In the beginning

In the beginning, there were leaves.

In the middle, there were weeds.

Why, oh why, do weeds grow so fast? (I must admit, though, that many so-called weeds are lovely and actually should be given the grace of being called wildflowers.) Dandelions are hard to pick though, with their short stems. But how many Moms have delighted in receiving a bouquet of these almost-impossible-to-put-in-a-vase flowers from a beaming child with grubby hands!?! These harbingers of spring and a long season of mowing the grass are offset by their polka-dot beading of the grass...be it a brown or green background!

(Later on, those dandelions will bring back the joy of blowing on the seed heads and watching them dance in the breeze. No pictures of that, yet...)

Finally, there is the first daffodils of spring..and the prayer that their early arrival will not be marred by a late frost.

There's another completed acrylic hat, too!

I'll be making many more of this pattern in as many various color combinations as my "partial-ball" stash dictates!

Looking back #4: Newberry progress and secret progress

[These Newberry award books were read back in December of 2010 when I was working on a secret project that may (or may not) be revealed in 2011.]

In between reading about a young boy during the Civil War in the midwest, a young Indian girl surviving alone on an island off the California coast in 1800's, a young apprentice coppersmith in China during the early 1900's, another young girl skating through NYC in late 1890's, a  fantastical island with a Restaurant Government, an Appalachian pole sitter caught between dreams and reality, and  a mouse family befriended by a wise owl and an amazing community of rats, I played around with some cotton yarn and a Lion Brand pattern. I may (or may not) knit a number of these as gifts.

The beginning of Christmas 2011?

Looking back #3: More Mamama

(This is another of the planned but never finished  2010 posts.)

As I have previously written, my Mom (Mamama) was a needlecraft nut! While cleaning out yet another box from the back of the closet, I found yet another plastic canvas project that she had started. Some of these sidewalk Santas had been completed, some were partially completed, and some just had their shape cut. I took a break from knitting before Christmas, and completed enough Santas-by-the-Chimney to give to my grandsons and a few friends. In this picture,they are being guarded by Belle, a sweet companion who has been living with me temporarily for over 3 years..

Merry Christmas!

Knitting for Babies

Our local Knitting Guild is starting its New Year with wonderful new officers, new programs, and a new charity that involves knitting for babies. For our February meeting, we were encouraged to knit a simple cap. Directions for a ribbed cap were included in our newsletter. I used Simply Soft  Light Country Blue #9913 with size 7 needles.

(The model is my daughter's porcelain doll, made especially for her by a parishioner many years ago. Both are still beautiful.)

It is so-o-o-o wonderfully soft and stretchy enough to grow with a baby.With my partially used 7oz skein, I was able to complete two caps, and could probably produce a third and maybe even a fourth, if the skein had been full.

I look forward to more baby knitting and using up my stash!