Julie Cicora

Praise

Praise is the motivator to keep us going when we are learning a new skill. It has to be authentic and specific. New knitters drop stitches, create uneven tension and a variety of mistakes as they try to manipulate the needles and yarn. This can result in frustration especially if they have picked a projectContinue reading “Praise”

Heart

My first thought about the heart is the actual organ. I picture it on an ultrasound beating, its rhythm steady and reassuring. A cardiologist once told me, the heart wants to beat. As a chaplain in the hospital, I verified this fact many times as I sat with patients watching the monitor. The heart wouldContinue reading “Heart”

Fulfill

A friend gave me a pair of size 50 knitting needles. I couldn’t resist the call to try them out. I went to the store and found a super bulky yarn that was perfectly suited to the project. Knitting with size 50 needles is a workout. Each stitch requires some major manipulations but the endContinue reading “Fulfill”

Justice

“Justice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both”. Eleanor Roosevelt Justice is about listening and working to understand the needs and desires of others. It’s about communicating our needs and desires and then working toward common a goal. This cannot happen if we are not willing to have a real conversationContinue reading “Justice”

Path

For a long time, I followed knitting patterns exactly as they were written. If I discovered that I had one less stitch or one additional stitch, I went into a panic and ripped out until I found my mistake. Knitting patterns caused me to be a perfectionist. Eventually, I learned that one stitch here orContinue reading “Path”

Soul

Some knitters are really into sheep. They know the difference between the breeds of sheep and they are horrified when you mix up Hampshire sheep with Suffolk Sheep. Everyone knows Suffolk Sheep don’t have good wool for yarn but Hampshire sheep do. Or do they? When I buy yarn, I look at the ball bandContinue reading “Soul”

Strength

I bought some Lopi yarn in Iceland. The shop owner seemed reluctant to sell it to me and kept saying it was not for the faint of heart. The yarn came in plates and looked like roving. It was not twisted or spun just fibers that had been pulled into long strands. The shop ownerContinue reading “Strength”

Promise

When I make a promise to another person, I do my best to keep it. When I make a promise to myself, I tend to default. I’ve learned this about myself through the years and as a way to compensate I ask other people to help me keep my promises. I made one of theseContinue reading “Promise”

Cutting open the Cardigan

I bought this sweater kit four years ago. I was in Watkins Glen, NY and the yarn store there had the finished sweater on a dress form and I fell in love with the design. It was made from Lopi yarn in black, white, and gray with six pewter buttons. I couldn’t wait to castContinue reading “Cutting open the Cardigan”

Knitting through Advent

For knitters, the season of Advent is a time to find a unique indie yarn dyer and sign up for a set of mini skeins. This wonderful idea comes from the more traditional Advent calendar which was used to count down the days to Christmas. Traditional Advent Calendars have paper doors to open that mightContinue reading “Knitting through Advent”