Summer Ends, Autumn Begins

We've had lots of eventful weather this summer! 

One Sunday we came home from church to find that a HUGE branch had fallen in our front yard!

And, sadly, there have been many hurricanes all over the United States.  My nephew Parker, and his wife Ericka, were living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana during Hurricane Isaac in August.  They are expecting their first baby at the end of September, so they wisely decided to drive over to Florida to stay with my dear sister-in-law, Susan, to make sure they could get to the hospital when little baby “William” arrives.

I miss my summer clinic students already.  They were knitters after my own heart and knit all year long!  We had such fun in each clinic: laughing, talking, with lots of fun and interesting projects being worked on.

I’m eagerly looking forward to my fall classes starting in mid October.  My summer students began a group project which we will continue in the fall. 

I wrote directions to “Knitting Students Project” that I put with the project so that the students will understand what to do.  You can find those directions at:

  http://bit.ly/19xWtdc

 

Here is the link to the website where I got the idea for the Knitting Students Project:

http://www.leafcutterdesigns.com/projects/conceptknit.html

The Student Project currently looks like this:

Can you guess what the project is going to be when it’s finished? 

Even though there are still lots of green leaves on the trees here in Maryland, fall really will be coming this year!  I love to watch the leaves change colors, smell the crisp autumn air, and have the sense of new beginnings that I seem to get every fall.

What do you, dear readers, especially enjoy about autumn arriving?  

Wishing you lots of new beginnings this autumn,

Mary

Memories of Mammee and Summer Memories

My great-aunt Mammee taught me to knit when I was 8 years old.  I will be forever grateful to her.  Mammee and Poppie’s house was one of the places where I felt most loved, although I was also very loved at home.  

When she passed from this earthly life, she left her engagement ring to me in her will.   I wear it often to honor that dear person who gave me the rich gift of knitting, a gift that has helped me become the person I am now.

 A big part of the person I am today is a knitting teacher.  As I looked over pictures of past and present students to make the collage above, my heart is full of love for each student I have taught.  

 Teaching is another way that I honor Mammee.

My students have been busy this summer.

Faith finished her “Faith's Gifting Neck Warmer”:

She came to her Sunday evening knit lesson after attending a Baltimore Orioles game. Doesn’t she look cute with her Orioles “face paint”…she’s quite a fan!

 

She also finished the “Faithful Buttons Key Ring”

To celebrate the ending of summer and the beginning of fall, I am putting up the pattern that I designed for Faith to make. I am calling it the “Faithful Buttons Key Ring” 

This key ring will "faithfully" help you find your keys in your pocket or purse.

Just feel for the buttons and you’ll find your keys!

You can download the pattern at:

  http://bit.ly/19xWtdc

 And, Julie is starting an Apple Cap for a friend’s baby

 Here’s an Apple Cap that Norma finished last year so you have an idea of what Julie’s cap will look like when she’s finished her Green Apple Cap   

Mary Lou is plugging away on the “endless” sweater jacket (the fronts and backs are made at the same time so a lot of knitting goes on in the beginning of the sweater.  Luckily she’s reached the “home stretch”!

This is a picture of the sweater jacket that Mary Lou is making.  It’s a sweater that I designed several years ago.  The edging around the neck and body of the jacket can be fancy (like the one in this picture) or made with the same yarn that you knit the jacket with.  There are lots of choices.  We’ll see what Mary Lou ends up doing…

 

Summer is passing so quickly.  In fact, the first fall leaves have arrived!

I wanted more time sitting by the waterfall & pond that my landscaper son built for us. 

The water lily in the picture was gone by the next day so I'm trying to really live in each moment, to savor the "Now". 

My fall classes start in mid-October.  If you want more information about them, or to sign up,

email me at notesfromknitclass@gmail.com

 

Dear readers, is there someone in your life who has taught you how to do something that you love to do?  Have you thanked them or honored them in some way?  I’d love to hear from you about who taught you and what they taught.  Leave a comment on the blog or email me at notesfromknitclass@gmail.com .

Love, Mary