Beth's SweetKnits

New Address

2008-06-16T21:43:00.003-04:00

Sorry! This Blog has moved to BethSweetKnits here. Thank you! Beth

http://beths-sweetknits.blogspot.com/

Near Sedona, AZ - Oak Creek Canyon

2008-05-26T18:26:00.004-04:00

Boy! Was the dirt red, dry, and filled with growing and blooming things. Alan standing near a cactus of some sort. Beautiful!

A tree along a path in Oak Creek Canyon - a lovely park.

Alan saw some very large trout in here!

Cairns everywhere, in the land of the Vortex, of crystals, of mystical thinking.

And a tiny creature sunning on a rock.

Beth

More At the Grand Canyon

2008-05-23T13:00:00.004-04:00

At an overlook, trees cling to rock.

The colors are amazing; too bad it was overcast for these pictures.

We stopped at the site of ancient ruins.

Then, we headed for Sedona, AZ and Red Rock country.

Beth

At The Grand Canyon

2008-05-20T14:29:00.004-04:00

Here are some more pictures from our great cross-country odyssey.

This is the observation tower at the Grand Canyon, designed by Mary Jane Colter. It's an amazingly beautiful building.

Of course, I stopped to knit!

My husband did the picture taking.

We had a perfect view from the top of the tower.

Beth

Pictures From Our Trip

2008-05-18T21:24:00.003-04:00

Cactus Flower Bugs in Tucumcari, NM

We saw many, many trains all across the country.

La Posada - Winslow, AZ - A Fred Harvey Hotel designed in 1930 by Mary Jane Colter

The Turquoise Room in La Posada - delicious!

Knitting on Log Cabin VII - At Meteor Crater, in AZ - It was cold and very, very windy here!

Can you tell we went on vacation? My sweet husband drove all 6500+ miles! All 23 days were just perfect!! We had such fun! More next time!

Beth

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

2008-05-11T09:38:00.002-04:00

We have been away for over three weeks; I am very eager to see this little guy today! We will celebrate the day, most especially for his Mama, whose First Mothers Day this is. I hope each of you moms out there can enjoy your day, too!

Beth

Still Spring

2008-04-16T20:10:00.004-04:00

Taking up space where a bleeding heart will soon emerge.

This viburnum is Korean Spice, and the fragrance is delightful!

Here is a geezer hand and baby hands!

Isn't retirement awful!

Beth

Feel the Love!

2008-04-06T11:06:00.005-04:00

After wearing himself out with crying, he had no options and fell asleep in Grandpa's arms. Here he stayed until the next feeding time. Colic certainly isn't fun for anyone!

One day this little blanket will be his to drag about the house (and anywhere else those things go).

This white stripe below the letters helps to bring the shape back in line a bit. I have mostly white yarn remaining, with some small bits of the other colors. I may try to put those in at the outer edge, as I think a white edge will show a lot of soil.

Speaking of soil, things are emerging from the ground and branches. Above, a fern frond ready to unfurl. These fragile blossoms of the plum have a light sweet fragrance.

A bit of bark has fallen from the hemlock.

I love this amazing thing we call life!

Beth

Moving Along

2008-03-25T11:19:00.011-04:00

This is what I am talking about with the intarsia - I suppose it's more aptly called stranded knitting - in the garter stitch of this cotton log cabin. I know now I should have selected lettering that was very plain with straight lines. (I'm sorry the pic is out of focus.)However, I didn't.

The other thing posing a problem is the fact that the next row here will be red. When I pick up stitches, I will be using red. Should I be picking up with both colors? Which ones will show?

Additionally, I have to make other stripes all around the blanket before I get back to the red one here; in other words, log cabin stripes are done in the proper sequence. So there is a bit of knitting to do before I can learn how this lettering is going to come out. I am up for the challenge. There will be lots of un-doing if it doesn't work.

The alternative, as I see it now, is duplicate stitching. That is probably what I should have done in the first place. Not that I know how yet, but I am sure I can learn. Anyway, at this point, anything can happen! I will try to keep you posted. Meanwhile, thanks for your input! I sure could use a mentor about now!

Addendum: Here I am on Friday, and I have managed to get the name in. I have learned a lot! Mainly, that it is possible. (This kid isn't going to care that this isn't perfect!) Next time, I will know that each blue purl needs the knit on the other side, and vice versa. I am hopeful that the knitting of the white stripe at the bottom of this name stripe and washing and blocking will help those stripes with the name resume a size and shape more nearly matching the others. I will keep you posted.

This is the picked up stitches row, above. You can see below how wide the red stripe has become with the stranded letters.

Below is a close-up of the letters and all that is wrong is evident. But, I think that if I give this to a kid just under three, on the 4th of July, he's not going to care!

Beth

Happy Springtime!

2008-03-23T20:02:00.007-04:00

The other day, we stayed with our grandson, and his Grandpa took a couple of pictures of him while he was enjoying a full tummy and not ready for sleep.

He has fussy times when his tummy hurts after mealtimes; then he's not having fun. Grammy and Grandpa tried all sorts of things, hoping to find the magic one that would help him be more comfortable. Below is his little swing; he enjoyed this a lot...for about 90 seconds! :)

I know he will outgrow this colic; meanwhile he commands a prodigious amount of attention! That's something we are perfectly willing to give.

I am working on a little blanket for him: red, white and blue log cabin. The plan is to give it to him on a Fourth of July when he's old enough to understand they are America's colors. Meanwhile, I am struggling with trying to put his name in it. Intarsia and garter stitch and a color change in the background...not sure I can pull it off.

Anyway, if not, frogging isn't terrible and I can go back to that place and begin again. If you have any experience with this (intarsia in garter stitch) and want to share words of wisdom, I'm all ears!

Spring is here and we marked it by planting a new pink dogwood. We miss our glorious old one that was removed just a few years ago. I know we will not live to see this new one grow as large, but it's here, and someone surely will. We feel good planting trees; my father taught me how and I learned from him that it was a very good thing to do.

I have planted trees in each place I have lived in my life, and additionally, in our public spaces as well. It is a relatively inexpensive undertaking and the rewards are many. Arbor Day comes next month and you may just like to mark that day by planting a tree of your own. I'd love to hear about it, if you do!

Happy Springtime!

Beth

My Birthday Gift!

2008-03-02T18:35:00.007-05:00

I had a birthday this week and my grandson helped me celebrate! Actually, we grandparents were able to babysit for a few hours while Mama and Daddy went out. He slept beautifully in his car seat (to combat the effects of colic) until his folks returned. After he ate, I was treated to this beautiful smile! I'm certain you would agree it was a most memorable birthday gift!

Beth

Creeping Back into the Kitchen

2008-02-25T17:57:00.005-05:00

Have you had time away from cooking and then found yourself out of practice upon returning? It sure happens to me! Same with my needlepoint...and miniature making...and even diapering a newborn.... Well, you get the idea. Not exactly like riding a bicycle; what do they say? You never forget how? Well, I have made some really dumb mistakes on returning to the kitchen. Here's just one.

I was to bring a dessert to our little knitting group's first lunch meeting, a couple of weeks ago. So that morning I selected this little Banbury Tart from a Williams Sonoma cookbook, Pies and Tarts; the filling tastes like mincemeat. I made the buttery dough and placed the patty in the frig to chill. The filling was an easy stove-top task, made with raisins, lemon juice and zest, sugar, and so forth, and was now cooling. I rolled out the tart dough successfully (OK - it stuck a little, but not too badly) and patted it gently into place.

The directions say to prick the bottom and sides and line with a double-thick piece of aluminum foil. Well, I thought, I have my little ceramic balls that I use for pie crusts. I'll just use those. Big mistake. The dough rose softly around those little pea-sized balls, quietly enveloping them in the most tender, buttery pastry imaginable. So when it came time to remove them (the foil!), I tipped the pan (they always rolled out of my pie crusts, didn't they?) and the first two inches of the crust separated from the whole, slid right over the edge of the pan and onto the granite. The rest of the little balls stayed firmly in place, nestled in my partially-baked crust.

For just a moment I thought all was lost. Then I remembered I had absolutely no time for a do-over, had just over an hour before I was to show up with dessert in hand. Using a fork, I teased out most of the ceramic balls; remember, they are still around 400 degrees. For the tough ones, I brought tweezers from a drawer and removed them individually. Thank goodness a bit of dough remained in the frig; although it was not quite enough, I patted it into place and returned the pan to the oven for 4 or 5 minutes.

I poured in the filling and sprinkled on the topping; into the oven for thirty-five minutes more. I raced upstairs for my shower, dressed and flew back down just in time to take it out.

It was done, and pretty enough for our little group. (Huge sigh of relief.)Below, it is the far right end that was redone. Some of the mistake is covered with filling and topping and was not readily noticable.

Especially since it was simply delicious! I served it on pretty plates with silver forks. I think I could have eaten the whole thing! Yum!

That was one of those by the skin of my teeth things that I hope never to repeat. I know...it was just a little tart. But I wanted it to be wonderful and it took a lot more concentration and time than I had planned on. I am glad I persevered, instead of tossing it out and heading for the bakery. Whew!

By the way, the ceramic balls were to go into the pans on top of the foil or parchment paper. Not on top of the dough! Now I remember!

Beth

I've Been Busy Doing What???

2008-02-24T11:16:00.007-05:00

I've been busy becoming a grammy! My first grandbaby, Ryan James, was born on February 5. What a cutie! Of course, I just can't seem to get enough! Above, he's four hours old.
On occasion, he has eyes open and is not fussing. Here he is dressed in a blue hoodie at two weeks, with Grammy adoring him.

I figured now was the time to resurrect the long-ago put away needlepoint. It is a sampler worked in silks and metallic gold, with a wool background. All it required this week was to have a few missed stitches placed; then I took it downtown to Julie-Mar. She will send it off to become a pillow for the sofa in the living room. I have long thought that my grandchildren would enjoy looking at this, and will remember it. What do you think?

Below, you can see the subtle color changes in the hand-dyed silks.
This is about 18 inches wide and maybe a foot tall. Over 100,000 stitches. I really enjoyed this project because of the enormous variety. I made a few changes (for example, the sharp scales on his back were intended for metallic thread; I have difficulty with that, so just did a metallic border, and filled in with ivory.) and that put my own twist on the project.

I have begun a red, white and blue log cabin for RJ; we didn't know whether he was a girl or a boy before his birth, so all my knitting for "the baby" was yellow, beige, mint, aqua. I am so pleased to be able to knit for a boy, and to use bold blues.

I think I am back, having been away from Ravelry, knitting and blogging for nearly two months. Spring is just around the corner, bees are buzzing the sweet mahonia blossoms, and renewal is in the air! It is time for me to take a deep breath and smile at the winter's accomplishments, and get ready for the delicious anticipation that comes with every fresh start! The exhilaration is intoxicating!

Beth

Goodbye, 2007!

2008-01-03T14:20:00.001-05:00

This butternut squash puree was the first course of our Christmas Eve dinner. I peeled and chopped the squash and simmered in chicken stock to cover, until tender. Using slotted spoon, moved squash into Cuisinart, added one chopped, crisp, sweet, delicious apple and pulsed.

See how pretty? It glistens; it's not dull like those I have pureed in the blender. The food processor leaves the tiniest parts in the liquid, whereas the blender creates another thing altogether and obliterates the distinction between solid and liquid. Although I served other wonderful dishes that night, I believe this was the hit of the evening. I drizzled a tiny bit of pure maple syrup in the center and added chopped parsley. It was truly delicious.

The dried fruit compote is the same one I served for my gals at our Christmas party. Easy peasy; it is beautiful, stores well, and makes a great gift!

Christmas Eve was always the time we opened gifts when I was a child. Mom served a smorgasbord - a light supper - that night. She had sardines and anchovies, pickled watermelon rind, olives and gherkins and other "strange" things. Well, my children think of those things as strange. I never did, and liked most all of it. She served cold sliced ham with a variety of sliced cheeses; mustard and mayo and Durkee's Famous Sauce. She heated egg rolls from Wolferman's and we made sandwiches.

Was there dessert? I cannot recall. I do remember the grownups, especially when my Swedish grandparents visited, lingering, laughing, talking over their coffee. Then the dishwashing began and that seemed endless. But eventually, we three children were encouraged to run to the back bedroom and look out a west window, far up into the night sky. "Do you see red lights?" "Do you hear the jingle bells?" Of course we did! Soon, to the sounds of adults exclaiming, "He's been here! Come see!" we ran to the other end of the house to find the undertree space filled with gifts. Without a doubt, it was the night of all nights; we lived for it and looked forward to it all year long. If you had asked any of us what our favorite day of the year was, it was Christmas Eve.

