We Do Good Work

This afternoon I stopped at St. Vincent Hospital and dropped off the preemie hats and chemo caps that I collected over the last month.  As I got off the elevator looking for the NICU three nurses came down the hall toward me.  One asked if she could help me and I told her that I had a bag of preemie hats from the Knitting Guild to deliver.  Her eyes lit up and she said, "Oh, good.  We go through these like lightning.  I'll put them in my office."





Then I went down to the Radiation Oncology department and delivered the larger hats.  The receptionist there was almost as glad to get them as the upstairs nurse was.





Keep those needles flying and thanks.  You rock.

March Meeting

Everyone was excited about the program and the meeting started right on time.

The program was "Tabletop Techniques" and there was lots to learn.  Program chairperson Andi divided us up around three tables so we sat still and the instructors moved from group to group.

The first technique for Table C (where I sat) was Julie, with Marsha's help, teaching us the Channel Isle Cast-on which uses waste yarn and is good for making a seamless toe on toe-up socks and for making stretchy edges for ribbing.  If you think of the Long-Tail Cast-on as a kind of finger dance, the Channel Isle Cast-on is the tango of finger dances.  Julie was very patient and demonstrated over and over until everyone got it.  Thanks, Julie.  Thanks to Marsha, too.



Next at Table C Vicki taught us EZ's Sewn Bind-off.  That one reminded me a lot of Kitchener-ing a sock toe--sew through 2 stitches as if to purl and leave them on the needle, sew back through the last stitch as if to knit and pop it off the needle-- it seems like an excellent, stretchy way of binding off, fun too.  We were all such good students that Vicki had time for an impromptu lesson on weaving in ends.  That's something that I can always do better.  Thanks, Vicki.



Then Zoe appeared at Table C to teach us about Fair Isle knitting with a bit of chart reading thrown in.  She had an excellent tip for keeping your floats loose-ish (tuck the barest tip of a finger behind it when you lift the next color of yarn).  I was excited to see that we weren't only making a swatch but an actual Fair Isle headband.  Thanks, Zoe.

They were very patient with students with skills ranging from beginner to advanced who also seemed unable to knit and not talk.  ThankyouThankyouThankyou all.


After excellent snacks, we had Show & Tell.  Carol showed the sampler afghan she made for her daughter and a trio of charity hats she made from the leftover yarns.  

Vicki figured out how to make preemie hats and fingerless mitts on her sock machine.  


Barbara brought an afghan and three 1-skein projects: a cowl, a pair of fingerless mitts, and a shawlette.




Plan to come to the meeting on April 11 when Terri will teach us how to add bling (beads) to our knitting.  Pre-registration is required and there is a fee of $2.50.  You should come.

Red Sock Yarns Lives!

I was disconsolate last September when I scoured Fish Creek and couldn't find Red Sock Yarns.  They weren't in their original store in the Top of the Hill shops and they weren't in their next location behind Fred & Co. either.  The ladies in the beauty shop next door told me that they'd gone out of business.  It made me sad.  I threw away my punch card.  When I talked to my friend KS about us having coffee yesterday she told me that she's started knitting and that Red Sock Yarns is reborn.  Yay.  So we went there.  It's in a tiny little house of a shop next to the Summer Kitchen and across the road from the Red Barn on the north end of Ephriam.  I bought yarn.  (of course I did)

I picked up this sparkly skein of yarn--and couldn't put it down.  It's Kraemer Sterling Silk & Silver, superwash merina, silk, nylon, and STERLING SILVER.  Yes, children, there is a thread of silver in this and I am not putting this yarn into shoes.  NOT.  There're over 400 yards that will make a lovely little shawl, oh yeah.

I also picked up just one skein of Kraemer Perfection, which is a slightly woolier version of Plymouth Encore or Lion Brand Wool Ease, 70/30 instead of 80/20 or 75/25.  Since I enjoy knitting with the Encore and Wool Ease I thought I'd take the Perfection for a test knit.  She didn't have any variegated (we all know I'm a variegated whore) so I settled for this heathered red called Valentine.  It's nice and soft.


If you're in need of a mid-winter yarn break click the link in the first paragraph and go visit Red Sock Yarns in their new spot.  She's even got a kitchenette where you can have coffee and sit sipping and knitting with friends old and new.  You need to go.