Season 3 kicks off with this episode after a personal hiatus. The fun project that helped me rediscover the knitting enthusiasm I needed was from the Swaddle Pals Volume 1 by Susan B. Anderson. Learn about the project by listening to today's episode and then heading to www.encouragebetter.com/swaddlepals
There you will find more info, including pictures of my knitting, a short video clip, and a place to comment and share your thoughts, which I am always eager to hear!
And before you go, Dear Knitter here is your personal invitation from me: I would love to count you amongst the EBKpodcast community. You are welcome here. Subscribe today!
Season 3 kicks off with this episode after a personal hiatus. The fun project that helped me rediscover the knitting enthusiasm I needed was from the Swaddle Pals Volume 1 by Susan B. Anderson. Learn about the project by listening to today's episode and then heading to www.encouragebetter.com/swaddlepals
There you will find more info, including pictures of my knitting, a short video clip, and a place to comment and share your thoughts, which I am always eager to hear!
And before you go, Dear Knitter here is your personal invitation from me: I would love to count you amongst the EBKpodcast community. You are welcome here. Subscribe today!
Welcome knitter to the Encourage Better podcast. If knitting is your creative refuge, the place you craft your best self, but some days sitting solo on the sofa feels lackluster and leaves you a bit empty... Keep this podcast going. Encouraged Better brings you to Kodiak Island, and is the must listen to podcast to kickstart your knitting Mojo and broaden your smile. So welcome. I hope you enjoy our episode. Let's get started. So where does one begin when there's been a bit of a lapse in communication between friends. I had a response recently for my dear friend that herself had been absent for quite a long time. And this is what I told her. Meredith, our friendship isn't constrained by time or space. It is rich in love, and in the strength of shared moments together, up to this point now. And I hope my dear listener, that response will be yours towards me today. So let's get started. First, I'd like to let you know that if you are an old faithful listener, I have thought of you much over my absence here. And if you're a new listener, I've been eager to make your acquaintance. I'd love to tell you in one sentence or a 32nd elevator pitch where I've been why I've been away from this space. And yet the reasons aren't just personal. For you know, I share a bit of personal anecdotes with you quite often, but rather their private and not just my experiences, but also family. And I will respect that. I will share a bit as I am ready and able. But for now, I want you to know that I've sorely missed you. And I hope that as James Howell once penned"Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it." m I'd love to share about a recent finished object. In a few lessons it's taught taught me that my friend is the sound of a little lion. No, no roaring, just a bit of rattling. In my hand, I am holding a tiny lion rattle. The pattern is by Miss Susan B. Anderson called Swaddle Pals Volume One, which includes instructions for bunny, a kitten, a bear. And I am accompanied today by a lion. There is further instruction in the pattern to knit a swaddle to wrap the little stuff pals, and now I'd like to share a little overview about the construction. But actually, first, let me share how adorable he is. If I place them in the palm of my hand, he covers my hand with only a little bit of his legs, more like his toes are reaching further. And he is very sweet. He's knit in Barrett wool, pound cake color, which is a creamy gold and earthen a milk chocolate brown. He was created in one piece, and by that I mean the body was construction was constructed from his bottom upwards to the top of his head. And I say him as I named him after my grandfather Leo, which seemed an appropriate name to give such a gentle lion. Leo's appendages his legs, his arms, his tail, they're all picked up and knit directly from or on to the body. And then to wee little ears or on top of his head. All of that was created in the poundcake colorway. And then a magnificent mane was applied, which I use to crochet hook and lastly the face which despite simplicity of design, I mean you look at it, it's just two french knots. For eyes One knows that a little stitch beneath it, the face was somehow able to convey a range of expressions. I purchased the kit available from Barrett wool, and in so doing I received a small disk rattle that was tucked into Leo as he was lightly stuffed. And in case you have questions along the knitting path, Susan B. Anderson includes a variety of video tutorials linked in the pattern, as well as a number of clear photographs as part of the pattern. This a little Lionheart will be headed to live a life of adventure in Hawaii of all places, with a new family and held in a wee baby hand. Now that I kind of caught you up on the pattern, and how Leo was constructed, I'd like to talk to you about what I discovered. As I knit this toy lion. It was good to do a different knit. Spoiler alert, I'll share in the next episode about my h shifty shawl adventure, which was also different from my norm. When I think of my go to knitting, I think of sweaters, pullovers, and cardigans, those are my comfortable landing zone in knitting. But there have been times recently that what I've always loved and desired in the rhythm of knitting sweaters. And that is the time that you can think and allow your thoughts, you know, that generally rattle around in my head. knitting sweaters allows me space and quiet for those to be laid out and considered. Well, dear listener, I found that of late thinking was not at all desirous. I wanted distractions. Can you relate? I mean, have you ever found yourself grabbing yarn, and needles to cast on just to give your mind freedom to rest? Or perhaps to process? I wonder what things you want to knit? When you want that feeling? Customarily by embrace? Well, you know, perhaps a better word choice would