Carolyn's Prayer Shawl

My sister Carolyn was diagnosed with Acute Leukemia in August of 2010. She is 59 years old. 
I wanted to make her a special prayer shawl while she is having to endure chemotherapy and bone marrow tests. 
I chose the Rona Lace Shawl and the color Dusty Blue of the LB 1878 because I felt it truly represented in my mind the essence of my sister. 
Upon her first chemo treatment on August 12th I began this shawl.

Being dyslexic is a pain in the rear end. When I started this project, I thought it said to begin with 9 stitches. Well it’s not, it’s 6 stitches. 
I didn’t figure that out until I was well into the shawl. 
So the dimensions given for this shawl is larger than the pattern calls for. Holy cow.

Out of 153 rounds minus the edging, I’m now on 130 with one thousand stitches on my needles. It takes me an hour to go around one time.

Now on round 149. I can see the finish line. It’s taking me a little bit longer than an hour to finish one round, especially when I add beads. I am hoping to have this shawl finished, washed and blocked by this weekend. 10/25/10

Praise the knitting goddess I finally finished Carolyn’s Prayer Shawl on Halloween. It blocked over four beach towels and took 100 T-pins to secure. It’s just over 70 inches in diameter.

All the mistakes are my own doing, I attribute it to several wine nights and also not looking for the Errata for the pattern until well too late. We will just say it’s unique and hope that my sister will enjoy it for years to come.

Where Has the Time Gone?

 

My youngest son, Daniel, just turned twenty. Wow, when did I get old?
He's in college, wanting to major in Political Science. Who is this child?
Oh, that's right, he's not a child any longer. He is his own person, with his own ideals, thoughts and morals.

It seems I have made it to the other side after all. I wasn't sure I'd get through his teenage years. I wasn't sure my car would make it either. But then, something changed. A maturity that rose subtly like the dawning of a new day. I woke up one morning to an intelligent, focused young man.

One Christmas, I made him an afghan to help keep him warm. It was a stash buster, very colorful and cabled. Looking at it now, it seems inappropriate for him. He's outgrown it. Seems I will need to learn to adjust to this phase of his life, and mine.

Test Knit Christmas Stocking for Daniel

While I'm on my Christmas theme, I thought I would share with you a test knit from a designer on Ravelry.com
She has the most beautiful Christmas stocking designs I have ever seen.
I want you to know that I started and ripped this project three times before I finally completed it.
It had nothing to do with the pattern and everything to do with me just freaking out.
This is a fantastic design and I really learned a great deal working this stocking.
Who knew that patience is a virtue?

Christmas for Laura Ann

My sister in law, LA is always remembering me and mine during Christmas. I am the worst Christmas gift exchanger on the planet. It's not that I don't want to exchange gifts, it's just that I am not a shopper. Never have been, never will be.


I had just finished knitting an afghan for my son Daniel. It was decorated in beautiful cables and sported as many colors of the rainbow as I could manage. If my son had been named Jacob, it could have been a biblical afghan.


I had left over yarn from this project and was still in knitting mode, so I decided to make a sweater for Laura Ann. I found a pattern from the website Girl from Auntie and used her pattern Trumpet to get me started.


Trumpet has long sleeves and a short row cowl neck that this southern girl just abhors. Just looking at it made me break out in a sweat.


So I followed the pattern, omitting the sleeves and the cowl neck and added vertical ribbing for contour fitting. I used Caron Simply Soft in Deep Teal Heather and Denim Heather. 


Pleased with the outcome and giddy because I didn't waste a moment in a retail store, I had my sweet hubby wrap the gift to send with my mother in law since she was traveling to Birmingham to visit Laura Ann and other family.


Christmas will be here before I know it so I best get my patterns out now.

Sign the Petition to Restore the Gulf

Sign the Petition to Restore the Gulf

Test Knit

This is a test knit on Ravelry for designer Alison Hogg.
I would rate this a beginner’s weekend project.
Garter stitch body knits up fast.
Use of DPN’s for hat are a great way to expand knitting skills.
It was a fun project that made me smile.

