Pay It Forward ~ Knitting Style

I am really late posting about Pay It Forward~ Knitter's Style.  I am not sure when the knitters version started, but in researching it, I have located links to various blogs who posted about "Pay It Forward" in 2008 and 2007. Perhaps this started long before 2007.  I have also seen different versions of it ~ some include crochet in addition to knitting and some are designed to be paid forward in a shorter time frame.  

Have you seen the movie with Helen Hunt and Kevin Spacey?

Many people have embraced the "Pay It Forward" concept after being inspired by the movie.

Here is a movie trailer for those who are movie buffs:

Somewhere along the way knitters {and crocheters} came up with their own version.  I signed up under vis2vas. {If you click on her Ravelry name, you will be directed to her current blog url and if you click where I have typed "blog" below you will be directed to where she posted about Pay it Forward.} Here is how she describes it on her blog:  

"Jeg vil sende en håndlaget gave til de 3 første personene som legger igjen en kommentar med ønske om å delta i PIF utvekslingen. Jeg vet ikke hva gaven vil bli enda og du får den kanskje ikke i morgen eller uken etter.. men du vil motta den innen 364 dager, det lover jeg! Det eneste du trenger å gjøre i retur, er å "Gi det videre" ved å love det samme på din blogg".

Vil du være med?

Don't you love how global the internet has allowed us to become?!  I could not resist the international flavor because I am proud I have friends from many countries!

For those of us who do not speak Norwegian, here is her English translation {Thanks! I needed that!!}:

"I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don't know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week.. but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog." 

Do you want to play along?

As you have surmised, I have promised to Pay it Forward, so to the first three bloggers who agree to "pay it forward" in exchange, I will send something I will knit for you within the next 365 days. Please do not be expecting a sweater or shawl! I already am "booked up" for a long while on a number of shawls and blankets.  I will post pictures after I have sent each PIF and know it was received (definitely do not want to spoil the surprise by telling the world first and the recipient last!).

I would like to allow people the opportunity to follow up on where my "Pay It Forward" is going by having a PIF link over to the left hand side of my blog.  People will be able to click on your blog name and go to your blog after you have let me know your intentions.  In addition to receiving my knitted gift for you, you might have an added bonus of picking up some new readers for your blog. I know I always enjoy finding a new-to-me knitting blog to read.   

With that in mind if you are would like to join the fun, be one of the first 3 people to comment on this post letting me know you want to play.

Additionally please send your private information to me via email at:

with the following information:1) Color(s) you like2) Color(s) you do not like3) Your mailing address ~ international knitters are welcome to play4) Your blog url 
The first three people to comment here and then email me will receive a confirmation from me letting you know the "fun has begun"!
If you would like your own free email icon {spammer software is unable to harvest your email address from an image}, please click here to have the fine folks at Nexodyne generate one for you.
Carpe knitting,KZ

While I Was "Out" I Received My First Blog Award

Have you ever seen those phone pads designed for taking someone else's message?  The heading says something like "While You Were Out."  Well, while I was "out" contemplating moving my blog to a different location, I received my first Blog Award from Kat at Creative Popoffs {Click on blog name to go to her blog}.  Thanks, Kat for the award. What fun!

What makes it even more fun is that I now get to bestow the award on some other bloggers {who have not yet received the award ~ as far as I can tell} who "make me smile."  I enjoy reading blogs and so this is no easy task.  Here goes, in no particular order {Click on blog names to go to their blog}:

1) In a Happy Camper ~ You inspire me constantly to knit more! Can hardly wait to work on my Argosy Wrap again. Thanks too for all the "Show and Tell" when I met you in person a few months ago!

2) Spunkyprism and her Gourmet Yarn Co. blog ~ Thanks so much for the friendship and providing a wonderful "OKC" knitting home for me! I love reading your blog and finding out what my OKC friends are knitting. Of course finding out what is new in the store is detrimental to my checkbook!

3) Knit Addict ~ One of my OKC friends who also inspires me to knit more. I definitely have more projects in my "soon" list because of you!  And I have a feeling with time there will be even more! hehe!

4) Bella Gubbio ~ You made me feel so welcome at my first night at GYC Knit-In! I laughed so much! Always enjoy reading your blog because you never know what you will be blogging about!  Always a good read!

5) hazelnut reflections ~  So glad I have the opportunity to knit with you occasionally at GYC, even though it's usually a "school night" for you! I enjoy your blog about faith and fiber. I always get a chuckle out of the thought of  you being staff to two cats! I think a lot of people who have four legged "bosses" can relate.

