Summer Knitting and Reading

"Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit, either."
~Elizabeth Zimmerman

The above quote from Elizabeth Zimmerman is so wise and true.  And sometimes the heat definitely “troubles our spirits”, doesn’t it?  This has been a HOT summer in Maryland, so there are probably a lot of troubled spirits out there who could use some restful knitting time…

Along with plenty of knitting this summer, dear husband Max and I have been doing a lot of reading.  He is currently reading a novel A Well Behaved Woman’s Life by Susan McGeown, an author who actually knits (although her books are not about knitting).  He is finding the main character very appealing and likes the way the pastor of the church that the “well behaved woman” attends uses various women from the Bible as his sermon topics.  And, I’ve been reading Susan’s novel Rules for Survival which I love.  I especially like the definition of charity versus mission.  You will have to read the book to discover what that is!  If you would like to learn more about this dear and wonderful author check out her website at: www.susanmcgeown.com/. 

What’s been on my needles recently:  a “Plump”…

Doesn’t she make you want to smile?  I’ve named her “Purple Polly Plump”.

What’s been on my students needles: the Cable Yoked Jacket.

I originally knit this jacket to wear on the trip to Charleston when my dear niece Lucy was graduating from college.  For some reason, I either did not make notes of how I made it or I lost my notes somewhere.  So, a couple of years ago when a student saw me wearing it, she wanted to make one.  She and I pieced together the pattern and now a number of my students are making it.  Here’s Virginia modeling hers: 

This is the time to start any Christmas knitting that you’re planning to do.  Getting it started now will prevent staying up all night on Christmas Eve to finish a knitted gift, saving you much anguish!  The internet is full of great patterns such as the free patterns on my blog at http://tinyurl.com/4ghnuom  .  One of the quickest projects from an earlier post  is my pattern for my “Leaf Bookmark & Necklace”:

Use as a bookmark

 

Wear as a necklace

Another great source for patterns is http://www.ravelry.com/invitations .If you are not a Ravelry member, I urge all knitters to go to the website and sign up immediately! 

As August continues to “simmer on”, find a quiet cool spot to sit and knit, read, dream, or renew your spirit.  One of my favorite places to do this is our pond that my son Chris built for us:

With cooling and calming thoughts for all my readers,

Mary

Knitters' Blessings

Recently one of my knitting students (who is a dear friend) found out that she has cancer.  So, Lynn (also a dear friend and knitting student) and I decided to ask other members of our friends's knitting class if they would be interested in knitting a joint caring/prayer shawl for her.  The response was overwhelming!

My "task" was to write up a pattern for a small square to give out to each student.

Lynn's assignment was to notify all of the knitters from past and current classes about the project.  She also did the math (thank goodness!...math is definitely not one of my strong points!) and bought the yarn we needed.
Then we distributed the yarn and the pattern to each volunteer knitter.  Soon, squares started flowing in!  Even my youngest little student knit on it and helped sew the squares together.

 
 Each time I opened my front door and found a square that had been left by one of the knitters, I experienced a Sacred Moment.  Surely each knitter was being the "Hands and Feet of God".  What a blessing to me the making of this shawl has been.  Please keep our ill friend in your prayers.

 In honor of my friend and student, I am putting up a free pattern
for the Square Directions that we gave to each knitter who was working on the shawl:

http://bit.ly/19xWtdc

 

and also the Instruction Sheet of how to put the shawl together and a bit about how we organized it.

http://bit.ly/19xWtdc

We received so many squares that the shawl was becoming too long, so I used the extra squares to make a little Cushion/Shawl Carry Bag.  Here is a picture of that:

What's Been on my Needles lately:
A nifty "Braided Scarf" from this website:
http://olgajazzzy.blogspot.com/2010/12/cable-braided-necklace.html

 I used Lustersheen yarn by Red Heart from my yarn stash.  It's a thin yarn about the thickness of lace or sock yarn.  To make it your create little "buttonholes" evenly spaced along each of the 2 strips.

 I made the evenly spaced holes about 10 rows apart instead of the 8 rows that the pattern specifies.  I'd like to say that I did that because the yarn was so thin that it looked better...but...true confession now, I "goofed" and miss-read the directions.  All of my students who are reading this will love hearing that their teacher actually made a mistake!  Right now, dear students, you can take me off any "pedestal" that you have put me on!

 Oh, and I found the perfect button for my necklace:

 And, so dear readers as I finish up this post, please remember to be aware of being God's Hands, Feet, and Mouth...then this world will flourish with Love...
Mary

My Brother, Thank you, Knit on

My dear twin brother Bill passed away in his sleep in January. I am so grateful that he went Home peacefully and is now reunited with Mom, Dad, and all those loved ones who have left this earth. I miss him. I keep asking myself, how did this happen so quickly…way too quickly for him to be gone from our lives. But, I have wonderful memories: his calling me "Si" (short for "sister") when we were little, the fun we had as teenagers playing badminton and croquet in our yard and winning the "sock hop" contest one night at youth group, the joy I felt when he was ordained as an Episcopal minister, the support and caring he always gave me, the pride I felt whenever I visited St. Thomas Church while he was here in Baltimore, hearing wonderful sermons and seeing how loved he was there, the blessedness I felt when he officiated at Max's and my wedding.

I shall be forever grateful that he had my wonderful sister-in-law and my dear niece and nephew surrounding him with love and care. When we were in first grade, the school we went to insisted that we be put into separate classrooms. But, I hated that because then I always worried about him, wondering if he was OK. ( I believe our Mom, upon hearing about my unhappiness, promptly arranged for us to be put together in the same classroom! ) When my sister-in-law married Bill, I was finally able to stop worrying about him…they took such good care of each other and I knew he was safe and happy.

Bill, you are gone too soon but I know as you said in your mealtime grace, we will "feast together in Paradise" someday.

So many of my students, Mays Chapel Methodist church members, friends and family have reached out to Max and me with sympathy, prayers, and caring. If I have neglected to thank you, I want to do so now. How I treasure each one of you…I feel comforted by all you have done.

And, in the midst of grieving, I am continuing to live my life as he would have wanted me to do, doing the things that give me joy: teaching, knitting, and growing in my faith. So, I have planned my spring semester of knitting classes. The meeting dates of the various groups are in the calendar below. If you are interested in joining one of my classes just email me at notesfromknitclass@gmail.com to get more information or to register.

And, as Elizabeth Zimmerman, the "grandmother" of knitting often said "Knit on with confidence and hope, through all crises." So here's one project that is on my needles right now: the "Finite Infinity Scarf/Cowl".

Infinity Scarves or Moebius scarves are worn by slipping over your head either once (for a longer look) or twice (for a double, up-close to your neck look).

I decided to make one that I don't have to put over my head twice for the warmer way to wear it (and thus messing up my hair!) so elected to make one where the beginning and ending edges are not joined. I put buttons at one end and buttonholes at the other end so it really isn't "infinite" but is "finite" or un-joined at the ends, but can be joined by buttoning the ends together.

Here are some pictures of the 2^nd one I've made (the third one is the one on my needles still! ). I can wear it so many ways:

And I used an easy "one row elongated stitch" called the "Veil Stitch" which makes it soft and lacy looking .

To share my joy of knitting I am making the Finite Infinity Cowl/Scarf available for free. You can download it at:

http://bit.ly/19xWtdc

 

Spring will be coming soon (the groundhog didn't see his shadow!! ) and with it new life and new opportunities. Life changes so quickly and unexpectedly, so dear blog readers, don't neglect to tell your friends and relatives how important they are to you and that you love them. The last words my brother and I said to each other were "I love you". Do it today!

Mary