Susan

Sharing from Yanista's Blog

It was created before the horrible oil spill in the Gulf. But rather than just wring our hands, we've teamed up with A Good Yarn Sarasota to donate a portion of the proceeds of the sales of this colorway to the National Wildlife Federation, which will help rescue animals impacted by the spill and assist in cleanup efforts. It feels good to do something instead of just reading news stories about who's to blame and how horrible it is. If you buy Gulf of Mexico, the benefits will be threefold:

You'll get an awesome colorway (It's currently instock on a huge variety of bases, including Springvale Bulky, Adorn Sock, fabulosity Wexford Merino Silk, Galenas Merino, Springvale DK, and Springvale Worsted.)
You'll be supporting two small businesses: Three Irish Girls and A Good Yarn. Our businesses in turn support our families, our employees, and their families.
You'll be doing something to help the wildlife that's been so terribly affected by the oil spill.
You can order it by emailing info@agoodyarnsarasota, calling 941.487.7914, or by visiting the store in person. Directions are on their website.

Knit Picks Try It Needle Set

I had a gift card for KnitPicks and needed to spend it! I looked at all the yarn on sale, I looked at all the books, but here is what I purchased:

Can’t decide between the Harmony wood, nickel plated, and Zephyr acrylic needle sets? Our Try It Needle set gives you the chance to try all three types of interchangeable tips, in our most common sizes. You will receive a size 6 Harmony wood tip, a size 7 nickel plated tip, and a size 8 Zephyr acrylic tip, as well as a set of 24” cables. This set is also handy for knitters who already have an interchangeable needle set, but tend to work on multiple projects that require the same common needles sizes. This is also a great gift for new knitters who want to find their favorite needle finish, and buy needles that would work with many types of projects and yarn. $19.99

This should be fun!

Sweet Dreams

I have a new nephew. Well, my niece had a baby boy. Does that make him my nephew too? LOL
Anyway, I am making him a baby blanket. At the moment, it is a work in progress.
I loved this pattern and would have knitted it as written, but I made it with a blue background and yellow moon and stars. I just had to make it my own. 
This is my first baby blanket. Never thought to make one before. This wouldn’t surprise my friends, they all know I don’t like children. :-) Link to the pattern is provided.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bunny-hop-moon-and-stars-baby-blanket

OK I have completed the blanket and can move on to the next new and exciting project. (I hope)

Swap Clubs Rock

I told you previously about the Eco-tote bag that I made for my swap buddy on Ravelry. I received my package from [Sewucan] when I got home from work last night. The care and thought that went into this package just blows me away. She sent me: two hot pad holders from the skein of yarn, scarlet red crochet thread, red crochet hook, box of cinnamon stick tea, red metal water bottle, red stitch counter and Twizzlers (all this wonderful red for the "scarlett" in my name) a magnetic picture frame, seeds from her garden, a beautiful heart pin to wear or put on my knitting bag and a patriotic yo-yo! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Going Green with the colors White & Blue

Boredom takes many forms. It can be the instigator of mischief or the catalyst to something you've never tried before. Luckily for me, it took the latter and in a positive way.
On Ravelry, I joined a Swap Group from Lion Brand Yarn. The idea was to include the following in your swap package:

1. 
   
   
   

   One (1) or more skeins of Lion Brand organic cotton yarn (i.e., Nature’s Choice Organic Cotton or Lion Organic Cotton)

2. 
   
   
   

   Item handmade from at least one (1) skein of Lion Brand organic cotton

3. 
   
   
   

   Eco-friendly gift (i.e., organic coffee or tea; reusable shopping bag; stainless steel water bottle; rainforest treats; flower seed kits; or jewelry from recycled materials)

 I purchased the yarn and gathered the things I wanted to include in the swap box but was having a devil of a time thinking of things that I could make with only one skein of yarn.
Now you might say to yourself, "Susan, you have thousands of patterns at your disposal that are for only one skein of yarn." And you would be right...but I wanted to make something that went with the Eco-friendly theme and that was harder to find.


I found what I wanted to make. It's called "Eco-Tote" and it was the perfect item for grocery toting eco-friendly conscience people. However...out of the three skeins I bought to put in the box for my swap buddy, I used two skeins to make the tote. (Insert major guilt here) I could have used the third skein but stopped myself.


I hope my swap buddy will enjoy her handmade gift. Here is what it looks like.

The Matriarch

I fell in love with lace knitting. Shawls mostly. I want to knit them all...circulars, squares, triangles, you name it. I have almost a hundred great patterns for lace shawls of all shapes and sizes. 

On the Ravelry website, I found this fantastic pattern called Haruni. 

Haruni is a triangular shawl, worked from the top down, with a crochet bind off. You can easily adjust the size of this shawl by knitting more or less repeats of the first chart. A great story is behind the name. It seems that Haruni means "Grandmother" in Quenya, Tolkien's elven language. :-)

I cast on May 1st and cast off May 22, washed and blocked, taking well over 125 T-pins and needed more.

