2010, Year of ?

Well, 2009 was a very sad year here, starting and ending. The whole year was about loss, and I now look forward to the new year with hope. The new creation of springtime is right around the corner, dancing in the corners of my mind, teasing me. The anticipation has begun to build--I'm already thinking about those lovely warm days when I can sit on my patio and work with yarn, dig in the garden, throw the windows wide and let the fresh air in. I love the soft green haze of the trees leafing out, it is so ALIVE! And birdsong, especially the hoo-hoo bird...:)

Here's my new favorite blog: it's all about free vintage knit edgings! Oh, such lovely patterns she is sharing...

Now, how about some FOs. I finished "flowers in the grass", see:?

It was a gift for DD for Christmas 2009.

I used a Catherine Wheel Edging, which I wrote down somewhere--will have to dig it out and post it. Glad to say DD loved her blanket :)


Then, for DH's b-day in early January, I finished up the mitered squares blanket of self-striping yarns in aran and bulky weights. Here are pics:


I was unable to photograph the whole blankie, so here are the two halves, after blocking. I guess later I'll try to get a whole-cloth photo...


I had initially picked up stitches all the way around the blanket and knit lengthwise garterstitch for an edging, but it looked like puke after about 16 rounds, so I frogged it and learned a new technique from "Principles of Knitting"--how to knit on a sideways edging as I went. It was nice, I only had to pick up about 15 stitches along the edge of the blanket at a time, so I used my straight needles to do it. I like the results much better without the muddying of the stripes.

Here's to a new year filled with hope, health, and loveliness!

Year of Loss

Our sweet dog Jelly Bean died today; lying by the Christmas tree, her doggy heart gave out. She lived a long life, and even had some Christmas ham yesterday.

We will miss her "I live for treats" attitude, her simple companionship. She used to follow us around while we worked on the garden, just happy to be outside in the sun, happy to be with us. We are glad she had one more Christmas in her.

May she roam in peace, in endless gardens of treats.

Summer Hiatus

I'm BACK!

And, I have a few FOs to show off! Yay for productivity!!

Here is Aim's "granny" poncho:

This was from a free DROPS pattern here, meant for little girls. I started with an opening large enough for an adult (I chained 128--I think it was an "I" hook), then worked around and around til it was the size that I wanted, which was also when I ran out of yarn! Cool! I used RYC Cashsoft DK yarn ~9 balls. A fun stash project.

This poncho has been great for walking the dog in our early fall temperatures. So glad I made it!

Next, I made a Baktus out of Mint Chocolatini colorway sock yarn from Yarntini.

I love the way it looks with the bobbles, which I copied from a Raveler.

This scarf is a great way to use up one ball of sockyarn.

I also started and finished a Chanson en Crochet, a cute little shawl-ette that really keeps the chill off!


I made it in Brooks Farm Riata yarn, a nice mohair/wool/silk that worked out very nice. Because I only had one ball, I had to skip several rows of pattern, but you can't even tell. I already used it last Saturday morning when it was FREEZING out the morning of my garage sale. It really kept me warm enough, with a short sleeved tee underneath, until the fog cleared midmorning and the sun came out and then we were baking!

As the Nana Slippers go, I finished 1 and 7/8 of the pair, but ran out of yarn. Grrr, I have to find the calorimetry I made in that yarn and frog it (I don't like it anyway) and then I can finish the slipper. Very frustrated with that!


As usual, I've overextended myself to the point that I can't keep up. I have promised multiple great things from this blog, but have been unable to deliver. So sorry about that. I am thinking of taking blogging hiatus, but before I do I'd like to finish up some of the promises....like the tutorial I promised long ago (it's very minimal, but I DID promise!) and finish the nana slipper pattern. So I'm gonna try to do some of these things prior to signing off!

Recycling and Whip Up

Pearl Geyser glows eerily in Yellowstone National Park.

I just found the coolest tutorial. It is non-knitting related, but still the best crafting/recycling post I've ever seen! It shows how to make fabric shades out of old cheezy miniblinds!! Go check it out at Little Green Notebook

I found that tutorial via whip-up, one of my fav blogs. I have not read any blogs in months, I feel bad about that. I have been knitting, working and spending my time on Ravelry. But this morning I decided to link to some of my chicas and see what they are up to. I have really been missing out!

