Knitting Passion

–[This guest post is from the one and only Mark Jabo. Mom and I adore him - and now you get to see why! He's almost as snarky as I am! Enjoy! ~L]–

Hola! Bonjour! Ohayo gozaimasu! ‘Ello! Dude! Greetings to all you passionate knitters out there.

This is what’s known as a guest post. As in, I guessed I could write a post about knitting, but now, I’m not so sure …

One of the most common bromides in “the writing game” is to “write what you know.”

Another common bromide is to put random words in quotes so you appear as if you have “inside knowledge” and are “superior” to all the “common folk” who don’t know as much about your “topic” as “you.”

Having said that, I know absolutely nothing about knitting.

Well, … that about wraps it up for this guest post ….

….

….

Hahahaha. Aren’t we having fun?

And only 135 more words and a link to go before we can qualify Barbara to get paid for hanging out in the hospital.

Pssst. Between you and me, I don’t think Barbara thought this plan through before she put it into action. Sure, she can get people to blog for her, but the amount of money she’ll make from this post will just about cover a Band-Aid. And that’s only if the hospital buys generic.

I’m not sure why I think Barbara can’t read anything in italics, but let’s not let that stand in the way of a good time …

As a non-knitter (or should that be knon-knitter?), I thought maybe we could all learn something if we were to explore some of the common misconceptions about knitting.

So, grab your balls (of yarn) and let’s take a look at (cue dramatic orchestra music) …

The Top Five Misconceptions About Knitting!

We’ll start with one of the most common mistaken ideas people have about knitting right off the bat …

1. Only old people knit. I’ll say that louder for all of you who have hearing aids … ONLY OLD PEOPLE KNIT. I’m kidding, of course. Sure, your grandmother knits. That doesn’t mean only old people knit anymore than the incident with your uncle means that only kids over 21 should be allowed to have birthday parties.

Knitting is more popular than ever among teens and young adults. Hey, I even heard Apple is coming out with the iNeedle – a combination knitting needle and MP3 player which allows you to purl and listen to your favorite Big Band tunes at the same time.

Now, that we’ve dispensed with the “old” stereotype let’s move on to another common misunderstanding about knitting ….

2. Knitting is just for women. Please. Haven’t 40 years of Cosmo and a woman running for President taught us that there are no gender restrictions on what men and women can do? You bet it has.

Don’t worry, we’ll get that whole pay discrepancy thing hammered out in another 40 years or so.

Did you know there is a website dedicated to men who enjoy knitting? It’s filled with nearly a dozen (okay, eight) pictures of men who knit, a rundown of the history of men in knitting and links to other useful sites … like ones that offer self-defense tips.

Knitting is not just for women. It’s also for men who are secure with their masculinity. Really secure.

Man, we are just exploding one myth after another. Let’s continue ….

3. Everyone who knits owns a least seven cats. This is absolutely not true. Five cats is usually the max. No one is saying you have to have a cat if you knit, but most other animals tend to get bored after playing with a ball of yarn for 57 minutes straight.

Knitters are good-natured people who like to have fun, especially with bloggers who gently rib them about their hobby. For that reason, knitters may have other pets they keep in their knitting basket such as cobras. Asking you to get the red yarn out of the basket is their way of accepting you into their group. Sure, you may require an ambulance, but you’ll have a knitting story (and a snake phobia) to last a lifetime.

Shall we proceed to the next big yarn (zing!) about knitting? ….

4. There are only five things you can knit: a scarf, a hat, socks, gloves or an afghan. Okay, now we’re just getting silly. Savvy knitters know that you can also create a square piece of knitting and call it whatever you’d like. It can be a potholder, a drink coaster, a doily, a trivet or a decorative wall hanging. Many knitters refer to this square piece of finished yarn by its more common name: practice.

Many people unfamiliar with knitting often make the mistake of calling an afghan a “blanket.” This is incorrect. A blanket covers your feet when you lay down, all an afghan has to do is cover your shoulders when you sit and read or watch TV. Truth be told, an afghan is really just an extra wide scarf. Or is a scarf just a really narrow afghan? It’s all so confusing.

