Happy Holidays

Every year, right after Christmas, I promise myself that I will not wait so long to start knitting Christmas gifts.  Right.  And every year, what happens, I wait until the last minute and then try to knit like crazy to get things done.  It never works out. 

My youngest daughter is attending college in San Angelo, Texas and, surprisingly to me, it is cold there in the winter.  She called me so often this term telling me she was FREEZING!  So I started knitting....

My first thought was thrummed mittens and hat.  I have one mitten done.  It turned out cute but with `10 days left until Christmas I doubt the other hat and mitten will make it under the tree. 

I did finish the Laurel Sweater by Schaffer and that will end up going to one of the two  girls. 

My son asked me to knit him a sweater.  Of course that wont be done until next Christmas but, as a gift to myself I ordered Rowan Summer Tweed and downloaded a nice pattern.  It will be lovely when its finished.
I now received The Knitter from England on my Ipad and found a beautiful pattern for one of the girls - again, with Rowan Yarn and that should arrived shortly.  Another next year gift.  Finally, I asked my mom (who lives in Canada) to send me the yarn to make an original Cowichan sweater.  I think it is on its way.  So more projects for the queue.

In the meantime I'm preparing for classes I will be teaching at the Fiber Factory starting in January and finishing up the woven table runner that I started using Rep weave.

Too much to do - so little time.  Hope you and yours have a merry Christmas and happy knitting in the new year.

Life gets better

When I wrote my first blog note back in September I was pretty down. Alot can happen in a few short months! My life has changed so much and mostly for the better. So many of my students and old customers have contacted me and encouraged me. Terri and Susan from Fiber Factoryn asked me to come back to their store and teach in January. I am teaching private lessons and classes both at the store and elsewhere. Karen Sadow from One Planet Yarn and Fiber asked me design scarves for the sensational scarf club - the first kit goes in sale this month. I am also writing a tips and techniques column for One Planet called Ewe Can Knit and started with a column on SSK stitch. Wow! And I was worried would have too much time on my hands!

I have knitted quite a bit as well. I finished knitting the scarf I designed for Karen, I knitted a fair isle bag out of the last Debbie Bliss magazine and am almost finished a sweater called Laurel from Schaffer yarns. I changed the sweater from a pullover to a cardigan. I have begun a brioche stitch scarf and hat and teaching one of my students how to do this fun stitch.

And so it begins

Funny how life goes. One minute you are working many hours per week, have three teenagers driving you crazy , wishing you had just a minute to yourself and then surprise, you have what you thought you were wishing for. Suddenly days seem to stretch endlessly in front of you and you wonder how youre going to fill the hours. Kids are gone, the job is gone and here you sit feeling somewhat lost.

My first day home alone with all the time I want to myself. Arrrgh! Now what? This blog is going to be a journal of self discovery. A time for reflection. A time to move on. A time to appreciate myself, a time to do what I want, a time for me. I don't know how interested anyone else will be in the process. But feel free to join me.