One Less Knitter

Mayme J. Olson was buried last Friday.  She didn't write patterns, or create new and innovative ways to increase or decrease. . .she just knit.  She made hundreds of pairs of mittens. . .maybe thousands.  None were fancy, and most were made out of Red Heart acrylic yarn.  She actually scorned wool (I know--who could think it?).  Each of her grandchildren were blessed with at least a granny square afghan made from scraps of yarn left from the mittens, and many received a "good" afghan made in a ripple stitch pattern in the colors of their choice.

She taught me to knit and crochet, and though I didn't enjoy the knitting, I do remember her chastising me to "stop knitting on the tips" so that my stitches would be loose enough to be knit into on the next row--they never were.  When I last saw her, she was proud to tell her friends that she had taught me to knit, although she didn't actually remember who I was. . .her memory and mind were failing her, but still, she was knitting a scarf for the needy.  Her hands remembered what to do, and her kindness continued to reach out to others.


As funeral arrangements were planned, no one knew where to direct memorial donations. . .but no one asked me.  I know what Mae would have appreciated.  Teach someone to knit. . .and if you feel moved, knit a pair of mittens, or a hat or scarf. . .and donate them in the memory of my grandma to someone needy.  And use Red Heart, that's what Grandma would have liked. 

Construction Begins

The weekend was spent moving things from the basement to the garage and from the bedroom to the attic in an attempt to clear things for a major basement remodel. In 6-7 weeks (or so I'm promised) an old, partially finished basement will become a highly efficient, eco friendly living space complete with bathroom and steam shower! I cannot express how excited I am for the change. We began the remodel project by getting quotes more than a year ago. . .and then had the driveway re-paved and a privacy fence installed. . .and adopted a puppy. . .our focus has been scattered to say the least. Finally, this morning construction began. I left a basement that looked like this:



And came home to a basement that looked like this:

It's going to be a long month or two.

In the midst of the chaos this weekend, I was able to sneak in some knitting time. Some at the cables class I taught at PK Knit Yarn Over, the new yarn store in Clawson, and some while I was watching the school play this weekend. God bless being able to knit without looking! I finished most of the foot to this sock while watching a HS production (and very good, I might add) of "The Crucible". The sock will be a sample for the class I'll be teaching in April, if you know of someone in need of instruction on double point needles. Loved the yarn--I used Raggi, and size 4 needles. All adds up to a quick knit!

Looking for Prizes?

And maybe a blogger who posts more often? Join Suzanne and leave a comment for a give away. . .lots of good prizes to be had there. I'm slogging away at the applied i-cord edging of my graduation afghan. . .and watching the closing ceremonies for the Olympic Games! You can find Suzanne here. . .

A Curious Thing

The internet has made such changes in our lives, it's hard to remember how we actually functioned prior to it being a household staple. I have boxes of books that were kept as reference books, but have been packed away for the past 18 months in hopes of home repairs happening. Now that they are about to start, I'm realizing that I can probably just donate the books and never really miss them. Any research I'll be interested in can just as easily be done on the internet or at the public (or school) library. Can't I just release my belongings and gain a little bit of space in my home? We'll see how much I've been influenced by my family and how much I can actually let go of.

Some research I've done lately has been to look up people I was once friends with. . .due to a variety of circumstances we've drifted apart, and I have no real desire to strike up a friendship with many of them, but I'm interested none-the-less. I found a college roommate has divorced, remarried and apparently has two children and is now a SAHM. . .another is struggling with weight loss. . .another had a significant weight loss and is now married. . .and yet another has done some amazing freelance print designs for companies like Coach. . .While I enjoy finding out what former friends are up to, I find it somewhat creepy that I can learn so much without actually contacting them to let them know I'm looking. I find it a curious thing to be able to be curious. . .and stealth. Google yourself. . .see what you can find out about YOU. . .and then change your security settings.

Challenging

Really? a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. Editing my posts suddenly became a HUGE Challenge with this new background. . .what was I thinking? Now I have a whole new learning curve to deal with.

Indecision Abounds

Chelsea Fleece Fair tomorrow? Not sure.

No Casting on for Lent? Not sure. . .but I cast on a new hat today just to see how I felt about it. . .no guilt here!

Craptastic Acrylic

I cannot complain enough about how hard acrylic yarn is on my hands! Even so, here is the Moderne Baby Blanket--upsized for a teen aged boy. All it needs is a few ends woven in and an applied I cord edging and I can call it done.



Here too is the completed gray afghan started at the beginning of the Olympics. You'll find me with a darning needle in hand tomorrow attempting to finish these both!