Oh Athens.

Its funny how such a seemingly small decision can change so much.

On a cold January day, I walked into the local knitting shop. Situated in a cozy red barn out in Watkinsville about 15 minutes from the UGA campus, I have no idea why it took so long to become a solace for me. I would venture in two or three times a year for a splurge I couldn’t afford. An hour later I would wander out feeling anything but thrifty, yet still exceptionally happy. Being a natural fiber snob did not fit into my college budget, and I was perfectly content with my acryl-ick. However, one January day I was feeling bold. I wandered in on a mission. I wanted to teach knitting. I had the skills. I knew I had the ability to teach. I loved all things knitting. I knew I could do it as long as the shop could give me the chance.

I wandered in Main Street Yarns and shopped for a while. Really, I was just working up some courage. I purchased my one skein of Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk and gave my spiel. “I’m a student over at UGA. I want to teach knitting. I have been knitting for 6 years and simply love it. I started and currently run the UGA knitting club, and I just want another way to share my love of the craft.” I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

A few weeks later, I met Lilah, the instructor who I was ‘replacing’ for lack of a better term. In reality, I could never in one million trillion years replace Lilah in any way shape or form. But that is beside the point. I trained and taught with Lilah in a completely booked knitting 101, and I loved every single second of it. I knew I could be good at this. I knew I could bring in money doing something that I loved.

Never did I imagine that I would be teaching knitting classes twice a week. Never did I think that I would be working the floor at a local knitting shop, talking to people about yarns and fibers. Never did I think that I would walk into SAFF and swoon over giant fluffy angora bunnies just because of their fur. Never did I think that I would have such ties established just because of a job, because of a knitting shop.

I am leaving Athens in a month and a half. I am so incredibly excited for the next part of my life: being the wife of Zack Tucker; I’ve found the person whom my soul loves(thanks for the wording, Song of Solomon) However, tears fill my eyes when I think about leaving Athens.

Athens is more than my college town. Sure, I’ve gone to school here, but it is so much more than that. I have my friends from classes and job on campus. I started the UGA Knitwits and love having a life on campus beyond just academics. I will leave UGA with lots of friends, my degree, and a decent GPA. But Athens has become so much more than that. I have a church family made up of friends my age as well as local families- they are all family away from my real family. I have my knitting community- people that I have had in classes, people that are simply acquaintances at Main Street, people who inspire and motivate me. And then I have Grace and Finn, two kids I babysit weekly, kids of the fabulous Lilah actually, kids that have come to mean so much to me. Grace and her spunk and independence and Finn with his climbing everything. I never imagined that walking into Main Street would lead strong ties to Athens. I just liked knitting and yarn.

However, now I am moving over an hour away in a month and a half. I have been blessed with such amazing friendships and families here. I have been touched by so many and learned so much. I’ve never really had to say goodbye to a home. I moved away from home when I came to school, but I always have a place to return- my parents are there, my family is there, I can go anytime I want. But Athens has become a home, and saying goodbye is going to plain suck. But on the positive side, I am going to make the most of the next month and a half. I am going to enjoy my teaching at Main Street and spend my paychecks on wonderful, natural yarn. I am going to snuggle with Grace and Finn and make sure I get all the loud giggles and smiles I can. I am going to enjoy each worship service at Beech Haven and Sunday school class I have left. And I am sure to take you up on a coffee or meal at any local coffee house or restaurant at any chance I get.

Wait, an update?

I used to be so good with blogging semi-regularly and now I really have no idea what happened. It’s not like I haven’t had anything to write about. I have been up to all sorts of fibery goodness recently—I just haven’t been updating.

So what have I been up to? Well, I jumped off the selling stuff ship since winter. Short story: knitting shouldn’t be stressful, and it shouldn’t be a race. Ironically, I’ve only been knitting more. I am feeling more inspired and more adventurous. The pressure is taken off and now I am just knitting for myself and those that I really love.

I’ve never really considered myself an adventurous knitter. I might have been adventurous when I first started knitting. However, at some point I became comfortable and stopped learning and trying out new techniques or project types or anything. Recently, I’ve come to believe that my creativity and inspiration are linked to how much appreciation I have for the recipient of my knitting. I’ve found that I only want to knit with the nicest yarns and knit up the prettiest things, all just so I can keep them. Hence the Ishbel shawl knitted out of bamboo silk pictured in this post.

For a long time, I was anything but selfish. Knitting included, I rarely did anything for myself. Well, for some reason, all that has changed in the past few months. I have been pouring into myself and spoiling myself like never before! Maybe it’s my age? Maybe it’s my stage in life? Who knows? And don’t get me wrong, I am not selfish in the normal college sense. I am not paying my whims and desires so much attention that I have no regard for anyone else… I just have found a way to spoil myself with peace. Coffee, knitting, quiet time. It is just all so good.

