Arm Knitting

Hey all!

I'm sure some of you have been wondering if I am still in my hibernation den. Well, last week Wednesday when it was 12° F first thing in the morning, I was sorely tempted to stay until it turned 70!  Here is how my sweet yet bored chili peppers are choosing to wait for spring.

Yep! Swinging with snowpants and boots on. It works : )

Thankfully in the past 3 days some of that snow has melted. 

I did finally get my daughter's afghan done. It took a month which wasn't bad, except I had a major faux pas! All the skeins did not have the same dye lot. I had to pull out lots of rows after finding a closer dye lot match, adding another month to the project.

Yeah...lesson learned. 

It's not quite this bright but I couldn't get more accurate lighting.

I did play with floss for a bit as I just wanted a quick stitch.

My favorite designer - Sampler Girl

Primitive Valentine Cupboard Sampler

DMC threads according to chart with a couple of substitutions

28 ct. antique ivory hand dyed by me with black walnuts

I have a cute piece of patchwork scrap that I am going to use for the back and some lavender to fill.

I found a new fun way to knit. Arm Knitting! Have any of you tried that yet?

I was visiting a yarn shop an hour from my house and saw a really cool cowl that intrigued me. The saleslady said it was done by arm knitting. She said they had classes but I could just look it up on YouTube. So I bought a very pricey skein of thready yarn and set off for home to check it out online. I really like the Maggie Wheldon ones, but there are many others also good.

Because of the price, I could only buy one skein and it just made a single cowl.

But that works great for me. It is a good spring weight and not long or droopy.

It only took about a half an hour to make. I was actually sad it went so quick because I was having so much fun! 

When my college girl was home on spring break, I taught her how to do it and she had fun too.

She had 4 different skeins of yarn and made hers long enough to have two loops.

I am wanting to make another one for my dear bf. She said she has been finding herself drawn to the colors purple and sagie green. These are the two I found.

The string on the left is a mix of purple, sage green and a little beige. 

Can't wait to see how it will look!

So, if you are up for something unique, you really should give this a try.

Let me know if you do. I'd love to hear about it.

Take care!

Victoria

Crawling Out of Hibernation

I thought it was about time to wake up from my long winter's nap, 

crawl out of my den, and say "hi."

Hi all!

How have ya been?

I spent hours, literally, catching up on blog reading last night. I'll try not let that happen again! 

It took way longer than I would have imagined.

All of you are accomplishing lots of lovely handwork. Good for you!

Wish I could say I've really been napping, but instead I have been teaching my 

youngest bear cubs school.

We don't take snowy, super cold, winter days off.

We take nice, sunny, warm days off.

They are so rare during the school year we just gotta enjoy them!

I am wondering though if we will even get to take one of those this year.

  By the time it happens we will be long finished.  ha ha 

I realize that is has been so long since I have posted anything stitchy that I never showed you my very first finished ornaments. I decided to whip up several of these for Sunday school teachers and friends and try out a couple of different finishes on them.

What do you think? Which is your favorite?

This design is one I found waaaay back in a magazine from stitching life #1 that I tweaked a bit.

 Leisure Arts, February 1989 - yikes!

Then I got brave and made this into an ornament too, thanks to Tricia. 

LNH's Good Tidings with the striped fabric for backing

She talked me through it when we met in November. It had been sitting in the drawer for a year and a half waiting for completion. 

I was able to frame Mary's Sampler II but not until after Christmas as I needed to special order a frame and it didn't come until the 26th. 

In case you noticed, I did leave off a couple

 of the motifs as it was getting a bit busy for me.

Put this together and made a very novice attempt at twisted cording.

Another fun Sampler Girl pattern
"Wonderful Life"
32 ct. Natural Belfast Linen
DMC threads
I ran out of time on Saturday to sew it up, but it will only take a bit as the blue is already cut to make into a small pillow.

I also finished this one I started in October

LNH's Needleworker

30ct Creek Bed Brown

threads per chart

I guess that catches up everything on the stitching end.

Then there has been knitting.

Knitting and knitting and knitting.

Originally I was going to make an afghan out of the yarn on the left for my married daughter and her husband for Christmas and the yarn on the right for one for us.

Well, after getting theirs close to half-way done, my girl gently tells me she would rather have one out of the Pearls colorway. I let out an inaudible gasp and weakly smiled, "Ok, but I can't get it done by Christmas."

She totally understood and we are totally fine to have the Natural Stripes one.

Here it is finished.

 I can knit but do not really consider myself a "knitter" in the true sense of the word. This simple pattern is just K5 P3 and switch that every other row with a basic knit boarder. I made one using this pattern 9 years ago and just add 20 extra inches to make it nice and long.

The pictures are a bit awkward as it is so long and kept slipping off the couch.

This is luscious - so soft and warm. The biggest challenge in working it is that the yarn is so nubby when I lost a stitch a couple of times it was hard to find. No fun undoing a row of 102 stitches. 

So much worse than frogging!

I started this one 3 weeks ago.

Here is my progress in the last 10 days. It's kind of hard to show while on the circular needles.

I have set an aggressive plan to knit 8 rows a day so that the newlyweds can still use it this winter.

Being an Olympic junkie has made that easy to do.  : )

Sadly, I have been noticing my right wrist is aching knitting over 800 stitches a day.

So I may have to back off a bit. No worries. Winter isn't going away any time soon.

BNH still wants one for us in this yarn.

While it would simple to keep in the groove with the same pattern, I am missing linen and thread. I've got several projects ready to go but need to be disciplined and finish up the afghan first.

...even though I hear that Valentine small calling me...

Well, time to crawl back into the den as it is snowing again.

Have a blessed rest of the week and enjoy spending time with those you love on Friday.

Furry cold hugs,

Mama Bear

aka Victoria

Fear Not

I am not ready.
There. It's said.
I am not ready for 2014 and yes, it is already the 4th day in.
Just so you know, there's been a pattern here the past few months.
I wasn't ready for summer to be over.
I wasn't ready for school to start.
I wasn't ready for fall to come.

While I certainly can't keep time at a stand still, I've been sitting here struggling to think about moving forward into 2014. Many of you have posted goals and resolutions for the year. I am still wishing for solutions to some of the things that happened in '13. How do you move forward when so much of the past is stilling hanging in a precarious balance? It's murky, you know.

As I was catching up with blog reading on the evening of the 1st, I came across Beth Twist's. It spoke right to me. So the next morning I scurried on over to Ann Voskamp's New Year's Day post to read more. When I read that she wanted a "No-Fear New Year," I paused.

"Oh," I whispered. "Is that what is going on here? Am I afraid? 
Afraid of moving forward when what isn't resolved from last year may never get resolved?
Afraid that my youngest son will never feel well?
Afraid that a dear one may return to the place of deep darkness?
Afraid that every day will keep looking the same old way over and over?
Afraid of budging out of my selfishness and comfort zone to really grow?
Afraid of what it will cost me if I ask God to change my want to?
Afraid of growing old?
Afraid of what trials God might use to refine me next?"

"Oh," I whispered even softer. "There may be something to this."

I don't consider myself a fearful person, fretting and worrying over every little thing. I trust in the One who has everything in His hands. But, to say I have no fears would be pretty naive. We all do.
Fears of failure.
Fears of not being right.
Fears of not being liked.
Fears of change.
Fears of being taken advantage of.
Fears of the unknown.
Fears of not having control.

Thinking on the words that have so recently been part of the Christmas story, the angel really knew how to speak it:

 "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11

I don't think those words were just written for shepherds on a hillside over 2000 years ago. I think they were written for me, maybe you too, for right where we are at right now. I'd like to think that if an angel came to me tonight, he'd say something like this:

 "Fear not, girl. I've got good news for you! 

Jesus is here.

 He came not only to bring salvation to a lost and needy world,

 but to take you by the hand and lead you into the new year, one day at a time. 

Yes, there still will be a lot to muddle through,

 and no, it is not guaranteed to wrap up neat and tidy by the end of this year either.

 But, let's just give Him glory, lots of glory, and peace will replace the fear."

Fear not.
I like it.
I like it a lot.
I may just make it my "word" or rather "words" of the year.

So friends, whether you are looking forward to all 2014 has in store or are rather tentative about it like me, may you all be blessed with a "Happy No-Fear New Year!"

Victoria