THE BLANKET BONANZA CONTEST WINNER IS....

Many thanks to Maggie, Roberta, Timiae, and Pam for the lovely 7x9 inch squares donated to my son, Shaun's, class project-My Brother's Keeper.

The students, at last count, had made or collected more than 88 knit and crocheted squares and gathered at school yesterday to sew them together into 3 blankets. Others worked on quilts and fleece tied fringe blankets. We ate hot dogs, baked Ziti, beef barbeque, killer brownies, cookies, well, you get the picture.

Here are the squares sent last week

My pal, Maggie, donated the pretty green crocheted squares, while the crocheted reideer came from Timiae. I absolutely adored all the squares donated by my old and new friends! The kids really liked all the different squares that were donated to their project and they plan to continue knitting and crocheting the rest of the school year. The moms and dads of the students also helped by joining the the long sewn up square strips into blankets, by crocheting around the outer edges to give the blankets a more finished look. My job was to take those not so nicely squared, more, ahem, geometric, abstract shaped masterpieces and perform an extreme makeover in order to measure 7x9 inches. I'll be working on those for a while. Perhaps I'll post a photo or two so you, Gentle knitter, can see the challenge.

As to the CONTEST WINNER......... Congratulations Roberta!!!! Your name was drawn and you will be receiving your book later this week!

Again, many thanks and hugs to all who so generously gave of their time and talent to this good cause!

WHY, THANKS FOR ASKING!

Many Gentle Knitters had been graciously offering encouragement to me as I struggled to complete Mike's Christmas sweater on time. Some have written to inquire about it's progress. I know Knitters are generally compassionate by nature, so it is without too much shame that I present this status report.

Shoulders seamed, and steadily knitting away on the bands. I'm nearly ready to place these stitches on scrap yarn in order to check the accuracy of my band stitches. I've been using the Ann Budd Sweater Pattern book as my guide, so all's well so far. Then onto the sleeves.

Yes, I know, this sweater needs closure.

What I've knitted when not knitting the sweater......

I designed this bib for a new baby in the family. I was inspired to try the feather and fan stitch after seeing the nice way Rainy used color and stitch pattern in her pattern submission to the 2008 Dish Cloth Hang Ups Calendar. Of course, since babies slobber, this is a totally impractical bib, given feather and fan is a lace-like pattern, but I thought it made a nice fashion statement any way! I'll post the pattern if anyone is interested.

By the way, I ordered the hard copy of the calendar and it is worth every penny! Lots of great stuff in there by very talented knitters!

Charity knitting for my Knitting Ministry group continues. I'm getting some of the mitered square bug out of my system by knitting a masculine-type lapghan out of 9 inch squares.

I calculated that 4 across and 4 down (16 total) with a nice garter stitch border should give me a decent size lap throw. You can find the basic pattern here. It's a nice take-along project, since the sweater is much too big these days to travel. Ahem.


I always wanted to knit one of these. A nice lady at my church has a little girl who turns one year old in a few weeks, so this will fit nicely. Find this pattern here. It's with DK instead of worsted, but the size is still ample. You can even knit a newborn version.

More Knitting Ministry work....

This time for a baby. We all like knitting these baby hats, don't we? Get the basic pattern here and make your own easy adjustments.

Didn't want to forget to mention that I was a contest winner again! Read my winning entry about "Why I Knit" at Christy B's blog. Received two lovely plummy skeins of Silky Wool. Thanks, Christy!


I've been fortunate to have made a long distance knitting pal, Maggie, from participating in the 2005 Ample Knitters Secret Pal Exchange. Six months of spoiling from her! Well, after all these years we still are in touch with each other weekly, though we have never met face to face! Maggie, daaaaaaarling, get a blog, already!!!
Anyway, whipped up a little something for her before Christmas. La Petite Sweet Sweater knit with Christmasy Sugar and Cream cotton from the stash. Technically, at the time I was still knitting a sweater. Just not my husband's.

Maggie included me in her Christmas knitting!
Look at these adorable felted teapot coasters she made for me! Way to go, Mags!!!! Love 'em!

I may have mentioned I teach a few knitting classes during the year at our local community college. This is my sample of the neck warmer project some of my workshop students worked on in November.

Made up of several sections of different stitch patterns. That way they could practice different stitches and have something nice to wear. I used a natural wool I found in the sale bin from Shadyside Farm at Stitches this year. It was nice to see this pattern knit by others in different yarns.

Last minute hat for a lady in my Knitting Ministry.

Knit with 2 strands Baby Soft in a pretty coral color.

The thing I am most proud of is this:
My son, Shaun, finished his first hand knit scarf and presented it to his little friend. And promptly retired from his short lived knitting career.


Happy knitting in the new year!

WAITING.....

