep appreciation of art and creativity grew within this Asian.

Thanks for endless hours of play, for showing me the difference between "Arts and Crafts" and Art, and for teaching me that Art has no rules.

Fondly,
Junko


For those of you interested in Joy's work, click here.

My Return to Blogging

It's been a very long time since I blogged!

So much has happened since my last post.....a few steps backward, a few steps forward and a lot of time spent running in circles.

In September 2012, Comair, the airline that I flew for for 15 years, clipped my wings, closed their doors and left me and thousands of other folks trying to figure out how to update our resumes and file for unemployment benefits.

In early October 2012, Janet broke her foot in a freaky walnut incident.
In late October 2012, Norm Wilhelmi, Janet's charismatic father, passed away in his sleep. Norm was the Knitwits' biggest cheerleader. He shared our little weekly E-News with anyone who would read it.

In February 2013, Sheryl, the sane Miss Congeniality of the shop, sold her home in the 41017 and moved to Northern South Carolina.

In a "nutshell", the last few months have been physically and emotionally upsetting, full of loss and change. Now that we've now had time to heal, to digest everything and brace for the impacts, we find ourselves feeling blessed for what we do have, ashamed for taking things for granted and empowered to be better.

Without Knitwits and the "Knitwits" who frequent the shop, Janet and I would be lost.
Because of Knitwits, we find purpose, strength and comfort.

It is our hope that Knitwits be a place of comfort, support and friendship when bad news is delivered as well as a place to share and celebrate life's joys.

Thanks for reading.

It's been 9 years......

Knitwits Back in the High Rent District (2005?)

It's been 9 years but I think we're getting the hang of it! Many people think that working at a yarn shop must be a lot of fun. It is...but it's also a lot of work! If it were easy and all fun, there would be a Knitwits on every corner!

Yarn shops are like fingerprints, there are no two alike--nor should there be! Every shop has its own personality, merchandise mix, strengths and weaknesses and NONE are perfect! If they look perfect...they must not be very busy. And, if they're busy it doesn't always mean they're making money. Trust me on that one.

People will seek out a Local Yarn Shop (LYS), so location is important but it isn't everything. Rent is a biggee! It is what you pay in rent AND happens within the doors that makes a yarn shop successful...or not.

Yarn shops are the quintessential "Mom and Pop" operations or in the case of Knitwits, "Mom, BFF and Best Employees" operation. Unless you're willing to spend a lot of money, everyone involved in the operation has to wear many hats to keep the doors open. A LYS has to sell a lot of yarn and needles to pay the rent. It is the marketing of the shop, customer service, selling the classes, clubs, events and creating positive experiences that will get people coming back. Building a loyal customer base takes time (lots and lots of it), creativity (lots of crazy ideas), resourcefulness (lots, again) and money (way too much). After nine years, we're finally getting our expenses in line with our sales---but we're working harder than ever!

Turn back the hands of time by 9 years. 
Janet knew how to knit but she wasn't a knitter. She thought it would be "fun" to have a little yarn shop and she wrote some of her thoughts down on a cocktail napkin. Soon after, Knitwits Contemporary Yarn Shop was opened as a birthday present from Janet's late husband, George.

An amazing series of events has occurred since then.
We've laughed and we've cried.
George's gift of Knitwits continues to touch and change many lives in too many ways to count!
It has been the gift that keeps giving!

Happy Birthday Janet!
(Jay too, Janet's twin brother)

Back in the 41017

It's been a week since we returned from the wonderful birthday trip. I still have a few days off before I go back to flying...so it truly has been a fabulous vacation. I have been able to ease back into a routine of time at the shop, knitting/crocheting, napping and spring cleaning. 50 ain't so bad!

50 Ain't SO Bad!

It has been a few weeks since I started a new project. At first, it was a little bit like going through withdrawl. But, I have some great projects on the needles and I like them all enough to keep plugging away at them. I think the key for me is to stay off Ravelry!

I'm am thrilled that so many people followed our journey via the Prog Blog and Facebook. Social media is amazing. Everyone asks, "What was the best part of the trip?" or "What was your favorite place?"  These are really tough questions to answer.

