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

Summer Delights

I take a break each summer by having “summer clinics”.  Each “summer clinic” is just like the classes I give in the fall and spring but only meet once a month.  I’m giving one morning and one evening clinic this summer.  They are such fun because students from different regular classes get to meet each other and often form new friendships.  At yesterday’s clinic, Mary Lou brought her granddaughter, Meggie, to class.  A couple of summers ago I gave her some private knitting lessons and it was really special getting to see her again.  AND, she definitely remembers how to cast on, knit, and purl.  I got her started on a new project: the Plump.

Here’s a Plump that I made a couple of years ago:

 

The Plump is a free pattern on http://www.ravelry.com/invitations .  Knitters, if you don’t belong to Ravelry, go to the website immediately and sign up.  It’s “knitters heaven”! 

I always tell me students that you should start any Christmas gifts that you are going to knit very soon so you’re not up all night Christmas eve finishing up a gift!

 

Some neck warmers have been on my needles recently:

 
I am calling them my " Faith’s Gifting Neck Warmer” after my student Faith who inspired them. As you can see, they can be worn several different ways.

 
We have a new member of our family (besides our adorable grandson Charlie): a 2 year old kitty that we adopted from the animal shelter.  She is so sweet, purrs A LOT and follows me around everywhere!  We named her Lizzie but call her “Izzie” because we think that might be what little Charlie calls her ( WHEN we can understand Charlie “language”!  He now babbles away at us and we respond to him as if we understand him to encourage him…so funny! )  Izzie is mostly black with a few white spots so she’s kind of hard to see when I photograph her.  Here are a couple of pictures I’ve taken:

  

Doesn't she look like a dear kitty?

She always looks so adorable when she’s asleep!

 

Last night I saw my first lightning bugs of the summer!  I had stepped outside after dark for a few minutes and lo and behold the trees were full of these wonderful sparkling lights.  I walked out a little further into the yard where I could see the sky and saw stars also twinkling away.  I was so filled with gratitude and awe at God's creativity, that tears came to my eyes. How blessed I felt to experience that sacred moment.

What sacred moments (of wonder-?) have you had?  Try and become more aware of them...maybe even keep a list for yourself.

 What a wonderful list that would be to have when things aren't going right in your world...

 

With blessings to all of you, my dear readers,

Mary

 

Spring 2012 Creativity

We have had a beautiful spring here in Maryland and lots of things have been blooming and growing. Our yard has been gorgeous:

 

The azaleas in our front yard started blooming earlier than ever this year!

The peonies that Max transplanted from his dear Aunt Elizabeth's yard have been thriving.

 The new students in my spring classes have been learning and their projects are all growing.

 Some of my students have been making TWO of the beginner scarves:

 

Here is Diane working 
on one of her beginner scarves 
and her other scarf is on the table.

 Julie is making the red scarf for her daughter and the one she is working on in class is going to be for herself.

( I always encourage my beginner students to keep their first project.)
 

 We are babysitting our "cutie pie" grandson Charlie three days a week. When he was here recently I took pictures of his little hands and feet.

 Aren't those the cutest little feet you've ever seen? 

We have so much fun with him and are so lucky to have him living close by!

And speaking of babies’ little feet, one of the things that I have been knitting recently are some easy baby booties:

 

2 other projects that have been on my needles lately have been a Scarf and a Neck warmer made from “Changes” yarn by Red Heart.  

 

   

The yarn is really so pretty and interesting.  You can read more about Changes yarn and see what colors it comes in at

http://bit.ly/GNF7CS

 To celebrate all the great “changes” spring brings, I am giving you these 2 patterns that I have designed.  You can find them at:  
 

  http://bit.ly/19xWtdc

I now have the dates for my summer and fall classes.    
You can email me at notesfromknitclass@gmail.com to register or get more information.


 

Look around you this spring, dear friends and family, and see, feel, smell the creativity of God all around you: babies wide eyed with wonder, trees that had bare branches all winder now full of green leaves, new flowers filling our world with color and life!

Fondly, Mary