In the St. Nick of time . . .

Phew,
I finished my hat, went upstairs, wrapped it in tissue paper with the infinity loop, placed it in a gift bag and the door bell rang! Time to exchange gifts!! Talk about timing!

So now my knitting bag is only holding a pair of fingerless gloves that just need to be bound off and the Romance Ruffle-Collar Shell I started in October. But that only need to have the two fronts tacked down and then it's done.

That leaves me with  . . . the beginning of a new year and the beginning of a new project! 

I'm not sure what I'll start. I have some Harlequin by Dale of Norway in a nice green tweed. I could be a good wife and make a sweater for my husband . . . but the pattern he has picked out is plain stockinette stitch. Ugh, boring. I know, I know, if that is what he wants . . . 

I also have some peach Extra Soft Merino by Geifra . . . some Royal Llama Silk by Plymouth Yarns . . . I guess I'll go through my patterns. Maybe start the boring sweater and then start something more complicated to keep me entertained . . . maybe sneak a few cables into the boring sweater . . . 

I'll let you know what I decide.

Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

Talk About Last Minute . . .

Starry Night Hat by Vibeke Langerud
 - a free pattern on Ravelry!

I've done it . . . I've done what I say every year I will not do!
I started a scarf and hat last week. At least I was somewhat smart enough to use bulky yarn - so the scarf is done. It's a simple infinity loop done in seed stitch.

Here's the hat . . . if I go home and hide upstairs in my bedroom, I can get the last 10 rows done  . . . then quickly wrap it before the recipient arrives at the house! (Can't I??)

Happy Holidays to you and yours!!

Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

From the Library's Shelves . . .

Come in and browse through them.
If it's cold, we'll light the fire for you!

Tucked in a corner of the library right next to the circulation desk, is a book case filled with hand-picked favorites of the staff.  (Hence the catchy and original name of the collection, "Staff Favorites".) 

We put the name of whoever recommended the book on the spine so that if you read it and enjoy it, you can choose other titles selected by that person. It's a great place to find some hidden jewels. 

Of all the titles I have recommended, one of my favorites is an unobtrusive little book (4 1/2"x 6 1/2' to be exact!), called Things I Learned From Knitting  . . . Whether I Wanted to or Not by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. It's on my Kindle. If you have never read any of her work, start with this book. She lists 45 things knitting has taught her. You'll read them and chuckle, smile and think "Oh, me too". I'll say no more - other than "check it out". 

Click here to place a hold

Stephanie also writes a blog under the name Yarn Harlot. Try reading it (after you read mine of course!!)

Until the next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

Monday Night Knitting Group

Another great night of knitting!!

I wonder which cutie is
 getting the pink one?

 Peggy has made 52 of these tree ornaments!! She is giving them to each of her kindergarten friends, her grandchildren and I think even her friends' grandchildren . . . complete with an initial!

A great recycling story!

 Susan had the perfect pattern but couldn't find the yarn she wanted . . . 
but she had this sweater  . . . 
but didn't like the style . . . 

so guess what she did? YES, she unraveled  the sweater and she is using the yarn for the pattern she likes!

I'm not really this bad of a photographer . . .
Neither of them would let me put their face
 in the picture.

Lindsay is making face cloths and she is going to add a nice bar of soap . . . what a great gift idea. She is using a really soft cotton and small needles . . .  I can almost feel it on my cheek!


Beth is working on an afghan that will be a gift for a friend.

I can't wait to see the completed project!

Suzanne is smiling since she finished all the squares for her Noro afghan. All that is left is to knit them together!!












Pat is almost done with her Christmas stocking. Do you think she'll finish it for this year?














Martha is making socks in a gorgeous color.

I think it goes great with the
turtleneck she has on!

Katherine is picking up stitches along the edge of her cardigan. 

The gray one is my favorite.

 Mary has made these cute sweater vests . . . and found the perfect shirts to go with them.










It's such a great group. Join us - next month we will meet on the fourth Monday (January 27th) due to the Martin Luther King Holiday. 

The library is also having a knitting marathon on Saturday, December 21st. Come in, knit and watch Christmas movies all day!

Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

Monday Night Knitting Group

Mine might not look this pretty.

Don't forget . . . 
Monday, December 16th is the third Monday of the month. 

That means it's knitting night at the library! Bring your work in progress along with anything you have finished. We love to see completed projects! Bring a friend, bring someone who would like to learn to knit, bring your coffee or tea . . . 

                                               I will bring something sweet for all my knitting 
                                               friends!

Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

You Know You're A Knitter When . . .

Are you still thinking about how knitting fits into your life? For many people knitting starts out as a hobby. A great way to make a scarf to match your new coat, a sweater for your daughter's American Girl Doll or Bella Gloves for your Twilight fan. These are 'people who knit'. For others it's a little bit more . . . these are 'knitters'.