Prague (or if John were writing this- Prog in the Check Republic) was everything that people told us it would be. It was beautiful and full of history. We loved our comfortable yet small hotel that was tucked in the top of the hillside across from Prague Castle. It was weird that Prague was so busy during the day and practically deserted after sunset. We figure that the bus tours and cruise ships pack tons of visitors to Prague for the day. The best part of Prague was our car trip to Cesky Krumlov, a charming, little walled city about an hour and a half drive from Prague. Jill suggested we go and I'm glad we did!

Cesky Krumlov

We took a train from Prague to Budapest and I enjoyed the 8 hours of knitting time.
I thought Prague was amazing (and still do) but Budapest was even better! It is a mix of modern and ancient with the most beautiful architecture and public spaces I have ever seen. Everything was done with a flair for aesthetics. Thanks to Capt'n John, I don't think we missed a single pastry shop. Budapest is definitely someplace I hope to return to soon where I think three days in Prague was sufficient.

Parliament in Budapest

From Budapest we flew to Paris. Paris was the perfect ending. We did not have enough time to explore everything and I don't think you could ever see everything Paris has to offer. We stayed at the Hilton Arc de Triumph, a gorgeous art deco hotel.

Now that I'm back...I think the best part of the trip was being able to explore the sights, sounds and flavors of the world but realizing that home is the very best place of all.

Home!

End of Prog Blog-Jet Lag

What a fabulous trip! This trek was my 5oth birthday present from Captain John and we couldn't have had a better time--it was a homerun. We got First or business class on ALL of our flights and miraculously had wonderful weather everywhere we went. Prague was great, Budapest was an unexpected delight and Paris was the icing on the cake.

Paris

We got back Monday afternoon and I'm afraid my body is still in vacation mode. The 8 hour plane ride back has me all confused about when to sleep and eat and my mind is still not ready to tackle my stack of mail, piles of laundry and the other responsibilities of the real world.

Tomorrow (Tuesday), I head back to Knitwits with one finished sock for Capt'n John, 18" of entrelac scarf and a still unfinished Color Affection shawl. I didn't get much knitting done and I didn't see any yarn shops in Europe. In fact, I didn't even see anyone knitting the whole trip.

It was my intention to blog everyday and document the sights, sounds and flavors of the journey. My intentions were good but the execution was terrible. Most of my photos included fingers or other unintended objects and the food was always halfway eaten when I remembered that I wanted to photograph it. Internet connections were the other glitch--I'm just not IT savvy enough to download, transfer and connect yet.

Ed and Regina Fort

For those of you that are thinking about a European vacation, DO IT!...but here is some advice.

1. Take one carry one suitcase per person and make sure that you check the acceptable size and weight restrictions on all of the carriers. We flew from Budapest to Paris on EasyJet and my suitcase was the only one that didn't need to be checked. They charge an additional 30 Euros for a checked bag and they aren't very lenient--purses and laptops must fit in the ONE bag.
2. Keep small change in your pockets. Most WC's will charge you to use the facilities.
3. We ended up buying an International Data Plan for John's iPhone after a few days so we could use the map functions and google stuff. The plans are fairly inexpensive and are prorated by days and not by how much data you use. 
4. Our travel companions, Ed and Regina Fort, researched hotels on the internet and got great deals on 4 and 5 star accommodations. They read all of the customer reviews looking for comments on noise, convenience, cleanliness, etc.
5. Late April is a great time to go to Europe. Spring Break is over and peak travel season rates seem to start on May 1st.
6. We downloaded Zuti apps on our phones, high quality mapping apps for Apple iPhones, iPod touch, iPad & Android. Clear scrollable detailed maps of the worlds transport systems that show you the routes to take from one destination to another.
7. With the exception on one skirt, I wore everything in my suitcase and I was not "that person" struggling with the suitcase the whole time. The must have items were KU fleece Jacket, raincoat/windbreaker, Cuddl duds, big colorful scarf that Sarah Haney gave me for birthday and gloves. I was never without the gorgeous, oversized scarf--it was perfect for taking the chill off and looked great.
8. Take the "hop on, hop off" guided tours and get a great overview of the city before you head out on your own. In Budapest, our tickets were good for two days and we used it as transportation for most of our stay.
9. Don't stress out over blogging, taking pictures and knitting! You're on VACATION!

Budapest

It did not take me long to get into vacation mode. In fact, my face hurts from smiling so much.
I've been sleeping well, eating very well and not looking at my watch at all...in fact, I still have my watch set for Eastern Standard Time so I know what time it is at Knitwits. I hope the journey through my "50's" and beyond continue to be as fabulous as this 50th Birthday celebration. Thank you Captain John!

