SOME INTERESTING OLD THINGS

I have been so blessed by wonderful friends who embrace my passion for knitting that they pass wonderful things on to me. First there is Diane who shows up at my door with such really neat things. This old ledger book from Salamanca, NY re-used as a place to save patterns. There are knitting patterns cut and pated in from newspapers and magazines. I have scanned one where there is a knitting pattern and also a plain page to show the date of the book. It must have been from a general store as there are lots of items listed. I find the #100 pounds of feed at $1.35 something to think about. Also found an entry baking powder was .20, 4# sugar .28, and are you ready 6# pork .60. This is truly a treasure. I have as yet to knit from this but there is a pattern for a lace button bag that seems to be calling me. Once mittens are finished I shall move on to some fun things.

While I am showing wonderful old relics I thought you might like to see the mitten knit by Elizabeth Zimmermann, when I am not at all sure. It is vintage Elizabeth as you can see the many techniques she was trying out on this mitten. After Elizabeth died Meg cleaned out her wool room and put it all in a black garbage bag. At camp that year after doing your show and tell you reached into the bag and pulled something out. I was truly fortunate to receive this mitten. I have had it framed with glass on both sizes so you can see the entire mitten. Most interesting I think.

In the photo back ground is just part of the large diagram of the Stonington Shawl It is framed but way to large for me to get down and photograph. Perhaps sometime when I have help I shall do this to show you as well. There are also lots of other interesting knitting things on my wall. I shall try from time to time to show these to you as well.

Now I am back to work on the "MITTEN PROJECT" This is to be a presentation on May 12 at the Rochester, NY knitting guild meeting. After that is finished I will show all of you who take time to read my ramblings what I have been knitting.

101 and Now Onward

Hard to believe this is blog posting 101. Where does the time go. We are finally celebrating spring around here. Long awaited for I can tell you. So I took this picture this morning of the little tree in bloom. Usually we get a ton of snow and then the blossoms go. This year it is a real treat. Some call this a Northern Magnolia and others a Tulip tree and I am sure it has some sort of a botanical name. I just call it pretty.


Then while I was outside in the beautiful sunshine I took a picture of the "wee tiny sock" I received from Shona is the latest swap. What fun and it came in its own little matching knit drawstring bag. I have framed it to hang on my knitting wall. Perhaps someday I will get some pictures of that to post. I collect and frame all sorts of knitting stuff, naturally the prize possession is a mitten knit by Elizabeth Zimmermann as well as a signed diagram of her Stonington Shawl. A treasure from a long ago knitting camp. So now I have added this darling little sock. I need more wall I think.

THE HOUSE THAT YARN BUILT

I have just learned of a wonderful way all of us who adore our yarn can help someone else. You can donate what ever you wish to the Make it Right Project and under the topic of "The House that Yarn Built". The suggestion of the price of a skein of sock yarn really got to me. I just did it and you can too. Thanks to Emily at yarn miracle I found out about it. There are links on her web page for this. It is great as you can watch us build a house. . This is a great idea that I want to share. You can donate as little as $5.00 and there are great prizes to be had as well. If you wish to join this great project don't forget to log in at the site. The House that yarn built and leave a few words.

Later I will do some picture posting but I thought this was an important project to get out to the knitting world.

I am still trying to be able to leave you links but I need more time to work out this little glitch. Be patient with this old woman learning about blogging. If you have a question you can always email me for a personal response.

What have I been doing?

When I saw this parked in the motel parking lot I just knew it was going to be a great fun trip. This car and its message belongs to another student in the class I was taking. Fun her name is also Joan. We left here a week ago and drove straight to Wisconsin thank goodness hubby did the driving and we could do it in one day. We arrived in New Glarus at the Landhaus a beautiful Swiss style motel. On Sunday I was fortunate enough to take a class given by Susanna Hansson. The same mittens pictured in a recent Piecework magazine. The mittens from Finland.


Here are some pictures of the sample mittens laid out for all of us to drool over.


It was a long ride for a short stay but well worth the price. I also had a delightful class with Susanna on Japanese short rows. So easy the way she shows.

New Glarus is a delightful town so friendly and clean I loved it there. We did lots of fun things the day I did not have a class. Such as close by the "Mustard Museum" yes I know this sounds a bit daft. It was lots of fun and you can taste all sorts of things and buy most any kind you wish.

Also a trip to the cheese factory where we came home with lots of delightful cheese, and last but not least a trip to the New Glarus Brewery hubby loved it here. We also have purchased some of that to enjoy back in Pennsylvania.

All of this and we were happily entertained by an authentic band from Switzerland. They played at our motel in the lobby all day on Sunday while I was learning to make mittens and then three members did a bit more playing for Lou and I who missed the Sunday performance. They spoke little English but then music is an international language.

OLEAN, NY KNIT AND CROCHET GUILD

Last night I had the great pleasure of presenting the program for the Olean, NY "Knit and Crochet Guild". It was fun to share my knit shawls with the members. Knitting lace is something I really enjoy and I hope I inspired some of the members to knit shawls of their own. Thanks to all of them for asking me to present this program. I think half the fun of seeing the shawls is to be able to feel the fibers and try them on.  Do you wonder where I am in these pictures.  Well tis me in the black dress with the blonde hair.  Now you know!!!

WEE TINY SOCK SWAP

Now if your name is Eva and you are reading just scroll down to yesterday don't spoil the surprise......
I registered at yarn miricle for the "Wee tiny sock swap" and such fun it was. I went to the stash to see what I could find that would be pretty yet different. It led me back to the left over from the flat sock. That was so darn much fun to knit I hope to purchase another and do it again. Therefore the little sock was knit from that yarn. I also thought it would be great fun to include the little key chain sock blocker. Those I purchases from knitcellaneous I purchased several a while back just hoping for this swap to come my way again.

Now it is back to packing up shawls for a program tomorrow evening. Hope someone will hold the camera and take a few pictures

THE FINISHED SOCK

From my previous post here is the finished sock. It is an old pattern called "Highland socks" published in a "Crazy Sock" leaflet long ago. Yarn was a gift from my friend Sally who purchased this Opal blend of wool/cotton/nylon in Germany. I love this sock.

MY OTHER LIFE

I have not been knitting much but have been a part of this crowd!!!!
This is a picture across the room of a lot of bridge players. In addition to knitting I also have a great love of the game. When there is waiting time I KNIT

Our nice director Dick Rasmus kindly agreed to pose with my sock in progress during a break in his directing of the tournament. I am sure those who don't know about the sock knitting going on in the world think we both are a bit nuts. It was great fun and a nice weekend away. Did you know that bridge players stay up until the wee hours in the morning? Something like 3 a.m. just like the knitting community.

I finished sock one before I had Dick pose with sock 2.