Knitting for the family

Every year, I stress my self out trying to knit or crochet something special for the members of my extended family.  I really believe Christmas is for the kids. The little ones are the ones I try to focus on.

My nieces and nephews are all grown up now.  My step kids are too.  My granddaughter, Ariel, turns 14 today.  WOW!  That doesn't seem possible.  My niece, Tricia, has 2 little girls; Nevaeh and Revan.  I'm crocheting slippers for them right now.

I made Ariel some special socks, 1 pair just because, and 1 for her birthday.  I'm working for a pair of socks for Tammy (my step daughter), for Christmas.  I will also try to get a pair of socks made for Tammy's partner Rickie.

I also knit hats on my knitting looms, which I send to Children's Hospital in Little Rock.  I really love sending hats of all sizes.  All those sick little ones need a nice warm hat.  A good hat in cold weather makes everyone feel better.

I knitted several hats and a scarf before I went to PA this month.... I recently finished a huge crocheted afghan, Mandala Madness, which I am keeping for myself.  I rarely keep anything I make, I like giving my handmade items to people I love.

Mandala Madness

I track most of my projects with Ravelry.  My username is PennyTeem.  You can check out what I'm working on, if you're interested.

I am still weaving dishtowels with the pattern Ariel used over the summer.  I finished and passed out 4 all ready.  I have 4 more on the loom, and will probably have enough warp for 3 more.

Ariel weaving on a jack loom for the first time

I knitted/crocheted Nevaeh & Revan some stuffed animals earlier in the year.  They really love them. Revan will not sleep without her giraffe.

Nevaeh's hippo

Revan's giraffe

Another beautiful Sunday

Fall seems to be one hold once again.  Sure, the leaves are falling but temperatures are back in the mid 80's.  Dang, I put my sweet tea pitcher away already....

Life has been pretty low key lately.  John and Josh did some heavy duty yard clean-up with the tractor.  They moved the band saw mill and relocated the log pile.  They dug a bit deeper in the rain "relief" pit.  And they put a door on the greenhouse.  Now, I need to get to work on the inside.

I've been spinning and weaving and crocheting.  Here's my current weaving project.

Ariel's first ever weaving with 2 shuttles

Making me proud! She's only 13!

Friends Chevelle & Christa come to visit & weave.

I showed my granddaughter Ariel how to use the warping board, and she wound a 5-yard warp.  I had given her rather specific instructions on how to tie it to prevent tangles.  She isn't very attentive, so her warp twisted itself into a huge tangled mess.  So she had to wind another warp.  This warp made it over to the loom in good condition.  While sleying the reed & threading the heddles, she again lost focus.  So she had threads all crossed, out of order or broken off.  That warp also went into the burn box.  Warp number 3 actually made it onto the loom.  We got it wound on without too difficulty, and she started weaving.

Look mom! She's weaving!

She wove a dish towel for her mom before the summer visit ended.  So, I took over weaving.  I finished 3 & got them cut off the loom and hemmed.  I sent one to her other grandmother, Margaret.  And I sent one to my mom, Ariel's great grandmother.  I have several more to finish.  There are 3 wound onto the cloth beam at the moment.

My current crochet project is coming along well.  I've been working on a "crochet along" project, Mandala Madness.  My cousin's wife, Maggie, made a Facebook post about it. So I decided to do it too.  It's coming along very well.  I'm almost finished.  I post my projects on Ravelry; user name is PennyTeem.
PennyTeem

Teaching

When  I was 9, my great-aunt Jean Cragle taught me how to crochet and knit.  Why did she do this?  She was tired of me chasing her chickens!  She told me I needed to learn to do something constructive.  I wonder if she had any idea how important those 2 skills would be in my life.

I crocheted doilies while riding on the school bus.  I made rugs, bags, blankets, scarves, hats.  I didn't knit as well as I crocheted, so I let it lapse for a few years.
 


By the mid-1980's I got bored with crochet.  I decided I wanted to knit a sweater.  I was stationed in Japan at the time (US Navy 1979-1992).  I think it was 1986...  anyway, I went to a local department store and got a Vogue Knitting magazine.  I picked out a pattern, got some yarn and the needles required.  And I went home and started knitting.   Man, I had a lot to learn.