Yesterday, we took a seven hour train ride from Prague to Budapest. I knit the entire way, stopping only twice for potty breaks. I had not knit much since arriving in Prague so I eagerly got to work on my Alchemy Silken Straw Color Affection project. With increases at the beginning of each row, I quickly had upwards of 300 stitches per row by the time we got to Budapest.

View of "Pest" from the "Buda" side of the Danube River

Captain John and I instantly feel in love with Budapest.
The architecture is breathtaking, the people are lively and friendly, the streets are safe and easy to navigate, restaurants are plentiful with impeccable service....desserts have been perfected!

Lunch with the Countess of Castle Garden

We are staying at The Castle Garden Hotel, a great little hotel, across the street from Budapest Castle on the "Buda" side of Budapest. The "Pest" side is across the Danube River. It seems that in Europe it is not that uncommon to give yourself a title, so I have dubbed myself "The Countess of Castle Garden."


Today, we took the "Hop On, Hop Off" Tour of Budapest and we only hopped off once...in search of the Gerbaud Cafe that John read about in the Wall Street Journal. The article described the 153 year old cafe that specializes in "Pastry Kremes", a tri-layered, super flaky, cream filled pastry. They must be very good because they were all sold out of the pastry kremes when we arrived at lunchtime.

I think I know where I'm having breakfast tomorrow........

Hello from Prague!

Cesky Krumlov  :D

 

Prague Castle

Astronomical Clock

Off to Budapest!

Today, we leave Prague from an eight hour train ride to Budapest. I'm looking forward to some quality knitting time and giving my legs a day off. I have enjoyed every minute and every meal in Prague.

Prague Update (Tuesday)

We are staying at a lovely little boutique hotel near the Prague Castle called Dominus Henrici. We love everything about the hotel...except the wi-fi doesn't work in our little suite. I'm using the hotel computer and I am unable to download the pictures from our iphones for you.

Yesterday, we toured Prague Castle.
Today, we are driving to Cesky Krumlov, a little walled town about 3 hours south of Prague. It is supposed to be one of the most picturesque places in the world.

Prog Blog - Day 1

Do Birthday Wished get more powerful when you turn....my new age?

Yesterday was my birthday (it was also Ed's Birthday) and we both wished for a safe, successful and happy journey---and first class/business class would be very nice.

Wishes do come true! "Plan A" CVG-JFK, JFK-PRG was an overwhelming success!
Capt'n John picked me (and my ONE bag) up with a single red birthday rose in hand. If was a little bit like a rose ceremony scene from "The Bachelor", but it was a nice touch to start our vacation. From then on...it was first class all the way to Prague.

Capt'n John, Regina and I were able to sleep from the time they cleared away our dinner plates to the time they served breakfast. Capt'n Ed didn't have as much success. I am able to fall into the deepest, most restful sleep on airplanes-in fact, I slept so hard that the hair fairy came and gave me a very interesting doo for my Prague debut.

Prague is six hours ahead of the 41017 zip code, so I think we arrived in Prague on Saturday morning. It was sunny but a little chilly (50-60).

Our hotel is located on the very top of town. Our room was not ready when we arrived, so we took a little stroll through the neighborhood. The cobblestone streets are lined with small restaurants, pubs, coffee shops and bakeries. Every restaurant has a chalkboard with daily specials and here are some of the offerings: Pork Knuckle, Sparrow with Sauerkraut, and Pig Neck. Capt'n John was much more interested in the apple strudel and pastries.

St. Charles Bridge

After a nice nap and shower, we met up with Ed and Regina to see the sights and sounds of the city down the hill. We walked down the hill with a steady stream of people. We knew that the walk back up after a hearty meal would be grueling. We ended up having dinner along the river and under the St. Charles Bridge.

