A LITTLE KNITTING

Here is a picture of my latest completed project, Wonderful wrist warmers that double as cuffs. I love, love, love them. The pattern is from a book by Annemor Sudbo called Invisible Threads. Quick and easy to knit and I love the way they feel and look. It continues to snow here, I can not remember a day with out it. These are perfect. I think the yarn is a Shetland Lace weight but that is anyones guess. More from the mysterious stash stuff. I usually just take a peek at what is there and perhaps burn a small sample to check fibers. I am sure you all know about the burn test but just in case you do not. It is an old way to check out natural versus synthetic fibers. You take a small piece and put a match to it. If the ash is soft you have a natural fiber, if you get a hard bead what you have is some sort of man made fiber. Now what man made would be anyones guess. Interesting enough when I was in college over 50+ years ago studying textiles, fibers and such things this was what we used as a test, still today it is the first test fiber folks use when they are wondering about the fiber content. Way back then we had few synthetic fibers now the world abounds with them. I found it interesting a few years ago when I had the honor of viewing textiles at the Vesterheim.info@vesterheim.org museum in Iowa and we were wondering about fiber content. The first test Laurann Gilbertson the textile curator used when we were curious about a pair of mittens fiber was the good old burn test. Naturally after that there are many others but what a great way to start the investigation.

Knit a pair for a little gift and enjoy.

SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL

I can tell you all now that the Mallory in the title of this blog now has a little brother Link. So I was prepared as I knew it would be a little boy. Here is the yellow sweater and hat I knit or him. The sweater is my own pattern, and the hat called "Kyle's Cap" from KNIT BABY HATS. I love this hat for a little boy. Yarn is from the stash who knows what it is but nice and soft and a lot of cotton in it I am sure. Perhaps we need to work on the blog title one of these days so he won't feel cheated when he gets older. I have more knitting in the works but this special baby deserves his own page. From one Nana to the other Nana. Now we are even a boy and a girl for each of us. More of that parallel lives thing we have going with each other.

A BUSY BUSY LIFE

I don't seem to be able to get to this blog as often as I think about it. I seem to be always in the midst of some project or other for a finished date. Pictures seem to be my problem. Here is what I have been working on: pair of cool socks, the valentine jacket for Lillie and pj's for Louis. In the midst of this I am making a quilt that needs to be finished in the next 10 days or so. I love making the little jackets from a sweat shirt. They are fairly fast and easy and I am reducing the stash of trimmings bit by bit. If you are 5 and in kindergarten you love clothes that show off the holidays. I may do St. Patrick's day next. Who knows. There is also another baby quilt to be done as well before spring. What is that old saying "never enough hours in the day". I also knit a moebius scarf and that was given away before I even did a photo. Rather fun but mostly not very exciting.

Today the local quilt shop was open and I purchased the batting, and backing so tomorrow I can start the lay out and decide what type of quilting design this little baby will get. I did something I don't hear mentioned on the quilting shows or sites. I used my serger. I had lots of strips to sew together and it was so slick. Each piece came out perfectly and I feel that as this will make many trips to the washer the secure seams are a great idea.

My knitting seems not all that exciting these days. I have a pair of angora/wool mittens to finish up and to be honest am fighting with myself to finish them just dull, dull, dull. Perhaps tonight as I watch "Project Runway" I will get the second one knit. Sort of like "second sock syndrome".

At any rate I am still around and working on the things I love to do.