If you're not sure which group you are in, well, here's a few clues. You know you're a knitter . . . 

. . . when you start to plan your vacations around the locations of knitting shops. 

. . . when you see a scarf in Macy's that you like and you not only think "I can make that", but you stop and count how many stitches there are and start to write down the pattern on a scrap of paper. 

. . . when you don't see a problem in having 3 or 4 pairs of the same needle size because you know someday you could have a different project going on each of them.

. . . when you would give a stranger from the subway station a cashmere cabled sweater instead of a cherished family member "who will just throw it on the floor".

. . . when you fall in love with a beautiful hand-painted colorway, purchase the yarn, knit the sweater and then buy the outfit to go with it. 

. . . when you leave baskets of yarn out "just so you can look at them".

. . . when you go on Ravelry "for a few minutes" and then realize the sun has set and people are wondering where dinner is.

 Hmm . . . when did you realize you were a knitter? Let me know.

Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

Life Advice from Pinterest

I saw a Pinterest quote the other day - 
"I start the day with coffee and end the day with wine." 


I adapted it a little - 

" I start the day with coffee and my knitting, and depending how it goes, I end the day with wine and my knitting." 

Go ahead, try it. I really recommend it.  

Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.

"Getting Through the Day . . . One Stitch at a Time" (Pinterest)

I've been reading Knitting Yarns and enjoying it!! It has made me stop and think (always a dangerous repercussion!). If someone asked me what knitting means to me, I'm not sure how I would respond.

My family has always been doing 'crafts' for as long as I can remember. My grandmother was always crocheting or doing crewel, my father had skill saws in the attic that created desks for my sister and I along with grandmother clocks that still chime on the hour in the homes where they rest. There were cousins doing macrame and there were aunts that were always knitting. These same aunts were always supportive to any of their nieces that asked to be taught to knit. (I quickly noticed that if you were learning to knit you were excused from the dishes so you could "practice and learn". Needless to say I asked to be taught!). One by one we were all taught during summer afternoons and evenings at their Mattapoisett beach house.

As I grew older I don't remember knitting as much. (Probably when my aunts finally caught on and I was recruited for KP duty again!). My mother is also a knitter so if I ever wanted a sweater I simply had to 'place an order'. I had a Lopi with a hood, Fair Isles in hand picked colors of sherbert, Penny Strakers, sweaters with boats, shells and cows. (Why would I ever have wanted to wear cows on my body? What was I thinking?!) I was just too busy blow drying my hair straight and talking on the phone with my girlfriends (from inside the closet) to find time to knit.

One year my mother made
 matching Beatrix Potter
sweaters and hats.

It wasn't until I had my kids that I began knitting again. (Although my mother made countless sweaters for my kids!) I was a stay at home mom and when strangers commented on their hand-knit sweaters (knit by my mother), I thought I could create a little cottage industry.  I did my share of craft shows and sold a few sweaters, hats and doll sweaters. It didn't take long to realize that not only was I not going to get rich, I would be lucky to make enough for pizza! 

Another year there were
 sweaters in matching
patterns but different colors.

My local yarn store owner then asked me if I would be interested in  teaching classes at the shop.  I soon found myself teaching beginner's knitting every other Friday night. Suddenly I found something that I was good at - or at least my group brainwashed me into thinking it. I loved passing the craft on to others and I was blessed to meet some remarkable women, many of them dealing with 'life'. As my kids grew older it became to hard to teach . . . there were softball and hockey games, band concerts, and only so many hours in a day.

Through all those years there were also doctors appointments, arguments, hospital visits, late nights waiting for new drivers to come home, and all those other big and little things that life throws at us. There were also complicated cable patterns, intarsia sweaters, scarves and mittens and felted hats.  Somehow the rhythmic clicking of my needles helped get me through it all. After a few rows, most problems seem a little smaller and some just go away. 

So what does knitting mean to me? I guess it's a way to escape the dishes and reality, it's a bond between myself, my mother and my aunts, it's a way to make friends and perhaps if I am lucky  - to be able to make a difference in one of their lives, it's a way to give a little love and it's a way to receive a little love, it's a way to keep my brain active.

Oh yeah, and sweaters. It's the best way to get a sweater that will fit me perfectly that no one else on the street will have.

Until the next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.       .

From the Library's Shelves

Did I get you interested in yarn bombing? Are you thinking of all the places you could leave a little 'piece of art'? Go ahead, find some acrylic yarn and create a little something to make someone smile. 

 
If you need some ideas, check out this book from our collection. I'm sure you'll be inspired.

I'll be on the look-out. If I see your knitted creation, I'll add to it. Hmm . . . maybe we can start something big!


 click here to place a hold







Until next time , keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.