I told you I didn’t know anything about knitting. But, everyone is in agreement on the final point ….

5. There are no reliable, first-person accounts of anyone actually witnessing a knitting project being completed. This is one case where the perception is totally true. No one has ever been in the room with someone as they put the final stitch in a sweater and said, “A-ha!”

And it’s not just because “A-ha!” is something people only say in 18th century detective novels.

The normal chain of events is you see a friend of yours on Tuesday, knitting what she says is a sweater but actually looks like an amorphous conglomeration of stitching. When you go over to her house on Sunday, your friend proudly displays the finished creation.

Doesn’t that seem a bit odd? Can anyone actually be that talented?

You are not alone. There are many of us who suspect that there is a section of desert in the Western United States where highly-evolved sentient beings (”knitters”) have a vast underground warehouse of finished products. The warehouse is divided into five sections: Hats, Socks, Gloves, Scarves/Afghans and Practice.

Everyone knows that knitters are merely waiting for the right moment to bond together and save Planet Earth but, in order to keep busy until Judgment Day, they knit.

You may not believe everything I’ve told you about knitting fallacies and about the existence of alien beings who knit. But I was abducted by one of these knitters and have been with her for nearly two years now.

And if there’s one thing I know about knitters it’s this: sex with them is fantastic!

Knitting is not my first learned craft. I actually didn’t start to knit until I was in high school when a friend showed me how to cast on and do the basic knit and purl stitches. She may have shown me, but by the time I was ready, I totally had forgotten how to cast off. That first piece was truly a sight, I’ll tell you!

My first craftiness actually was crochet. My grandmother taught me when I was four years old. She sat me down on the porch - oh, yes, we had a porch on nearly every one of our rentals - with strips of fabric tied together and taught me to make my first rag rug.

But, what I remember most is the big wooden crochet hook she gave me. I sure wish I still had it, but have no clue whatever happened to it. It was hand whittled by her brother, so that would make him my “grand uncle”, right? Yeah, I get confused, too, by the various stages of relationships.

I came across a site this morning that has me waxing nostaligic. Turn of the Century Crochet Hooks. Here’s a picture I borrowed from them:

These just remind me so much of the one I used for the rugs.

In talking with my friends on Saturday, we began to compare notes on, of all things, how we hold our hooks. My grandmother was never able to get me to hold the hook “properly” (see figure 3 on that page). Instead I hold the hook so the end is tucked into my palm and I control the motion with my whole hand. I guess that is the easiest way to explain it.

Holding it the way the picture show and the way Grandma wanted me to always felt too awkward.

So, my friends and I were chatting about it and I finally think I have the answer to it. I was only FOUR years old!!!! My dexterity wasn’t as good then as my grandmother’s and so I learned to hold the hook the way it felt best to me.

And, you know - it works, too. My gauge is generally right on and my stitches look neat.

So, I guess the moral of this story is - hold the hook the way it feels best to you - and crochet or knit to your heart’s delight.

By the way, I’m still watching what to do in Columbus this spring. Granddaughter is beginning (I think) to get excited about the trip - or maybe she is just resigned to spending 10 days with her doddering old grandparents. lol. At any rate, WE are excited.

Hubby and I have both received our passports (what? you don’t need a passport for Ohio?) and we have been picking up some things for the granddaughter also. (a new carry-on bag, notebooks - all in various shades of PINK, etc.)

So, stay tuned for the updates.

p.s. if there is an ad on this site that you find distasteful, I’d like you all to know that I have no control over the ads shown on this or any 451 press site. But, I will take your concerns to TPTB. Thanks for bringing them to my attention.

So, in my last post I promised to tell you about a great hat we saw Saturday. That’s it, there on the left. Click for a larger view. At first I thought the flowers were crocheted, but they look like “I cords” close up.