I served ham this year, and we made sandwiches; I served scalloped potatoes and a lovely carrot souffle along with the fruit. Dessert was an apple pudding cake with cinnamon ice cream. Success! I was relieved when we abandoned the table for comfortable chairs in the livingroom, around the gift laden tree.

The next day, Christmas Day was my day of rest. That's when I knitted on the ball band burp colths; I am using Ty-Dy cotton and Rowan Handknit. These are fun to do! By the way, Lancelot was unconcerned with all the commotion; a warm radiator cover in a sunny window was just perfect!

Lurking in the back of my mind, all during the holiday preparation time, was the yellow baby blanket that begged to be completed. So finally I made the last push, and on January 1, 2008, I finished it! Hooray! Now I have a question for you. It is about 25"x28" and seems pretty small to me. If it were blocked, it would be much larger. Blocking would flatten the pattern, and give inches to length and width. What do you think?

This yellow blanket belongs to 2007. I am ready to knit on the family blanket again; that is the Log Cabin VI, with the Mission Falls Cotton. I will try to keep you posted on progress!

A fresh start is a good thing! I hope you will be kind to yourself and get a fresh start, too!

Beth

Friends, Festivities, Fun

2007-12-18T20:02:00.001-05:00

This tiny glass duck is an ornament for the tree; it was a favor atop each heavenly cupcake (the coconut in the frosting was divine!) for guests to take home. What a cute remembrance of a really lovely baby shower!

My dear daughter-in-law was radiant as she opened gifts for the nursery. Her mother was justifiably proud, as was I. Not just proud of her, but of my special friends who went all out and showered us all with their love.

Then it was my turn to do for my friends. Each year we walking gals celebrate one another's birthdays and enjoy a special Christmas meal as well. They came here and ate breakfast before opening gifts. I squeezed fresh oranges for our juice.

Among the foods I served was this dried fruit compote. Black Mission Figs shared the poaching liquid with apricots, prunes, pears, apples, blueberries, cherries, currants, and raisins. Lemon and orange zest and a cinnamon stick enhanced flavors. When the fruit had softened, I removed it and reduced the liquid to a syrup

We celebrated two birthdays as well. Two of us are 61, another is 62, one 64, and two have reached the ripe young age of 65. Here are the "Walkettes" showing you that we are still kicking and young at heart!

Because of the little celebration here, we put up our tree and decorations earlier than usual. Also, this is the first year Mom cannot join us for our annual tree-trimming evening. So my sweet husband took it upon himself to do most of that and I am so grateful! Everything looked pretty and festive.

This girl adorns the mantle. I worked the needlepoint hummingbird (below) several years ago - the colors prompted me to have it made into an ornament. The tiny stitches are 18 to the inch; I enjoyed making it partly because it was such a small project.

I am not certain where the little knitted sweater ornament came from, but I love it! Maybe it came from Mom's things. She was a life-long knitter and I imagine this would have had a special place on her tree. (Wish I could find the picture - it was a red sweater with white reindeer, I think.)

Wooden ornaments have long been my favorites. This little bear has a companion (actually a bigger bear) and their legs are all moveable.

Like many other folks, I have a collection of santas.

This is a transition year for our celebrations. Mom is still with us, but not with us; her dementia progresses, fear and confusion reign. She is now unable to get out for drives or to our home for family celebrations; I will miss her gentle presence. Life in a nursing home is truly bleak when one cannot look forward to outings, so I am sad about that this year.

On the other hand, we anticipate a new life, a fresh start in only a few more weeks; imagine! A baby! That is more than enough reason to be joyous and to celebrate.

I hope you can rejoice this year, too, and see the miracles that surround you. Merry Christmas!

Beth

Sunday Morning

2007-11-25T11:47:00.000-05:00

My little companion, Lance, enjoys sitting in the window while we linger with coffee and papers in the morning. We read and talk and watch our birds and play with the cats. We watch the leaves turn, and fall; watch buds swell in the spring and leaves burst forth and unfold. Lance is there, too.

See the purple mug? That's my Grandma's Morning Fix mug. My son made it 6 or 8 years ago for his Grandma who had come here to live after Grandpa died. We used to joke about her coffee being her morning "fix." So, for a Christmas gift, he and his wife went to one of those places where you paint your own pottery.

After Mom went to live in an assisted living facility, the mug was left behind. I would look at it, but just couldn't bring myself to use it, even though I do love purple! It wasn't because it was Mom's mug; it was the grandma thing. I wasn't a grandma and didn't have any on the way. Because that is all changed now, and because my first grandchild will be born in February, I think that using the mug is OK. I like it.

Sometimes I bring my knitting in here and enjoy the quiet; this spot has been established as a place of peace. No TV noise in here. Rarely I take a phone call here, but mostly not. But the kitties are drawn to the places we put ourselves, and so knitting is often displaced by lap sitters who purr so enthusiastically, I can only set the knitting aside. It is a perfect spot to make headway on a good book, and it is perfect for wine and cheese and olives in the evenings. We love talking over our day with one another here

I played with this picture of Lance's face; sharpened it and over exposed it a little. He sits, usually, with all his feet quite close to one another; he is what I call composed. Often looks like a statue. The flash went off with the picture of his feet, and he wasn't pleased with that so he jumped down and left the room.

Time here is well spent. If this window seat had been available twenty years ago, it would have been empty. I never seemed to be able to take this sort of time for myself when I had children at home. I didn't know how, would have felt guilty about it. Didn't take much time to play with the kitties or the kids. Always felt I had to be going, going, going. Going and doing was easier on me than guilt about not going would have been. Of course, I didn't ponder much or dream back then either; after all, I was living my dreams of being a wife and mother. What more could I want?

Time's passage, experiences accumulated, children grown and gone; these all change a person. One looks at life from the other side at my age. The clutter can pile up in my knitting room, cookbooks can gather off their shelves on kitchen counters, autumn leaves may obscure the lawn for days, and I don't care. I am drawn to the quiet times, to the peace, to joyfulness. I am happy to exchange a vacuum for a string and make a little run through the house, kitties bounding behind. I have found books again and sit with a delicious feeling of having stolen time just for myself. If I put the book down to watch the birds a while, there is no guilt for having stopped reading; industry is not all there is to a good life.

Soon I will be adding grandmotherly activities to this list of life's joys. I know I will be ready; I will show this child the birds and leaves and chippies; we will play with the kitties; we will read all sorts of stories and maybe tell a few, too; we will think and explore and ponder and wonder and dream....

Beth

Leaves

2007-11-15T13:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I took my camera along on my walk with friends. A brief shower overnight left the streets damp and the sun didn't come up over the mountain until our walk was nearly over.

Fall colors are very late in arriving to our mountains this

year.

Yesterday afternoon, my husband and I went on a leaf drive.
Some of the prettiest spots were very quiet places with not another car on the road.

Off the interstate, just a few minutes into the hills we came upon this tobacco barn; it's filled with drying leaves, hanging upside down. It is open on all sides for the air to move through.

Across the street from this tidy stone church is a little stream; really beautiful right now.

We drove back into the Pisgah National Forest. My husband loves to fish; he ties flies in the winter while he watches sports. He often fishes in areas designated as catch and release; that is, he returns the native, brown, and rainbow trout he catches, unharmed, to the rivers.

I love the interesting things one can find when exploring the underbrush, boulders, pools.

Deep in the forest, a haze partially obscured the far mountains. These straight tall trees are tulip (or yellow) poplars.

We enjoyed our peaceful afternoon drive. Even a brief respite like this one is enough to reset our compass, enough to remind us of what is good and true, and some of what we can be thankful for.

Beth

SAFF, Pumpkin Bread and Coming Home

2007-11-02T20:17:00.000-04:00

The Ag Center Arena in Fletcher, NC and SAFF booths on the main floor.

Wheeeew! I am settling down. My neck and shoulders are a bit sore; my knitting is wa-a-ay behind. My cats have taken up posts on the desk, and spend too much time staring at me, alternating with head-butting and purring, all in an effort to get me away from the computer and ... Ravelry.

Dear Hubby and I managed to get out to a fund raiser for Momentum, Science and Health Adventure Park at the Dove Hangar - a wonderful evening - and we dressed up!

The first week at Ravelry was hectic; the place was bustling and I was loading projects, trying retroactively to find out exactly what yarns I used in this or that particular blanket, reading posts in various groups, and so forth.

I joined a group of folks in my geographic area. I joined a group about blogging. I joined a group of folks who wanted to talk about their own space for crafts. I joined a group of Mason-Dixon Knitting devotees. Each time I opened the computer, I logged on to Ravelry to see if I had mail; mail from "friends" or folks with patterns like mine, or folks who thought we had something in common, or folks I had contacted to say I loved their shawl or their booties or their amazing clapotis. I found favorites among others' projects and watched as some selected projects of mine as their favorite. What a great group of fiber folks!

The weather here grew chilly and I had to turn on the kitties' little warm pad; you can see they don't share well.

I finally finished loading my projects into Ravelry , not counting a dozen I have in plastic bags and am too lazy to post about. Or ashamed that I started them and didn't follow through. Or...well, heck, who cares why they hibernate on the dresser top? I loaded my knitting books into the library feature. That was fun and easy; but they didn't have all my books then. So I need to check back soon and see if the rest of my books can be loaded.

Brought in the pot of rosemary when frost threatened.

Then, I went back to flickr to load more pics and suddenly found I had filled flickr (3M was the free limit; is that megabytes? Did I already tell you this?) and would have to make a decision to BUY more space! Yikes! Was I byting off to much? Shhhh! I decided to dive right into the cyber flickr poster picture thing and for a whopping $24.95 a year, I can post all the pics I want with mega megabytes. Whew!

Last weekend, Martha and I attended SAFF at the Ag Center in Fletcher, NC. It was just fabulous! Great job by all who manned booths, brought animals and wheels, etc.; I came home loaded with yarns; an alpaca Teddy Bear and finger puppets from Peru; and some newfound friends from the fiber world.

Then I began loading flickr with additional pics of the projects already in my notebook. Pictures of the projects in-progress; pictures of the projects (usually blankets) beneath cats, pictures of cats beneath blankets; even a couple of series of pictures showing seaming techniques I have created. Then the pictures had to go from flickr into the separate pages of individual projects. Then, after I did that, I wanted to rearrange them. (This can be an endless process, I am learning!)

Ravelers were out in force at SAFF. I just had to have this yarn from a sister Ravelry addict who had a lovely booth! It reminds me of candy canes in fruit flavors. I bought her solids to go with it, too.

I saw that some project pictures in my notebook were not showing the blankets to their best advantage, not in their best light, so to speak. I dug my first throw out of a drawer and arranged it artfully on the windowseat and rephotographed it. Better! Downloaded to My Pictures, uploaded to flickr, and finally into the project page on Ravelry! (Me, from Squirrel Hollow! Well, I'll tell you that for this old gal, that is pretty good; I am pleased with what I have learned, what I have accomplished with my Ravelry membership.)

Two days ago, my dh wanted to make the pumpkin bread I had planned, so with a little supervision, he produced two of the best loaves I have tasted! Loaded with walnuts and cranberries, and devoid of bad fats, this is a really wonderful snack or dessert. Yum!

I have recently left the little group in Ravelry I joined earlier for my geographic area; left the studio space of my own group, left the others, with the exception of Mason-Dixon. I joined a new group - knitters with cats is the idea - and it's lively and fun. Don't like cats? There is a group in Ravelry for anything you can think of that you are interested in - really! If you don't see it, create your own! (Don't ask me the population of the place, but there are crowds of folks from every walk of life, many places on the planet, all ages and colors and skills and interests...I am loving it! You will, too!)

This Teddy is incredibly soft! With a baby in mind, we couldn't resist!

But, as you can see, I am also beginning to incorporate real life back into the mix with cyber life. I am beginning, with help, to control my Ravelry time. After all, I am on the fast track to grandmotherhood and the weeks are flying by!

Coming home is good for the soul. Now and then it's a good thing to reassess priorities; one can often bring things back into balance with just a little effort. Ravelry (what a ride!) and my knitting will settle into their proper places in my life, along with friends, family, community, home and garden and all the rest.

Time for bed and book and sleeping late; sweet dreams!

Beth

Ravelry Anonymous

2007-10-11T15:22:00.000-04:00

Ravelry is an organizational tool for individual members and groups, as well as a forum for exchange of information, among other things. It's a huge cross-reference library. It's a meeting of the minds and hands and fibers and colors. Sounds straight forward and innocuous.

I now have my very own place at Ravelry, my own little display booth I am hurrying to fill with projects only I have knitted. I have an online library already containing many of my knitting books. I have a space to place photos of my stash detailing yarn colors, weights and lengths if I so desire (I'd be certifiable if I attempted this); and a space for me to enter my needles and my patterns. I have a brand new Yahoo account and a new Flickr account, already 55% filled with mega-pixel pics of knitted blankets, drawstring pouches and throws. My mind is swirling with all the possibilities inherent in this new venture, and I have been rushing non-stop since receiving my invitation.

Why am I in such a rush? In a rush to post my projects and link them to my blog? To link them to my groups? To answer my Ravelry mail? To look at all 219 Log Cabin projects posted thus far? To see all the Nina Shawls? To feast my eyes on the fabulous entrelac, the Lady Eleanors that abound there? To read the profiles of knitters in my geographic area? To check out the details of the Heartbreakingly Cute Kimonos made by someone across the country? To find out who likes my Log Cabins? To learn what else is being knitted with Mission Falls 1824 Cotton? To join those special groups?

Maybe I can shed some light on this. Imagine tourists who have disembarked their cruise ships in a fabulous port that has every conceivable shop and restaurant they have ever dreamed of, with all their favorite items and all in their price range, and just one day to take it all in - wouldn't they be scurrying? Ever see wide-eyed tykes on the lawn at the Easter Egg Hunt, little straw baskets swinging from tender arms, patent MaryJanes ready to go? What about those TV shows where folks in the supermarket have their buggies and 5 minutes to load up? That is how I feel when I am in that place!

It is as if windows and opportunities have suddenly opened and everything I see is something I want to explore; as if I spent my entire life in Squirrel Hollow and suddenly find myself in NYC; every street I walk down has shops I want to enter. Each shop I enter has people with ideas and yarns and projects and smiles and answers and questions! Each person has her own booth with all her projects and her own blog. She has a life she is willing to share and tons of friends. She belongs to groups of people who share her passions and they talk freely, day and night... and they just invited me... me! (from Squirrel Hollow!) to the party!

So now you know... I can't get out of there! It's a huge labyrinth, a maze, growing exponentially, mushrooming, filling with people and projects and colors and faces and words and groups and ... and... and....well, gosh, it's...it's addictive!

OK. There you have it.

My name is Beth and I'm a Ravelry Addict.

Beth

Ravelry! OMG!

2007-10-06T21:45:00.001-04:00

Log Cabin VI isn't going very fast; I have to work on the "other" blanket! Yes, it's a time thing. Right? You have heard this from me more than once. So why was I on the computer all day long?

Because I got my Invitation to join Ravelry! They are asking 500-800 per day; when I joined, there were 17,000 still on the waiting list! The site is huge. Well it's HUGE! HUGE!

So here I am, glad to be in, finally, and now wandering around in the biggest city I can imagine. Starting right, I get a Yahoo thingy - so I can get a Flickr thingy - so I can upload pictures of my knitting to my Projects page! All this is really, really new to this almost 65 year old.

When the pics on Flickr wouldn't upload to Ravelry, I couldn't figure it out. Wandered around a while in the "help" place and stumbled upon a live chat and barged in and asked my question. Someone wonderful asked, "Are your pictures marked private or public in Flickr?" I said "private." "Well, they have to be public to get them into Ravelry." WOW!

So back to change the settings on 14 pictures of blankets and hats. Then put my Flickr name on my Ravelry Profile page and start again to upload pictures. Voila! They appeared when I asked them; a simple click and drag brought them into Ravelry at the right times and I am off and running....well, walking pretty fast...OK! OK! Compared to the rest of the gang there, I'm crawling! But I am moving, and that's good!

I think it's a new ballgame for knitters, crocheters, spinners, dyers, etc. What a gathering place!

Meanwhile, back on the farm:

Yesterday we went downtown for shoes; Tops for Shoes is my favorite shoestore in our area. I found these two pairs of loafers that are so comfortable and classic I couldn't resist. Bought a pair of Ecco boots in black, too. So I am set for casual this fall.

Finished a wonderful book this morning, Gestures; and must go find something else to read for bed tonight. That's a delicious prospect. Ravelry has me spinning and I need to come back to earth a while. If you have an opportunity, check it out. I will share more tomorrow. Meanwhile, sweet dreams!

Beth

Little Lovelies

2007-10-02T17:05:00.000-04:00

There are many things in the autumn garden that are easy to overlook. This tiny trout lily is one; it's growing almost underfoot, next to the walk by the kitchen door.

When I first looked at these white flowers, I missed seeing the insects; from a distance, they are well hidden.

The marvelous, chartreuse sweet potato vine we love in our patio pots has a lovely little magenta border.

During the spring and summer, I pinch the coleus regularly to encourage it to become thick and full. But when fall arrives, I stop pinching and allow the flowers to emerge.

Now and then a picture is somewhat ho-hum; that's what I felt about these large green and white caladiums. So I played with it on Picasa and... voila! Just a bit of fun.

A lone moonbeam coreopsis blossom, nearly hidden behind a stone wall.

With the first frost, this bank of bright impatiens will sink to the earth in a slimy heap of green; the resilient rosemary in front, an evergreen, isn't really showy, but will provide my kitchen with flavor and fragrance all winter long.

These bright, cooler days are perfect for a leisurely stroll around the yard; take your camera...you may be surprised!

Beth

By Human Hands

2007-09-30T19:14:00.000-04:00

Just pieces on the floor for now. I have an ever fluctuating vision of this blanket. Each rectangle will be unique; the joining is still way up in the air. This cotton is the versatile Mission Falls 1894 and I love the colors. My idea is to make a very large "family" blanket that everyone can wrap up in; a blanket that can go into the washer and dryer with impunity. Not sure if I am dreaming or not, but I am going to go for it. A cool water wash shouldn't harm the colors and I really don't care if it shrinks. The idea is for it to be family friendly.

I am still working on the yellow Baby Cashmerino blanket; only realized a week ago that the baby is more than half-way to birth, but the blanket is not! I wrestled (and must be still wrestling) with a problem of what to do with a mistake I discovered. I was four or five rows beyond a place in the pattern where I transposed the 5 purl and 3 knit stitches. So the little bump that should have been, was about half, where the purls changed to knits. How I missed it...well who knows?

However, in Book 2: The Purl Stitch by Sally Melville, photos near the back show in wonderfully clear detail what one can do when you discover your mistake. "If a stitch was purled when it should have been knit, discovered many rows later," is the headline over photographs of a mistake being corrected, with directions below. Additionally, the same tutorial is on the opposite page for a stitch knit when it should have been purled. So the information was available for me to make a correction in this little blanket.

Of course, I could also unknit it all, back to the mistake, and begin again from there; this is an unpleasant prospect. I could run a piece of contrasting yarn through the row below the mistake, and then just unravel it; something I have not done before. The reasons for my hesitation about this correction are as follows: the yarn is particularly delicate and I don't want to harm it with overworking it. The yarn is also very elastic! The stitches want to return to the ball from the needles so care is required.

After time and thought, I attempted a correction via the ladder method in the above book. Several rows were involved, several stitches. I am a novice when it comes to this sort of thing, and was apprehensive about making a bigger mess than what I already had. When I had done what I thought was necessary, I found it was still not just right. In the picture above, the mistake is in a shadowy bump in the upper right quadrant. So I put it all away and have taken some time to think, again.

I have, at this point, concluded that the small mistake that remains is not worth the effort or angst to correct. Now...I imagine some of you will really be in an uproar about this. But I am not perfect, and the blanket is only about 1/6th complete; the chances that I will make another mistake are fairly great. After all, I knit in a 3-cat house and enjoy watching B&W movies while I knit. I also take phone calls, run up and down stairs to change loads in washer and dryer, eat chocolates, etc., while I am knitting.

You are familiar with the hang tags on your silk or linen clothing that warn you about slubs and other irregularities; the idea is that this is a natural part of the fabric and you are not to think it is inferior just because it seems to have some strange lumps and bumps....so, I think I can take this just a bit further and say, this blanket is knit by human hands attached loosely to a human brain that is attached loosely to the world, etc. Any little irregularities you may think you see are to be considered a sign that this blanket was knitted by loving human hands and not touched by a machine at any period in its creation.

Whew! What do you think?

Beth

Finally Loving It

2007-09-01T15:58:00.000-04:00

One hundred fifty one stitches cast on for this little blanket. You may have used this wonderful yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino. I selected this color for my first grandbaby, and bought 10 balls of it online - a nice savings of about $2 per ball when purchased in quantity. I had already selected a pattern. I saw a lovely one from Oat Couture and persuaded my brother to purchase it in a town near his home and mail it to me. I was in such a hurry to get started! I had been waiting for what seemed to me an eternity to become a grandmother, and now it was happening!

I started the Prairie Blanket during a time we had family visiting; I knitted in the living room while trying to participate in relaxed conversation. For me, knitting and counting and trying to keep my eye on the correct line of pattern instructions, along with conversation and a glass of wine just didn't mix. A few days later, I frogged it, and began again, with the same result. So I put it away.

When I picked it up again after several weeks, I realized I needed a new pattern, and the search was on once more. I found a pretty blanket in Debbie Bliss's Simply Baby - you can see it on the cover. I thought, "I can do this, but without the colored intarsia pictures." This little blanket has a pretty moss stitch border and is divided into several panels. Some have colored pictures and some have hearts. So I determined that I would make the blanket with moss stitch hearts in every other square - sort of a checkerboard pattern. I began by reading the pattern carefully and then transferring the heart pattern to a piece of graph paper. "Piece of cake!" I thought. "This is going to be fun!"

Well, it wasn't! After a dozen rows into the heart pattern, I gave up. Just too much counting, too frequent stopping. The fine yarn has a little stretch to it, and the addi turbos are really slick. I was gripping and the yarn was slipping and counting was painful, and keeping my place on both sides of the blanket and going from left to right on the pattern and then from right to left....well, I just wasn't ready for that. I knew I would need complete quiet to work on this blanket; this project should be enjoyable, fun...and it was not.

Another frogging followed and I wrapped the yarn carefully around the ball. Picking up works in progress occupied my hands for a while. I even completed another little blanket I had started with a chunky yarn and worked in Basketweave pattern (page 16 in Barbara Walkers Treasury of Knitting Patterns).

I'm not certain just what it is about this pattern, but I really love it! It looks somewhat complicated but is really isn't; it evokes carefree country living, casualness and love...well maybe that's going a bit far.

It looks soft, and it is soft; dozens of little pillows will trap the warmth and keep baby cozy. That's one of the benefits of this pattern over one that is lace, for example, or just flat stockinette or garter stitch. I was pleased to finish this, and tucked it into the drawer with fragrant lavender to wait for the day when it would be wrapped and given away. I closed the drawer with satisfaction and it was then that I knew what I wanted to do with my very special baby blanket.

So you can see all the little tiny yellow "pillows" in the pictures of the blanket above. I have passed the point in this one where I gave up on the previous patterns. Finally I am on the right track; finally it feels right, finally it is moving along as I know it should. And finally, I am loving every minute of it!

I hope you are loving your knitting, too.

Beth

Knitting...for the Next Generation

2007-08-16T16:14:00.000-04:00

This stunning rainbow belongs to the latest finished Baby Genius Burp Cloth; it was created with Ty-Dy cotton. New to me, it is heavenly soft, and has more subtle shadings than Peaches & Creme. I couldn't resist buying a bunch! My dear retired husband and I took a drive to Brevard, NC last week to see Charlotte's Fibers. Charlotte is a tall, beautiful woman who is intelligent and multi-talented. Her shop is clean and neat as a pin; it is well lighted, easy to move through and the yarns are displayed wonderfully. Parking is a breeze and, conveniently, a bookstore and a little deli/cafe are on either side of the yarn shop. I didn't want to leave.

I restrained myself, and purchased only a fraction of what I would have liked to, with the knowledge that I would return in the fall. (My little knitting group makes trips together now and then; we want to know where to find the most wonderful yarns, and want to gab over lunch, too. So I have checked it out and the group will make a day of it in a couple of months.)

It is a nice big squeezable ball of yarn; my new choice for bibs, burp cloths, ballband warshrags, etc. I think it will wash well, and will let you know; I will wash and dry the completed burp cloth before I bind off on the second one. They generally shrink from top to bottom, and since this goes over the shoulder, I want it long enough after washing and drying.

Aren't these the prettiest colorways? I have fallen in love with them all! I promise to share the finished projects; I anticipate there will be many. (I am trying to figure out how to log cabin with these yarns - I would like to do something wonderful that shows them all off in one big way.)

Mom taught me to knit when I was nearly 60 and I grew to love it as she did; she would love these yarns we buy today. She is now 88 and can no longer knit. She has dementia and has been losing bits and pieces of her life since...well, we're not sure, but probably around 1990, or a few years before that.

