Another first ~ knitting a hat ~ plus blankets, scarves, dish cloths

A friend from my far-away church
is teaching me how to knit a hat
in a round!
*
I got a 16 inch cord, size 7 needles
and some (on clearance) Romanian wool
and I cast on 88 stitches and my
friend joined them together and knit the
first row.

I've knit more than an inch already!
It's fun that in a round I can do the garter stitch
and it turns into stockinette. :)

It's a very enjoyable knit!

I am almost done with another scarf.
Ravelry here.

Knitting a dish cloth for a friend.
I am going to have to frog a bit of it as
I made a few mistakes a row or so back...
Ravelry here.

I recently finished two baby blankets.
The story of the one above is here and
is teaching me acceptance of how things are.
Ravelry here.

This is the second one I knit.
Story here.
Raverly here.

 

I am still loving
The Hidden Art of Homemaking
by Edith Schaeffer!
*
I am reading it out of order,
since they are separate chapters on various
art and homemaking themes.
I really appreciated the chapter on Interior Decoration and
not waiting until one has their 'dream home'
to decorate and make things one's home.
Her tips on how to do things with creativity and
frugality are really wonderful
as is her section on when traveling take
a few familiar things with oneself for a sense of
continuity and how it is esp. important
for children who are traveling to have this.
*
For sure Edith would have loved the
movement in arts and crafts that we
are part of here,
knitting, crocheting and making beautiful
handmade things for our homes,
our families and for others.
*
What are you creating and reading?
Yarn Along with us!

Scarves, Squares and a book upholding relationships

Whenever Mr. Husband and I travel
I take my knitting.
This past week had a lot of travel and
I took a fun pink yarn for a scarf
and did not realize until I was not at home
that I would need another skein.
So I did what anyone would do
who did not want to waste time
and who had new yarn with her,
but not one to match the current project...
I slowly threaded the end of the yarn
through the loops to get it off the
needles that I needed for
another project.


It worked well!

So I am about half done on this scarf.
Ravelry here.
*
I finished another green square for
my September School Blanket.

I bought this green yarn and then
realized that it was a bit thinner than I wanted.
So I am doubling the yarn like I did for the
baby blankets I made.

It is going well!
I am looking forward to begin sewing this
together!

I saw this book quoted a while back
and was intrigued. 

 

So I looked it up and decided to
purchase it.
It's been a great read so far.
My view is not matter how great one's marriage is,
there is always room for growth.
Mr. Husband and I are still in our first year of marriage
and of course this means a lot of learning.
*
So I am really grateful for this book
as it is giving good food for thought and a lot of grace to our lives.
Very fitting to have a book on growth
after the beautiful time of Pentecost that we have had.
I am still loving the table cloth you see above
and love the everyday cheer that such beautiful
things can give to one's home.
*
What are you reading and crafting?
Yarn Along with us!

Blue Scarf, Learning and Reading

A new blue scarf is in the works!
This is for one of my nieces for Christmas.

It is knitting up nicely.
Ravelry here.
*
I am slowly teaching myself how to purl.
A very simple thing for most people.
Had a great discussion via my blog and FB
on what I did wrong...

I have not frogged this row back yet
but see that most likely I knitted two rows of
the knit stitch... 

Am also learning how stockinette is only flat,
as it were,
on one side of things.
*
I am reading this book on with some beautiful
patterns to inspire me to further learning!
Sometimes the beginning of things is the most
exciting and I am so glad to be
continuing on in my knitting journey :)

 

I am also reading
With Pain and Love for Contemporary Man by Elder Paisios
that is wonderful.  I wrote about this book here.
*
What are you reading and creating?
Yarn along with us!

Yarn Along~lots of Christmas Scarves and blankets...

On Monday my new needles came
and I had fun experimenting!
This was done on size 19 needles.
Made a looking nice few rows,
but was too loose for
the next baby blanket I want to make...
I am looking forward however to trying this needle
with a thicker yarn...

I started another scarf this week!
I will be doing lots of them
as I have 15 nephews and nieces!

This yarn is really fun to work with
though I find it a bit inconsistent,
as it seems to thin out at times.

I am also having fun,
surprisingly so,
at fixing things.
I got the best socks ever
from a friend and wore them so much
that they already needed to be darned.

I am also slowly fixing up a bunch of slippers
that my Oma made for us over the years
and that I have kept.

I still need to finish off my last dish cloth...

I experimented with the size 15 needles
and have decided to use these for my next
baby blanket.
I am using baby wool English Garden
for the next blanket.

And the first baby blanket is almost done!
I learned a lot while doing it
and look forward to doing another one...

I got a blue and multi-coloured
bands done and am on a pear coloured one again.

I am slowly finishing up two other scarves...
the orange one for my godson,
the green one is a Christmas gift...

 

I could not resist trying out my number 6 needles
and doing a tiny scarf :)
I am thinking it may be for a teddy bear outfit
or something like this...
*
I am still reading,
actually almost done,
with Madeleine L'Engle's
summer of the Great-Grandmother.
It's been a very engrossing read;
I read it years back but so many years ago
in my undergraduate years
and now I am about 8 years past my Master's degree in
Library Science
and dated and married Mr. Husband almost 7 months ago
so I come to her book at a very different time in
my life and find her descriptions of her family,
the many adventures, tragedies and events they
had and lived through
and of course,
noticed the words about knitting in the dark when
candles were too expensive
and making clothes out of old draperies and
ball gowns when poverty was a reality
to these intelligent, resourceful and well-educated women...
*
This week is Holy Week and Mr. Husband and I hope
to go to various services.
I am very thankful for all the prayers for my behalf
as I've still be recovering from the mono that came to me
this past February.
*
Can't wait for Pascha!
*
Won't you yarn along with us?

Sunshine, baby blanket, a Christmas Scarf and a book!

It's sunny here in NJ
where I and Mr. Husband are living!
I've had, as one of my good friends put it,
the mono
for nearly 2 months!
But yesterday I went on a short walk to the post office.
In summer long skirt and tee shirt.
And then at night I had an hour long conversation
via phone with my dear sister-friend.
I may still be tired by my heart sure is lighter!
And the baby blanket is really coming along!

I am loving the pear coloured yarn I am using for
this section!
I have officially decided that this will be a
not-worrying at all about what type of row
the blanket is.
I am loving the creativity of it! 

I am loving the sunshine that you can see on
the blanket that is streaming in from
our windows...

I also started on another scarf for a Christmas gift.
As these are just the knit stitch,
I can do them without looking and get lots done
on our rides to our far-away church.
I am quite pleased with it.
*
I mailed yesterday on my walk
the first scarf I made
and my dish cloth and towel.
Somehow that is making my knitting official!

 

I am still reading this book on St. Luke.
He was a famous surgeon in the Soviet times
who courageously refused to stop loving others and preaching
in churches during the time when Soviet
officials that were silencing many priests and bishops.
The staggering number of people who were killed during
this time is incredibly shocking and sad.
St. Luke did all of his surgeries in his cassock
(the long robe priests and bishops wear) and in front of
a Holy Icon.
His courage, patience in his suffering and
his unswerving love for others,
even when he was going hunger and without,
is a testimony to the deep and unchanging love of Christ.
I find it to be a sobering and strengthening book,
one that can inspire us during our own
times of trial and suffering.
*
It's been really wonderful to be re-reading this book;
I read Novice K. copy the first time
when I was going through a really hard time
in my life and reading about how
St. Luke suffered and was able to endure it
was very helpful to me.
*
What are you creating and reading?
Yarn along with us!