TRDELNIK

Hi everyone this is Capt'n John;  My best friend Ed's nose led us to the most wonderful pastry called a "Trdelnik". This wonderful pastry is made of dough rolled on a metal cylinder and baked over a gas flame and when golden brown, this hollow perfection of pastry heaven is rolled in cinnamon and sugar.  Mmmmmm when accompanied by a good cup of coffee it gives you a full days' requirement of vitamins and nutrients according to Capt'n John's definition of good nutrition. They were sooooo good--we had one before and one after dinner! :)

Prog Blog- Pre-departure

One Suitcase and a Carry-On

It's Friday morning and the journey to Prague begins!
Plan A is to take the flight from CVG (Cincinnati) to JFK, then JFK to PRG (Prague).  Sounds like a good plan...except the four of us are traveling standby using our Employee Travel Benefits. Plan B is CVG to CDG (Paris), CDG to PRG. Plan C is I'll be at the shop later today.

Airline Employee travel benefits are a real perk for airline employees...at least they used to be. These days, the flights are sooo full that it has become more difficult to use the free travel privileges. Getting out of Cincinnati is the toughest part. When you fly "standby" you can go to the gate and after all the ticketed passengers board, you get to board if there are seats available. You can always tell the standbys...we're the ones with our eyeballs glued to the overhead screens watching for our names to appear on the "cleared" list.

When Delta and Northwest Airlines merged, Comair employees took a big hit when it came to standby travel. We used to have seating priority based on our hire dates. After the merger, our priority status plunged as all Delta and former Northwest employees are placed ahead of Comair employees (except on Comair flights). In other words, a Delta employee who was hired yesterday has a higher priority than a Comair employee with 32 years of service like Captain John. That hurts!

The Comair flight to JFK looks fair. There are 7 or 8 seats available and 9 people on the standby list. We are listed 1-4 so it looks good for us to get on! There are 16 seats available (15 in Business Class) for the Prague flight and 11 standbys listed. Wouldn't Business Class to Prague be a great Birthday present?

Thank you all for the birthday wishes and Bon Voyages!
I've packed plenty of yarn! I have Schaeffer Nicole for John's socks, Mochi Plus for an entrelac scarf and my Alchemy Silken Straw Color Affection. That should do me until we return.

The Pre-Prog Blog-Part I

Captain John to Junko: How do you spell Prague?
Junko to John: How would you spell it?
John to Junko: Prague sounds like Frog...so, P-R-O-G?

The countdown is officially on and I'm starting to get really excited about the upcoming and much needed vacation! One week before we leave! The plan: Prague and Vienna.

....But, I have to finish the three-day trip that I'm currently on, get my tax returns in the mail, get a mani/pedi, bid for next month, catch up on two weeks worth of shop stuff, get two weeks worth of shop stuff taken care of for while we're gone, and a four-day trip that starts on Monday and finishes the night before we're planning to leave. Yikes! In other words, I have two days off from flying to get my life in order and I think I'm scheduled to work at Knitwits. It is crunch time and time to get serious about getting things on my action plan accomplished.

Captain John and I are hoping to have the time and technology to blog about the trip. Captain John can't spell (that's why it's the Prog Blog) and I can't take a picture worth a dime so we're setting the blog bar very low...our posts might be blurry and full of typos but the adventures of traveling "standby" might be worth it.

It's a good thing that I will be traveling with Captain John and his best friend, Ed, and his wife Regina.
They are seasoned globetrotters and have been researching hotels, points of interest and transportation options for weeks.  I'm a great person to vacation with because I'm up for anything and I'm just happy to be included but please DO NOT put me in charge of any planning or coordination- just tell me where to be and when.

Sluggage Options

For the past two weeks, I have been obsessing about the following things:

1. Finding a suitcase that weighs nothing but holds everything so I can avoid being "That Person". "That Person" is the one group member who is always struggling with bags and stuff in the TSA Security Line, at the hotel, in the cab, etc. I have 3 candidates lined up in my living room.
2. Figuring out what to pack? Fleece or flip flops? Boots and a bathing suit?  T-shirts or turtlenecks? Captain John is limiting me to one bag and three pairs of shoes.
3. And most important...What am I going to knit?

Captain John has been dealing with the following:

1. Which airport should we fly into to? Amsterdam? Paris? London? Prague? And, which airport to fly out of? CVG-Paris, JFK-Prague, Detroit-Amsterdam? MSP-?
2. How do the loads look for non-revenue stand-by travel?
3. How will we get to Prague and beyond? Train, plane, car, bus?
4. Where will we stay? How long will we stay?
5. When do we leave? When do we come back?

Clearly, Captain John is the more valuable player of our twosome.

I'm off to audition my suitcase options to see who performs best in terms of ease of packing, ease of wheeling and the "Clean and Jerk" test (the ease of pick up, lift up to waist and then lift over head drill).