She's a cute little thing right now. She still loves a joke, and can even make a few of her own; we love seeing her laugh (below). But she can't comprehend time's passage or the fact that she gave birth to three children who still call her Mom; she doesn't know where other states and other countries are; she has lost her common sense; she recalls her childhood in tiny fragments only when we remind her of the good times she had as a girl. "Oh, my! You remember all those things?" she says to me. "Mom, only because you told me stories of your life when I was young." I tell her the stories now, of her parents and brothers, their vacations, who she married, and name her children, and then her grandchildren. She's lost most of the names, but understands the importance of family and is grateful for hers.

When Mom and I visited this week, I wanted to share some family news with her. It took some explaining and careful listening on her part, but she finally understood that she would become a great grandmother in the winter, and that it was very good news!

I hope she will be able to enjoy a tiny bundle in her arms once again. She still loves and feels love. That's the best part of life, after all, isn't it?

Beth

If You Can't Stand the Heat....

2007-08-07T13:37:00.000-04:00

The canyons of Waimea on a hazy day.

In the scorching heat of home today, our vacation and the Trade Winds seem a world away. We may need to ration water if the temperatures don't cool down soon.

One summer, maybe 15 years ago, it was in the 90s here for nearly a month, almost unprecedented. I wasn't a knitter then, but enjoyed needlepoint very much. Our family spent each evening (no AC back then) sitting quietly watching TV, cooled by the ceiling fan, and I worked on a needlepoint. Julie Thompson had painted the canvas and when I saw it in her shop, I fell in love with it immediately. Mountain flowers such as Lady's Slipper, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, iris, trillium, and lilies were gracefully depicted. Even a Ruby-throated hummingbird hung in the air.

Because I had so much time, it was easy to do it well. The outcome pleases me to this day, and whenever I see it, I am reminded of that summer when it was just too hot for any greater activity than needlepoint.

Since I have taken up knitting, the needlepoint projects (yes, I have UFOs) are forgotten in a drawer. But I miss Julie; she's a delightful person who knows needlepoint backward and forward, sells all the fabulous yarns you could wish for (she has hand-dyed silks that would make you drool), and is an accomplished artist in her own right. Stop by her place if you're in that neck of the woods; she and her shop are worth your time.

(Oh, oh! I can see the kitty hairs here! They do curl up on the living room chairs when I am not looking.)

All this about needlepoint, heat, and quiet is because our weather right now is very much like it was then, and it is not safe to be abroad. So I am inside and working on tiny little things. At the baby shower for Martha's daughter last week, Carolyn showed me the booties she was knitting; at my request, she kindly shared her pattern and I began my first pair.

These were easy and quick with a chunky yarn from Debbie Bliss; I still have to locate some pink ribbon to thread through the holes; you know booties get kicked off if not secured!

This happy confetti yarn (below) is a product of Portofino Paper and includes 35% cotton, 35% acrylic and 30% polyamide. I think it would work for a boy or girl, don't you? The best thing about this pattern from So Much Yarn is that there are no DPNs. All is worked on two straight needles and sewed up with a seam from toe to heel and up the back. Easy peasy! I simply used a lighter weight yarn and smaller needles to knit a smaller bootie.

So if you are being smart and staying inside in this heat, consider trying something new! You have the time to learn a new technique or to try a new pattern. I am so glad I have this one and I predict these booties are going to multiply like rabbits!

Beth

Afternoon Delight

2007-07-27T18:57:00.000-04:00

I thought you might not believe me if I went on about our visitors without posting a picture or two. I think this mama was here before. We have no bird feeders up anymore, but she remembered where they had been. She stood up on the trunk of this corner pine looking for seed. She and her cubs wandered around in the yard a while before taking a dip in our tiny pond; a drink was in order, too (this is a cub, below. Sorry about the bad quality of these pics - I was a bit excited).

Then Mama took a stroll through the flower bed before exiting the yard and heading down the back street.

A stop at our trash container was disappointing and she headed to the neighbors, her babies following.

She didn't find anything to eat here, and will undoubtedly visit many trash receptacles after ours.

It is a pity; how can their numbers increase when their territory and food supply is supposedly decreasing? Human beings have been building for hundreds of years on this continent and bear habitat abounds. Why are they in our cities? Why are the big cats in California cities? The bears must have something to gain by being here; food. If they didn't find food, they would leave. If they didn't get enough to raise families of 3 cubs, they would decrease in number.

I can tell you this much; our town does nothing at all to encourage the bears to take up residence elsewhere. Animal Control does nothing about bears. Biologists and naturalists in the area all say the same thing. Stop feeding them.

Well, humans will never stop feeding them, if what is meant is: don't put things into your trash that smell of food; don't hang a bird feeder in your yard; don't grow berry bushes; rake up your acorns as soon as they fall or stop planting oak trees. Asking us to deal with these wild animals is not reasonable. We have neither the skills nor the knowledge to do anything about this situation except adapt our lives to living with the bears. Our neighbors have small children who should be able to play safely in their yards, and I want to enjoy my backyard birds. Hungry bears eat small game and one mauled a dog in a nearby neighborhood recently.

Even a fence is no deterrent. Witness this bear in our yard in May; she is standing on the fence to pull down the feeder. She entered the yard from the opposite side and climbed this fence. This house is over ninety years old, as is the neighborhood. We didn't just build here. Somewhere in the mountains above us, where new housing continues, there was a place for bears. When we build to the mountain tops, bears can only come down. They really need to be moved I think, and dealt with humanely, before we build on their last remaining land on a particular mountain. America has plenty of room for bears and people.

We took down all our feeders in May, the day this bear visited at around 9 or 10 in the morning. We have been avid backyard birders for over 40 years. This is something we love. We have enjoyed having nesting pairs nearby and seeing their young being fed and maturing. When we were hanging up our nine (9) feeders daily, we also took them in each night, because bears were known to visit well after dark. Often our birdbaths are overturned when we awaken and our pond virtually empty. Now we cannot feed birds at all.

We tried putting feeders out near the patio just when we were sitting there. But the birds have left, gone elsewhere. By the time one finds our feeder again, it's time to run inside for a meal, for the phone, or something else; and then the feeders have to come in, too. That is no way to enjoy the birds, and we are unhappy about that.

These animals are beautiful, and if we truly respect them, it seems to me that we should, as a community, admit there is a problem and address it.

Beth

(I apologize for the poor quality of these pictures - I was excitedly running from one window to another in my house to get them.)

Can't Leave Well Enough Alone?

2007-07-26T11:02:00.000-04:00

So many patterns inspire me; I love what is now available to knitters on the Internet. And the books are multiplying exponentially! So, at a smorgasbord like this, what is one to do? Sample everything, of course.

I have been enjoying Mason*Dixon Knitting, and finished my first Baby Genius Burp Cloth a few days ago, and I started another Bib O'Love. As usual, you will see that I can never leave well enough alone. Something happens part way into a project - sometimes it is boredom. I just seem to want to make a little "blip" in the routine. I want to tweak the pattern, to jog the eye, to slip into the rhythm an extra, unexpected beat.

Hence the bit of red/pink/white cotton added to the regularity of the blue and white striped burp cloth below. When I first tossed it onto my shoulder (in front of a mirror) I thought it looked like blood! But my alarm soon diminished and I think that it will be just fine to add this to a stack of other cloths and bibs.

This Mission Falls cotton (below) is fantastic; I particularly love the different colors I find in this yarn. I have enjoyed making these bibs and have done countless ones for new parents. Several months ago, I saw on M*D KAL, Vivian Høxbro's Baby Beaded Bib-O-Love. Actually, I saw a picture of her bib someplace else; I copied it to my computer and kept coming back to it, and wondering, "just how did she do that?"

Finally I found it on the KAL and printed out her pattern and began knitting. "This is fun and easy!" I discovered. It knits up fast, is not boring, and is a great way to add interest to the bib, and to your day.

Additionally, this nubby yarn has a terrific texture, virtually guaranteed to hold the spill!

When you find patterns you like, try them. If you find yourself growing restless after the 4th or 5th one, I encourage you to go with your hunches about making adjustments to your knitting; go ahead and try something new. Go ahead and use something different in the way of yarns; move things, add things, change things. These pieces are your creations; from your mind and heart. Express yourself and have fun! That's the joy of knitting!

Beth

It's a Match!

2007-07-20T13:20:00.000-04:00

This little cotton log cabin blanket went to live in Hawaii a few weeks ago when we visited there. We had a lovely dinner out with mom-to-be, a niece of my good friend, Martha. She gave birth to a beautiful pink baby girl just a couple of weeks later. I know you will agree that the blanket has a perfect home!

Now I am working on the washcloths, Baby Genius burp cloths, and bibs. What fun! I'm working up to another log cabin - they don't have to be large, as you can see. So enjoy your projects, both large and small, and enjoy the giving away, too.

So, an interval approaches, with another log cabin on the horizon for fall. What delicious fun, anticipating and mulling, and peeking into the yarn bins! What's in your knitting future?

Beth

Long ago...and far away

2007-07-15T14:39:00.000-04:00

I love this set of towels! I have them hanging in the guest bathroom; they're not often used, but I get to see them daily. They belonged to my grandmother who lived in Cleveland, Ohio. She bought them at Higbee's a very long time ago. Then, after her death in the 1960s, Grandpa came to live with Mom and Dad; the towels came along. He's been gone since the 1970s, but the towels lived on, with my folks. Dad is gone now, and Mom came to live with us; she brought the towels. She's in an assisted living home now, and I have the towels.

There is a set of green and white ones, too. Different, but they travelled the same path to me. Towels aren't made this way anymore, are they? Well, I have not seen them, if they are. So I will keep these and use them and remember my family and the way it was...so long ago.

When I first became interested in cooking - real cooking - I began collecting bowls. At first, I purchased new ones I found at craft fairs, or in little galleries. But soon I came upon this large yellow bowl on an antique dealer's shelf. Oh, how sunny and bright! I purchased it immediately and have loved it ever since.

It's not that these old bowls are better; it's that another woman sat with this in her lap and, using her hands, creamed sugar and butter together for thin lemon wafers. Or lovingly placed her bread dough here to rise, covering the bowl with a floured towel. Or filled it with sweet juicy fruits cut into a summer salad and brought it proudly to the picnic. I love these bowls because of the women who came before me. It is my way of honoring those women who worked harder than I have worked; who trod the path before me, making my life easier.

My Aunt Faith tells me this bowl belonged to my grandmother, and I believe her. I want to keep it and am a little afraid to use it, as I have broken some bowls in the years since I began to collect them. My husband and children never knew Grandma so the next passing on of this won't have nearly so much meaning; and I have sons, not daughters. So somehow it's up to me to pass on her story to my sons and daughters-in-law; then they will tell their children and maybe there will be a granddaughter of mine someday who will treasure the bowl...and the towels. I hope so.

Beth

Gender-Neutral Baby Blankets

2007-07-11T22:27:00.000-04:00

I had a deliciously soft and bulky yarn: Muench Yarns microfiber acrylic - Color: Minty, in my stash. It was manufactured in Italy, and I was just aching to use it.

It seems that more and more couples are opting for "not knowing." That is, they want some mystery to remain during pregnancy, and ask that they not be informed of the sex of their baby. This extends, usually, to the rest of their family and to their circle of friends as well. So for shower gifts, pink is not allowed, nor little sailor sweaters. Items need to be gender-neutral. So the usual colors for this option are white, yellow, mint green or aqua.

It so happens that I know of two couples who will be needing such gifts prior to the birth of their first baby. So this aqua/lime combination yarn seemed a good choice for one item. With just 5 balls (49 yds each), I hope I am going to be able to complete a little blanket. (Things of this size can be useful, even if not large enough for a crib. It may work well in a stroller or car seat.) It is working up quickly on a #15 Addi Turbo, so I will soon know. You may recognize the pattern: Basketweave, from Barbara Walker. It's a simple knit purl combination. I love the way it looks!

Another blanket on the needles uses a simple nylon/acrylic blend from Stylecraft called Charleston. It's soft, chunky, and delicious to work with; I am using a #8 circular needle and cast on just 4 stitches. Easy, because I am using that famous dishcloth pattern that has two knits and a yarnover to begin each increase row. It creates a nice islet border.

Below is another gender-neutral baby blanket; this one is lime and a multi, and just getting underway. The little diamond pattern is one I found in the Fair Isle book by McGregor; this is a better alternative, I think, than flowers, in the event the baby is a boy. The yarn: Bunny Hop (Crystal Palace Yarns). It is fabulously soft. The lime color is, in reality, bluer than you see here. At the left of the first diamond, you can see that I have lost a stitch somewhere in there, and the result is an unattractive pulling. Additionally, as in the Nina, I am still pulling the yarn a bit too tightly as I carry it along behind the Fair Isle pattern. I believe that will, with practice, be eliminated.