Okay so my blogging habits are poor at best, but maybe now that I’ve come clean on my inspiration and previous lack thereof, I will update more often again. Not that anyone cares, but it’s a nice hobby and a good way to take some time out for myself and do a little reflection. Maybe too since this is no longer linked with a business, I will get a little more transparent. That being said I am going to end with a verse that I’m striving to live out. Given that foray on selfishness, it’s important to remember that’s not what I’m created for…

Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.”

Making Some Tangible Progress

Life is awesome! I am finally up and running on etsy! I have 4 things posted, and I could not be more thrilled.

On Friday I met up with a friend, Tori, and took pictures so that I could post some things on etsy.. Tori and I met through my wonderful brother, Travis (she is his girlfriend.) So, a week-ish ago I posted a status on facebook saying I needed a model and a better camera (see my last update.) She was one of the people that responded saying that she would like to help out. Well, I was naturally thrilled (she is gorgeous and simply a really fun person to be around.) I knew that she would look great in my things, and that it would be a blast to get out and take some pictures with her. So on Friday she came over to my apartment and we walked down by the lake and took some pictures. I have them posted on etsy and facebook, and the top of this post. It is awesome how kind and willing people can be, and she was just such an amazing help in the etsy process.

So yes, stuff is posted on etsy! Check it out at www.creationsbykc.etsy.com

Thanks to another great friend, Ruth, for telling about an opportunity in Athens this Sunday. It is a sustainability event that is hosted by a couple in Oconee County. Ruth will have some of her wonderful paintings and I will have some of my recycled bag bags and a scarf or two made from yarn I recycled from sweaters. It’s a somewhat political event, but I am going to steer clear of that aspect of things…However, I am all for sustainability, and look forward to seeing how other people are talking steps to help the environment. I also look really forward to getting my name out there and possibly selling a thing or two.

Check Ruth out here: http://www.facebook.com/100tinybluebirds (Check out her photo albums—she has some stunning paintings)

Check out information about the event here: Oconee County, GA Politics: A second Sustainability Showcase sponsored by Ocon...: "The Priests house is in the narrow area of an Athens mailing address in Oconee County, this near the newer shopping centers near the border ..."

And finally, one more shout-out goes to Holly Hess for featuring me on her blog. We met up last Thursday and she took some pictures of me for a photojournalism project. You can see some of those and read more about it on her blog: http://hollyshess.wordpress.com/2010/10/20/uga-knitwhits/#comments

Okay, well now I need to go recycle some yarn from a sweater. Thanks for reading!

Fall Festivals, Football, and Frustrations

I think I have reached a point in my life where I am actually doing too much. I know that college is supposed to be this way, but I don’t think my body was made for it. I miss relaxing. One day. And until that day, Coffee!

Knitting has been going well. Oktoberfest wasn’t a huge success, but it was a great learning experience, and I did sell some things. I think the greatest lesson I learned is that people are not ready for knit garments in the beginning of October. That figures! I guess maybe the common sense things are easily overlooked. Another lesson: while a fall festival can be a great time to have a craft sale, it is difficult to have tons of success when the craft sale is the only thing inside. And the last lesson: knit for the market! In other words, who are the people shopping in a lovely fall Saturday at a church fall festival? Probably not trendy, slouchy-hat-wearing college students. Hey, at least I learned some things and had some thoughts before the next one.

So this Saturday is the Watkinsville Fall Festival. There are all things that a usual fall festival would have as well as a craft sale of over 200 vendors. I can’t wait to go and see the different vendors… to go and get to shop and see what people have for sale and to see prices and just being outside on a lovely Fall day! The problem: Football game at 12:00. Football, could you BE more in the MIDDLE of the day? Ugh. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for football. However, I am not very happy that it is taking up my ENTIRE Saturday. Again. These 12:00 games have got to stop. The fair starts at 9:00 and goes to 6:00… and to get a good seat at the game I need to be at the stadium by 10:00. The game will last for lots of hours. Then I leave, make the trek back to the car, and battle traffic. Yes, it is definitely do-able to make it to both, but hooray for another hectic Saturday. Whatever the case, I am excited for a good Saturday.

And for the frustrations.. I need a better camera and a model/another person. No really, see the evidence. Until this happens, I will not be ready to compete. Thankfully, I have some great friends who have offered to help out, so something will get up there sometime soon. However, I know that if I plan on getting anywhere with selling on Etsy that I am going to need to buy a better camera. Time will tell. But to any really, really good friends/family who are reading this, I need a good camera for Christmas. Oh and a trip to Wizarding World would be great too…

Well, I need to go bet back on top of my ever looming pile of work. Thanks for reading!

