10 Things I Wish I Could Learn Instantly....

The challenge for the ten on Tuesday this week is to list ten things we wish we could learn instantly. I thought I would have problems with this, but I jotted them all down in a matter of - well...an instant!

1.  How to sew - not so much to make clothes - but to make pillows and carryall bags, curtains,  etc. etc... just small items for personal and home use.

2.  How to knit socks on circular needles (heck, on any needles)! Even though I don't wear socks often, I know I would enjoy knitting them over and over....

3.  How to speak French. My dream one day (if I can get over my fear of flying that is) is to go to France....  Speaking French would be a bonus - plus I just love the language - so even just speaking it here would be fun!

4.  How to crochet.  For one thing, some of the items I would like to knit - call for crochet borders. So I just don't knit them. And that is a loss.  I would also like to crochet other things - bags, baby items.... So this skill would come in handy.

5.  How to decorate cakes - no real reason - just for fun again....  something I would find soothing and enjoyable - especially in times of stress..

6.  How to bake all kinds of breads - yum!

7.  How to paint pictures - especially water colors. I've tried my hand at watercolor pencils here and there - but to be able to actually paint on a canvas - ahhhh....bliss.

8.  Lace tatting. I've always been fascinated by this. It looks quite hard to me though!  But if I learned, it would become a craft I would practice often.

9.  To spin yarn on a spinning wheel!  Oh my I want to learn this.  I'm thinking about taking a class at some point - but starting off on a spindle.

10.  To weave on a loom!  This is another art that I so want to do. I read magazines about it (and spinning) - but that is as close as I've come so far.

Onward and Upward - Windward!

Windward - take two!  I started knitting this a couple of weeks or so ago.  In my excitement to see how it would all turn out, I kept messing up - dropping stitches - increasing when I shouldn't - on and on....and therefore, it was looking pretty ragged. Granted, all the "whonkies" were on the wrong side and no one would have seen them (most likely). But I would have known they were there.  So, even though I had about 120 rows done, I took a deep breath, and frogged it!  I immediately cast back on and started over. Well, first I cried a bit - then I started over - LOL!  I'm now growing ever closer to being back where I was before. But it looks so much better and I'm so much happier!  I was also able to find another skein of this yarn!  I knew I wouldn't have enough and did not know what I would do....  I checked my LYS - no luck. I checked two places online - no luck.  Then on Amazon, one seller had one lonely skein!  I clicked "buy" as fast as my fingers could hit that button!  And now I'm set!

Happy Knitting!

I've been so loving my knitting projects lately!!  Above you see Nangou (on Ravelry).  I've also started two others that I'm enjoying quite a bit - Orbit - and Windward (also on Ravelry - of course)!  Windward is a funky whacky looking scarf - that looks like it would be very difficult to knit (well, for me that is). But it is the simplest thing in the world to do. I love those - the ones that look hard - and everyone just raves over my talent.  But in reality, (and don't tell anyone) - they are actually quite simple.  I'm one of those people also - who wants their patterns "spelled out" - step by step - line by line.  The ones that tell you how many repeats to do to get the same basic results. Not that you can't do more repeats - and sometimes I do. But I just don't like "winging it" with a pattern.  Not my style - not my brain capabilities!

Saturday Snapshot....

Memories of all those Easter Sundays growing up....  Matching outfits with my sister (I'm the one on the left)  Shiny new shoes.... Easter baskets filled with candy!  My favorite was always the big solid chocolate bunny. First I bit off the ears and then I bit off the feet - LOL!

Ordinary Little Things....

The Ten on Tuesday prompt this week (by CarolKnits) is ordinary things that bring you joy.

1.  Coming home after being out on a really cold day - and jumping right into my cozy pj's - even before dinner - imagine that!

2.  Turning off the tv - and just sitting with the fan quietly whirring in the background while I curl up and read my book.

3.  Singing rock-a-bye baby to my cat each morning....

4.  Coming home with some new books that I've just bought - and sitting down to peruse each one - read the cover blurbs - read a page or two. And then pick out the perfect bookmark to use...

5.  Looking out each night before bed - to see the moon.  I usually call out - well hello moon. 

6.  A big glass of chocolate milk.  If there happens to be some peanut butter on Ritz crackers to go along with it - that is even better...

7.  Learning a simple new knitting technique - something that I haven't been able to do in the past - but all of a sudden - blam, it clicks - and allows me to knit something I wouldn't have tried before...

8.  Reading - simply reading - I love it!

9.  Knitting - that little thing we do with sticks and string - that brings me countless joy and peace...

10.  Taking a hot shower - just standing in there with the water running over my neck and shoulders - taking out all the kinks ....  and just getting some alone time to think or sing or cry...