It’s a Boy or a Girl! Therefore, Let It Be Yellow

Right before Christmas I shopped for yarn in order to make my daughter and her husband scarves.  I’m a sucker for richly colored and textured yarns.  I’m a weaver, which explains it.  Since I no longer weave as my livelihood I occasionally am drawn to creatively express through knitting.  There was a huge bin of those discontinued yarns and colors on sale that I couldn’t resist.

There are no babies that I see in my future or anyone that I know for that matter, but still I picked up some yellow, which I thought would be perfect for a baby blanket.  That is what I’m attempting now.  I started it this week.  Perhaps it will be finished in another couple of weeks.  As Random Acts of Kindness Day was just recently celebrated, this is my random act of kindness act.  The finished product will go to whomever synchronicity or divine will dictates.  So, I hope some pregnant mother or new mother with babe in arms isn’t alarmed when I slip the finished blanket from my knitting needles and say, “Here, for you.”

On the other hand, there is always the possibility that my daughter might say, “Guess what, mom!”  If this should happen,  this will double as my random kindness piece and practice piece for many baby-knitting projects yet to come.

The pattern is really easy.  I found it here:  http://www.debbiemacomber.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=nnp&pageID=194

I also found this great opportunity, which might be of interest to any students who knit or crochet.  It was found on this site:  http://www.indigirl.com/blog/2011/02/beans-for-brains/

Five $3,000 scholarships are now available to hardworking students who can knit or crochet! Jimmy Beans Wool has teamed up with many people in the fiber arts industry to provide the Beans For Brains Scholarship for deserving knitters and crocheters! This merit-based award is for students who will be attending an accredited institution in the Fall of 2011.

You can get more information and an application by visiting the Beans For Brains Scholarship page.

Start applying today, as the deadline for submissions is April 1st! Not attending college but know someone who is or will be? Share the Beans For Brains Scholarship via Ravelry or print out a flyer for your LYS (flyers available here)! Spread the word and help the next generation of fiber artists fund their dreams of higher education!

You can also find more information about the program here: Jimmy Beans Wool.

I’m thankful my husband supports my knitting habit.

Bouquet of Fiber on a Snowy Day

24 Table Runners

I love color.  I think it started with my first box of crayons.  I particularly loved the big box of sixty-four – more colors to choose from.

Later I discovered yarn.  I could be content looking at all the rows of yarn arranged like the colors in a Crayola box in the local dime store.  Thus, texture and some knitting needles were added to the equation.

That was my childhood.  Many years later a loom took center stage.  This is now.  These pictures are from table runners I made. They are a combination of different colors, textures, and patterns into an assortment of table runners.

Weaving is slowing down though.  I still like to stay connected with fiber and have returned back to the yarns of my childhood through knitting mostly. (shown in another post)  Still, I linger back to the loom from time to time.

At one point I began Scottish plaid designs, learning a great deal in the process.

Kerr Scottish Plaid Rug

 

 

I’m thankful for all the wonderful friends I’ve met through my work with fiber.

Supporting My Habit

My husband supports my habit, and I’m thankful for that.  On Friday I went into the hobby store for yarn, just one skein, for just one knitting project.  However, the on sale bin was newly loaded with discontinued yarn, which I couldn’t resist.

My thought process was all the knitting that would take place on those cold winter days.  I didn’t have to wait long, as the snow and freezing temperatures began on Sunday night.

I didn’t wait until I got home.  I spent a good portion of the morning at Starbucks working on those handmade Christmas presents.

I’m learning cable and completed the green scarf for my son-in-law.  I also bought some bamboo knitting needles, which I discovered I love.  Although my knitting career has spanned forty-seven years, I’m still just a beginner.  I think it was fate that I was given a whole set of knitting needles complete with case when I was ten.  An experienced knitter in our town died, and for some reason I was given her tapestry case of needles.  I always was attracted to yarn, and the year before my aunt had tried to teach me to crochet.  I both knitted and crocheted simple projects throughout the years, making hats for everyone while in college.  I eventually turned to weaving which became a business.  Now, I’m back to knitting, but as a hobby.