Preparing for a Spring Shawl

  Due to a life that has taken some unexpected turns (a very ill husband with an undiagnosed ailment and a new job at home Eldercare) I'm going to be publishing my blog whenever I'm able.  So there might be spaces inbetween posts.  Or posts on an odd day like Sunday.  I just need to pair back.  Make this more fun and less a job for myself and get back to just knitting to settle me down and give me peace.  This is not farewell just a warning of pauses and impromptu posts from now on. If you don't want to miss sign up on the right column for Email updates. Love you all. This has been a five year effort and I'm just going to fit it better into a life that is radically different now and often out about and not home.  I am happy in my job and I do get to knit often with elderly clients. So all is good there. So long till next time. 😊

     I always have one of my shawls around my neck and when one of my regular client's wives admired it and asked if I'd make her one, I said sure.  I now do eldercare in homes.  She will need to be patient.  I seem to have a full plate lately with a job and a very ill husband.  But the opportunity to knit can't be missed and also the chance to make her smile precious.  Perhaps since we are both wives of challenged husbands I can only too well relate.

    So I took pictures down in our local yarn shop Ewe & Me of the Malabrigo that had the bright blue in it she wanted.  Here's some of the shots (unfortunately my phone didn't pick up the vibrancy of the yarn).

 
     The winner was the speckled sock yarn called Parade. It's sure to be a winner for Spring. Update: A friend online called the store and bought the yarn for me! When the customer pays me back I'm going to buy yarn for a shawl for my oldest daughter's upcoming summer wedding.  Something bright blue! 😁

     I'm making a Reyna Shawl and she wants the same mesh pattern that I did last Spring (just a bit smaller sections towards the end).


     Well I think I've broken a record for me.  Reading the same book for months.  But it's been a real good book to savor. Im drawing to the end of "The Golden Hour" and it's really good.  It's going on my shelf for a reread another day. Some books you know you'll love again.

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New Year's New Starts

     

Please note the details on the KAL down below.

         White to me is the color of January, a New Year.  Fresh, new, untouched.  I crave getting my hands into something white and soft and untouched.  So I grabbed some undyed Bare Stroll Sport Yarn and started a shawl called Fichu Bleu.  A simple, yet unique design with interesting contrasts of simple stitches.  Interesting but I'm expecting rhythmic knitting, which I love.

 © Orlane Sucche

 © Orlane Sucche

Ravelry Resistance Knitters Group KAL

     Well, the New Year 2020 is upon us and I’m personally revved to make a difference! How about you? One stitch at a time.  This year we've been trying in the Ravelry Resistance Knitters group to create items to help migrants.  I've run several KALs this Fall for hats and then Cowls and Scarves and have drawn a lot of interest. We created over 270 hats, most hats went up to Northeast Asylum Cities but some of those hats made it even across the border to a center for migrants. 

      This January and February I'm running a KAL focused on Mittens, Gloves and Fingerless Mitts but I also want it open for any winter accessory that someone wants to make. Some people get excited about making hats or want to just make cowls; it's all good and will help make people warm. 
Come visit Ravelry Resistance Knitters group, join and look up the thread for the January KAL. Please use the space to share your creations and patterns and details and your thoughts, questions, and comments. Working together We can achieve more and encourage each other.  I will also be creating soon a thread for pictures of finished creations.

     When done with a few items or a pile you can ship it to the head of Suenos Sin Fronteras, a relief organization for Asylum Seekers, who is also a knitter.  Details in the group how to get the shipping address. She will in turn get your creations to either Asylum Cities up in the Northeast or at times to get items across the border to Migrants stuck on the other side.

     Thank you for all your efforts to warm hearts and bodies. Your efforts count! Have fun. I hope to run some contests but they are still being determined.

   For reading, I've downloaded a new book for the new year, "The Ten Thousand Doors of January".  I'm intrigued by it but I haven't cracked the cover yet (well metaphorically speaking since it's an e-book) but it looks good.  Review - "You'll Want To Open Every One Of 'The Ten Thousand Doors Of January' " (NPR)

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Jon's Sockhead Hat

     I've been working on this Sockhead Hat for several months.  Perhaps it'll be done for Christmas.  Little needles and thin yarn, Patons Kroy Sock yarn in a natural heathered color called Flax.  The yarn is thinner than the Patons Kroy Sock yarn (colors in Maxim) I used last year on the same hat.  But this is a favorite hat of my son's; I made one last year for Christmas and I thought the color of the yarn would make for a good work hat for carpentry outside in winter.

