Thanks Giving

Last Christmas Rachael and I tackled this "project" for my knitting room. She posed for her picture, took my picture then helped me crop and color things in photoshop. We painted the verse on the wall, mounted our photos onto canvas and hung them with the scarf i had knitted to connect the two .... and now, when i sit in my rocking chair tucked into the corner of my room, i see that precious verse and continue to whisper that prayer that the Lord has been hearing from me for the past 27 years!

My children mean the world to me and daily i thank the Lord for such a precious gift. Their choices aren't always mine but God continues to remind me that He is Faithful and will forever hold them in the palm of His hand because they have all given their hearts to Him at an earlier age! Watching them grow and leave the house to find their way, under His leadership, is what we dream of as parents..... hearing the cardoor slam as they return Home to visit is this Mom's music! Bo is home, watching HD Football and eating (he swears this is Heaven on earth right now!) and Rach got in last night. And before we could even get things unloaded she was asking if i was ready to show her how to knit! .... i tried to act like i didn't have time, but PLEASE!!! this has only been something i've longed for for.... EVER maybe?? :)

i had shown her the basic knit stitch several years ago, but life and friends and school pulled her attention elsewhere and it was tucked back in a far corner. However, once she picked up the needles the motion returned, and she was off and knitting with a simple little nudge of encouragement. After a few rows i asked, rather meekly, if she was interested in learning to purl .. .ABSOLUTELY! and she was off again! it didn't take too long for her to decide that she was Ready for her 1st project .. .and it couldn't be 'just plain, straight knitting'!!!

i pulled a copy of 101 Luxury Yarn One-Skein Wonders off the shelf and she opted for a lace scarf pattern (gotta love those precious over-achievers who aren't fearful enough to know they should actually think it might be too hard!)

yes, at this moment in time my heart it happy. no, actually my heart is skipping and giggling and thankful for a precious moment with my daughter. to look over and see Bo, all stretched out on the sofa, breathing deeply (aka snoring) makes me smile. to then glance over and see her sitting beside me on the sofa, reading a pattern and being able to find her mistakes and to see the smile when she completes a row and then to observe that her shoulders are NOT up under her ears ... that she is smiling while she's knitting ...

so much to be thankful for .... NOW ... when she visits my stash, we may just have to talk! :)

Sharing a Hug

Reagan's head hug!
Originally uploaded by KeepingKnitSimple50

When was the last time you opened your arms and extended a hug to someone in need? Did they walk right in .... sink close into your embrace and together you both understood all those things that words can't express.

Have you ever thought that your knitting was often a hug as well? We have a special student in our choir class who is battling a return of an earlier childhood leukemia ... chemo has left him with a bare head for the time being and the students in our choir have banded together for a Hat Party for him. They brought hats and more hats to class on Friday ... some brought stocking caps, some brought fedoras, beanies, reindeer antlers, baseball caps .. you name, they brought. and when all was said and done a box FULL of hugs are on their way to this precious child who is now waiting a bone marrow transplant so he can return to class.

i found some cashmere in my stash that was just waiting for this hug! Knit Simple, Winter 08, had several awesome options to consider and within a few hours a hug and a prayer was knit into this cap and hopefully soon onto his precious head, serving as a reminder that our hands are always extensions of God's grace and love and mercy ....

our yarn .. His Hugs!

Do you hear what I hear?

rachael's scarf
Originally uploaded by KeepingKnitSimple50

have you ever held your yarn and just simply KNEW what you had to knit with it? the pattern, the texture, the colors dictated and inspired, and at times even SCREAMED just how it should be knit?

well, i recently found that to be true when Rachael picked this skein of yarn to compliment a new coat for this winter. i tried a seed stitch and actually had a nice little scarf unfolding but the results just weren't the "IT" i had hoped for ... and then i saw IT in my mind ... the tassels, the deep rib stitch ..... and after several attempts and rip outs and do-overs i finally found IT .... and it has been flying off the needles - - and i'm LOVING it !!!!!

i finally decided on 17 stitches. and did i mention that i tackled 'fringe' for the first time! I cast on 1 stitch, pulled out 18" for fringe and attached that back, cast on another stitch and pulled out another 18" for fringe and followed that same procedure until i had 16 fringes and 17 stitches loaded.

I purled back the entire row by purling 2 together (one cast on and one fringe loop) and then ending with a single purl stitch.

Now time for the scarf pattern:

Knit 2, *K 1 in the stitch BELOW, purl 1*, repeat * *to last 3 stitches, K 1 in stitch BELOW, end with Knit 2.
Knit 2, *purl 1, K 1 in the stitch BELOW*, repeat ** to last 3 stitches, purl 1, end with Knit 2.

Follow this pattern to desired length and then end with a full Purl Row.

End with a Knit 1, add fringe, Knit 1, add fringe, etc. ending with a Knit 1. Bind off by k2tog, (K1 plus fringe loop), k2tog, pass 1st stitch over 2nd. Continue binding off in the manner until you have 1 stitch remaining. Cut yarn and pull through to end your scarf. Weave loose ends. Rachael's scarf is going to need almost 2 skeins. (One thing i actually remembered to do was to measure out how much yarn i would need to finish the scarf - ie, how much would it take to do the fringe row. i measured that much off from the outside of the skein of yarn and wrapped it up as a 'reserve', then continued knitting by pulling from the middle of the skein)

To make fringe, i measured 18" of yarn and folded it back up towards the needle. I then squeezed this end on the needle and grabbed the long loop and twisted it 20 times. This resulted in the yarn twisting up on itself. I slipped the end loop onto the needle and did another cast on ... I'm sure there are probably better explanations but i found that this worked for me and after trying to 'eyeball' things i found an envelope that served as the perfect template for measuring the loop each time.

Listening to my yarn has been so much fun ....hearing the comments that others have made when they see it has helped to confirm that it really does pay to be still and listen. No need to be afraid of the quiet ... sometimes the silence screams loud enough for us all to hear!