6) Your Mirror or Mine ~ Thanks for showing us the beauty that is all around us. It is always fun to see what you and your family have been doing. It's fun to have the chance to knit with you and "the gang" at Loops when my schedule permits.

7) Simplified Life ~ One of these days, we are going to have a knitalong! I think you are the Swap Queen!  

8) Addicted to Knitting ~ Another OKC friend whose blog I enjoyed reading.  I always enjoy knitting with you at GYC. Looking forward to more posts to keep up with what you are knitting.

9) Grammieknits ~ What fun reading you blog and the Whoduknit blog!  You do a great job on both blogs!  Thanks for all the smiles you bring!

10) Vaerkstedet Vigdis Marie Design ~ I always enjoy seeing what you have been knitting.  So glad you include English on your blog!

Thanks to all for the joy your blogs bring to others!

Carpe knitting,

KZ

 

In the Mood for some Musical Fun?

I just came in from a birthday party at one of our LYS {Local Yarn Stores}, Loops {Click name to go to website}. A lot of the Sunday bunch were there. We celebrated in style with good food, knitting and laughter. 

As I tend to do when I come in, I checked my emails and found that a friend had sent me the link to the following rendition of "Argument to Beethoven's 5th." Having grown up in a household who appreciates good music and the talent involved in producing that music, I can also appreciate the talent in choreographing the "argument." Thought some of you might enjoy it too:

One of the friends who rode with me tonight is a fan of Snoopy, so I could not resist throwing in some Snoopy.  Thought I would close out the night with "Baron vs. Beagle - The Original Dogfight".  This one's for you, R:

Carpe Knitting,

KZ

Time for Something Beady

I realize for those of you who have known me long before I learned to knit, you are wondering where the beading content is.  Not to disappoint, here is a pic of some of my work "b.k. ~ before knitting."  

The caterpillar bracelet is made with 5 different colors of size 11 seedbeads.  The beads were purchased at a store called Supernaw's Indian Supply Store {Skiatook, OK}. I was going to provide a link to their website, but their website is no longer available.  When I taught beading, students would ask me how many hours this bracelet took.  I stopped counting after 18 hours because I did not want to know just how long it took.  LOL {Laugh Out Loud}! While making this bracelet, I was going for a Monet Garden kind of feeling.  

I had fun taking a wire wrapping class and a fused glass class I took. The two middle items are from those classes.  Here are some close-ups. Sorry for the glare which makes the stone look pitted and hides some of the color. It looks prettier in real life.

Yes, that is dichoric glass underneath the hearts.  I need to do some shaping on the glass and then do some wire wrapping around it.

The beadweaving on the right {top picture} is a bracelet made from Swarovski Glass Pearls and Delicas. They were too shiny for a closeup.  Sorry about that.

Carpe knitting ... and beading,

KZ also known as Beaded Zebra

Time for a Finished Object {FO}!

My apologies for the long wait between posts. I was giving some serious contemplation to creating a website and having a blog connected to the website. After much consideration, free won out. {Stands to reason if I do not spend the money on the annual fee for a website, then that money is freed up to be spent on yarny things!} While I was contemplating, I held off from posting here.  Sorry to have left you hanging there.  

Hopefully showing a FO {Finished Object} will make up for it in some way.  This project was started and completed during my "contemplation." While visiting Gourmet Yarn Company

{Click on name to go to store website} in Oklahoma City, I kept noticing the FishKnit Scarf  from the Morehouse Farm Merino Knits Book {page 89}.  

The Baby Alpaca Grande Paint was also calling out to me. This bulky weight, 100% superfine Baby Alpaca by Indiecita is distributed by Plymouth Yarn Company. I had been wanting an excuse to try out this soft yarn and it was a pleasure to knit with! 

I wanted a skinner version of the scarf, so I only cast on 17 stitches using the backward loop cast on.   Click here for a video on how to do this cast-on that is also known as the Single Cast-on: Knitting-Help

Using size 10.5 needles, this was a quicker project than I have been knitting previously.  Part of the fun comes when you have completed the knitting and it is time to bind off.  I had never dropped stitches on purpose.  Here is a shot of my first row after I dropped a stitch and pulled it down to the cast-on row.

After you get over the initial uneasiness of dropping stitches on purpose, it becomes fun.   Here is a shot of the completed scarf.  Sorry this is not a very good picture.  I did not have anywhere "artsy" to take the photo so I had to settle for a bench on a really sunny day.

Carpe knitting,

KZ