Last year's Slouchy Hat modeled on my youngest daughter's head

The Reader (Young Woman Reading a Book) - Pierre-Auguste Renoir

     Still not finding time to read anything but the Morning Brief in The New York Times.  Hopefully today.

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Last Week's post - Finishing Will's Hat

A Happy & Merry Holidays to All!

Finishing Will's Hat

     I finished Will's hat at 10", instead of the 11' requested, leaving a good amount of yarn remaining for a pom-pom.

      Somehow today I'll get that pom-pom done and this post is done. How I'm not too sure. I start today on a new adventure of elderly home care.  So I press on and I'll do the blog today as I can.  Right now squeezed between brushing my teeth and my shower (thankful for small tablets!).

     Ah, reading? What's that?  I've read the New York Times Morning brief, every morning.  That's almost it.  A good way to know your news in a short informational burst.


Late Today - I did have a great day.  My first client was a sweet man that wanted cookies baked like his wife used to.  So I baked Chocolate Chip cookies (thanks to a large bag of chocolate chips in the freezer) and we talked of his WWII experience and some of his life and we had a great time.  I had planned not to go again. He was an hour's drive out up North above a forest and lived on an old ranch.  His grandson in a truck directed me to grandpa as to the left and over the cattle guard.  As soon as I arrived to my first-person my AP for work with all details failed, no service!  But the request for cookies and assurance from his nurse leaving that that was OK and I felt right at home. What a lovely way to start.  When I told him about my husband being sick he gently grabbed my hands and bowed his head and prayed for him. I was so touched.  Next week I get to see him again.  As for the blog, guess I'm finishing it tomorrow!
 Nope! Pressed on and now I need to go to bed! Back up North again tomorrow. It was so pretty, but I'll be up early for a long drive. Couldn't tell the scheduler no, especially when she said pretty please?

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Knitting On

Through good times or bad, or simply challenging times knitting is what soothes and calms my soul.  It is the constant despite all and I'm thankful for that gift of making.   

      I'm finishing up Will's hat.  I love the way it's worked up.  I'm a little unsure of when to start decreases because the hat's directions make a 9" hat, but Will wanted 11" and, yes I can do the math, but the ball of yarn is getting smaller and I want a good pom-pom at the end.  I'm nearing a turning point and soon I'll decide to decrease and maybe not go for the full 11".  Afterall a good pom-pom is important too!  Isn't it kind of nice to bring life down to what do I do so I can do a pom-pom vs. large life changes and decisions that can weigh one down?  Perhaps, for a mere moment, I'll pretend life is just a ball of yarn I need to pay attention to.

     And I started the Project Peace 2019 needing a simple project to carry that feeling of peace I discovered previous years as I knit and read The Healthy Knitter's blog.  Details - Project Peace 2019...let's do this!  Every December for 21 days the Healthy Knitter promotes peace through a knitting project.  This year we can choose among any of her previous Project Peace patterns, and then while knitting you check out her daily blog posts on peace - The Healthy Knitter.  I decided to do a shawl I've done before - The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief (because I constantly wear my teal one - "A Silky Shawl").  And I picked up some beautiful Malabrigo yarn in a local yarn shop - Ewe and Me in a deep purple  Blackberry Silky Merino.  A previous Project Peace used Malabrigo Silky Merino and I really connected that silky feel with peace, that stop-in-your-tracks and let-peace-seep-in type of peace.  I only just started but I'm thinking it will be special.  Debating whether to put clear beads on it.  Make it sparkle!

     I think I must be setting my beautiful book on my lap, reading a page or so and just knitting.  I have never spent so much time on just one book, and a good one too!  The Golden Hour is a delight for sure.  I guess if I'm stuck on a book and gazing out and just knitting, this certainly was the book to savor.  I guess I look like I'm reading.  But I'm getting my holiday knitting done!

