Lucky Me!

That pesky Random Number Generator finally took a shine upon me - I love to enter contests on blogs, podcasts, etc.  In fact, years ago I won some wonderful knitting needles from Major Knitter who is now a good knitting buddy.

Well, imagine my surpise when I found out I won a contest on the 2 Knit Lit Chicks podcast!  They were giving away several 3month gift subscriptions to Audible.  Now, if you haven't listened to this podcast, you should check it out.  Not only do they talk about knitting, they also talk about books.  Got to love that combination!

The format is a mother and daughter duo - Barb (mom) and Tracie (daughter).  They live in California and both are knitters - Barb more experienced of the two.  The banter back and forth is delightful, they have fun segments including a "Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down" section.  They podcast one time around Thanksgiving and my favorite line came from that - while drinking some alcoholic holiday beverage, Barb pointed out that that particular episode (if they weren't careful) could be called 2 LIT Knit Lit Chicks.  Cracked me up.

They have a strong Ravelry group too.  Go join the group as they have had contests for every 100 member signups.  Check them out and THANK YOU Barb and Tracie - now, what book should be my first download???

Also, one more lucky bit of news...my husband's niece just announced she is pregnant and due in September.  More baby knits for me!

Must Be Something in the Water

There definitely must be something in the water in our town as there are lots of teachers expecting babies.  This fall there were 3 elementary school teachers ready to pop and then late fall/early winter revealed 3 teachers in 6th grade, 1 in 5th grade, and 2 in 7th grade are expecting.  I already knit the hat and booties for one teacher who taught our daughter and was my secret Santa.

Then when I found out a teacher who has become a good friend was expecting her second child I whipped up this baby blanket.  Once I know what "flavor" she's having, I'll make a gender specific item.  The pattern is Garter Rib Baby Blanket and I used Stylecraft Luxury Merino which I got on sale at Webs - one of Steve's Deal of the day.  It's superwash and it really softened up so nicely when I blocked it. 

Another teacher I often sub for is having her second child and she knows it is a girl.  Knowing she wasn't a mom who likes pinks for baby girls (and she confirmed it when I said I'd make something and she said "please not pink"), I got this lovely teal.  I couldn't find a free pattern that rocked my world so I designed my own sweater for her.  I used a bunch of resources and knit this in one piece bottom up.  I forgot to give extra room for the button bands but I planned that it would only have two buttons at the top.

I got the cutest buttons at The Tender Button in NYC - little bunnies.  Too great!



Here's a  detail of the lace pattern on the bottom.  I repeated the yarnover section for the collar and the wristbands.   Overall, I'm happy with it.  Originally, I thought I'd write it up but I don't think anyone would really want it.  I kind of like giving a one-of-a-kind sweater to my teacher friend.



I Think Only A Knitter Would Understand

Yesterday morning I was at our church coffee hour with the kids and I was wearing my "Tube of Warmth" which I'm finding with the other capelets I've made is the perfect layer to indeed keep me warm.  The coffee hour was like a job fair for all the ministries of our church and I was helping out at the youth group table making mini-milkshake samples (our daughter called them Frosty Shots).

A woman who I have met before told me how much she liked my capelet and asked if I made it.  We then started discussing knitting and she could get back into knitting with my help.  She then told me her niece is a designer and has an online knitting magazine and she asked me if I had ever heard of Twist Collective.

Have I ever heard of Twist Collective????   Have I been living in a cave - no so I obviously HAVE heard of Twist Collective and I told her how much I lived it.  Well, her niece is Kate Gilbert.  At that point I had to hold on to the edge of the table as it was a less than six degrees of separation moment with a knitting goddess.  I think this lady knows her niece is creative but I don't think she realizes just how well known she is to the kniterrati.

Of course, when I told my kids about it they were totally non-plussed.  Maybe I need to show my fashion savvy daughter some of Kate's amazing designs, such as:  Wisteria, Cinnabar, A Cardigan for Arwen and the adorable Roo. Maybe then she'd understand why I was so excited!

Done!

Thanks to my dentist's wife I had a large commission to make her 5 capelets - one for each member of her staff and one for her.  She picked the pattern based on my Corrugated Lace Capelet which she really liked on me when I wore it to get my teeth cleaned...pays to wear your handknits.   Anyway, I ordered some Valley Yarns Berkshire and started knitting these just after New Year's Day and just yesterday I bound off the last one.  Here they are in all their glory. 

I deliver them on Thursday and she will gift them in March to her staff...I'll be sure to make her promise to get a group photo.  I'm so done with this pattern - I have it beyond memorized and don't care if I ever knit it again.

Not the Best Sport for Knitting

For years I've been knitting at our son's sports events - baseball, tennis, flag football.  For a while he pitched in baseball and that was very stressful knitting - my gauge would get all wonky as I worried about his pitching.  I even knit an entire blanket during a baseball season.  I often think of certain projects as things made during a season - like this scarf was knit the year my son's team won the town "world series".

Now he has a new sport - pole vaulting.  Yes, I knit while he vaults - there is lots of down time between his vaults as the sport gives every vaulter 3 chances at each height...kind of like baseball's 3 strikes before you are out.  When he vaults I do put my knitting down as seeing your kid hit 9 plus feet is stressful.  This photo is from when he hit a new personal best of 10'...he actually hit 10' 6" later that day.  I was not knitting at that moment - instead I was jumping up and down and cheering for him.