marilynknits

Everybody knows that multitasking doesn’t always turn out well.  Wall Street Journal says Multitasking makes us stupider.  The WSJ says we should try duotasking instead because we just might actually get more done and of better quality.  Duotasking: elegant pairs of tasking.

Sometimes when I’m in a rush multitasking backfires on me, like cooking with multiple burners on and talking on the phone, then end up burning the veggies because I was not paying enough attention to what I was doing.  (sound familiar?)  Knitting and reading a pattern could be considered duo-tasking, or listening to music and doing the laundry or reading a  good book and enjoying a glass of wine.  Sounds a lot more relaxing to me!   And I won’t get stupider for it!

I like to think that multitasking won’t really make us stupider.  I can watch tv with one ear and knit something and play a game of scrabble all at the same time.  Not really bragging here but, yes sometimes I mess up a row or two or….. who won American Idol?  So it’s not that it makes you stupider but I like to call it not paying attention.

I’m going to finish working on this blog now and do some knitting and watch tv, see ya!                                                                            

Calypso Shrug/Shoulder Wrap

Happy knitting

marilynknits 🙂

A hand effected by rheumatoid arthritis. (Not my hand thank goodness!)

In a way knitting is therapy for me.  I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) when I was 36.  It can be a debilitating and sometimes crippling disease, especially if you don’t seek treatment in time or at all.  

I would love to knit all day if I could, but my hands start to feel the brunt of it only after a few rows.  Today is one of those days where there is pain but no stiffness.  It is frustrating!   No biggy I’m used to it.  That is one of the reasons why I started to design knit and crochet patterns.  I can still be involved with the craft when my hands are inflamed.    I do thank the Lord for watching over me!

When I was first diagnosed with RA I could barely hold a coffee cup much less knit, my hands were very stiff  and my feet felt very bruised all the time though they really weren’t.  With the right medication and some time I could resume activity once again.   Knitting again was definitely a help in my recovery to overcome stiffness in my hands.  So knitting over all is very good for my hands, it keeps them from getting stiff.   And it’s great for my sanity if I’m having a particularly stressful day.  I’m sure that’s the same for you too if you knit, crochet, paint, etc.

Calypso Shrug/Shoulder Wrap

Happy knitting!

marilynknits  🙂

Got this off the internet, too dark to take a pic!

Well it’s raining around here and the forcast is rain for the next 7 days or so.  I do like  the sounds of the rain around our patio, and when you drive the car it’s kinda fun if it’s a mild rain.  But my understanding is that the rain is going to get much worse, like back in December of 2010.  The rain was so bad that it flooded many parts of San Diego causing many people to be forced out of their homes for a while and driving was quite dangerous.  The people of SD are not used to all this rain because of  many years in a drought.

On the other hand, the rain sometimes causes my mood to go on the down swing.  Not so much today!  I do have my knitting to meditate on.  (Not that I really meditate on it!)  The wrap I’m working on is a beautiful pattern from the Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders book.  The pattern is called Calypso Shrug/Shoulder Wrap.  I added it to my projects on Ravelry this week.

Araucania yarn

 This yarn is wonderful!  Very soft and I love the colorway (Color: 1020)  It’s super wash wool which I like so I don’t have to worry about it accidentally shrinking. (I do have shrinking issues)  This wrap says happy all over it!  There for I am feeling happy today in spite of the rainy day.  Will see what tomorrow may bring…..

Happy knitting

marilynknits 🙂

My friend and I started a knit-a-long shortly after my husband and I moved to Southern California.   Not really sure how long they usually take to finish.  I’m sure that the bigger the knitting project is the longer it would take to complete.  We are knitting the Central Park Hoodie as our knit-along and have had life get in the way of our finishing this project. (not that we would have finish it by now.)  But I’m selling on Etsy and Christmas was a busy time for me, trying tp keep up with sales, and now my friend needs to knit many hats for an upcoming youth group trip.  So there you have it, life gets in the way!  I might add that we are doing this through the magic of Skype-ing.

Romie on finished backside of Central Park Hoodie

 Getting ready to take this picture when my cat came along and sat on it, perfect timing!

Last night my husband and I went to an early Valentines dinner party put on by where my husband works.  They had it at the Marriott Hotel ballroom, and turned out to be a lot of fun.  As I said before we are very new to San Diego and so it was good to socialize a bit.   It was a dressier occasion than we though it would be.  I really wish I had a pretty lacy shawl to wear.  This leads me right into the next topic which is…. I must make a lovely lacy shawl for possible events like that one again….I want to be ready!  Not sure what I want exactly, like what color.  I was thinking black but it’s hard to knit black as it soaks up lots of light.   Not sure of the shape I want ether, maybe rectangle (stole) so it could wrap nicely over my shoulders and not have to worry about  a tail to sit on like the triangle shawls.  and then what yarn to use, because of where we live  I thought bamboo might be nice or silk. 

So I was thinking that when we are not doing the knit-along I might knit a new shawl.

Happy Valentines Day and Happy knitting!

marilynknits 🙂