(A big thank you to those who have been reading and commenting on my blog in spite of the small little world I've been living in the past couple of months!)

Anyway, here's an amazing website (in Portuguese) with gorgeous lace projects. You could spend hours scrolling her beautiful photos. I'm in love with that style of crochet lace, very reminiscent of Irish Lace, but updated with gorgeous colors! Sigh...
If I only had 300 years to make everything I want!

Finally, look at Anne's cute red & white theme she has going (love the polka dots too!)

Gotta run, or I'll be late for work.
Happy crocheting and knitting and recycling and sewing and crafting and cooking and...well, you get the picture.

Nana Memorial Slippers--a free vintage pattern

My Goompa was known for his gardening and his poetry. He was very witty, and wrote humorous poems that always made you laugh. He was even published in the Saturday Evening Post!

My Nana was known for her hospitality, her knitting, ceramics, and sense of style. She wore wonderful outfits with matching chunky jewelry (it WAS the 1970s girls), and always looked just so. There is a photo of her with my grandfather in the 1920s, a stately teenager gorgeous in her ruffle-sleeved polka-dot dress with a cloche. What a stunner...

She always knit. In fact, she kept all 8 of her grandchildren (and her children and in-laws) in slippers and mittens and hats. Throughout my childhood she knit continuously. When we would visit she always pulled a box of mittens and slippers from under the bed, and let us choose our own. She also gave them as gifts each Christmas. We never once wore store-bought mittens or slippers until we were well into adulthood, when she was too ill to knit anymore.

(In addition, she supplied her church's annual holiday bazaar and various charities with those same knitted items EVERY YEAR. She was amazing.)

Sadly, during her lifetime I crocheted, sewed, and crafted, but I did not knit. I purchased "The Principles of Knitting" in about 1995 to help me learn more of knitting. But knitting never really caught on until 2002; Nana passed away in January 2003. She never saw my knit items.

Every single stitch I create now reminds me of her. I miss her, but what a legacy she left!

My point is this: My brother mentioned that he sure misses the slippers Nana used to make, and do I know how to make them because he'd love them for a Christmas gift?! (Also, he stated he is still wearing the last pair she gave--they have to be about 15 years old at this point!)

That comment made me go stash diving into my patterns. I thought I remembered seeing a hand-written sketchy pattern for slippers from my Nana's estate.

I dove in and pulled out this:

written in her own hand! (click for better view)

I cast on eagerly: if I'm gonna make these for gifts I'd best get started! And never a better time for "reminknitting" than when the loss of loved ones is so fresh.

I thought I'd share this timeless pattern for slippers, as I have scoured Ravelry without success looking for it:

NANA SLIPPERS

size US 4 knitting needles
4 ply worsted weight yarn

CO 3 STS
K1 ROW ACROSS
K1, INC 1 ST, THEN K ACROSS; REPEAT THIS ROW UNTIL 32 STITCHES ARE ON THE NEEDLE

NOW, INC IN EVERY STITCH--64 STS.

(You can change colors here if you like)
*K2 P2* REPEAT ACROSS. REPEAT THIS ROW FOR 5 INCHES

(change back to the first color here)
K2 TOG, REPEAT THIS ACROSS THE ROW--32 STS.
DEC IN 2ND STITCH UNTIL 3 STS LEFT. BO.

SEW UP TOE & VAMP.
SEW UP VAMP FOR HEEL.

(You will fold this oddly shaped square into a triangle with the garterstitch points together. Then sew from this point down one side completely. On the other side, you will only sew together the ribbing section for a heel!)

As much as I'm a yarn snob now, I grew up in these slippers knit in acrylic yarn. They lasted through many washings and really the only thing that ever ruined them (I remember) is snagging them on a loose nail on the flooring, which ripped a hole. A testimony to how long they can last is my brother wearing his 15 year-old pair!

I hope that my posting this pattern will lead to a whole bunch of people knitting these for loved ones this Christmas--I will try to "pdf" this at some point, and get it listed on Ravelry. And, I'll be back to update this post once I get a finished slipper to photograph!!!

Happy gift knitting everyone!