Catching up some old stuff...

...a few posts ago, before my long absence, I told you that I am on a yarn diet.  My purchase for Marina was to be my last purchase--my last "want" until my stash is drastically reduced.  Here is a Ravelry link for Marina.  Here is my lovely box of yarns:

Since I started the yarn diet, I have only purchased some "musts=needs":  the yarn for the Master Knitter, since I had nothing appropriate in stash, some black sock yarn for some gift socks, and some samples from Knit Picks, since my girls want machine wash-and dry yarns, and I will soon be out of my acrylic stash--I ordered one ball each of different yarns to knit swatches to wash with laundry a few times to see how they behave.

A dear friend on Ravelry lost his wife last year.  Her journey from the diagnosis to her passing took about a year, and he shared it with us in our group.  Another designer friend wanted to gift him with a Fair-Isle style sweater that she designed.  When she had completed the body, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and asked me if I could knit the sleeves.  I did a test swatch to see if I could match her gauge.  Just as I was finishing it up, to my horror, I saw that I had used a darker color in one stripe.  That's from knitting at night with poor light.
The only solution was surgery.  I picked out one stitch, unpicked the row completely so the lower part would fall off.  I did the same thing below the offending stripe.  Then I picked up the stitches, re-knit the stripe correctly and finally, grafted the lower part back on. Here it is in pictures:

 Notice the darker part on the left side of the severed strip:

 Picking up stitches to re-knit the stripe:

 Grafting--this is very loose.  The stitches were later all snugged up to the correct tension:

 Good as new--took about 1 1/2 hours all together.

Here is the whole sweater Misty Gardens:

 And a view of the special garter stitch trim.  The recipient was thrilled with it.

 Also since then, my yarn shop put me in touch with a gentleman who wanted  an Aran vest knit.  He chose cables from a library book, let me borrow a vest that fits him and this is the result:  Aran vest for Richard 
(this is a Ravelry link).

 One of my friends at knit group was excited because the fans with bobbles at the end reminded her of fireworks.

I do not know why the pictures loaded here sideways--they are in correct alignment in my file.

Have a great day, everyone.

Today's Post

Today's post is on the Garden side (Weed it and Reap).  It's kind of a corny post. ☺☺☺

Unblocked for the Moment

I figure I'd better post while I have a bit of time (It's really hot outside, keeping us indoors) and while I'm not suffering from writer's block.  Over the next few posts I expect to catch up some of what got missed in my absence.

To  support my research for the Master Knitter program, I purchased these books:

Someone posted this on Facebook, so I will share it with you:

My physician since 1976 retired, and I decided to make him a gift for the occasion.  It will be this pair of plain-jane socks in a lovely marled grey.  The second pair will have some Argyle diamonds up the side on a black field.  He is Scottish and golfs, so I thought that would be appropriate.

A local Ravelry friend is yarn bombing a new school for opening day.  I made her 40 flags shaped like pencil crayons.  Here are 20 of them.  I used double worsted acrylic scraps that I inherited or someone dumped on gifted me.  They are about 6"x 11.5".

And in keeping with the season, Goodies.

 Almost-dill pickles.

 Bread and Butter pickles.

 Cherry jam from our trees.
It's a good thing that I have a lovely new second kitchen in the cool basement--the ceramic backsplash and the floor tiles aren't done yet.

Now I'm cleaning off the beans.  And we are eating and giving away fresh corn.
 We are truly blessed.

I nearly forgot another exciting project.  This scarf is done by a technique called Illusion (or shadow)knitting.  when you look at it head-on it is simply stripes.  But approach it from an angle, and a picture appears.

The Master Hand Knitter Program

I consider myself a really good knitter.  Well, to tell the truth, an excellent knitter.  So why did I sign up for the Master Knitter program?  I came across it on Ravelry, and looked into it.  There are three levels, and one must pass the first to do the second, and so forth.  The first is very basic in its content.  You have a package of instructions, which you must follow to the letter.  The work consists of 16 swatches wherein you demonstrate your mastery of basic stitches, cast-on, cast-off, a variety of increases and decreases, and color work.  There is also a hat to submit.  The thing that intrigued me was the writing you have to do.  There is a series of questions you have to answer about the work that you did, and a report on blocking and care of hand-knits.  But you can't just answer and report from what you know--you have to research and provide references for everything. 
I'm essentially a self-taught knitter, with a repertoire of techniques that I realized (thanks to Ravelry and youtube) is quite narrow, although it has served me well.  So, in researching I hoped to expand my skills.
In the second and third levels there is some designing required.  That was really my carrot.  Designing and improving my pattern-writing skills.
Besides the Master Knitter program, there are other programs, a beginner course, a basics course, etc.  To avail yourself of any of them, you have to be a member of The Knitting Guild Association.  This membership allows you to take the programs (for a fee), and includes a quarterly, excellent knitting magazine.  Here is the link to the home page of the Knitting Guild .
I am almost finished Level 1, which I started in May.  I have one year to complete it, but if I go over the year I only have to check for updates to the program and make sure the updates are included--there is really no time limit.   When all the samples and writing are finished, the entire binder (with everything in plastic page protectors) is sent away to be assessed.  It is sent to a number of "co-chairs" for assessment--the fee for the course is to cover the postage of mailing the package around--it is a non-profit situation; the co-chairs are volunteers.  After assessment it is returned with commentary and a request to re-submit samples that don't meet expectations.  On Ravelry there is also a group dedicated to these programs.  There are members all over the world, as are people who have taken some of the programs.