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Apple Pie and Will's Hat

     I'm going to keep this short because there's an apple pie to bake and other Thanksgiving preparations.  This year I need to figure out a Gluten-Free version to an apple pie for my husband's sake; which is a bummer since I do make an awesome pie with a Pate Brisee recipe handed down from my Mom.  She added a Tbl. of apple cider vinegar and used a Tbl. sugar (the real trick is to handle it quickly and lightly and use cold butter and chill afterward).  So I'll try the same recipe with rice flour.  My Mom's apple pie was always amazing, a Tbl. of cinnamon being a trick and dotted butter on the top under the crust.  Since GF crust will not handle well with a rolled-out top I'm going to try Chocolate Covered Katie's Apple Pie topping, it should be good.

     

     As for knitting, I'm making progress on Will's Hat - "A Zappy Tall Hat for Will" in Malabrigo Rios, color Volcan.  The brim came out beautifully with a simple 2 x 2 rib.  And the stitch is easy to memorize.  It should finish up quickly.  I just need to estimate how long the bind off is, so I can get around an 11" length and have some leftover yarn for a good pom-pom.

     I'm still reading The Golden Hour and still loving and savoring it.

Come on by and check out our Ravelry group Ravelry Resistance Knitters where we do Craftivism to help make a change and/or simply to help!

The Simple Hat

     We are currently doing Hats, Cowls, and Scarves for Asylum Seekers in Asylum Cities in the Northeast, but also some hats have been delivered across the border to Migrants by some courageous people.  All of our creations are sent to a private address of the head of Suenos Sin Fronteras, a relief organization.  She is a knitter herself and a member of our group and lovingly distributes our creations.  An incredibly direct approach to helping the Migrants.

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A Zappy Tall Hat for Will

Malabrigo Rios Vulcan

     I've just started a hat for my future son-in-law Will for Christmas.  What better way to gift to a future member of the family but knit something useful?  After all most appreciate a warm head, especially a Southern guy transplanted to Upstate New York where I know from experience it is terrifyingly cold!  So I went with many questions to ascertain what he'd like.  No guessing here and making him live with a future mother-in-law monstrosity to be hidden in the back of the closet!

© Kelbourne Woolens

       The hat request was something tall, you know that sporty look with a large pom pom on top.  I found the September Hat, which seems so perfect.  I'm going to make it a little longer.  He wants it 11 inches long.  The September Hat is a part of a year-long parade of free hats from Kelbourne Woolens (Year of Hats).

Year of Hats 

All Free Patterns!

      I've ripped it out several times trying to get Will's size head, 23 3/8's.  The first time following instructions seemed too tight for my 23" head and stiff, and I'm using # 7 needles.  While the design in the brim is so beautiful it made the brim stiffer and tighter than I liked.  So the second time I cast on 5 more stitches and did a 1 x 1 rib.  Softer with this rib, but too big now that I changed stitches.  When I got far enough to put on waste yarn it seemed too loose.  So the fancy rib pattern also made the brim tighter.  So, I'm back to 100 stitches on my needle and I'm trying a K2 X P2 rib which gives me an even amount of stitches on the needles.  I think this will do the trick.  After all my hat, The Simple Hat starts with 100 stitches on #7's to get a good fit for 23', so I ought to be good.

     Will requested Fall colors, browns, orange, red.  I love Malabrigo and found a color called Volcan.  A perfect choice of yarn in worsted, Rios.  Soft.  And I love the play of warm colors.  I hand wrapped the ball of Malabrigo Rios Yarn in Volcan from its hank and enjoyed the process of really looking at the colors.  Oranges, brown shaded in, subtle russets and red and a logan green.  Really warm and the simple pattern should display the yarn well.

     With my husband, I started Timeline by Michael Creighton on Audio.  My eldest Elisabeth had just finished it and said it was good.  We've both read the book (and seen the movie) but it's been decades and so far it's tremendous fun to do an audio book with my husband.  An adventure for sure, since he's almost deaf, but with new hearing aids he seems to be hearing it just fine.  And more knitting time for me!


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