Knitting patterns aren't held to any standard.  Some are very well written.  And some must be written my aliens.  Aliens because I can't understand them - even after knitting for these past 27 years.

I love teaching people, sharing my skills and passing on what I know to another generation of artists.  My aunt shared that gift with me & I want to pass that love along.  I wish I had a photo from those days, but I don't.  Oh well.  I have the memory, and that's what counts.

When I lived in Washington State, I was lucky enough to find a wonderful community of knitters, spinners and weavers.  I met some wonderful people and had many wonderful adventures with them.  I traveled to some places I never imagined I'd visit on our "spinning adventures".  Imagine a car full of women laughing, knitting and sharing their thoughts and dreams.  Emphasis on the laughing.  That's what it was like.  I miss those ladies!  Northwest Regional Spinners Association (NwRSA)2015 is a great organization.  They meet monthly in Bellingham, WA.  Locations vary.  They have a Facebook page.Spindrifters-Area-2015-nwrsa  Northwest Regional Spinners Association

I met the Skagit Valley Weavers when I moved to Mount Vernon in 1989.  Wonderful ladies.  Many of them went on to join the NwRSA, as I did. Skagit Valley Weaver's Guild

I wasn't always as active with the Weavers as I had been, but I enjoyed meeting with them.  I learned about the State Fair system through them.  I helped man their exhibits at the Fair in Mount Vernon.  That was always fun.

NwRSA loom at the Highland Games in Mt Vernon, WA

 I made some wonderful friends through the NwRSA.  I learned the most from Billie Eby, Margaret Magic, Nancy Bjerke, Debra Lacy, Linda Smuzer and Terri Larkin.  Talk about talented women.  Tiny Stratton and Jean Molinari were mentors to me.  Jean Nelson took me under her wing.  Jean Lehman and Anna Mae Kindaid did as well.  (Sounds like I only knew ladies named Jean.. maybe it's because that was my aunt's name....)  Anyway....  The ladies I met through the fiber organizations will forever be part of my life.  And I thank all of them.

Anyway, I also went through a course to get certified to judge entries at the State Fairs.  I met more wonderful people doing that!  And the quality of the workmanship (or should I say workwomanship?) was amazing.  I was truly honored to be involved in the State Fair program.

I also taught some of the kids at the local school.  If you want a challenge, try teaching 10-year old boys how to knit in one 45 minute session.  HAH!

I was fortunate enough to be able to share my skills, and offered  classes through Knot Just Yarn in Burlington, WA.  My friend Becky Sumners owns that store.  She's a great lady.  Her store is wonderful!  If you ever  get a chance to visit, be sure to stop in.  It's worth the trip.  Knot Just Yarn is also on Facebook.  Check them out. Knot Just Yarn

I also got to teach through Northwest Handspun Yarns.  My friend Nancy Bjerke owned the store at that time.  She was located in a little shop in Bellingham, WA.  Her shop expanded into a wonderful location.  I had since moved to Georgia and then on to Arkansas, so I haven't visited the new store.  Nancy has since sold her shop to Meg Jobe, and it's still in beautiful Bellingham.  It's a wonderful store.  The staff is excellent.  I spent many wonderful hours at the shop in the early 2000's.  Nw Handspun Yarn is on Facebook.  Nw Handspun Yarns


Since I moved to Arkansas, I haven't connected with many fiber artists.  My good friends Gena Stout and Erika Schindler are yarn addicts.  But I haven't found a place to share my obsessions with others.  But I may have found one now.  My friend Vicki Huskey-Mann  has decided to offer classes at her store Sugar Creek Goods.  We've only had 1 class so far.  It went well, lots of laughs.  Check Vicki out on Facebook.  Sugar Creek Goods

My husband and stepson have reconditioned some spinning wheels that we're selling.  I haven't found a buyer yet.  If Vicki's spinning class gets going, I may find a taker yet.  John and Josh fixed the wheels, I cleaned them up.  They all spin well. 

Anyone interested in a wheel???

Scandinavian style wheel

Saxony style wheel

Parlor style wheel with ivory accents