Saturday, January 10, 2015

Twins' variegated crew neck sweaters






These two identical sweaters were made from yarn that I found at Hobby Lobby.  The pattern was made in a somewhat similar yarn that was also variegated.  The pattern is found in The Yarn Girls' Guide to Kids Knits which I own.  There is also a copy of the pattern in my notebook of finished projects in the play room.

Infinity Scarf by Rodeo Knits ....bought yarn at Kanawha City



This Infinity Scarf was inspired by a scarf that I saw at the Kanawha City Yarn shop.  The pattern is by Steven Hicks for Rodeo Knits.  I filed the pattern in Drop Box.   The pattern is named South Hills.  It is a very easy pattern that can be done with three different weights of yarn:  Fingering (400 yards), Worsted (225 yards), and chunky weight (150 yards).  Steven suggest size 5 needles for the fingering weight, size 9 for the worsted and size 13 for the chunky weight yarn.  However, for whatever reason my notes tell me that I doubled the yarn that I bought from Sarah in Kanawha City and used #11 needles.  I cast on 129 stitches.  And it turned out very well.  It is a thick and thin yarn which actually adds to the interest in the cowl.   I think that the pattern would be nice in a fluffy yarn.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Wraps and Shawls

February 2014 my brother Jim and I decided to spend a week in Florida playing golf.  My brother, Greg and his now wife, Mary Jo, also came to Vero to spend part of the week with us.  It was a great week!  Lots of golf!  Lots of good food!  Lots of fun!

However, the part of the week that changed my life happened at the end .....on the way home.   Jim has a really good buddy, Larry Kiger, with whom he plays bridge on-line.  Larry's wife, Jean, was very sick and had been in the hospital for a long time.  The doctor had called the family in at least once to say their last goodby.  These two people had been special friends to not only Jim but to my parents as well.  Never did they come to Huntington without a bridge game with my parents.  One day as Jim and I were preparing to start the trip back home, I said:  "Let's stop in Winston-Salem and see Jean."  We couldn't quit thinking about that possibility.  And we were still talking about it as we packed the car and headed home.  The trip worked out just right to reach the hospital before visiting hours were over.  So Jim called Larry and gave him a heads up that we were on our way and made sure that it was indeed OK to come by.

I'll never forget Jean in that hospital bed!  She looked radiant.  She beamed with pleasure that we had stopped to see her.  She hadn't washed her hair in weeks, but she had managed to make it very presentable.  She had put a very pretty shawl/wrap around her shoulders.  That small act to use what little she had on hand to look as good as she could touched me in a way that no huge ANYTHING would have touched me.  It was a very special visit.  It changed my life.

The two things that I took away from that visit were:  1. It is in the small things in this world that we will be remembered, so we must always remember to pay attention to our actions.  and 2.  I need to knit shawls/wraps for everyone that I love forever!  Before this trip, I had eschewed small knitting projects because I felt they were wimpy.  Sure I had done a year of socks when I realized that socks were what people had historically knitted.  But if I wasn't going to jump into a sweater, perhaps I just wouldn't knit at all.   Of course, the shawls/wraps/scarves have become very fashionable and that does influence my interest in them.  But Jean Kiger has been the major influence for my knitting turn around.

Jean died this summer.  I know that Larry is lost without her.  It makes me very sad to think about the loss of someone loved so much.  But it makes me happy that I had a chance to see the spunk with which she faced death for myself.   I only wish that I had a photo to share with you.  I certainly have a picture in my mind.

Friday, January 2, 2015

Simple shawl for Mary Jo

I had some fluffy yarn on hand in a neutral color.  And I wanted to do something extra for Mary Jo just before the wedding between Mary Jo and my brother, Greg.  I used a pattern that is in my drop box files called Lala's Simple Shawl and the yarn that I had on hand.





I am sorry that I didn't get a photo of it finished....however, it was a particularly easy pattern and worked up very quickly.  You just keep knitting until it is big enough.  I am thinking that I probably used size 10 needles.

Harper's wrap

Harper used to tell me when she was small:  "Nana, Don't knit....it is so boring!"  This year I was knitting an aqua wrap and Harper commented that it is very pretty.  Of course, I replied:  "would you like it?"  And she said yes.  So the wrap is Harper's wrap.

I have knitted on it for so long that I joked at knitting one Tuesday:  "you could just say that I show up and knit on the same thing every week...."

But finally I finished knitting it while I was at Flat Top with the Goldy and Smith group for New Year's Eve.  I do have a few strings to hide and an error or two to correct, but by the time the Goldy's get home, I should be able to give it to Harper for good.

The pattern is Gossamer Rhapsody Light Shawl that I think that I bought in a kit.  I have filed it on my drop box with that as it's name.  For others, it is available from a company called Artyarns which seems to have a Facebook site.  It is particularly easy and forgiving.  Here are the photos of Harper with her new Light shawl:





I bought more yarn to make more of these wraps.  It is specially pretty yarn that is called Rhaspsocy Light by Artyarns in 85% silk and 15% kid mohair.  It is in the new wire racks in the playroom.  The pattern is Gossamer Rhapsody Light Shawl in the knitting patterns on Dropbox.  Here is a photo of the yarn in my stash: