We Love Knitting. Even though it’s August

Summer loving knitting! Yes, we do!

Ethel is thinking of knitting this cool sock from Interweave Knit

 

Meanwhile, she also thought about these:

 

 

bamboo, cotton and acrylic yarn

and she worked a little more on this project

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lois made lots of progress on her afghan.

Lois’s afghan

Rachel started something new.

Rachel’s new project

I worked on the same project.

more squares finished

But it’s not boring! The blocks go fast, and I can’t wait to start on another beautiful color of Rowan felted tweed.

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Show and Tell Knitting Mystery

Knit one, purl one, knit one, purl one….oh, hi there!

We made lots of progress in the past week.

Lois’s cable afghan

Ethel with freeform crochet WIP

Ethel was actually involved in 3 projects, this just shows one.

Rachael finished her cotton wash cloth

Today was Rachael’s birthday, and she was wearing the awesome dress that she was working on a few weeks ago. She said, to celebrate, she was going to go home and cut out another dress. Can’t wait to see what fabric and style pattern she chooses.

Tricia was tired and said she hadn’t done much on the white sparkly scarf, so I agreed to hold off on the photo of her project this time.

my alphabet afghan blocks

Lois brought a few items for “Show and Tell.” Can you guess what they are?

Lois’s Guess What? Item #1

Item #2 What is it?

Seriously, we knew the first item–a darning egg, right? But does anyone know what the second item is?

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Lovely Knitting on a Midsummer’s Night

Ethel and her new phone (and towel hanger WIP)

Great knitting meeting this week!

Tricia worked on a sparkly white scarf

Tricia took a wash cloth pattern and extended it into a scarf!

Elizabeth’s crochet components

Elizabeth worked on an afghan in what she calls “granny strips”–her version of Granny squares, except they are long strips. The new purple strip will soon have a light lavender center. She will probably edge these in black.

Lois’s afghan, two panels-at- a -time cable construction

Lois is also making an afghan, with two long center panels. It’s easier when you make the same thing, two-at-a-time, she says.

Lois likes this cable needle best so far

Martin Storey blanket

The cats interfered with my new project, a knitted blanket from the Aran and Celtic Children’s book. One block at a time, in Rowan felted tweed yarn, with intarsia alphabet letters in each block. Ethel showed me how to weave in the intarsia loops that are formed on the back. (I took a little break from the Sophie Tunic—I’ll be back…) To see Martin Storey’s Fall/Winter brochure from Rowan look at this you-tube vid here.

Rachel and cotton knit cloth

So what’s on your needles this fine summer night?

 

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Wednesday Night Extended in Time, Space, and Scope

Knitting getaway side trip: who did I find?

Tina!

Wonderful to catch up and talk about old times. What a beautiful little corner of the world she calls home now! I knew that I’d take a road trip up here some day! I keep up with her through Facebook, but it doesn’t compare to a hug and a face-to-face catching up session….and look, aren’t we color-coordinated in our orange and blue!

We took the opportunity to visit Tina’s LYS, Warm ‘n Fuzzy in Cary, NC.

Cary NC LYS Warm ‘N Fuzzy

Ashworth Village Art Shops

Our lunching spot

This beautiful old church was across the street

Luscious fibrous finds

Clockwise, from top: the blue-green-yellow is 100% merino Tweed Dragon Fly from local Echo View Fiber Mill in Weaverville, NC….the peach-brown ball is Wolle’s Yarn Creations Color Changing Cotton in Copper 2 Colorway, from nearby Virginia….the next group is by Quince&Co. Owl in Papuan color way: American alpaca/American wool, Piper in Sweetwater and Caracara:Texas Merino/Texas mohair, and Kestrel: 100% organic linen in Rosehip color way…and the blue and white fingering Phydeaux Soie merino/silk in Blue Moon. Thank you to the young lady shopkeeper who was very knowledgeable about the local yarn scene!

The next day, this scene was pandemonium with the Food Truck Rodeo “Chatham Street Chowdown” going full-tilt.

Food Truck Rally

Mini-Donuts

La Farm Truck

Baguettaboutit

Chai Tacos

Sōl Tacos

Baton Rouge Cuisine

Gussy’s Greek

Stuft

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A Needlework Moment in Time

Wednesday Night Knitting was for a fleeting moment, playing catch-up.

Lois

Lois brought more teal yarn to work on. Rachel brought nothing yarn-y but we talked genealogy.

Rachael

Ethel flew east.

Kerry

Kerry is soon flying west…

Amy brought a potential wedding dress.

wedding dress

Yes, I’m still on the Sophie tunic.

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Oh, to Knit Like My Knitting Idols #5KCBWDAY6

Day 6 of Eskimimi’s Knit and Crochet Blog Week Challenge is to write about someone you admire, and about yourself in comparison/contrast. My knitting idols are my grandmother and her sister, Auntie Marg.

Margaret and Alice about 1917

When I knew them, I didn’t think much about knitting. They became my knitting idols much later, when I thought back, in amazement, of the things they knitted. Most vivid in my memories: the sacred afghan that remained on our couch for the purpose of keeping warm, while watching TV and slipping into Dreamland. We called it the “duggy-wuggy” (I do not know the origin of that term, so it’d be no good to ask! 🙂 ). It was light green, dark green, and gray. And possibly some canary yellow in there, too. It was about 4 1/2 feet long by 2 feet wide and had fringe on both narrow ends. Thick cables coursed down the length of it. It had a fabric backing that was a dark gray-brown wool crepe, very slinky. My dad took a nap on the couch every day when he got home from work. I aspire to that, too. I’ve had couch blankets, lap quilts, throws, on the couch…but none so awesome as that duggy-wuggy!

Next memory is of the baby layette items after my daughter was born. I’m sorry to say I don’t have a single one of these left. They were so classic, and so delectable. A yellow cardigan with raglan sleeves, with a matching white and yellow Tyrolean hat with a little pompom on top (not frilly, in case she turned out to be a boy, but yellow, so she could still wear it if she was a girl). Knit-stitch booties with a satin ribbon to tie. A white ripple-effect baby blanket. A white crocheted jacket and bonnet, with a satin ribbon tie.

I can picture in my mind, the two sisters looking at each other with purposeful ambition, whenever a new baby was announced.

Auntie Marg, c. 1929

Here is my great-aunt, wearing a shawl that she undoubtedly made. Aunt Margaret never married; she lived with my grandmother in a house full of cats.

As for me, I guess my leaf didn’t fall far from the tree, but to compare with their expertise….I still have a long way to go! And I’m still searching for that plain baby cardigan and hat set pattern!

Me, Bob, and Mom

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Knit at an Angle, the Staging #5KCBWDAY3

Eskimimi Makes has some genius ideas for blogging…
At Wednesday Night Knitting, we played around with Day 3’s concept, photographing our projects in a totally different light.

Cycling with Scarf

Ethel’s scarf, staged as blowing in the wind.

(Actually, Rachel was holding it up with a long crochet needle behind-the-scenes).

behind-the-scenes view

oatmeal chocolate chip cookies on the side

Rachel ripping

Meanwhile, Rachel was busy with a seam ripper. All needlework welcome!

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A Day in the Life of Alp Wally #5KCBWDAY1

Aargh! Eskimimi Makes’ 5th Annual Knit and Crochet Blog Week has started and I didn’t realize it til I saw this post from CaityRosey! Thanks, Caity!

I’ll start with Day 1 (even tho it’s already the 3rd day) which topic is “A Day in the Life of…”

Alp Wall Hanging at the end of the hall

My name is Wally Alp. Click here if you want to see the Ravelry version of how I came to be. I hang out at the end of the hall, which you might think is a remote space, but buddy, I see a lot.

view of the empty boxes

I get to stare at a bunch of empty boxes sitting on top of a generator. Not very pretty, but sometimes the owners need to send stuff to some of their seventeen grandchildren, and they keep a stockpile of boxes right across from me. Better than a view of a parking lot, I guess!

Better view; 1937 Audubon print: Florida Jay

View on this side is much better, the Florida Jay print, drawn by John J. Audubon, and a shelf of old DVDs.

Guest Bedroom

Today the woman who lives here brought a bundle of sheets in to the guest bedroom right here, and made up the bed. Maybe a guest is coming! Who might be coming? Great grandma? The twins? That granddaughter with the wavy golden hair and the chipped front tooth? That cute young couple with the toddler who likes Curious George?

Sewing and working room

The woman who lives here comes through this door A LOT! She goes in there to sew, to get yarn and patterns, and she goes in there to help people find answers to their family history questions. She keeps the door closed to keep the cats out.

cat lying in wait

The cats see this little space below me as a waiting area, until such time as their momma comes out of the sewing room. Sometimes they have a long wait!

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We Knit in Peace!

Watching Mars Attacks while finishing up the knitting blog post. A Tim Burton movie always heightens my perspective about anything. I can only gaze in wide wonder…wow!

smug Pauly reveling in the lap of Ethel

Lois looking at Ethel’s Vikings book, an early Mother’s Day present

Ethel’s magnificent knitted scarf

Kerrie’s pedicure

Kerrie’s daughter made a rainbow loom bracelet for Ethel

New mag shows loomed robots, penguins, phone cases

Ethel and new outfit

and new glasses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the time passed quickly

 

I went back to knitting and Martian mayhem.

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A Beautiful Day for Knit and Crochet

Tomorrow is May Day, today was beautiful, and in the evening we celebrated …

trees budding

intoxicating smell of Confederate Jasmine

new growth

new tendrils reaching

lush foliage

tree in bloom

Lois was crocheting a new shawl

I was almost through with the back of the Sophie tunic

Jerilynn and Ethel pressed on with their projects

We had a pretty productive last day of April!

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