Fill the bucket

I'm catching up on listening to the knitting podcasts I've downloaded. I'm a bit behind. I just listened to Whit's latest About Time episode in which she mentioned two little things about positive words. The first mention was in regards to Wren Ross's generosity. A few times when Whit asked her a question, Wren complimented Whit and her interview style. This reminded me of a lesson I was taught two years ago. I was told that if I have a compliment, I should pass it on. By not passing it on, I'm robbing myself of the gift of making another person happy and I'm robbing the other person of the nice words that she may need to hear. Since being introduced to this concept, I strive to pass on compliments whenever they appear instead of letting them die within me. Some people may have heard of this concept as "Fill the Bucket." Whatever you call it, give it a try.

The second thing Whit mentioned regarded a friend of hers who has been receive some harsh feedback about her podcast, which made me ponder another lessoned I was taught. I have been taught that our words are either positive or negative, and if what we say isn't positive, then it is negative. "Wow!" I remember thinking, "those are my only two options? Where's the neutrality?" But then, where is the wonder in living a neutral kind of life? I know I often fail, but I hope that by trying to say only positive words to other people, I can make my tiny little part of the world better.

With that, here is how I did make someone happy. Kelly received her surprise birthday present this past Sunday.


She loved it! I have to be a little selfish here. I know it was her gift and I'm thrilled she loved it, but she gave me a gift as well by loving her present. One of the many joys of knitting is seeing the beam in a persons eyes when they receive a present I made just for her. I love seeing that look. It makes me want to knit more.

The Fiesta La Luz Silk was absolutely luscious to work with. It is an unplied yarn, a first for me. I think the fact that it is unplied makes the yarn even more beautiful. I would recommend putting lotion on your hands first before working with the yarn. Not only will the yarn glide through your fingers a bit better, but it will make your hands happy. The pattern is from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Love this book!!!! So far, I've made this camisole and the knitted animals from the book. The patterns are quite pretty and I love how the book is organized into time frames (2 hour gifts, 6 hour gifts, etc). This tank took a little longer than the suggested 8 hours, but I think I was being overly cautious with the lace at the bottom. Overall, it is a quick knit and a knock-out gift.