When I had finished I sat on my couch and stared at it for 20 minutes thinking, "Wow, look what I made."

I will be giving this shawl to my eldest sister, Diane who is the matriarch of our family and my second mother. 

Tea for Two?

I found this precious knit pattern for a teapot cosy at www.knitty.com called Kureyon Kozy that I just had to try. When I had finished it, my Mother in Law gave me a beautiful white teapot with seashells embossed on the sides to go with it. I am sending it to my daughter in law along with the casserole carrier.

Grandma's Love

Beth G. is the Sales Director in our office. Her grandmother used to make her sweaters that over time became unwearable and were about to be tossed out. I had asked her for the sweaters and told her I could unravel them and make her a little something that she would have to remember her Grandma's love of knitting. Here is Beth's shawl.
I must admit, that the knitting goddess saw fit to slap me upside my head where this pattern was concerned. I went at it with the attitude that if I would just plunge in and go for it that I could make a work of art. I thought I knew what I was doing, but I didn't. I didn't get upset when I had to frog the project 7-8 times and start again. Oh no...but when I realized that I didn't know how to block the darn thing is where the lesson in humility knocked me off my feet.

Carry Me Away

My daughter in law, Nicole, is a Navy wife living in Jacksonville FL. She joined a Navy Wife Cooking Club in her area to meet other Navy wives and establish new friendships. They meet once a month to prepare, cook and serve tasty dishes for each other and have a great time doing it.
I came across a free knitted pie/casserole carrier that I thought she could use for her club meetings.
I found the pattern at  Lily / Sugar'n Cream www.sugarncream.com
I wanted it to be sturdy enough to carry a 9x9 dish and made it with a worsted weight acrylic yarn. 

Here is the finished project for Nicole:

Sock It To Me

My mother in law (ML) is a very crafty person. If it's arts and crafts, she's done it. She owned a craft store at one time and taught classes from basketweaving to screen printing. So when it comes to knit and crochet she is my expert advisor.



I have been knitting since the 6th grade. I love the way that knitting feels, it speaks to my soul and calms me. I've made many items that I have given to family and friends but when it comes to making something for myself, I usually either: 1) don't finish it, or 2) rip the dang thing out.



Mardi Gras season was upon me and I decided that I wanted to make Mardi Gras socks! I had never worked with double pointed needles before and was very excited to learn something new.

ML and I went to our LYS for needles and yarn. I found some interesting stretchy yarn from Patons that looked fun and I could hardly wait for my first lesson. We picked a date four days in the future to get together to start our socks.



While I was waiting for lesson day to arrive, I thought it would be prudent to check the internet for sock instructions so I wouldn't be caught unaware of what was to come. What did surprise me was the many different ways there are to make socks. Cuff down, toe up, knit on two circs, knit two at a time and on it goes!



I decided to Google "How to knit socks for beginners" and picked a fantastic site called Silver's Sock Class. Beautifully illustrated step by step directions for making a basic sock was at my disposal. I was stoked! Grabbing my DPNs, I cast on and was off. Imagine my pleasure as I made the cuff, turned the heel, picked up the gussett and headed for the toe! Granted, the sock would have fit a giant with bound feet, but I prided myself on the accomplishment of making a sock that really looked like a sock! I felt ready for my lesson with ML and the Paton yarn and pattern.



Sock lesson day arrived and we cast on our stitches. Starting off with a 4x4 rib cuff we knitted and talked for a few hours. According to the directions, I was to continue the pattern until I reached 17 inches so I packed up my needles and headed home to work on my sock for the next few days. When I reached the length indicated I started my decreases for the toe. An hour later I had a completed sock but not without some duress because the instructions didn't tell you how to finish the toe. I once again went back to the Silver's Sock Class to learn the kitchner stitch.



This sock had no heel or gusset, it was a tube, a twisted rib tube with a toe. Raising my eyebrow at it with a suspicious look, I groaned thinking that I still had another sock to make in this pattern. Fast forward to the completion of the second sock, I was now ready for Mardi Gras. The sock was knee high length but puddled around my ankle like a deflated bundt cake. I wore the socks on Fat Tuesday which were completely covered up by my blue jeans since it was cold that day which suited me just fine.



I will make socks again, but not that pattern. I think I'll try making two socks at once and get a pattern from the internet. After all, the internet has much to offer in that regard.