Where did I see comments about cats always finding your knitting when you get up for just a moment? Of course you know it's true! Blue always looks at me as though it is his rightful spot and I am the one in the wrong place.

I am also working on my 9th washcloth of a dozen I will knit for someone's baby. I want to do the same with those bibs in the Mason-Dixon book, too. (I like the pattern that's a bit different, however, by Colleen Kadleck, when it comes to the little strap that goes around the neck. The way I do it, the button becomes an interesting part of the design, rather than hidden in the soft folds in the back of baby's neck.)

Saturday beckons, there is work to be done - too bad it's not knitting! I suppose, though, it's everything else I do that makes knitting so enjoyable when I finally get to it.

Beth

Back to Basics

2007-07-04T18:14:00.001-04:00

You see a half dozen baby washcloths above; they are tiny projects, easily tucked into any bag, ready to go anywhere. (Well...as long as the correct needles are being used. I removed the straight Brittany needles for airplane travel, and inserted small bamboo circulars for knitting on the plane.) Whenever I learn of a baby on the way, I put these in the mail to show support for the new parents-to-be. So no matter how many I make, I am always sending them off, and in need of more. This fine cotton came from the now-closed Churchill Weavers in Berea, KY.

Do you remember the Nina Shawl I began a while back? I never intended for it to morph into another sampler, but it has. After finding the checkerboard portion enjoyable to work, I ordered two of Sheila McGregor's books; I found a simple pattern and reproduced it using the colors available to me. You can see it at the top of the shawl. Obviously, it looks like so many of the sweaters or hats you have seen that come from the cold Scandinavian countries and Scotland.

(Needed my knees to hold down the edge.)

As you can clearly see, it's a colorful pattern, but very simple. In any given row, only two colors of yarn are used. So one is not dragging along 4 or 5 different bobbins; there is not a mess on the back:

So if you are a beginner knitter like I am, don't be afraid of trying this! It is not complicated. I will be experimenting as I go along with this "Nina" shawl, and will come back to share when I complete something new.

What I have learned from knitting: there is nothing to fear but fear itself! Have fun!

Beth

Thank You!

2007-07-04T13:24:00.000-04:00

Thank you, service men and women of the United States of America! Thank you, military families around the globe, for your support of your soldier, and for relinquishing him to defend freedom. Thank you, veterans, for all you have done for us!

Thank you for preserving our way of life.

Thank you for your courage, bravery, and dedication.

Thank you, fellow citizens, for supporting the troops and for wearing your patriotism proudly!

Thank you for flying your flags year-round in your cities and towns!

Thank you, companies and businesses, for flying our flag in great numbers!

Thank you, America, for insisting on preservation of our liberties and for standing up for freedom for all peoples around the world.

Do you know what is written in the Constitution of the United States? Do you know what the Bill of Rights is? If you are curious, you can read the words here. They may fill you with renewed pride in your country, and amazement at what our founders created for us. You may enjoy being a patriot!

Today we celebrate our country and our amazing freedom. I hope you enjoy celebrating today with your family, friends, and fellow Americans. Let freedom ring!

Beth

Where in the World???

2007-07-02T20:20:00.000-04:00

Where have I been?? Enjoying a lovely getaway with my dear husband, that's where. The whole mainland was flyover country as we headed for O'ahu and Kaua'i.

Our son chauffered us to the Polynesian Cultural Center on our first full day - this mountain shot was taken from the back of his Jeep where I rode comfortably, albeit somewhat windblown. We thoroughly enjoyed the entire place even though we'd been there several times before, and the Luau and evening show as well.

The next day we hiked through the WAIMEA VALLEY AUDUBON CENTER and I was absolutely amazed at the beauty and diversity of Hawaii's flora.

This lovely waterfall is at the end of the trail, and people enjoy a cooling dip after the hot hike.

Our son's garden provided delight and edification.

On his fence, above, bleeding hearts and below, growing on his wall, fragrant stephanotis - in a lei, they are exquisite!

Tantalus Drive, above Honolulu, affords those willing to go to the very end of the road, an incomparable view of the city and harbors.

On to Kaua'i, for a week on the Garden Island in a cottage with a view! We watched spinner dolphins playing in the bay in the mornings from our lanai. Across the bay is Kilauea Lighthouse, at the northernmost point of the island. From there the views are amazing.

View (below) along a drive to see the Waimea Canyon.

If you look at the movie South Pacific again, you will see Bali Hai, just as in my pic above. This island is lovely and our drives were breathtaking. I hope one day, if you have not already done so, that you can see it, too. Meanwhile, I will put away our luggage and sort the remainder of my pictures (way too many!) .

Oh, yes! Nearly forgot to show you a little place - Hanalei Music's Strings and Things - on Kaua'i!

It's mostly a guitar and music shop, but has a bit of yarn, and many supplies (below), just in case you run out of things to do, and decide to knit on your vacation.

Happy almost 4th of July!

Beth

In The Garden

2007-06-05T21:53:00.001-04:00

Pollen is everywhere today! I can see it on the coneflowers in the garden, on the patio furniture, on the windows, and on cars parked on the street. People are sneezing, and coughing, and rubbing their eyes - the plant kingdom is in flower and we are taking note!

The lavender is nearly ready to bloom - so fragrant! My friend Martha knows how to braid them to make something pretty and decorative - maybe she'll teach me. I will soon have hundreds of stems filled with perfumed blossoms. It would be heavenly to work with them in my hands for a few days.

In clay pots are the geraniums - red, salmon, fuchsia and pink - they love the sunshine on my back steps and walls.

Sometimes just looking at the flowers I don't really see them; passing without taking time to stop is missing a big part of what flowers offer. If a garden or a pretty basket or pot can slow me down, make me stop to gaze a moment, it's done me a favor. If I stoop to take in the sweet pure fragrance, my day is enhanced. If I examine the petals or admire a bud or gently touch a slender stalk I often experience amazement.

I hope you can be amazed, too; I am still knitting, (I can see, in those petals above, great color combinations for my next projects) but sometimes there are (yes, really!) things more important....

Beth

My first post

2007-06-04T17:06:00.000-04:00

Although this is really Beth's site, she was nice enough to invite me to post here as well. Much of my inspiration for knitting has come from her- she seems to sense when I am lacking for ideas and will send me an email full of photos of her beautiful work as well as encouragement to start something new or pick up what I was already working on.

I am still finding uses for a huge stash she bought for me on a wonderful visit to her home. My first time with DPN (double pointed needles) was thanks to her enthusiasm for them and how convincing she was about how easy they were to work with once one got used to them.

Beth started this blog a few months ago and it has been fun for me to "check in" and see what she has been working on- knitting, flowers, items for her doll house, etc. It is a great way to keep in touch. Now that school is done until August, I am finding more time to devote to my knitting and put up a post of my own.

Here is what I am currently working on.

I made a similar blanket for my sister's wedding last July and once my mom saw it, she let me know that she would love to have one like it. I started this blanket a month or two ago and am finally making headway on it.

Like the one I made for my sister, this one is random. Random colors, random patterns, random widths of stripes.

To focus on randomness is a challenge for me. I tend to plan everything in advance- length, different yarns I will incorporate, pattern, etc. With these blankets, I simply go from one yarn to the next without much thought. As long as the color I just finished using looks nice next to the new yarn, I'm happy.

Here is the blanket I made for my sister.

I hope to have my mother's blanket finished by Christmas but as knitters, we all know there is no guarantee there.

Thanks for inviting me to your site Beth.

Ann

June's Arrival

2007-06-01T20:18:00.000-04:00

A coneflower opens.

The pollen of a lily, revealed.

Greeting guests.

Beth

In A Heartbeat!

2007-05-28T09:07:00.001-04:00

This America that we live in, knit in, garden in, raise our children, didn't just happen. It was an idea, embraced and fought for, over and over again.

It is not easy to wrap my mind around the notion that someone really did go to Afghanistan, to Korea, to Normandy; someone really did die at Gettysburg, really did lay down his life at Concord so that I and my family could live and knit and garden and raise children. So we could choose how to live and not be subjected to tyrrany.

American men and women rouse themselves from uncomfortable sleep in countries all over the world; they pull on their boots, look for coffee, grab an MRE, and show up for duty with the rest of their squad. They are loaded down with many pounds of equipment intended to protect them, and a gun to kill the enemy. They listen to their orders, to the description of the mission for the day. Then they go out and do it.

They think of their homes and families; of sweethearts and children. They think of their schools or jobs back home. Their mouths go dry and insides become liquid; fear is their constant companion. But they pull on their boots, show up for duty, and go out and do it - for their country, for their families, for me and for you.

Would I die for freedom? Would I die to prevent someone taking all this away from my children? Would I stand between the liberties I enjoy and the threat of losing it all? Would I? Would I take that soldier's place? Would I ?

Beth

Imagination and Good Bones!

2007-05-19T20:40:00.000-04:00

Gosh, what is it about that Mason*Dixon Knitting book? It just grabs me! Well... I keep grabbing it, at least. The simple patterns are really just the frameworks for my own imagination. How clever those two gals, to put these things into a book that inspires endlessly. Permission granted for flying off the handle! Permission granted to be gaudy! Permission granted to let go and be yourself! Permission granted to reveal your innermost secrets...in your knitting!

OK...so you really want to try watermelon and grape together? Or mango and chocolate? Why not? Want to put cotton and mohair in the same project? Go for it! You've heard the "experts" who urge us to be ourselves. I think that is what Kay and Ann realized when they wrote their book. It holds a key for unlocking the creativity in knitters; I am a beginner knitter, I believe. I enjoy trying new things, and I readily seek challenges, as I find my skills increasing. BUT, when I just need to knit, to calm myself, to soothe myself, to put troubles out of mind, I want knitting that I don't have to work too hard at.

(About one third of my stash.)

Then I want the pattern to be easy; I want it to be adaptable, flexible. I have a great stash, and a retired husband. I bought so much yarn while he was still working that I would be ashamed to be seen in a yarn store right now (OK, OK, that's a lie, but you know what I mean); I can't justify my desire for more yarn. So I see the log cabin pattern and begin poking my nose into the different bins of yarn until a project coalesces in my imagination. I have made five log cabin blankets since purchasing the book. They are all different in most respects; each a totally different knitting experience from the one before. And I have learned something new from each; what a pattern!

Barbara Walker's mosaics fascinated my mother. She talked about them a great deal, even when she could no longer knit them. So one quiet evening, I pulled out her book and gave it a try myself. Her explanation and clear instructions were excellent. I found making my swatch tedious, but not terrible. I put it away months ago, and thought, in the back of my mind, I would never pick up that sort of knitting again. In fact, I told my brother a few days ago that I was not interested in doing that because it was far too much work.

Enter Mason*Dixon Knitting and the Nina Shawl, a creation from Phyllis Howe. Oh, my, what a pretty thing! And the color combinations and yarn combinations were varied and...inspiring! I have looked at those pictures many, many times, but was in the mood for a new project two days ago, and saw those pages again; everything clicked into place. I poked around in my stash and came up with a shocking assortment of mercerised cottons. I made a change to the pattern right off the bat: I cast on 160 rather than 120 stitches, making it somewhat wider than the original. My imagination was in full bloom, and despite the mosaic work or intarsia or Fair Isle technique required by the checkerboard, I was filled with enthusiasm.

I have made a number of Kay and Ann's projects now: enough to know that I can do whatever I please, and it will come out just fine; I am no longer timid. I am enjoying this new-found freedom of expression and find it envigorating. You've heard about models who age well: good bones. Well, Mason*Dixon Knitting has good bones, too!

Beth

Balance

2007-05-08T15:59:00.000-04:00

This basket was a birthday gift. I saw it at The Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway and liked it so much that my sweet husband purchased it for me. We live in an area where crafts are abundant and there are many galleries and shows as well as the twice yearly Southern Highlands Craft Guild Fair. What fun!

We have been attending these fairs for almost 30 years - as long as we have lived in the mountains. Other purchases include paintings, jewelry, pottery, glass, wooden bowls and spoons and myriad other items. We find pleasure in giving these at holiday time or any other time, as well as displaying them proudly at home. We have come to look for certain artists whose work we admire. This basket was made by George McCollum and I find the workmanship exquisite. Below, you can see the bottom of the basket.
What I find amazing is its size! It will be just perfect in my dollhouse, don't you think? Maybe on a kitchen table, filled with ripe apples, or summer squash from the garden. When my last son was too young for preschool, but old enough to keep me very busy, I stumbled upon a dollhouse to make and a new hobby for me began.

My husband, who was coming to the rescue even then, set up two sawhorses and placed a twelve foot long piece of plywood across them to form the perfect table for me to begin my building project. When my son was napping, I went to the table and began putting it together. Eventually the house rose to two stories from the brick foundation, with yellow siding, a wrap-around porch and white railings, and a real shake roof. Hours and hours of delightful, quiet time was spent with that project.

He was just 18 months old when I began building that house, as something that would engage my mind and be a challenge. Sometimes, especially during caregiving, one can lose track of self. Having a hobby or something engaging that you are passionate about will help to bring balance to your life. The dollhouse and its decorations and furnishings (I am still collecting, as you can see) have become a lasting joy; they will remain firmly coupled with that child forever in my mind.

As I became a caregiver for my mother, I tried to build another dollhouse, but it just didn't work this time. That's where the knitting came in; it began so very quietly and quickly became a true passion...and brought balance, once again.

Beth

Breath of Spring

2007-05-01T13:53:00.000-04:00

Another kimono - this time in Classic Elite's Four Seasons (cotton and wool) - from M*D Knitting. The colors (splotchy greeny white) fit right in with all the new green emerging here in the mountains. I am using No. 6 birch needles from Brittany; they were Mom's, and make this project easy and fun.

Knitting outside on the patio when it's not too hot is glorious. My kitties plead at the screen door for a brief while, and finally succeed in wearing me down; I bring them out, one at a time. Each has learned he may be outside as long as he sits quietly on my lap; any move toward the ground results in his finding himself back inside.

So we sit and watch the birds...and watch the bees...and watch the boughs moving with the breeze...we even watch the ants who occasionally trek across a flagstone just beneath us. Time slows to keep pace with the ant, eyelids grow heavy, hands on fur relax.

When restlessness returns and paws climb to my shoulder, a walkabout is in order. "Do you see the new columbine? Such a soft pink...and this is the plum tree...see those purple leaves? Oh, look at the teeth on the Lady's Mantle...and see, it will be blooming soon." We stroll for a while, cat eyes wide and whiskers twitching, from one side of the yard to the other, until time to switch cats. "In you go! OK, Lance...your turn." And the lap sitting begins again... and we watch the birds... and the chippies... and the squirrels....

I put my feet up, and rest my head. I listen...and breathe deeply... something is blooming so sweetly...I grow a little drowsy...a wren is calling through the clear air...a catbird alights on the birdbath and enjoys a little splash. Lance nods in my lap...We live in Eden, I think.
Eden in the twenty-first century...intoxicating viburnum erases all thought; the sweet scent of newly-mown grass hitchhikes on a zephyr, passes beneath my nose, inducing nostalgia. Enormous Hosta leaves unwrap themselves silently; unseen, tiny insects colonize their prize: a gossamer blossom.
Somewhere a dog barks; traffic in the distance moves along as folks head for home. A mom greets her returning school children up the block.

Somewhere beside me, on the patio seat, is my forgotten knitting.

Beth

Ready for Something New

2007-04-27T09:41:00.000-04:00

Isn't it nice to complete a project? This little Log Cabin for a boy baby is ready to be wrapped. This pattern was not planned; I simply let it evolve. The border is deep blue, and nearly surounds the blanket, but at opposite corners, leaves a bit of the other colors as the edge.

I tried, for the first time, going around a corner when I was picking up stitches for the border. I believe I was successful. Here is what I did: first, I simply picked up all the stitches. Then on the next pass around the corner, I did a three stitch short row - that is, I passed the corner, turned the work, knitted three in the other direction, turned the work again, and knitted on to the end of the row. Then, on the next two passes, I increased a stitch when I came to the corner, choosing one stitch to knit into the front and back of, before going on to the end of the row. In this way, I made more stitches at that particular point in the border, so as the border grew, the number of stitches also grew, and getting around the corner did not pull the border, but allowed it to lie flat. I may be able to do without the short row, and simply add more stitches. I bound off on the narrower side a couple of rows before binding off on the other side. As this was a first try, it is imperfect; but it gives me some ideas to work with next time.

You can see in this close-up of the back, below, that the seams are pretty much flat. It works for baby things, I think; however, in my woolen blankets (for adults), I rather like the more well-defined seaming that the ridges create. It is akin, in my mind, to the back of entrelac which is truly marvelous to see. Obviously, it can be the creator's choice.

So, now I find myself at another of those deliciously familiar junctures in which I am free to indulge my creative self in images of the projects ahead. Time for daydreaming; time for fantasies, time for relaxing and smiling and believing I can make anything I want from yarn.

I need to learn to allow this particular time to last a bit longer than usual. To keep myself from starting the first project that pops into my head, or using the first yarn that grabs my fancy; I am beginning to believe in the power of daydreaming and its ability to heal, and soothe. The next project may then flow into me, rather than leap on me from somewhere unseen above (you've heard the stories of cat owners who have walked into a room and had their pet leap onto their head from the top of the door - this is how new projects have seemed to find me).

Where do your new projects come from? What inspires and motivates you? Can we learn from one another, thereby increasing our creative potential? I sure hope so!

Beth

Pictures of Simple Perfection

2007-04-25T14:19:00.000-04:00

Knitting for newborns is such fun!

I haven't tried booties yet, but I think they must be next.

Have you seen this book: Simple Knits for Cherished Babies ? Two bootees' patterns for me to try are inside (among many other delightful offerings), but the best part of this book, for me, is the absolutely amazing photography. The pictures capture the element of exquisite perfection, perfectly paired with our feelings about the newborns we contemplate. Erika Knight has created a volume for knitters that is truly a work of art.

Angora Baby Booties are photographed in breathtaking simplicity in a favorite book of mine, Joelle Hoverson's Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. I recall my amazed delight when I first saw the light shining on, around and through these delicious little confections.

Debbie Bliss has given new knitters a beautiful little book, Baby Knits for Beginners. Once again, thanks to photographer Sandra Lousada, the marvelous pictures in this good little book impart the notions of simplicity and perfection we see in the newborn. Yes, there are booties in here, as well.

I see opportunities in new beginnings, and the tiny projects in these books are good examples of opportunities for beginning knitters. I hope you will open one or more of these and find something that delights you.

Beth

P.S. The pictures on this page are mine and nothing like the fabulous ones in the books mentioned above. They will take your breath away!

Doing Something For Our Friends

2007-04-24T16:18:00.000-04:00

With warm spring weather approach-ing, it's time once again to think about having a party! Last year we enjoyed hosting a birthday party for a friend; I snapped a few pictures of the preparations. (I find these festivities are just the thing to motivate me to bring my house into tiptop shape; it is really nice to display the pretty things.)

You can see I had lots of help getting things ready! Dubs and Blue are here in the guest bath.

One of the gals in my walking group is just fantastic with flowers, and can make arrange-ments more lovely than many professionals. For this one, she used a large white Capodimonte swan that normally occupies the center of my bare diningroom table.

As the hour approached for guests' arrival, a last check to see that everything was ready and gleaming. This glass pitcher was Mom's; I imagine it was a wedding gift as it has a bit of silver striping around the middle.

Although this picture appears to be a black and white, it is not. Just the lighting, I suppose, on the linen. I used a simple soft silver ribbon to tie the napkins. Cocktails on the patio were perfect, and guests came inside just as the first drops of a late-afternoon shower began to fall.

The grill was heated, and six racks of lamb were grilled to pink perfection over the coals. Actually, my sweet husband finished the grilling beneath an umbrella in near-dark. My hero! Thanks to Julia Child, too, the candlelight meal was delicious, and our five couples enjoyed the evening.

Now it's time to think about this year's party, and a little change of pace; maybe a bone-suckin' finger-licking BBQ on the patio. Or maybe Italian night, with fresh pasta, gorgonzola, garlic and an herb-rich tomato sauce, crusty bread and wine, tiramisu for dessert. Or what about French...?

Well, I am inspired! What about you?

Beth

In Search of Inspiration!

2007-04-19T19:50:00.000-04:00

This knitting has been relaxed and enjoyable. Still have more, in order to get it into the shape of a rectangle. But for a boy, these colors should be just fine.

Yesterday, knowing I would soon complete this blanket, I began poking my nose into yarn drawers, looking for something to really grab me. I found a beautiful big cotton in the most glorious shades of pinky orange - in fact, it is called "Tequila Sunrise." I have exactly four hanks (440 yards) of it and the label suggests a size 11 needle. It is very soft, Egyptian cotton, and I think working with it will be wonderful; but so far I have no ideas about what to do.

I am still a beginner knitter in my mind; teaching myself different techniques has been a joy, and often a new project draws me because it has something for me to learn. I put down the little entrelac scarf I began a couple of months ago, and now must refresh my memory about how to continue with it. Maybe picking up this UFO will allow time for the Tequila Sunrise to establish itself in my brain, and for images to develop.

In times of stress, I find I fall back on the easy, the familiar, to soothe me and bring me through the storm. I knit, knit, knit. But when I am feeling stronger, I seek the novel; my heart is open to something new. Spring nearly always enlivens me, and I gather strength with each warm day, with the unfurling of another fern, with the sweet birdsong from the tiny patch that is our yard. I read recently in someone's blog that she found this entrelac addictive; in this I agree. I wish I had not put this down in February; but with spring,...a challenge, revisited!

If knitting is a part of your heart, you will understand many of the ways it fits into your life, and the ways your life wraps around your knitting. Maria Fire has written beautifully about this in her little treasure, Knit One, Haiku Too. I found it, with her signature in neon salmon inside the front cover, at the Folk Art Center when I stopped by with out-of-town guests last week. If you have an opportunity, take a peek at this little book; it is marvelous inspiration for the springtime!

Beth

First Things First

2007-04-13T20:52:00.000-04:00

When I began to knit, I used a large plastic ring with pegs; the yarn was wrapped around the pegs and a little flat tool lifted yarn over the pegs. It created tubes; with tubes and then with fringe, I created scarves. And more scarves. And yet more scarves. When I had 32 scarves, weeks later, for women and 10 scarves for children (7 girls, 3 boys), I wrapped each in tissue and a ribbon, set them carefully into shopping bags, and drove to the women and children's shelter. It was nearly Christmas. I was so very happy to have completed the scarves, happy to be able to give them away. Actually, by then I was really tired of scarves, of the large, unwieldy plastic circle, and of acrylic yarn. But I had worked hard, had learned much, felt rewarded, and could do a good deed in the bargain. And knitting was growing on me.

Prior to this Christmas, my husband and I had four years enjoying the "empty nest" while our last son was in college - what glorious years! His graduation and marriage coincided with our bringing Mom to live with us; she'd barely managed on her own for a year after Dad died and we knew she needed us. Although I love her very much and wanted to care for her, I was unprepared for the emotional shock I experienced. My husband went to work each day, and I stayed home with Mom. We would go to the grocery, or to doctor appointments for her in the mornings. After lunch, I would escape upstairs where I tried to read, or build furniture for my dollhouse. But those projects were inevitably interrupted when I heard Mom downstairs, rising from her nap and ready to do something else.

I would take her some juice and get her settled in the sun room with her knitting, a little footstool for her little feet. I would get a glass of something for myself, and sit across the room from her, and put Patti Page or Perry Como on her player. We'd sing together, "I was dancing, with my darling, to the Tennessee Waltz...." She would pick up her knitting, and Merlin would climb on her lap and purr and she would pet him and put her knitting down. She and I would spend an hour or so, engaged in company-keeping. Perry Como would sing, "Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket..." and Mom and I would sing along. The sun shone in on us, Mother and daughter, cat and yarn and happy tunes from the 1950s.

When I felt I could leave her, I once again sought refuge in my room upstairs, and tried to reconnect with the project I'd left. Rereading a few pages was tiresome. And finding the tiny pieces of carefully sanded wood for miniature chair legs chewed by a passing feline was exasperating. So I thumbed through catalogs to pass the time idly, and often looked at Mom's yarn and knitting catalogs.

There was so much more there than just yarn. One day I placed an order for a gadget that promised that with it, even children could knit; that was for me! Eventually my afternoon reading and miniatures gave way to the knit-a-round from Lion Brand. I could drop it at any point and return to it without skipping a beat. I began to take it downstairs, and often did my own form of knitting in the big chair across from Mom, while she did "the real thing." Well, that's the way I saw it. During the course of our conversations over weeks and months, I began to understand just how sad she was that neither of her daughters cared to learn how to knit; it was her passion.

