Melanie's Thoughts and Musings on Life

 This week I made lots of progress on my knitting! I looked for patterns for future projects and I started a baby blanket and another shawl. I also finished the hanging dishtowels I was making. I knit 70 rows of a shawl in one night (there were not many stitches- but still)! I am hoping that I have a few items to donate for Craft for YEG in September. I do not donate for every round up because I simply don't knit fast enough to have stuff for every time.  With so many free patterns, I don't often purchase patterns. I love to look on Ravelry just to see what I can see. However, the shawl I am making is a paid pattern but so far seems well worth it- plus I intend to make that pattern more than once.  I am really enjoying working. I have not worked a real job in almost 20 years (I don't count my transcription job as real because I worked from home and made pittance for pay). I love the idea that I can be out in the public interacting with people and finding out what stuff ot...

 Hi there friends! I missed a week- I got sick and busy... but I also forgot!  I have not been knitting a lot lately. I have about three projects on the go, but there were several days within the last two weeks that I did not knit, sometimes I just don't feel like it! I have been looking for a job for a long time, and I finally decided to look outside my preferred field and try something different. I applied for a job at Michaels Craft Store and I got hired! So far I love it. I am a front end ambassador, so I greet all the customers and also supervise the self check out and ring people's stuff through regular check out. It is fun and I really enjoy meeting all the people. I have been warned not to spend my whole check there! I am still enjoying Christmas in July. I have decided already on a theme for my Christmas tree and what stuff I am going to make. I am planning to make some knitted snowflake ornaments as gifts. Remember that crafting encompasses a lot of stuff- I count ma...

 It's finally here! Christmas in July! I love Christmas, but I also love that little bit of Christmas that makes its way into July, the happiness, the joy and excitement and the assurance that Christmas is now less than six months away! I love looking at Christmas crafts. Though, when crafting, it is important to start early- especially if you are knitting or crocheting.  My husband makes Christmas crafts. Quite a few years ago, he made some beautiful items. We went for two weekends at a Christmas farmer's market and he only sold one item. He was angry- and heartbroken. It takes a lot of work to make to make stuff and then for nobody to be interested was heartbreaking. Unfortunately, that lack of interest totally ruined his crafting mojo. It is my hope that if he was approached by someone that perhaps he would craft again- it brings so much joy to him to sell things that he has created. Please feel free to check out his crafting page on Facebook   Craft ninja design ...

Today, it hurt my heart, but I frogged my whole purple and pink shawl. That which I could not salvage went in the garbage because the yarn kept tangling. I was knitting it for a long time. There was lace and I kept coming to the second repeat and my stitch count was off. I frogged the whole lace portion (noticed on the 11th row, which was the first row of the repeat) twice! Finally, I made it past that point, and guess what happened? My stitch count was off again! I tried to knit back but my yarn was getting ratty and my nerves were fraying. The fact that I had to frog so many times reminds me that perseverance is essential. Not just when we are talking about knitting, but in life as well. Keep on- and keep on keeping on.  To everything there is a season and a time (Ecclesisasties 3:1). I did my best to keep on, and to fix but I just couldn't fix it anymore. There is a time to frog and a time to refrain from frogging. It was time to frog and even though my heart and soul ached beca...