The Turtle Is my Spirit Animal

 

The Legend of the Turtle

 In a dark hollow beneath the forest, an egg began to wobble. The force of the movement caused it to roll a bit in the dark moist dirt. A crack appeared. Then another.

Nothing happened for a few moments, as if the egg needed to rest.

Then a gentle wiggle, and a whop, as the crack grew wider.

Suddenly a claw emerged, with long nails, curved and sharp. The claw was ugly, as if to proclaim the emergence of a horrid creature.

But what followed the claw from the crack in the shell, was a beautiful creature. So stunning in its beauty it shone brightly in the darkness.

Little by little the creature made its way to the opening in the hollow, as if by instinct, seeking the light, and following it to emerge into the brightness of a green spring.

Blinking its eyes against the harsh light, the little creature became aware of hunger. Far in the distance it spied a bush, laden with bright berries. The bush with its fruit beckoned to the creature, as if in invitation, to tea.

As lovely as the creature was, it felt sluggish, and moved slowly. So slowly did the creature move, it caught the attention of a hawk.

The hawk saw the beauty of the creature and cried to its friends: “I will win the day, for I’ve found the most beautiful creature on earth, and when I swallow it, the beauty will be within me, and I will win the day!”

The creature heard this cry and cowered under the leaf, afraid to move any further.

Then, as it quivered in fear, it attracted the attention of the snake. The snake cried: I will win the day!

I see a creature of such great knowledge, and when I swallow it, I will be the smartest creature on earth, and will win the day!”

The creature stilled its tremors and avoided discovery by the snake.

As happens in the forest, a fox smelled a tantalizing aroma, and lifted his head to focus on the source.

He howled: I have found the most delicious, fresh meat! When I swallow it, I will become the craftiest creature of the forest and will win the day!

The creature froze, trying to make itself as small and insignificant as possible, away from the sky and its flying dangers, away from the land and the crawling demons, away from the forest with its gaping jaws.

Then the creature looked at the bush, with the berries, so far away. I am so hungry, it said. Surely, I will die if I can’t eat those berries. But I am so afraid. I am too slow, too beautiful, and too wise for this world. I will surely die. Weary with the struggle, the creature fell to sleep, with only a prayer in its heart to the everlasting Father of the forest and all creatures.

Later when the creature awoke, the first thing it saw was the bush with the wonderful berries. Hunger forced it to move. But it was even slower than before its nap. Still, it struggled forward.

The hawk swooped upon the creature, and just before grabbing it up in his talons, saw only a rock. I was mistaken, he surmised. It happens.

The creature moved forward a few more steps, attracting the attention of the snake, who slithered forward, with the taste of the creature on its tongue. But when the snake was ready to strike, all he saw was a rock. I was mistaken, he surmised as he slithered away. It happens.

Hunger screaming in its belly the creature ventured forward a few more steps. Aha, said the fox. There you are! But just as the fox prepared to pounce, he saw only a rock. Harrumph, said the fox. I suppose I was mistaken. It happens. And he darted off to chase a butterfly.

Whew, close call, said the creature. Ever so slowly it took a few more steps and realized he was directly beneath the berry bush. At last! Thank you, dear Father of the forest. I am saved! He cried.

Thus, the turtle spent the summer in glorious splendor, eating and smiling. He filled his belly full for another long winter sleep in the hollow, under the floor of the forest.

 

How I Chart Patterns, The Short Version. . .

 

Print and Save an article . . .

 Although some photos on the internet are programmed so they cannot be copied, you can still take a photo with your phone. ALWAYS credit your source if you share information. It's just good manners. You know "karma" . . . best be safe.

I doubt my Blog is that well structured. If I were you I would open an article, do a screen print of the page. Then open the screen printed photo of the page in any photo app you have.  I use Microsoft Paint.

You can then edit (crop, resize, rotate) your photo, and copy it to a word processor page. 

Print, or save the article in your file.

On Swatches . .

 

A 'practice' swatch is not a 'gauge' swatch. It is something I play with to see if I like a pattern: its appearance, rhythm, and whether I can do it with a minimum of frustration. After all, I do this for fun. 

This is a practice swatch of the Rose Trellis pattern found in A Treasury of Knitting Patterns, by Barbara G. Walker (Blue cover.)

It illustrates a 'half drop surface pattern' and was knit in finer thread than I usually do my practice swatches.

  A 'diaper' pattern is an all-over pattern and has nothing to do with baby's garments. "diaper: A pattern formed by small, repeated geometrical motifs set adjacent to one another, used to decorate stone surfaces in architecture and as a background to illuminations in manuscripts, wall painting or panel painting." . . . my note: also used in textiles.

