The Light Within

Are you knee-deep in the holiday shopping craze or are you sitting under your holiday decorations sipping a festive beverage catching up on your binge-watching while knocking out a few rows?

Everybody progresses into the holidays in a different way. 

I am surprisingly calm for it being this close to Yule.  I still have a lot to do but I have been doing it a little bit at a time and not freaking out about if a gift I bought writes back with stocking delays or shipping will take longer than usual.

The point of this season is the light that we share with others and that lives within ourselves.  Whether you worship the sun in the sky or the Son of God, whether your light is a miracle or embraces your cultural values and traditions, this is a season that is about stoking those inner fires and rebirthing yourself.

That begins with you.  Self-care has been a big topic this year because we all have needed a little more love and light after the mental drain of the pandemic.  But let's face it, we should always be practicing self-care.  It should not seem strange to do so.  

You can't be there for everyone else if you don't take care of yourself first.

Give yourself the present of kindness.  Create a positive relationship with yourself.  It is the gift that keeps on giving.

Take in a bit of that light that is everywhere this time of year and bring it into yourself.

If you can't get a gift in time or something is out of stock right now, don't fret about it.  Your family and friends, who love and support you, will totally understand.  I bet they ran into some holiday snags too.

Breathe.

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My fabulous sister made these motif squares of the Winter Snow double knit scarf pattern that we have been working on together.  

I am loving working with her on finishing my projects.  She has been a great sounding board full of ideas, a blessing of a tech editor, and a super pattern tester.

It is fun to co-create with her.  I am beyond blessed to be able to see her in person again.  I think I ran out in slippers when she pulled up that first day after our vaccines and I pulled her into a hug in the street just ugly crying.  But I didn't care.

There are four moments in my life that rise above all others, the birth of my beloved children, the day I said, "I do," to my soulmate and best friend and the day I saw my sister again after almost a year and a half of FaceTime and being apart.

My Vixen readers, be kind to yourself, give yourself some light, and may your holidays be blessed with family, friends, and love.

*******

To all those whose lives were devastated by the tornado...there are no words...sending you love and light and prayers for those you lost and the families that mourn them.  

If you want to donate, here is a link to the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund. 

*******

Happy crafting!

Ruinwen 🤗

**************************
Safe socially-distanced hugs  🤗
**************************
Sending love and light to everyone being affected by this virus.  
May you be safe.  
May your loved ones be safe.  
🙏
**************************
Sending love and light to everyone facing discrimination, hate, prejudice, inequality, or racism.
🙏🙏💖💖🙏🙏
**************************
Vixenpath is a safe space.
If you are:
LGBTQ+
Black
Brown
Asian
Any race
Coming out
Anything.
I am a safe person and I will always hold space for you in love and light.

Ruinwen

😀

There Are No Words

When I looked into the eyes of Adella Colvin (@lolabeanyarnco on Instagram) I felt moved beyond words.  The hurt that radiated in her words and her story had me in tears and sick to my stomach.

I invite you to hear Adella speak on Instagram to learn more.  

Adella said to take a risk.  I don’t remember the quote exactly but it was something like even if you are scared or uncomfortable take the risk.  Start the conversation.  

This is me starting a conversation. 

BIPOC creators in the yarn industry are being taken for granted by Kristy Glass and used for their particular gifts.

I don’t know her.  I don’t even know of her.  I had never heard her name until today.

I don’t want to tell you what to do but I personally have blocked her and other individuals that are causing harm in our community and I will continue to do so.

I need to say right now that I hate that someone with a bunch of followers thinks that they are better than someone else because of a number.

No one is better than anyone else.  You might have more money, but that doesn’t make you better than anyone else.  You might have more “fill in the blank” but that does not make you better than anyone else.

Let me say it again, “No one is better than anyone else.”

But that is what happened.  Someone used their “numbers” to make it seem like being seen with them would be an honor or something.  She even made them pay to be seen with her.  How disgusting is that?

If a collab doesn’t benefit both parties then there is something wrong.  Using someone for their “BIPOCness” to make you seem “better” than you are or “woke” or something is wrong down to its core.  It is disgusting and it has to stop.

It will only stop when we stand up and call out people that are harming our BIPOC creators.  Support our BIPOC creators.

If a BIPOC person tells you something, believe them, support them and listen to them.

I stand with the BIPOC community and I stand with Adella.

Crochet Blanket is Fini!

 

I love the way this gingham crochet blanket came out from Daisy Farm Crafts!

I added a round of each color for a border and I was happy with the way it came out.  

When I get to the end of the project, I start to get nervous because I want it to look amazing.

I'm pretty good at weaving in ends, but I'm always open to new things and I wanted to share this with you in case you didn't already know it.

When knitting in the round or when joining the last stitch in crochet you are joining to the first stitch in the round.  When you work in the round you are working in a spiral, this is why it can be hard to line up stripes and fancy patterns without a bit of chicanery.

see the gap between the first bound off
and the last bound off stitch?

In this photo you can see there is a space between the first and last stitch of the bind-off row.  (I talked in detail about joining in this blog post/video. )  A jog may be created that can cause an unsightly lump to form at your join.  This technique changes all that.  It only differs a bit from the old way that I used to join, but I find it is so much cleaner.

Cut a 6" tail for weaving.   I always use at least six inches for weaving to really secure the ends.

Thread a yarn needle with the end.

Find the first stitch of the bind-off round, insert your needle from the front to the back through both vees of that stitch.

this is the last bound off stitch, you can see the working yarn
originates from there

insert your needle, front to back through the back vee only,
of the last bound off stitch

Make sure that you have the loop the size you want and nothing is pulling and then weave in and secure your end.  

I adore this join!

Happy crafting!

Ruinwen 🤗

**************************
Safe socially-distanced hugs  🤗
**************************
Sending love and light to everyone being affected by this virus.  
May you be safe.  
May your loved ones be safe.  
🙏
**************************
Sending love and light to everyone facing discrimination, hate, prejudice, inequality, or racism.
🙏🙏💖💖🙏🙏
**************************
Vixenpath is a safe space.
If you are:
LGBTQ+
Black
Brown
Asian
Any race
Coming out
Anything.
I am a safe person and I will always hold space for you in love and light.

Ruinwen

😀