Business Cards

As the time for selling things gets closer, every bit of my spare time is filled with knitting random projects. I have made quite a few scarves, washcloths, electronic cozies, and little things so far... I have so many ideas but not nearly enough time.

I went to Mainstreet Yarns and Fibers in Watkinsville last week and bought a few skeins of Ella Rae Classic. I made a bag out of this yarn for one of my sisters last year. It was the first yarn that I every felted, but I loved how it turned out. So when I was thinking about making a few felting things for the craft show, this yarn immediately came to mind. So this afternoon I spent some time felting some of that, and then hopefully that will turn into something interesting later this week.

So I will leave you a picture of my new business cards. Yes, that is an etsy site on there, but I have nothing posted for sale YET. It will definitely be updated with some things asap.

Okay, well off to study developmental psych and do other random homework. Thanks for reading!

Busy, busy, busy.

Well, I’m back at school and everything else in my life is put on the back burner, including this blog. Don’t feel bad though, it’s far from the only thing in my life that I’ve been neglected..

Lately I have been knitting, but it is mostly random little things. I am focusing on making a variety of things so that I have a variety to sell. Since I have never sold at a craft show before, I don’t really know what to expect. I’m just trying to get lots of stuff made and then hope for the best! My first one is on October 3^rd at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Marietta. So I will just be knitting away for the next month in preparation for that.

Other than knitting for craft shows, my focus has been on Knitwits: The UGA Knitting Club! I started this club last February. Last year we did not advertise. Instead, we met weekly and talked about plans and our ideas. I wanted to feel good about what we were doing as well as stable with where I wanted to go with the club.

Last week, UGA held its Student Activity Fair where all of the student organizations are allowed to reserve a table to show off their club. The picture on here is of the table for Knitwits. I had no idea what to expect going in to the Student Activity Fair. I didn’t know whether to expect people to sign up or if people would just look and talk about it, but not go any further. The great news is that 65 people wrote down their e-mail for our e-mail list. That is 65 people that showed interest. Awesome! I just love that people are out there an interested. It is a great feeling :)

So, beyond knitting, I have just had lots of school and work. Work is same old same old, good old Ramsey. And then school has just been TONS of reading. And I mean TONS. But yeah... I should probably go get on all of that. Until next time—thanks for reading!

Let's stop scratching the surface and get a little deeper

Hey Everyone! See I am already updating again! Look at me go. One of these days, I’ll be one of those people that update daily with new information. Well, maybe, but that’s probably not true at all.

So since my last update, I have seriously looked into two different craft shows, and already signed up for one of them. Now that’s good stuff. Those two are both at churches at home (Marietta) that I attend. One is Holy Trinity Lutheran which is where I grew up and still attend regularly, and then the other is Due West Methodist which I occasionally attend with my family. I definitely plan on selling in the two craft sales those churches hold. Now I just have to figure out WHAT to sell.

As of last weekend, I am a proud owner of a Nook. Of course the second I bought it, I started knitting it a cover. I used the pattern posted by Vickie Howell for Caron. Here is the link. She calls it a Snookie, which I found quite comical. So I made one in green and I’ve now started making another with a modified pattern just for the heck of it.

So that’s the surface of what is going on, but recently I feel like there is a completely different layer that I am just beginning to surface. My life recently has just taken off. I was given this awesome opportunity with Lighthouse and it has given me the opportunity to meet so many amazing people. Sometimes, I feel trapped, insignificant, inadequate, and insecure. I know all of these astounding people that are truly doing amazing things with their lives. They have an incredible belief in God and live their lives completely through him, following his plan. I know what I believe and I feel like I understand what God is calling me to do right now. I feel like he wants me to know him better and to feel so secure in my relationship with him that I can then share Him with others.

However, I am just plain struggling. I am struggling with some of my actions in the past and just my attachment to earthly things. I know that God forgives me for everything that I have ever done, and that he gave his only son for ME, for ALL of us. And yet I sit here, so inadequate, searching and trying to achieve so many meaningless things. Why do I try to achieve these things? No idea. I know what matters in the end, but how do I live a life here on Earth that would mean nothing to most of those around me but everything to God? For instance, selling things… That would make me happy. It would give my work worth, and it would make me money which is of course necessary to live on this Earth. However, does that matter at all to God? I mean what does my knitting and selling stuff do for him? Nothing. My knitting for the homeless, premature babies, families experiencing unimaginable pain… now that probably means a little more to Him.

But I guess that is my struggle… resolving the difference and the meaning behind why I am living my life here on Earth like I am. I want to show God in all that I do each day. That has been my prayer for years now. I just hope that I am, and I hope that I am not ignoring God’s true plan for me.

Well I better be going, let me know if you have any insights to what I am experiencing and the journey I am traveling. Thanks for reading!