It's Hard to Believe...

...that almost 6 months has passed since my last post.  I had such good intentions to keep everything up.  But at that time we were full-swing into the greenhouse season, and that endeavor is a time-sucker.   A while back I entertained the thought of discontinuing the blog, since I wasn't doing my readers (and there are still regular visitors) justice by neglecting the posting.  But when I am blogging I am also visiting other blogs (even when I'm not posting, sometimes I still pop in), so I won't likely stop.  Those of you who are still visiting could leave me a bit of a comment, then I'd know if I should continue.

Today I won't put up a long post, just enough to let you know what I'm up to--putting up garden produce and trying to keep up with the weeds.
I have 4 sweaters, a shawl and a pair of socks in progress, and have signed up for Level 1 of the Master Knitter Program.  That's a lot of work.  And on rainy days, I'm trying to finish my renos downstairs.  Next time I post, I will try to catch up what is relevant from the last 6 months, along with some pictures.

Sorry, my loyal friends.

March--OOps, APRIL Musings

We have been working hard in the greenhouse. Please pop in to my gardening/greenhouse blog to see updates on that side of my life.
On the crafterly side there is a major finished project.  The Rams and Yowes lap robe (prayer blanket) for a Ravelry friend who is battling breast cancer. 

 This week has been interrupted by the funeral of a dear friend's husband, after a 1+year battle with cancer and dementia.  And I decided to visit a chiropractor to see if I could get some relief from the hiatal hernia-related acid reflux as well as my sore legs.  While I was out for that appointment I took the opportunity to visit my knitting group at Second Cup in Sherwood Park.  After these two days, I had to really give-r to get caught up in the greenhouse.
New projects on the needles:  a Fair Isle pullover--sleeves to do, and a new design, an Aran sleeveless V-neck vest for a client. Briggs and Little Heritage yarn is one of my favorite rustic yarns.
And just for a change, I decided to test knit a lovely shawl.  Photos to follow.

Lest I forget, my youngest granddaughter is graduating this year.  She has asked me to hem her grad dress

That's all the news at the moment.  I'm wanting to start working in the yard, the sunshine is so inviting, but the greenhouse is more persuasive.
The best news of all,  the yarn for Marina is in the mail. ☺☺☺but all I will be able to do for a while is fondle it.
Happy Tartan Day (April 6).

Back in Circulation: Postage costs must be maximized!!

We have had a warm winter so far, with the exception of a blast in November.  We have had very little snow.  But my friend Murphy enforced his law again:  We start to heat the greenhouses, winter comes!!  And it did.  The other day I looked out the window and saw this:

The greenhouses are 2 sheets of plastic, inflated under pressure.  They are very smooth and fairly hard, so how did he get up there?  How will he get down?  Possibility of some serious shredding, and at almost $1000 for the plastic, never mind the labor of re-covering the greenhouse, you can understand I wasn't pleased.  Well, he's down, the greenhouse is still inflated, so no damage done.
Since the last post I have finished, and delivered Heather's Prayer Shawl:

 

I ran out of yarn for the Mossbank Pullover so I had to place an order to http://www.shetlandwoolbrokers.co.uk/epages/BT2741.sf  But since the postage is £8.90, almost $16, I had to fill the order to 1 kg to maximize the postage.

The red and grey and white is lace weight which I will ply to make miniature sock monkeys for Christmas ornaments.  The other colors are for designing some new Fair Isle Patterns. Which brings up the subject of my latest new book:

A Ravelry Friend in the States is going through treatments for Breast Cancer.  Some other friends have contributed to the cost, and I am knitting the Rams and Yowes Lap Blanket which is a Prayer Blanket.  As I was working on the border, knitted in the round, with an average of 850 stitches per round, I realized that I had started the new colors on the wrong (knit) row, and it was striping rather than blending.  So, I grudgingly eagerly  ripped it back and MADE IT RIGHT  (Mike Holmes is my hero).  On the very last color, 1 row from the end, I ran out of yarn.  That is my own fault, not the pattern.  I knew my gauge was a bit bigger than the pattern gauge, but I didn't mind, since a blanket doesn't have to fit precisely.  But I ran out of yarn.  So I was enabled forced to  put in another order and maximize postage again.  This time I ordered the last 14 shades as well as 2 colors of Laceweight.

My dear friend is going through tough times with husband's terminal health issues, and life choices such as leaving the farm, so I made her a Prayer shawl as well.

See the pretty balls of yarn in front of the china cabinet.  I love yarn for home decor.  

Will take greenhouse Pictures next week.  But we are offering some interesting plants this year.  

Yellow Geraniums , Pure black, black with yellow, and black with pink petunias.

Kubota Man just turned off the TV, so it's bedtime--actually, it's past (12:30), I have to go to the city early tomorrow to meet a gentleman who wants me to knit him an Aran sweater, then I have a funeral to attend, and will probably visit my favority LYS for a bit of consolation.  

Next time I'll tell you about my yarn diet.☺☺

Keep safe, God Bless you, and don't forget to turn your clock ahead tomorrow night (if that applies to your area)

PS  I took off the word recognition thingie, just for you, my dear friends.  Please leave me a message, at least say "HI" so I know you were here.  Pretty please!!♥♥