Ciao!

Ode to Elmore-Pisgah

Ballband Dishcloth from Peaches & Creme label

I grew up with hand knit dishcloths and I've never been able to use anything else in the kitchen. There is something really special about the toothyness and absorbency of an all cotton, hand knit washrag. I loved the way the yarn would tighten up with washing and the colors would fade with time. My mom would knit an endless supply of "Cast on 4, knit 2 YO, knit to end" Peaches & Creme dishcloths. They have showed up in my Christmas Stockings for as long as I could remember. They were always welcomed gifts for friends and family. In fact, I had never knit my own dishcloth until just a few years ago.

Easy Knit Washrag

The love of hand knit dishcloths is shared by all of the Knitwits staff. We call them "Spa Cloths", it makes them sound just a little more special. Some of us (Sheryl) even have special knitting needles for creating their spa cloths. When we started carrying Elmore-Pisgah Peaches & Creme, we also launched a Dishcloth Club called Peaches & Creme Sundays. We would choose patterns that taught different skills and techniques and we would gather around the round table in our wobbly chairs every other Sunday afternoon. It is through Dishcloth Club that many of our loyal Knitwits honed their knitting skills and made lifelong friends.

Peaches & Creme Sundays

Elmore-Pisgah WAS one of our favorite yarn vendors at Knitwits. Since 1920, they were the manufacturers and distributors of our beloved Peaches & Creme, the ultimate cotton dishcloth yarn. Their warehouse was located in Old Fort, North Carolina, just outside of Asheville and right down the road from Janet's parents. We liked chatting with Flo and the other good folks who answered our calls, we liked picking up the our orders ourselves and we loved buying yarn that was made in the USA! There was something really special about the timeless appeal of Elmore-Pisgah Peaches & Creme.

Last year, we called Flo to place a little order and a teary Flo answered and announced that they were closing their doors at the end of the week- a Canadian company called Spin Rite bought the Peaches & Creme name. It was a classic case of "If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em out." We were heartbroken and angry--and we vowed to never buy the Canadian version of the yarn that put Flo and our other Pisgah friend out of work! Our little order turned into a very large order and we hoarded the soon to be gone yarn!

We have been searching for a suitable Peaches & Creme replacement for almost a year. Nothing felt right. It was like trying to find a replacement for your favorite pair of jeans. We had a hard time finding a suitable dishcloth yarn substitute--too expensive, too much yardage, too unAmerican or wrong "put up" (we want "ready to knit" without winding.

Last week, the newest issue of Creative Knitting Magazine arrived. As usual, we tore open the box and started leafing through the magazine. Janet and I found the dishcloth patterns at the same time and we both said, "Hey, those are cute. Wonder what yarn they used." The answer: Sassy Skeins!

Since 1995, the two talented women of Sassy Skeins in Key West, Florida have produced the Key West Karibbean Kotton Kollection, 36 great shades of 100% mercerized high quality, colorfast cotton yarn. We gave the ladies of Sassy Skeins a call and we liked what they had to say. The Key West Kollection met all of our dishcloth yarn criteria and we ordered a handful of colors (the ones they used in the magazine, to be exact). A few days later, the yarn arrived and it exceeded all of our expectations!

I took 2 balls of lime on my last trip and I crocheted a little bobbled clutch. I really enjoyed crocheting with the yarn. It is a braided yarn with a lovely sheen and it is easier on the hands than our Peaches & Creme.

Love the Sassy Skeins Key West Kotton Kollection

We still have a limit supply of "the Original" Peaches & Creme skeins. It will be a sad day when our supply is depleted. I don't think we will ever be able to "replace" Flo and our beloved Peaches & Creme but we welcome the addition of Sassy Skeins and the Key West Kollection with great enthusiasm!

Here's my mom's Favorite Dishcloth Pattern:

Cast on 4 stitches.
Row 1 - Knit across.
Row 2 and all rows until you have 33 or 39 stitches on the needle) - Knit 2, yo, knit across.
Next row will begin decreasing.
Knit 1, knit 2tog, yo, knit 2tog, knit across - you will have 32 or 38 stitches
Repeat previous row until 4 stitches remain on needle.
Knit across.
Bind off.
Weave in ends.
TaDa!
Repeat 1,000,000 times.