Mom began to knit in college during WWII. She knitted baby things for gifts and for me and my brother and sister. She knitted woolen "soakers" that were worn over diapers, and knitted sweaters and booties. She knitted argyle socks and mufflers in the evenings after the children were in bed; she and Dad sat in their study and he worked on something he'd brought home from the office, and she would knit, and they listened to the radio. "Tra-la-la, tweedlie dee dee , it gives me a thrill, to wake up in the morning to the Mockingbird's trill...."

She knitted in our new house in the suburbs in the 50s, curled up on the sofa while we watched Father Knows Best and Your Hit Parade in the evenings. She knitted after her children were grown, for her grandchildren; and she knitted for the needy, sending off enormous boxes of caps, mittens scarves and bedsocks each fall, to the state hospital, for decades. She knitted afghans with roses, and throws with mosaic squares and blankets of ripple stripes of all colors and gave them to us, and to Goodwill.

She knitted the tiniest placemats for my first dollhouse when my last child was 18 months old; Dad made her needles out of piano wire so she could do the patterns in miniature. She knitted him an Aran sweater and was upset for years after its disappearance from their summer place. She knitted when she could no longer watch us caring for him as he lay dying upstairs; she'd head for her little hideaway downstairs and say, "I'm going to go knit a potholder."

She knitted when she lived alone for the first time in all her life at age 80, in a strange city, in a strange building with strangers all around her. She knitted in our sunroom when she lived here because she wasn't needed to cook or clean or run errands or babysit. And here I began to understand, after watching her knit for sixty years, that knitting was an outward expression of who Mom really was.

I was upstairs trying to find peace after being down with her for an hour or so. (Peace is not easy to come by when your mother has dementia, when all the things you remember from your childhood have begun to slip away from her. When those things you could coax into memory just a few months ago were gone yesterday. When you understand she can not be left alone because she can no longer make the right choices for health or safety. When you see her slipping away before your eyes, and you know you are losing her, and her history, and her memories....) So, as I saw more and more clearly what her life was becoming, and who she truly was, it dawned on me suddenly, in those brief moments in the afternoon, upstairs as I was so desperately trying to escape the realities of my life...it dawned on me that escaping was not what I needed to do...it dawned on me that I needed to connect with her absolutely in order to not lose her...it dawned on me that I needed to have her teach me to knit. I needed to show my mother that the knitting wouldn't stop with her. It was so very clear to me! Suddenly it was so very, very clear. I needed to knit - I needed to allow her to give this to me now, just as she gave me milk when I was an infant.

I hurried back downstairs, came near her and sat on the little love seat by her left hand. "Mom? Will you show me one more time how to knit? She smiled. "Mom, I want you to show me how to cast on, do the knit stitch, and how to bind off. That's all"

"Sure, Honey."

"I don't want to purl yet; I just want to do the basics. When I tried to knit and purl and knit and purl, I messed it all up and gave up. I just want to...."

"OK. Take some needles from the case, and some yarn...."

Mom patiently encouraged me as she had done for so many years. She showed me how, and then told me how well I was doing. My hands perspired, wetting the Kitchen Cotton and making it difficult to work with. I dropped stitches, struggled to push the birch point through the loop and made repeated tries to pull the new yarn-over through. I kept at it, however and soon I knew I had it, and I put away the knit-a-round and began to knit like a big girl - I finally began to knit the real way.

When did you begin to knit? Who taught you? Do you teach others? Now I know all this is far more important than I ever imagined. I am so very glad I asked her that afternoon, when she was 84 and I was a mere 60 years old, to show me once again how to knit; I came so near losing this special gift from her. We spent many, many lovely afternoons in the sun room after that, knitting together, sharing something that was creating a new and growing bond between us.

Mom can no longer knit; I put the needles in her hands for a couple of years after she entered the Assisted Living Facility, where she lives now at 88, and they went right to work - the "memory" was in her hands, and brought back to her what she needed to do. But then one day, it just didn't work anymore. She had lost the skill, lost the desire, and knitting no longer was a part of her life; this one event stunned me far more than the first time she didn't recognize me. I guess I was prepared for that, but was never, ever prepared to see my mother without knitting in her lap.

Beth

Kitty Knittin'

2007-04-04T09:49:00.000-04:00

In my presence, they know what they are not to be doing with my yarn and my UFOs. But too often, I leave a project on the chair to attend to something else, and return to find Blue napping on the softest thing he can find. I have knitted catnip mice for them, sacrificed balls of yarn for their play; it seems, however, that only the forbidden is sweet enough for these guys!

I cannot imagine life without them! What about you?

Beth

The First Log Cabin

2007-04-02T09:31:00.000-04:00

I am not certain which came first, the website, or the book, but Mason*Dixon Knitting grabbed me, right from the start. Most especially the Log Cabin.

I had a few balls of Noro Silk Garden and thought I would use it. I began with the emerald and the fuscia and stayed as much with the bright colors I love. Then I began to run out of yarn! I used the cut and paste method to extract colors I wanted in the sequence I desired. So after the first few turns here, I have used pieces of yarn gleaned from many different balls of yarn. Some of the color changes are subtle enough, but some are a bit abrupt. It turned out nicely, I thought, despite the numerous splices. The best part was stash busting; I have used up nearly every scrap of Silk Garden, including the more drab colors that I don't like as well. The emerald border was added using a Lamb's Pride worsted, I think; or it may have been a Cascade. The size is good for a stroller or car seat, just a bit small for a crib.

As you can tell from previous posts, this first log cabin blanket lead to three others, and a couple of days ago, I began the fifth. I have a friend whose daughter and husband are expecting a baby and they will not learn the sex until birth; so I have to be ready for either a boy or a girl. This newest log cabin is made with yellow, blues and greens. Good for a boy! The yarn is Cotton Classic 100% Mercerised Tahki. It is machine washable, and will grow softer as it ages. As for the pattern, it will come - I have decided to just see where it takes me!

With spring's arrival, I am ready to take some risks - I hope you are, too! Have fun!

Beth

Photo Shoot

2007-03-31T08:22:00.000-04:00

From itty-bitty hats by Susan B Anderson, I enjoyed the wide variety in this little spring concoction using Tahki mercerized Cotton Classic colors.

This little blue pouch was easy and lots of fun. I used the pattern from the cover of Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. I learned how to make an I-cord and how to do the 3-needle bind off. The fabulous yarn was Plymouth's Baby Alpaca Brush. I gave it to a friend.

The Lenten Rose is quietly lovely in our yard.

This scarf is a simple K2,P2 ribbing I made for a friend last fall. I used the lusciously soft Malabrigo worsted for this. (Don't make a man's scarf from this - his whiskers will ruin it in no time!)

I put white pearl buttons on the Heartbreakingly Cute Kimono.

I like spring for small projects I can drop easily into my tote, and knit anywhere. This is also a nice time for planning larger projects for the fall and winter. Planning, for me, begins with weeks of mulling something over in my mind. Eventually, when I have the idea fairly firmly implanted in my brain, I begin to look at yarns. Mostly, these are from my stash, because I have way too much! Then, I draw and count rows, and pull yarn. I place everything including needles into a plastic zipper bag. This project then, is ready for me to get ready for it!

First to the laundry, then a walkabout in the yard, then maybe a little knitting! I hope spring is bringing you as much joy as it is me!

Beth

Dilemma: Yarn...or Yard?

2007-03-24T17:32:00.000-04:00

Fresh air breezing, birdsong calling me and my cats! What a delicious feeling!

The little log cabin is growing; can you see that it is really a nicely proportioned rectangle? I wanted something shaped for a crib or Moses basket. So I selectively changed the numbers to accomodate my wishes. The stripes at top and bottom are composed of nine and more than nine garter ridges, and those stripes at the sides are narrower, made of fewer than nine in some cases.

OK - I didn't get the idea before I began, so some of the stripes are the 9 garter ridges in width called for in the M*D original pattern. But then I decided to try the changes; it really looks fine, doesn't it? I have put on another stripe or two since this picture; it measures 22 inches by 28 inches right now. I have been pondering the border design for days, and have yet to come up with something I am enthusiastic about.

But the problem stays with me until I solve it. I am trying to figure out how to knit a striped border, attaching it as I go; did I say I want the stripes to be horizontal to the edge? Now I believe that somewhere in the entrelac knitting I will find my answer; surely I can knit a row, attaching to the blanket at the end of the row, turning and knitting back on the wrong side. Well, if I come up with it, I will let you know!

Lancelot has a roll and stretch in the warmth of the sunshine pouring through the window. Soon, we will all go downstairs; I will stroll the yard, and see what's newly poking through, and they (there are three) will watch from the screen door. This delicious weather beckons and I must go; after all, we will close up later on, and live in AC; it will be easier to knit then.

We really must keep learning from our cats! Enjoy!

Beth

A Seaming Discovery

2007-03-21T19:20:00.000-04:00

Spring is here! Hooray! That's what has inspired this little cotton log cabin blanket. It is made with soft colors of Classic Elite Yarns' Premiere which is 50% pima cotton and 50% Tencel. While in the process of knitting this, I discovered a way to make the seams in the back lay flat.

If you are not wedded to that little last stitch on your needle after a bindoff, you may wish to try this method. If you will look at your edge after binding off on the right side, you will see a row of little "V"s facing you. Then after you pick up stitches along that edge, you will have a resulting ridge on the wrong side where that seam is (picture just below). In my method, you bind off on the wrong side, and the row of "V"s will be on that (WS) side of the work. When you later pick up stitches (I will show you how) through this bindoff, you will have a flat seam on the wrong side of your work (second picture below). In items for baby, this is particularly nice.

So, let us say you have bound off on the wrong side, giving you 8.5 (or 9.5) garter ridges rather than the 9 garter ridges called for in the original pattern. Now it is time to pick up stitches. With the right side facing you, insert your needle into the nearest stitch of the "V" or the one at the very top of your piece.

Then wrap your yarn as if to knit, and pull it through onto your needle. Continue until you have picked up all the stitches.

The last picture is of the back of your work, as the stitches are being picked up. The seam is very nice and flat. Now just knit as always, remembering to bind off on the wrong side, whenever you wish.

I hope that with spring here, you will want to spring into action and have some fun with cottons, with pretty, fresh colors, and with knitting!

Beth

Spring Ahead!

2007-03-11T17:19:00.000-04:00

I am so very ready for spring! I want to roam the booths at our little local tailgate market. I am ready for fresh, juicy vegetables and sunshine! These tomatoes were a gift last year from a good friend who was going out of town and didn't want them to go to waste.

Oh, my! They put me in heaven: a little avocado, some herbs from my garden, a drizzle of balsamic and some olive oil...with her lucious tomatoes I had a feast! Now, my memory teases me, taunts me. I have grown weary of my dried apple snacks, cranberry sauce from the freezer, soups and stews, and roasted potatoes. I am ready for lamb and new baby peas and the thinnest asparagus imaginable. Tiny red-skinned potatoes sprinkled with dill. I want fresh berries in my breakfast yogurt and a fresh breeze across my face.

My garden has begun to awaken, and a walk through rewards me with surprises. Bits of green here and there confirm the mild winter; the first yellow blossoms have opened on the forsythia; pulmonaria's pinky-purple blooms are a bright spot amidst the ivy and brown fern fronds. The birds' songs seem happier to me now and yesterday morning I awakened to Mother Nature's symphony...simply intoxicating!

This all brings me back to knitting, and the understanding that there is a time for wool blanket knitting, and a time to knit baby things. Spring is just ahead and Martha revealed the news that she is to become a grandmother, again! So I am going to pack up the wool; put away the colorful stashbuster that is so very heavy; pack up the blue-green Cascade 220 blanket. I am ready to look for fresh little patterns for fresh little people. Some fresh little cottons are calling me! If you have not made the Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono from MD Knitting, check it out (link right); and consider a baby blanket from Oat Couture...they have marvelous patterns.

Mom did spring cleaning each year, and we rearranged the furniture to take advantage of open windows. She packed up all the woolens, after hand washing, in tins with moth balls sprinkled between. She taped the lids to seal them. So, in honor of my sweet mother, I will pack the woolens away, and celebrate the open windows. I will let the fresh air in and allow the birdsong to fill my heart. I will rearrange my priorities and think of babies! What a delicious change!

Happy almost spring to you! Go ahead - become intoxicated!

Beth

Moths Beware!

2007-03-06T20:11:00.000-05:00

This Log Cabin Blanket will be a gift for my son; but I wonder if the fiber moths are going to eat it up in Hawaii.

