Bringing Grace and Loveliness to Raising Boys

This entry is titled the subtitle of this blog because, though it has nothing to do with knitting, it has everything to do with my other purported blogging goal...bringing grace to raising boys in modern urban America. So my eldest son recently celebrated his eighth birthday and was, of course, inundated with more landfill gifts. I am one of those increasingly rare breed of mothers who still insists that my boys write thank you notes, and so he dutifully sat down today with his list of names and my instructions as follows:

Dear_______, Thank you for the ________. I like/use it because/when_________. From, (signature).

I returned to find him hard at work and began to read...and this is what he had done so far...



1. To the boy who gave him a gift card to the local computer gaming store "in case" his parents got him a Nintendo DS:
2. To the boy who gave him Pokemon cards (Clearly there is some competition between my son and his unlucky friend, "Seb" ):
3. To the boy who gave him a Nerf Mechanical Bow:4. Finally, my favorite, to the boy who gave him spy gear:

Cable Deer

The comfort of knits...at home in a modern decor Part II:

OK, I was skeptical at first, but I have to admit that this curiosity has quickly grown on me. Advantages of a Cable Deer over a taxidermist's:

1. No freezing your arse off in a tree stand.

2. No excuse for husband to leave for the weekend.

3. Comes in multiple colors...can match anything in your room!

...I'm waiting to see how she'll knit a 14 pt. buck.

View more or purchase at: Rachel Denny

Mommy's Day Out

Today, faced with 2 hours of uninterrupted ME time, I floundered for a moment...study CMEs? Read a book? Get in line for a latte and chatter? Sign someone up for summer camp somewhere? Fold the ever present laundry!?!

Faced with such dauntingly unappealing options, I decided to rebel and head to one of the unexplored local yarn stores on my list. I am lucky that I live in a suburban area with a large number of local yarn shops, but had yet to find the one which was both reliably stocked with basics and frivolous enough to have a few hanks of fancy which could enkindle my imagination. A mere 30 minutes away from my home, I opened the small door to what can only be described as my "Wonderland." As I looked around for a bottle that said, "Drink Me," I was reminded of the line from AiW, "Alice opened the door and found that it led into a small passage, not much larger than a rat-hole: she knelt down and looked along the passage into the loveliest garden you ever saw." Inside this petite attic of marvels was every yarn I could imagine...boldly chunky to bejeweled silky spun fibers so fine as to resemble milk weed floss. An entire wall held locally spun and painted treasures. There was nearly an entire room devoted to Noro, and another for patterns and kits assembled by the proprietor herself. As I wandered enchanted through the small rooms, I could hear laughter erupt from one of the anterooms. A class was taking place, taught by accomplished fiber artist Jodi Colella , and it was immediately evident that these participants were really enjoying themselves - a delightful contrast to the dour knitting classes at many knit shops.

It suddenly struck me that magical shops such as this one into which I had perchance wandered provide a real service to fibrophiles...an environment of beauty in an often ugly world, a peaceful retreat where the imagination is free to explore uninterrupted by pleas for more milk or scatological needs, and lastly, a place for knitters to find friends and people of like mind. No matter how good the deals are at Jimmy Beans Wool Online, or how beautiful the photos of the hand painted skeins at Woolgirl, I vow to never abandon brick-and-mortar knit shops.

[My gorgeous find of the day...Colinette Tao 8 ply silk...which must be held to be believed...and whose pearly whiteness is the yarn equivalent of spring-blooming cherry blossoms]

Ode on a Skein of Yarn

Behold! A perfect skein of yarn.
Plump woolen perfection
Whose transitions from olive to azure,
Expertly spun by such hands as would render Arachne green with envy-
Indiscernible as a subtle change of mood-
The shift of the Mona Lisa’s countenance-
Challenge even Poseidon’s expertly rendered oceanic canvas.

To possess such a treasure has rent my happiness,
Torn am I over its next incarnation.
The knitter’s paradox.
A scarf? Too insignificant a trifle.
No sweater, lest my all-too-human form defile.
In its corpus it holds all potential,
And my clumsy mortal hands fated only for debasement.


-Karin...aka Dr. Knitter

India-Inspired Felted Baby Booties

These sweet booties can be made in an embarrassingly short amount of time. I used Berroco Hip-Hop yarn and finished the edge with Mango Moon's Recycled Silk Sari yarn (made by a Women's Cooperative in India). The pattern, "felted feet," can be found in Jil Eaton's book entitled, Minnies: Quick Knits for babies and toddlers.

The inspiration for the booties came from my trip to India during medical school. While there, I studied under the tutelage of Dr. Madhukar Pai. His insight and instruction helped me make sense of the myriad new things I encountered while there. I will include photos from that sojourn to better convey the depth of colors and beauty of India...I particularly love the juxtaposition of the brightly colored textiles with the earthy browns of the landscape.

These photos depict a beautiful woman with leprosy. Her insensate foot is being bandaged by one of the workers from the mobile clinic (van pictured above) and a medical student then evaluates her ulnar nerve in her forearm - checking for tell-tale "doughiness."
The final photo is of me with Dr. Pai and his dear mother. Dr. Pai (and his mother) taught me about Medicine and Indian culture, but most valuable of all, provided friendship when I was far from home -I am forever indebted to him for his mentorship, and to them both for their kindness.

After completing a PhD in epidemiology at UC-Berkeley, Dr. Pai was named assistant professor of epidemiology, and assistant director for global health research at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, Canada. I am overjoyed to be sending these booties to Dr. Pai on the advent of the birth of his first child with his beloved wife, Nikki. Congratulations, Mahdu!!! Welcome Annika! These should keep those sweet little feet warm...even in Canada!