be that I long for I'm desirous of time to sit with a large project, such as a sweater. And as the stitches align, so often do my thoughts, and I can kind of puzzle through them. And as the goal was to be distracted, well, I guess then perhaps avoidance was actually the goal. My sweater knitting just wasn't satisfying me. And I found that I needed a new approach or some thing, or I could be dialed in to the creation that I'd need to, you know, pay closer attention without being stressed out. Like the last thing I wanted was to add more stress. And, you know, my wee lion was a great solution. Now, I used double pointed needles, which I've never had an aversion to, well, except for the time when I was unable to use my left arm for three years, when I was the single handed knitter. But generally, apart from that time, I, I just didn't enjoy the way DP NS seemed to spotlight, just a specific area of my knitting just a bit of a designation point. You know, the pattern segment goes from this pointing needle here to this one. And when I get to the end of that needle, it's like opening a gate and entering into a new fenced in area, another safe spot laid out just so. So even the needle added to my ability during this knit to see Just get from this point, Melissa, just get from this point and move to this point, breathe, readjust, I'd readjust myself and the arrangement of the stitches, and then the needles and I'd repeat. And that, my dear listener, sometimes that small task of making it from one needle tip to the next needle tip is hard. As I worked among multiple needles, gently increasing and then decreasing, and then increasing and decreasing once more, the little lion took shape. I enjoyed the feel of this yarn. It's a bit rustic, which may not be the best word. So indulge me for a moment because I'd like to describe the feeling and then let you help me get to the better clarification. So the yarn, though it's dyed. And so quite apparently, that it's been processed as it's been dyed, it doesn't feel like it's very far from the source. It has a softness, and I'm rubbing Leo's tummy right now. You know, I can feel the can dish dinner or the there's a hint of lanolin. So it's smooth, and it's soft. And all this, all the stitches working together do create a soft fabric. But with strength. Leah was created to take many and adventure along with the child he heads off to meet. And yet the yarn on its own is easy to break apart with, you know, a stronghold, as I did when I'd get to the end of the portion of the pattern and I was supposed to break and leave a six or eight inch tail. The gold of pound cake is truly the perfect lion color. And even though I'm describing it here, if you want to see it yourself, or more about the project, all of those notes, all of those pictures, do different thoughts are going to be available on the website. So you can head to www.encouragebetter.com/swaddle pals. Now to address the elephant in the room, or the lion in my lap: Mel, what about all of those ends to weave in? Because I'm imagining you're thinking as I'm describing this.You know, Leo has a body, he's got arms, he's got legs, he's got ears, he's got a tail, he's got a mane, all those ends to so on and weave in, but friend, I really believe that Susan B. Anderson is made partly of fairy dust. As despite all of his parts, Leo only took minutes for finishing work. There was no seeming or sewing on. Because as I mentioned, his arms, legs tail, and ears were picked up directly from the body and knit. And at the time of chatting with you now. I've begun to bear. His body is done. And he has one leg to stand on. But his second is in the works. The bear is for my almost 21 year old son simply because he was squeezing Leo. And I'm interrupting myself now to truthfully explain that upon Leo's completion. Each family member was encouraged to hold and shake and hug and smell Leo. The yarn smells good friend. It really does. So when my son's turned came, he squeezed him a few extra times and chuckled and said he's cute. I'd like the bear. And that's all it took. Also, I should interrupt myself again and mention that my son also reminded me of the Indiana Jones bag that I was supposed to knit him on his eighth birthday that he's not yet received, in part because I haven't begun it. So the bear actually seems like an easy win. And now if you'd like to see Leo yourself, I'll post a picture of him on Instagram, where I am M ski knits. And you can see his little face there. Or if you're an email subscriber, you probably already saw him and a few other photos of Kodiak, Alaska in the message that I sent. And if you aren't a subscriber, you can either head over to the website, and there's a place to sign up there. Or you can just email me directly and tell me what you've been up to as well. I am Melissa@encouragebetter.com. And just in that message, let me know that you want me to add you, I can totally do that. Leo was fun. In the small niche was a small wins. I'm gaining inches in the pursuit of finding a new peaceful norm. I've knit and I've spun many things. Since we were last together. Then my friend, I also started crocheting. That's only one project. But yet from that one project, and basically one stitch, I'm learning a lot. I look forward to sharing more in days ahead, and I'm eager to learn all about your creative makes. But before I go, I wonder if you enjoyed reconnecting. It's good to know friendship allows for growth and space. If you have a friend that might enjoy this episode, you can tap the Share button. No matter where you are listening to this podcast, you can go to the episode and see the Share button. And you can pass this episode along to them. And if you are listening, because someone shared this episode with you, you should know that it's because you are precious to them. When I mentioned friendship, yours was the one that leaped to their heart and mind. So my friend, it's been joy to spend time with you together today. From my island home in Kodiak, Alaska, to your ears. I hope that the sun is shining on you wherever you are, and I wish for you kindness and aloha