Friday, August 19, 2016

Persistence

~ PERSISTENCE ~
* firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action
in spite of difficulty or opposition.
* the continued or prolonged existence of something.

This is how I have come to feel about these fingerless mitts at this point. Persistent, firm and downright obstinate in my course of action in spite of any difficulty. When I get out of bed in the morning with my swollen and stiff joints they are staring me right in the face wanting something from me nonstop all day long. They have become my new best friend with their continued and prolonged existence in my life lately. Although my body wants to be difficult at times and provide some opposition, I remain determined to meet the quota I have set for myself as far as this particular item is concerned and I must say I am quite happy with the amount of work I have accomplished so far. The wire basket holds all of the color options of the adult sized mitts while the picture below shows my current choices for the girl size 6-8 mitts. There are other colors to choose from in this DK weight yarn but I haven't purchased any yet. After the Pumpkin Festival is over I will order more to bulk up my shop for Fall and Winter and to get ready for my Christmas Tea and Sale in December.
For now I chose the three colorways I liked best. I really love the soft lavender paired with the oatmeal color just as much as I do the beautiful shade of pink. Then for blue options I went with a nice bright one to compliment the oatmeal and a lovely soft sky blue with a blueish grey. I am really enjoying knitting them in this size. I especially love these soft colors. Just when I decide one pair is my favorite I make another and then it's my new favorite!
I think maybe Mercedes has a preference for the pink. She sure shows up to lend a paw every time I'm working with it. Then she refuses to move.
 Of course she seems to instinctively know the moment I so much as lay a finger on a knitting needle or a skein of yarn because she will surface from who knows what hidden depths of the house she's been hiding and napping in for hours so that she can pester the snot right out of me. I have to fight her off in order to work around her and keep only animal fibers that are meant to be in the yarn there, such as sheep or alpaca, versus cat hair. Trust me, I go over everything with a tape roller. But I really do keep her from touching things as best I can...
When I began making these fingerless mitts a few years ago this was the color combination I made my very first pair in. I took only three pairs to a craft sale at a local high school that Fall. Two pairs were for sale and one pair was a donation for them to raffle off to help raise money for the school. I realized right away I had stumbled onto a popular item when the retail pairs sold immediately and people were going bonkers trying to go home with the ones I donated for the raffle. Over the next month I had people calling me and showing up at my house wanting to custom order some for Christmas gifts. I've been making sure to stay well stocked on them every year when Autumn rolls around ever since. I already have several custom orders for them now for after this years Pumpkin Festival. It's a good thing I love to make them! As you can see they are knit flat on two needles then seamed up. I knit them on my favorite Knit Picks Rosewood Needles and love every stitch that goes into them. I don't even mind the seaming. I have always enjoyed finishing work. As I've mentioned before, people hire me to do their finishing work for them because some people do not enjoy it.
In the midst of all the constant knitting I still have packages to ship to customers as well. I have to say wrapping items to ready them for mailing is a favorite thing of mine. I feel like I'm getting a birthday gift all prettied up for someone. These two pieces of tissue paper went to the same customer a couple of days ago. They each contained a Laurel Hill Crochet Hook. I think when someone receives something in the mail they should be filled with delight when they open it even if they already know what's inside. Every little detail matters to me because every single person is of the utmost importance to me. So while I forge ahead on my persistent knitting path, I also take time to work on the small things that go into the work I do because I believe everyone's world needs to be warmed with beauty. 

"To follow, without halt, one aim:
there is the secret of success."
Anna Pavlova
(1881-1931)

14 comments:

  1. LOL.....so funny how our furry friends need to help us in whatever
    we are doing. Joining in I call it. Love your works.

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    1. Yes they do love to join in! I love them so much... they make a house a home. Thanks so much Anita!

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  2. I'm amazed at the popularity of mitts, too. It seems everyone wants a pair or two. Your patience is amazing as i could not make them over and over.
    Wishing you a total sellout at the festival. :)

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    1. I know! People love the darn things! It's funny, there are some items I cannot make over and over but I'm enjoying repeating these right now.
      Thanks for your well wishes! I'll take them :-)

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  3. Well your persistence is paying off, because that's a beautiful pile of knits you have there. Your kitty looks good in pink, it matches her little nose :)

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    1. It DOES match her little nose! I think all girls look good in pink :-)
      I am happy when I look at my nice pile of knits!

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  4. Danette I have missed you, your beautiful knits and your beautiful spirit.
    Meredith

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    1. Oh Meredith... and I have missed YOU my sweet, sweet friend...

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  5. I love the way you run your shop, Danette! You are so talented. I think your mitts are gorgeous! You are a fast knitter, too! Prayers for pain free joints.

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    1. How sweet of you to say that Pom Pom! That really means so much to me!Thank you so much for praying for my joints too, it's working because I have had less pain the last few days my friend :-)

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  6. Who wouldn't love those mitts?! I'm not surprised they are a bestseller fro you. And Mercedes the cat knows what's up. I love it when animals show preference and have a 'favourite' colour!

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    1. Julie, you are always so very sweet! I love all things about cats, don't you?

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  7. Lots of pretty work there Danette! Good thing you have such a helpful paw to supervise you while you work on your mitts. : )

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Thank you for taking time to chat with me ~
Your comments make me so Happy!
Have a lovely day.
Danette