Textured Eyelets is a 'gauge swatch' and serves as a 'practice swatch'. It is from one of the several stitch dictionaries I use.

I made this swatch using yarn scraps from the stash, to distinctly see the different sections.

When I start a new color, I tie the new yarn to the previously used yarn with a 'clove hitch' knot.

It's the Itbe Shawl from Laura Nelkins, but don't expect your shawl to look like this swatch!

I use a bulky or chunky yarn and big needles. My mind is 7 to 17 years old while my eyes are 77 years old. Like a kindergartner using big crayons, I use big yarn and needles. I get Knitpicks™ 'Bare' wool blend bulky yarns because they are good quality, and less expensive. For cotton yarns, I use Brown Sheep Company. 

  

The size of the swatch depends on the multiple number of stitches, and the all-over pattern repeat. If a pattern is a half-drop pattern I will do at least a set of pattern rows with 3 repeats, followed by a set of rows with 'filler' stitches and 2 repeats, then another set of 3 pattern repeat rows. I try to keep swatches small enough to place in an album. I use either a store-bought ring binder, scrapbook album or make my own if I need an odd size.

There are many examples of stitch patterns in the Stitch Dictionaries available. The stitch count I use depends on the pattern I am knitting, but I don't want to use any more than necessary. It is only a swatch, and has to fit in my album.

If I am following a published pattern that instructs "Work these 2 rows 23 more times" (for a total of 24 rows) I may work them 2 or more times, if needed, to end up on the RS (right-side-of-fabric) and to see the pattern interplay. The pattern calls for an even-number-of-repeating-rows, so that is what I want to do in my swatch as well, to maintain an accurate stitch count according to the pattern.

Note: if I mean 'right-of-center' I will indicate 'right edge' or ROC. Likewise, 'left edge' or LOC (left-of-center). RS always means 'right-side-of-fabric' in Knitting Standards.

This example of Zigzag A, Staci Perry Winter Chill, at VeryPinkKnits (used by permission) illustrates a definite Center, an ROC, and an LOC.

 

On documenting work . . .

 I use a cheap cell phone to take photos of my work. 

To get a good still photo, I have a tripod with a remote "clicker."

I cut a triangle that is 11" on each side from thin plywood (from the hobby shop) and drilled holes in each corner that allow the legs of the tripod to go through.

I put rubber around the inside of the holes to help keep it from slipping, but the spread of the legs is usually good enough.

I lay my cell phone on the plywood triangle, and use the 'remote' to take the picture. My phone has a 'portrait' setting, allowing for close-ups.

The subject of the photo is placed on the floor, or table on a piece of white or colored paper.

This works so well, that I have shared it with gardening and artist friends for years..

About Markers . . .

 

A marker can be made with many things, provided it slides easily on the needle and is a size that does not slip under a yarn-over. When I place a lifeline in my knitting, I don't put the thread through the markers because the markers will move with my knitting and the lifeline stays on the row for a time.

 

Markers I like include:

 

Plain individual rings

Linked Markers are connected with a chain

Lettered or numbered markers have ‘number’ or ‘letter’ beads attached

Markers with charms or 'dangle' attached

Markers with colored beads glued to cover a jump ring 'join' and work with a color code system

 

To keep a linked marker, or one with dangles, out of the way of the working yarn, keep the marker to the front of your knitting in a knit row, and to the back of the knitting in a purl row. Move it as necessary when you have both knit and purl stitches in a row.

 

Back in the day, I made markers that spell out 'right' and 'left', but I no longer use them.

If you've never seen linked markers, you may still have heard the term. Linked markers are a feature of the app Knit Companion. I made linked markers because I needed a way to see both the old and the new position of my marker, and I wanted a way to determine the RS (right side) and WS (wrong side) at a glance.

This is what I came up with:

The bead covers the join

in the jump ring, with Superglue™

Here is a set at work

An unexpected benefit was that if I place one marker before removing the other, there is less chance of losing the marker through the planks of my porch floor. The floor has a window screen underneath, so I can't even retrieve something without a hassle.

I still have to hold a marker before placing it, unless I slip a stitch, place the marker, then slip the stitch back to work.

I use 7 mm and 10 mm jump rings, size 6 seed beads, and a chain that is sold as a 'chain extender."

We had a scare with the PC. Rushed it to the I.T. doctor, and brought it home the same day! I was in despair that I wouldn't keep my promise of having a post today. Keeping a promise is important to me.

Consistency . . .

 

Methodology -  doing the same thing the same way every time…creating a neuro-path.