Apple Turnover Knit Sweater Design

I met Trudy on ETSY. She needed apple buttons for a children's sweater she was designing, and had ordered some of mine. I had no idea at the time that she was such an amazingly talented knitter. 

This is a sneak peek at Trudy's latest design, Apple Turnover. You can find her pattern here, at Raverlry. 

I think I'm in love. I need to learn how to knit, just so I can make this. Really.

See those buttons? Yep, I made them. Pretty exciting, huh?

I was so excited when she sent me the picture, I had to call all my kids in to look at it. 

I asked Trudy if she'd share some information about herself, how she got started in knitting and designing, and a few tips for those of us (ahem...yes, me) who might need a few words of encouragement before taking the plunge into knitting. She was sweet enough to say yes.

Without further ado...here's Trudy!  =]

I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, the artsy type who loved to draw and write stories, and wound up majoring in music.

During my freshman year of college, I saw a classmate knitting scarves. I thought it was bizarre yet fascinating. I had a lighter class load my junior year, and despite a lifelong lukewarm feeling towards crafts of any stripe, I inexplicably felt drawn to knitting.

I picked up a beginner's book and taught myself. I thought it would be a passing thing, but it stuck immediately! I made five scarves, followed by a pair of sweatpants, a coat, and a sweater, as I knit off an on over the next three years.

A cross-country move inspired me to start a knitting group in Albuquerque, and the wonderful friends I made there encouraged me to try new things. Kim, aka "The Sock Lady", taught me to knit socks, and I fell in love with sock knitting!

My fiance's job began taking us all over the Midwest, and I had to quit teaching music for a while. I began knitting like a woman obsessed! I also began designing, and released my first three designs on Ravelry at this time.

After becoming a mother in 2010, my children have been a source of constant inspiration for me. I began to get serious about designing in the past year, and have many designs in the works right now. What inspires my designs most are nature, the seasons, my children, and mythological figures. I have many future designs I'm planning based on gods and goddesses from Greek, Roman, and Celtic traditions.

This latest release, Apple Turnover, is the second in my Just Desserts series, a collection of whimsically dessert-themed garments for babies and children from 6 months to 6 years of age. Apple Turnover is a reversible, double knit coat with A-line shaping. The pattern comes with many tips and links to tutorials, as well as basic tips for making it a one-sided coat without double knitting, if you're not quite ready for that yet.

Being a self-employed private music teacher and a hopeful future home schooler, teaching and encouraging new knitter is something I love.

My best advice for those of you just beginning is to jump in with both feet and try the myriad of resources available to us in the Information Age. Be intimidated by nothing. No one is going to die if you mess up your knitting! I made plenty of mistakes when I first began. In fact, my very first practice swatch earned the name "Circular Rhombus".

The wonderful thing about knitting is that it's always one stitch at a time, and every single one gets easier.

Happy knitting!

- Trudy

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When You Think Things are Bad, Focus on Blessings

I've been feeling sorry for myself lately. 

You know, when you get sick and feel awful, 

then suddenly everything gets to you....that kind of sorry.

I've been grouchy.

Cuss words grouchy.

It hasn't been a pretty sight.

I feel like I'm being pulled in a dozen different directions. 

I'm a full time nursing student, a single mom, the only driver in the household, and so, so tired...

I remember when I first became a widow, 

I got through the days by thinking of all the people that had things worse than I did.

It probably wasn't the most positive way to deal, 

but it helped me to feel grateful for my circumstances, such as they were. 

It worked then.

I needed a dose of that today.

I got it tonight, in reverse.

My 15 year old daughter said her prayers with me.

It was a good, healthy reminder of what I have that's going right...and it put things in perspective.

I have so many blessings, and I have been focusing on the negative 

to the point that I have dismissed the positive.

It was a bit humbling to realize.

I cried.

In the grand scheme of things, our families are what are important.

The things we teach our children are important.

The time we spend with them is important.

And our attitudes are important...

Here's hoping that we all can see things just a little bit differently. 

With gratitude.

Show Your Kids How Much You Love Them

I fell off the wagon. I was going to post thirty recipes in thirty days, then life got busy and I stopped. Now it's been....awhile...and I'm almost embarrassed to come back. Aaarg.

So much for goals.

Here's a better one, at least for the moment, that I found on Amy Lynn Andrews' wonderful Facebook page.

Source

I decided to put this one to the test.

I hugged my 13 year old daughter goodnight and didn't let go.

She hugged me back and didn't let go.

For a long time.

And then we both started giggling.

For a long time.

It made me wonder how many times I pull away first because important things need to get done - and how much my kids want to hold on just a little longer.

It's sometimes hard as a single mom, and a widow at that, to find the time to do everything (which is why my kitchen floor is still a mess, but that's another story). Yet when the day comes to an end, they are most important in my life....and they need to know it.

Try an experiment. Hug your kids tonight and wait for them to pull back first. See if they notice a difference. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.  =]