Welcome to Starry Knits!

PLEASE EXCUSE MY APPEARANCE...

I AM STILL VERY MUCH UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

This introductory post appeared yesterday - for a short time.  Let's hope it's here to stay.

I wonder how many new bloggers sit down that very first morning, full of anticipation, heads just loaded with things to say, only to find they don't know where in the world to start.  That would be me right now.  So what would you say if we didn't start at the beginning?  That's far too long ago.  I'd rather tell you about the blog and how it came to be.

 

Starry Knits is actually my third attempt at blogging.  I think the first ones fizzle/failed because they had no theme or direction.  But this time...I have a plan.

 

We'll be talking about knitting (of course) and crocheting.  I love both and learned to crochet from my grandmother when I was about 5 years old.  Knitting didn't come until many years later.  My grandmother made the most incredible lace tablecloths.  The thread she used was so fine and the work so intricate that the finished items looked like spidery woven lace, each stitch and chain perfectly placed and identical in size to all those around them.  My grandmother was an artist.  And I wanted, more than anything, to be just like her!

So one afternoon she gave me a larger hook and a small ball of yarn, showed me how to make a chain stitch, and thinking that would keep my chubby 5-year-old fingers busy until I got bored in a few minutes,  she went off to the kitchen.  Imagine her surprise (and I think, secret delight) when not too much later I came looking for her with all the yarn now crocheted into one giant length of chain. That, it seems, was my jumping off point.  And I never looked back

The name of this blog, Starry Knits, honors two very important people in my life. The first I've already mentioned, my grandmother, Margarete Kres, who learned her art from her grandmother, Helene Stern.  In German, the word Stern means star.

That same word, star, also always makes me think of my father-in-law, Leland. He's in his 80s now.  You know how they say that the older folks get, the more ornery they become?  Not my Leland.  Whenever I get to see him, he always has the biggest and happiest smile on his face.  He calls me his "bright star."  Truth be known, he's mine too!

So being as star-blessed as I am, I just knew this blog name would have to center around that somehow.  And finally, with sincere apologies to Mr. Van Gogh, the rest just came naturally.

Right now I am very busy revamping my Etsy shop for the Spring.  It needs a serious face lift after all this winter gloom.  The shop is called Design 89 and I'd love to have you visit at

www.design89.etsy.com

Part of Design 89's make-over includes a new line of Spring purses and accessories.  They should be available within the next week or so.  At that same time I'll be having a blow-out end of winter sale to make room for the new, fresh, light and airy articles.  You'll be hearing about new items, coupon codes, and secret sales at Design 89 here first.  So be sure to stop by often!

I sincerely hope you'll visit with me here regularly too. I'm planning on sharing some great knitting and crochet tips that I've been collecting forever, it seems like.  Some are tried and true while others have a new twist to them.  There may even be a few that might cause you to say, "Oh! I never knew that!"  This will be a super way for me to start sifting through all my file folders and who knows what terrific gems we can share with one another!

I also have beaucoups of patterns for all skill levels (probably 99% are free of charge) that will keep you busy throughout the year.  And I'd like to help you plan ahead for upcoming holidays and events.  There's nothing worse than realizing that the beautiful and expensive alpaca yarn you bought to make a holiday gift for that someone special won't be ready on time because you got started much too late! Arghhh!

So until next time (when there should be some pictures on the blog for you to see!)...

Warmly,
Maddy

PS - A special shout-out of thanks to Leslie.