My Nana Made It

Last post I was lamenting that the days of being the Nana

to babies was in the past. So, today I want to acknowledge that

having adult grandchildren is equally fine.

Last fall as the weather grew colder and Sean was hurrying

off to run track he lacked a hat. His mother said, "I have

a knitted hat that Nana made in my top drawer. All the other

winter wear is packed away."

At school Sean donned the hat. The assistant coach teased,

"You must be a man of great confidence to wear such a

colorful hat."

Sean replied, "My Nana made it."

His fellow runners added to the joshing. And the best

looking girl in the group came over to admire the hat.

And Sean once again repeated, "My Nana made it."

His mother upon hearing the hat story asked if

Sean would like Nana to make him a different hat,

perhaps, one that was less colorful.

He replied. "No! It is my signature piece."

The story always makes me smile.

Knitting Fairy Godmother

Three of my friends will become grandmothers this spring.

Can you believe it? Three!

So, I was feeling a little melancholy for the baby days.

And I decided that the only cure for the baby blues

would be to get out the needles and fly.

The pattern is called "Shrug This" by

Toni Kayser Weiner. It is a freebie.

This fairy godmother is knitting

baby sweaters by the gross. Such fun.

Graduation Day

All my current favorite sock patterns include the proviso

that one should knit x number of rows and then knit a short

row heel.

Hmm! Panic always ensues. I have tried short rows before.

I am here to tell you that result was always the same: FRUSTRATION.

So, day before yesterday I decided it was time to cut to the chase.

I spent two days watching the Youtube lady do a short row heel.

After countless hours I could accomplish this feat by knitting

along with the instructor.

Today I have graduated. I can knit a short row heel unguided.

Sassy has graduated. The party is on.

I could say: Easy, piece of cake but I would be lying.

But do give it a try. Ultimately it is fun.

Happy Spring

The orchids are in bloom.

Florida temperatures speak to summer

rather than spring.

Enjoy the new season.

YARN BOMBING: KNITTING GRAFFITI

Deemed subversive art, graffiti, sculpture,

the reclamation of sterile public space this new

art form is a worldwide phenomenon.

The revolution started when Magda Sayeg knit

a colorful cozy for the stop sign outside her clothing

store in Houston in 2005 and has grown exponentially

since then.

This concept of decorating the urban landscape has prompted

an International Yarn Bombing Day to be held on June 9th.

Check out the plethora of images on the web.

They are amazing.

Wearin' the Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Since I don't wear green the socks

were my best option for a St. Pat's post.

Cheer the the Irish!

New Knitting Book: POP KNITTING

_POP KNITTING_ By Britte-Marie Chrisoffersson

improvises color and shapes into new configurations.

The photos ignite the imagination much as the quilt we

admired in the last post did.

I have to take a hands-on look at this new offerring.

Grandmother's Flower Garden

Daughter # 2 has remained faithful to her first love... quilting.

She her garden.

Grandmother’s Flower Garden is a pattern based on the assembly of seven hexagons. One central hexagon is surrounded by six adjoining hexagons of a different pattern. The flower units are typically surrounded by a neutral color to accent the flower units.

A hexagon template was transferred to index cards, sprayed with light weight adhesive, and adhered to the fabric (saw this method demonstrated on youtube). The seam allowance was folded over on the index card. The hexagons were sewn together by hand (right sides matching) using a neutral colored thread. This method is a variation on English Paper Piecing.

http://www.patternsfromhistory.com/colonial_revival/flower_garden.htm

"If quilts have taken the country by storm, then the hexagon Flower Garden, or Grandmother's Flower Garden, or the French Rose Garden---whatever your locality calls it---well, it's a whirlwind."

"Listen in on any group of ardent quilt fans and you will hear frequent mention of this most popular pattern of the day and it is not hard to see why." ¹
Romance of the Patchwork Quilt - 1935

Barbara Brackman reports that the Grandmother's Flower Garden was the most popular pattern after 1925. She tells us, "...many women who never made another quilt finished a Grandmother's Flower Garden." ²

References:

¹ p 88 "The Romance of the Patchwork Quilt" by Carrie A. Hall & Rose G. Kretsinger

² p 169 "Clues in the Calico" by Barbara Brackman

Honeycomb Cowl Look-Alike

Knitter: Daughter #3

Model: Frances Granddaughter #2

Cowl Pattern:

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: P1, sl1 wyif

Row 3: Knit

Row 4: Sl1 wyif, P1

Knit 4 rows to begin.

Knit 3 rows to end.

Bind off.

Size 8 needle

Gauge 5 stitches to the inch.

Cast on 110 or 220 stitches.

Join taking care not to twist stitches.

12 inches wide and desired length.

An adaptation.

See original Honeycomb pattern details

on Ravelry.

Caution: This pattern is addictive.

"Love and Kisses"

I am still enchanted with fair isle.

I adapted "Love and Kisses" from a sock

pattern called "Thousand Kisses Socks"

by Josie Mercier.

I scaled up to Patons Classic Wool

and patterned with my current

favorite color--pumpkin-- to

create kisses on my faithful

beret pattern. Used a #8 needle.

Did you realize that the hat will

match the socks in the last post.

Good for you!