I have searched for ways to protect it because this yarn is not mothproofed. Two discouraging facts emerged. First, moth balls are bad for people, pets and moths. Second, most moth damage occurs when items are stored in dark places. The best way to protect your woolens is to keep them clean, keep them moving, and in lighted areas. Maybe I need to toss the moth balls first, open the closet, turn on a fan, and switch on the light! I have been doing everything wrong with my sweaters and suits! Spring and summer are nearly here, so I must act quickly. (Meanwhile, my stash is untouched, in bins I rummage through routinely, and with cedar blocks to discourage the pests. I wrap all FOs in Crabtree and Evelyn Lavender drawer liner paper - until I give them away, that is.)

So tonight I am blessed with another of those delicious interludes in which to contemplate the next project. Thinking over the UFOs, I avoid repeating things already underway. Still working on the stashbuster; have a blue-green blanket underway that serves as a sampler of sorts, and a good place for me to practice new stitches. I have a baby sweater barely begun, and a hat in the same condition.

Maybe I should look at yarns instead; they usually serve to inspire me. Maybe with the change of seasons, I will move from wool to cotton. A baby blanket in Tahki Cotton Classic - maybe a little log cabin? Of course, Four Seasons Classic Elite is softer, goes a bit quicker.... Speaking of soft, have you used the Touche by Berroco? Oh, my, it's nice! Then there are those a bit more interesting, such as Mission Falls 1824 Cotton with all that texture, and the subtle coloring. Brown Sheep Company makes Kaleidoscope - a cotton/wool blend; and Noro gives us Lily Yarn that is a luxurious 30% silk, 70% cotton. If you want good basics, you can count on Debbie Bliss cotton dk and Rowan handknit cotton.

Gosh, I have all these skeins in my lap and each a different color...that would work for a log cabin, wouldn't it? But I just finished a log cabin....

There is something addictive, isn't there, about those Mason*Dixon Log Cabins? You bet there is!

Just time enough to watch "House" and then pull some more yarn before bed. What a nice evening! I hope you have one, too.

Beth

Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Feed Me...?

2007-02-28T21:46:00.000-05:00

This shortest month is nearly gone. The older I grow, the faster the months pass; March 1 arrives on schedule each year, but it seems to have raced here from March 1 a year ago. As if there were no children in the world, time flew without stopping to acknowledge the advent of Spring, of Flag Day or the Fourth of July; without slowing at Autumn's arrival, and not even so much as a wink when it passed the big three, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.

Time almost stands still for those tender young ones. Do you remember? When summer's days were nearly endless, when you were water-logged after a day of swimming, when you were actually ready for classes to resume? Can you recall the agony as detailed Christmas preparations led to family visits, and to feasts, and to dessert and coffee, and to more coffee for the grownups, and then to dishes being washed up in the kitchen? All the while, enticingly wrapped presents called to you, almost begged you to come and unwrap them?

Time was riding the back of a snail in those days, and you paid it no heed. That was something others did for you. When did all that change? When you were a teen, and eager to be grown? No, the pace was excruciatingly slow. When you were dating and ripe to set up housekeeping and start your family? No, there were more dates, and more broken hearts, before that right one smiled and said it was "forever." Did time speed up then? Was it when you were waiting for your first child? Those last two months were oh, so long....

Since then, there was the wait for the first home, for a promotion, or a move, that first day of school for your oldest; and the wait until they were "all in school!" They made it, finally, and earned diplomas. You got the last one through college - whew! - you were going to be free, right? Oops! One back home for a while...Then came the weddings, and time passed and there was that wait for the first grandchild...it seemed that it would never happen...and yet....

Did I say time seemed to be flying by? Now? I did? March is still 90 long minutes away! Time for a cup of tea, A Sudoku puzzle or two, purring and petting the kitties, a check of my e-mail, and, oh, yes...maybe the start of a brand new dream, before my birthday month, March, blows in!

Sweet dreams to you, too!

Beth

At Another Crossroads

2007-02-15T21:14:00.000-05:00

I have had these finished pieces waiting for me for several weeks; I am pondering about how to join them. The questions I wrestle with are these: Do I separate the four pieces and elongate the blanket by knitting panels between them? Do I enlarge it by knitting some panels at each end and then knit a border around the whole thing? Or do I just join these as they are lying on my studio floor, and place a border around them, resulting in something the size of a lap robe? It will be about 32" by 36" before the border.

And then, the question of joining arises. I have been wanting to apply what I learned about picking up stitches to the problem of joining finished pieces. Is it possible to knit a strip to go between these pieces, vertically, by picking up stitches along the first or cast-on edge and then, somehow knitting to the other two pieces on the other side?

A few from our knitting group went to The Folk Art Center Monday to see the marvelous tapestries made by a Southeastern group of 40 handweavers, Tapestry Weavers South. My, what talent! The displayed works were varied in subject matter; faces, flowers, a shell, trees and of course, the mountains were in evidence. The colors were magnificent and in a variety of yarns; some tapestries were three dimensional; abstracts were included. It was a worthwhile field trip for us. We enjoyed browsing the great crafts in other areas of the Center, too, and I found an exquisite miniature white oak basket for the dollhouse (yet to be built). Thanks, Martha! The trip was great!

What got me off track, above, was the fact that I browsed in the Folk Art Center's book section and turned a page in the Reader's Digest Knitter's Handbook by Montse Stanley. Inside I saw instructions for a technique called grafting. I wonder if it could be used in conjuction with a waste yarn technique to join the log cabin pieces above...

Hmmm...maybe I should fold up these pieces once again, and further research the ways to join them. Would you say that I am still not ready... ?

Time for Sudoku and bed! Sleep well!

Beth

A Rainy Day

2007-02-13T16:26:00.000-05:00

A rainy day is just my cup of tea! Perfect for curling up in an easy chair with a book, or a delicious bit of knitting. It makes me smile; it seems as though I have permission to forget the errands and just do as I please. These are the times I can get involved in researching a new technique; in making sample swatches, and going through UFOs - Unfinished Objects - of which there are many.

A rainy day indoors is usually filled with bits and pieces, the myriad odds and ends, the tidbits that get pushed to the back, or lost at the bottom of the pile. Their tiny voices call to me on a rainy day and I seem to be able to accomplish a great deal.

Often there are discoveries; like finding the book I was frantic about, sure it had been lost. When I saw it standing on a shelf, I realized it wasn't blue after all, but white with gold that I should have been looking for, and the bright blue was inside the dust cover. And after a few quiet moments with good instructions, I learned entrelac wasn't difficult at all! In fact, it was a lot of fun. I discovered that I should make a stashbuster lap robe; it would free me from guilt. Guilt?

Don't you have just a teensie weensie bit of guilt over some yarn still in your stash that you purchased, but have never found attractive enough to use for any project? Well, I certainly have plenty of those odd balls! The stashbuster is the way out: grab a couple of bags and go through your stash, pulling out all those small balls, those you really don't love, those you love, but have been afraid to use. Grab that hank and roll it into a ball and drop it in the bag. Keep going until you have poked through it all, and pulled out every single questionable bit of fluff, every scratchy wool you aren't fond of, and especially that beige you loved once, but cannot recall why. Toss in the gray, the fuscia, the mustard.

Now this is not what the folks say when they give instructions for a stashbuster throw, or blanket, or whatever. But I don't want rules at a time like this; I just want to get on with it! Make the thing, use up the yarn, and move on. After all, now I have spaces in my stash I didn't have before, and can go shopping again after this. So what I do is begin. Grab some fairly large circulars, a worsted or two, and cast on. Keep going, letting what emerges guide me. I did several rows of garter stitch at first and it was quite thick, heavy. So I switched to stockinette and it's working well. When one yarn had a bit of pink in it, I gradually added more pink until it was all pink; then it morphed into violet and then blue.

So as you can see, I have created a rainbow. A bright spot that elicits a smile whenever I lay it out to see my progress. I am tickled pink, and green, and yellow! Now if that doesn't take away any notion of gloom on a rainy day, I don't know what will!

Beth

Prayer Shawl Completed

2007-02-02T16:43:00.000-05:00

We have completed the prayer shawl for our friend! I hope you think it is nice; we certainly do. The soft yarn and bright colors should be cheery and comforting. The fringe is 9 inches long on each end, so that gives you some idea of the length of this.

I have begun to learn Entrelac; what a delightful look, that woven pieces of knitting. So I am learning from Robbyn's wonderful instructions and photos on The Yarnpath (Google: All Aboard the Entrelac Express!) Entrelac is not difficult, and can be learned in an afternoon, if you are not trying to fix a sink, trying to watch a B&W movie, and herding three cats! Maybe things will quiet down this evening and allow me to finish the practice swatch.

Keep learning, gals! It will keep our old brains working!

Beth

Mason Dixon Moss Grid Towel

2007-01-20T19:48:00.000-05:00

Today was deliciously quiet; it began with my sleeping later than normal, moving slowly once awake, and savoring a large hot mug of sweet coffee all alone in peace. Normally, morning is rushed, and altogether against my predilection.

I have just one more stripe on one block of the Log Cabin blanket; then it will be time to piece it together and decide on a border. The prayer shawl is at Martha's this weekend; so I started the little Moss Grid linen hand towel from the Mason*Dixon Knitting book. This is the first time I have worked with the Euroflax; it is stiff, but yielding. Took a bit of getting used to, but once I got the hang of it, it was rather nice. I began on addi turbos, but switched to these bamboo needles because I felt I needed the friction to prevent slipping.

Alan and I went to dinner with the kids tonight and had a delicious meal. My pork tenderloin medallions were simply perfect; acorn squash and risotto with a hint of cinnamon served as a cushion for the pork. Baby carrots and tender haricot verts added color to the plate. I ate all but one slice of pork - oh, my! Dessert was agreed to by all and the kids shared a pecan ice cream ball while Alan and I split peppermint icecream pie with warm chocolate ganache. Mmmmm....

So with the remainder of the evening left for knitting, I think I would like to finish the stripe in medium brown on the Log Cabin blanket; if there is time, I will work a bit more on the towel. As you can see above, I have just completed the border and find that what I have, in fact, is a seed stitch border, not a moss stitch. The moss is a 4-row pattern whereas the seed is just a repeat of row 1 if an even number of stitches are used. Use your Walker treasury or any stitch book to see the distinction; they are both simple knit-purl combinations.

Or, I may simply sit back and see if I can find a black and white movie, sip on chamomile tea and dream...of more things to knit.

Beth

Charlotte's Prayer Shawl

2007-01-15T21:55:00.000-05:00

The news isn't good about our friend, so we are going to make a prayer shawl to enfold her, to comfort her, to warm her, to let her know we love her and that she's not alone on the journey she is on.

Maybe in an effort to not think about the surgeon's findings, I have immersed myself in the kitchen, a place I have avoided for a couple of years. I made 4 quarts of applesauce and 3 of cranberry sauce on Friday; today I made 8 qts. chili, 8 qts. split pea soup, and 2 qts. Sloppy Joe meat sauce.

Getting to sleep has been a struggle; I keep thinking about Charlotte. About the decisions she must make; about her family and her life. When I try to envision, in my dark, quiet room, behind my closed lids, the bright colors of yarn and the throws I want to create, Charlotte pushes it all away. It was my guaranteed soporific, the imagination alive in the dark; colors just seemed to combine themselves in fantastic and pleasing ways. Against the background of black they were electric; but not enough, last night, to hold Charlotte's smiling face from my mind. Not enough to prevent my hearing her voice and feeling her most sincere and enthusiastic hugs.

I think a good solution has found me; the prayer shawl will bring the two together in the right way. I hope you, my friends and fellow knitters, will be a part of the process; in prayer or in knitting, we will do this together, and maybe begin early the long time of healing.

Beth

Beautiful Day for Knitting!

2007-01-14T08:29:00.000-05:00

Dinner out last night was good; the lamb chops were simply perfect, and our guest appreciated the celebration of his 50+ birthday. This Sunday morning is a bit gloomy here; that's why I say it's perfect for knitting!

I am working on my third Log Cabin (from Mason-Dixon Knitting) and enjoying using the Pastaza, one of Cascade's worsted, for this one. You see a planning session here. I think after I complete the four rectangles, I will elongate the whole blanket with some strips at the ends, before putting a border around it all.

I have invited you gals in my knitting group to stop by here and take a peek; I know it's nothing much yet. But it could be fun. There are bloggers out there who are knitting just like we are and who may enjoy taking a peek; their comments can be helpful, too. That is yet to come. Right now, this place is just our own. Let me know what you think. :)

Beth

A Journey Begins

2007-01-13T16:59:00.000-05:00

...with a single step. So my site exists, and tomorrow is another day. (Southern for too busy to get to it now!) Actually, heading out to dinner to celebrate a birthday. When I return, my mind will be clear enough to begin to share an enthusiasm for knitting that I somehow "inherited" from Mom. Till then...

Beth

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