You signed up on August 6, 2007
You are #23397 on the list.
11997 people are ahead of you in line.
7678 people are behind you in line.

And, so I wait.....

Although I am a very impatient person, I fill my hours with activities that will help the time pass with pleasure while I wait for my invitation to join Ravelry to arrive. Yes, there is a note of sarcasm in my post. I shall be old and too feeble to knit by the time my number comes up. Nonetheless, the time does quickly pass.....

Here is a tiny tutorial of my fingers executing the NO-CABLE- NEEDLE -CABLE, or, as I call it, "FINGER CABLING FOR LAZY KNITTERS OR THOSE TOO CHEAP TO BUY A CABLE NEEDLE, OR WHERE IS THAT DARN CABLE NEEDLE"? This is the Hourglass Bobble and Cable Square. Of course, you would follow the directions of the cable pattern you are knitting. I'm just demonstrating the method I use.

Just slip a stitch off the left needle with your right needle and transfer it to the fingers of your left hand and hold it toward the back of your work with your left fingers,

knit the next stitch on your left needle,

slip the "fingered" stitch back onto your left needle

and knit or purl it to make a RIGHT LEANING CABLE. (RIGHT BACK-get it?)

To make a LEFT LEANING CABLE, slip the stitch off your left needle, transfer it to your left hand fingers and hold it FORWARD with you left hand fingers,

knit or purl the next stitch,

slip the "fingered" stitch back on the left needle and knit it.

That's all there is to it! You can make wider cables by just increasing the number of stitches you are holding in your fingers.

I suggest you try Finger Cabling with a simple cable pattern, such as this.

I think needless- cabling makes rows fly by quicker, but you'll have to judge for yourself.

The final church afghan square progresses ever so slowly on my needles, simply because I am letting myself be side tracked by other knitting projects. I'm at the halfway point, so I am determined to have this completed by next Tuesday night's group. That includes the single crochet border too! We'll lay all the squares out in order and begin the process of sewing up panels and finishing it with an attractive border. Then, I think I'll take a year's sabbatical from Bobble knitting!

Been to Barnsie last week and picked this up. A portion of this book goes to charity, and the patterns are very nice for your charity knitting projects, so I can highly recommend this book.

I knitted a square for the Ghana Project, and my Knitting Ministry friend Jean also was kind enough to jump on board to help. Hers is the pretty minty green "Fleck Stitch" square above mine.

Mike taught Shaun last weekend how to make breakfast. I ate my heart unhealthy breakfast with gusto! Note how I do attempt to compensate for the bacon and home fries.

My wonderful Secret Pal 11 made contact by mail again with a lovely card and knitting themed note cards. I really enjoy this exchange and getting to meet wonderful knitters from all over! Thanks so much, my SP11, for thinking of me! Can't wait to learn your identity!

I had taught my son a little bit of hand sewing last year, so I was really SURPRISED last night when he came and asked for the sewing box so he could mend the hole in the toe of his soccer socks before practice! This is a Hallmark moment, IMHO! He says he likes to sew. "It relaxes me"! Someone pinch me.


Enter the Yarn Room and please make yourself comfortable.

My LYS, Kraemer's, had a fabulous 50 % off "renovation sale" this weekend on yarn, books, needles, patterns and naturally, I just had to add to my knitting inventory. My fellow knitting blogger, Carole has been admonishing me for not promptly posting photos of my sale haul, so my apologies for withholding! And, no daaaaaaaaaaaaaarling, I didn't buy up all the Cherry Tree. I'm an Opal-Meillenweit-Sockotta-Kinda-Girl!

Enjoy!

Isn't it lovely......
Isn't it wonderful?
Stevie Wonder was really singing about yarn.......

I don't know why I bought the cable needles, since I finger cable. It was the heat of the moment. Sockotta (hey, Carole, I think we bought the same color!), free patterns and Taos for a sweater.....

Will combine the Crystal Palace yarns for a nice pair of fingerless mitts for my SP 11. Thanks, Eileen, for showing me the sample!

Mohair for a diagonal scarf for me. Ever since my Knitting Amiga, Nan, showed me the gorgeous "Rainbow" colors scarf she knit on the diagonal with her leftover mohair, I've felt driven to knit something similar. Thanks for the inspiration, Nan!

Alpaca for bed socks.

I have a thing for buttons and sheep.

See, Carole! No Cherry Tree!

My other Knitting Amiga, Jeanie, knits gorgeous sweaters for herself throughout the year. I'm always inspired by the way she beautifully combines her autumnal sweater colors and how quickly she completes them. I just had to have this yarn for my own sweater, to be knit upon completion of Mike's Christmas sweater. I swear. On the "Knitting Bible".
But, I did knit a swatch as a motivational tool so I take up the needles again and get cracking on his sweater. What a beautiful sweater this will make!
Hope your week as some lovely pleasures too!