Mindful Knitting in the New Summer Knitty and so much more!

Today, Knitty.com summer 2008 is LIVE – and with it the Summer Mindful Knitting Column.

Please Read It!!! You know, you don’t need to know a thing about knitting to enjoy it. And there are several sweet photos – like this one of me and Zane in the backyard:

So much has been going on – this year is so very rich and amazing. I have been doing so much – and keep thinking – oh, I’ll post dispatches – but as with my comment during the Spring 08 MK Retreat- I’m just too involved with being IN it to talk ABOUT it.

So, thus far this year – which for me starts on Shambhala Day (this year February) – The 2008 Mindful Knitting Retreat – serious guitar studies (making my Stratocaster world debut in my back yard soon), LOTS of dharma studies and meditation, Shambhala Arts Training and Shambhala Arts Teacher Empowerment (that’s a big one, more on that soon), and I’m turning forty in a few weeks – that feels like a big one too.

Enjoy the column. I think I’m going to go outside with the kids – and maybe my knitting . . .
(read the column – that last line might be funnier).

Leo Fender, Cashmere and Lightning McQueen

What, you may ask, do these things have in common? ME!

These three things encapsulate my holiday season. Let’s start at the beginning. And, there will be pictures – Amy says I need to show you everything!

So the Cashmere comes first. I flipped out a little bit and really just needed to make it all about me for a while. First, I made an iPod playlist called “it’s all about me” – making sure I had the right soundtrack for the endeavor. Songs include: Woman King (iron and wine), Wise Up (Amee Mann), Undone (the sweater song) (aahhh-doesn’t it just say it all?) (Weezer), That Girl (Esthero), Singular Girl (Rhett Miller), She Belongs to Me (Bob), Raised on Robbery (Joni – with a little help from Robbie Robertson), Little Miss Lover (Hendrix/Experience) – get the idea?

Then I fibergasmed really hard over the BEAUTIFUL Alchemy Yarns Monarch Cashmere in San Francisco Sky.

Wow. And I knit myself a pair of “Wisp of Mist” wrist warmers from Compassionate Knitting.

I really don’t knit much for myself. I usually make most of the sample garments for my books in my size – but that’s just not the same. The original Wisp of Mist (above) were lost (sniff) at Rhinebeck ’06 – in the bathroom between the fried dough and the fried artichoke hearts. I hold it in my heart that they were found by a caring knitter (was it you?) and they are being loved as they should be. Once it got cold, I actually couldn’t live without them – they are REALLY warming. However, the new ones are “somewhere” right now – I’ll find them as soon as we take down the Yule tree. They are so delicious.

Next, comes Mr. Fender. If you haven’t heard – I got a ruby red Stratocaster for Christmas. Now, some of you have been a little surprised – “I didn’t know you did that” – but are you really surprised? You know, it’s difficult for me to be involved with more than one art form at a time – my (neglected) paintings can tell you all about that. So the yarn is a little jealous of the guitar. And, yes, I’ve played on and off since I was ten – and I got really good a couple of times over the past 25 years. So, I plan to do it again. Dude, yarn and a Fender – life is good.

Lastly, Lighting McQueen
– well the Zay-B (aka Zane) turned four on Sunday (1/6). This may come as a shock to many of you who have met him – it certainly comes as a shock to me. This kid grew up so fast (okay, he’s not in kindergarten yet, so maybe he’s not actually “grown up” but you know what I mean.) So, he is a FREAK for anything with wheels. He wanted a “Cars” (as in the Pixar movie) party. I am a cake maven (yes, I do secretly dig Martha). Chocolate cake is something that also goes well with exotic fibers and an electric guitar. I have five cars in my bed right now – parked in a totally straight line and loosely organized by color (Capricorns!).

The holiday season is particularly busy for us – we have Children’s Day (Winter Solstice) – which we were very fortunate to celebrate with The Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and The Sakyong Wangmo Khandro Tseyang – the King and Queen of Shambhala.

Tara, Zane, The Sakyong and Khandro Tseyang at Children’s Day in Boulder

Then my brothers in law and sister in law with the wonder twins Emi and Hanne in tow arrived to celebrate the holidays with us. The twins are 10 days younger than Zane (happy bday girlies) and it was really fun to have some girl-power going on. We all painted our nails, and compared our fave Hello Kitty pink stuff. After Christmas, Bill and I celebrate our anniversary just before new years, then there’s New Years (I’ve never actually been to a New Year’s Eve party) and then 6 days after that the ZayB celebrations. Whew. Caught your breath yet? I’m almost breathing normally, this week being almost the end of the season – Jack goes back to school tomorrow – then maybe – well then it’s time to start preparations for the March Mindful Knitting Retreat in Greensboro, VT . (We’re full up – but we have a wait list if you want to contact the Highland Lodge).

The Highland Lodge in Winter

So, if I haven’t answered calls or emails, here’s a little look at why not. I think it may stay a little bit all about me for the rest of the week – then deadlines, kids, obligations and all that stuff will waft back this way. For now, I’m going to plug in this ruby baby and be so happy that amps can really make you sound a lot better than you actually are. Cheerful 2008 – and go get yourself some cashmere, you’ll thank me.

What did you do this weekend? (knit more than one row?) Holidays, anyone?

Celebrating two days migraine free, Sunday was like a real day! I miss just hangin’ with my boyz (they’re so cute). Here’s what we did this weekend, probably not too unlike weekends had everywhere. Out to breakfast (yummm, pumpkin waffles), took our annual holiday photo (if you are on our holiday card list, act surprised when you open the envelope), The clouds were just lifting, and the Flatirons covered with powered sugar snow (see them back there on the left?) (nice sweaters, don’t you think? From L to R – Jack wearing Jack’s Aran (child) from Men in Knits, Tara wearing the O’Brien Sweater (unpublished, thus far) from my Graduate Thesis Collection, and Bill wearing Double Crossing Diamonds from Men in Knits. Zane is not able to stay still – we’re just glad he’s in the photo).

We got our Buddhist-Pagan-Solstice-Children’s Day Tree, and then I went and test drove a few Fenders (yea, Baby!).

My sweetie digs the lipstick red Tele – something about it matching a Santa Hat.

 

Perhaps today some cookies to bake? I don’t dig cleaning – so anything to avoid that even though the big crew is coming for the Yule celebrations.

 

And did you do any knitting this weekend? One row – that’s all I got. Damn I mean Bless the ravelry, Okay, I really can’t pawn this one off, I’ll own it! Meanwhile, it got cold and snowy – (see said holiday picture – there were well over a hundred sledders in the park yesterday- CUTE). And, have you visited winter knitty.com? Maybe you are reading this because you already have. Mindful Knitting Column – It’s not bad, check it out.