The gal wearing the hat was too cute. She and her daughter had taken a trip to Homer and while there had heard of “the” hat. Supposedly, she was told, only folks who live in Homer (our very own berg full of granola nuts - or so they say) would be brave enough to wear such a hat. AND, her daughter moaned in embarrassment, MOOOOOOOOOOOM, you CAN’T wear THAT color. Heh, can we all say CHALLANGE???

I thought so.

She even agreed to model the hat for us. Says she loves it. Turns out that she is an elementary school teacher hereabouts. “They can always find me on the playground,” she told us.

Sadly, I’ve already forgotten her name. I apologize in advance - I’ve invited her to come by to see herself here - I am getting older and I forget names and such if I don’t write them down. (This is my not so sneaky way to remind my family that my birthday is coming up quickly - hahahaha) Serioulsy, I did forget the last name - and I think that her first name was Mary. If the owner of this great hat DOES visit here, please sign the comments and let us all know your first name, okay? And, thanks so much for letting me take your picture AND for giving me permission to post it here.

Yes, you can ask my daughters - I do talk to strangers. After all, a stranger is only a friend you haven’t met yet.

Oh, and if you are looking for a felted project or two (or ten) check out this link my friend sent me: Free Felted Projects. Lots and lots of links to felted bags. Surely there is ONE in there you would love to work on for your end of the winter project?

You all have a lovely week!

At just 4 weeks post-op, this has been a bit of a tough week. I think I probably pushed just a bit too hard. Decided to try for 8 hour days this week - and pretty much made it right up to Friday.

At five hours Friday my body said NO MORE! And, there wasn’t even a “please” attached to it. Sigh! So, I signed out, told everyone I would be available by phone if needed and came home to crash in my chair. (I love my chair sometimes! These times, for instance.)

In between snoozes I finished another pair of baby socks. I actually made three socks from this particular yarn. Midway through the second sock the patterning seemed to change and it was too different from the first to make me totally happy. ( there had been a break in the yarn and I guess I missed when I picked up the pattern again) So, I pulled enough yarn out of the skein to find the right starting point and, while a tad different in the heel, I was quite happy with the results.

Here you can see the adult sized socks with the baby socks next to them. Daughter #2 has a friend who is preggers with her first baby (awwwwwwwwwwwwww) and these will go to her - along with the white pair with the yellow, blue, and pink flecks in them - if she has a girl.

click for larger view

My friends and I had coffee this morning to show off our completed projects from the last few months and that is why all the baby socks are on the table with our bags. There will be more pictures over the next few days. I’ve got a shot of a really cute hat to show you, too.

In the meantime, all of your Big Brother fans, check out Lessa’s blog to see the latest news.

Okay, so I am originally from Ohio (hence the link the other day to the Columbus 451 website) - but I have webby friends who live in Iowa - and I saw a referrer from one of 451’s pages to Iowa State University, so they are my inter-link of the day.

Not so much about the University today . . . but a Heads Up and a big congratulations to the state of Iowa for accomplishing what few thought they could . . . they caucused and named two non-front runners as their candidates for president!!! Way to pull together, Iowans!

Anyway . . . (as Ellen Degeneres would sigh) . . . several months ago I purchased a socks knitting book. As I’ve been doing the baby socks my fingers started itching to do some big people socks. And, I just happen to have several skeins of sock yarn . . . so . . .

Here’s the first one and the second one is ready to start the heel.

I actually combined two of the patterns - using the cuff from one and the bottom from the other. I think I would make the cuff a teensy bit longer the next time, but like them shorter than I have made in the past. Actually, I’m pretty proud of myself for deviating from a pattern.

I am SO compulsive when it comes to patterns usually. I seldom deviate - okay, I NEVER deviate - from the original. So, this was a breaking out of sorts for me.

Yay, me!

Hope you’re enjoying your - last week of vacation - first week back after the holidays - or whatever it is you are celebrating. Life’s good, isn’t it?
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. . . towards 2008 - still half an hour away Alaska time. However, I am here to wish you

That’s my alter ego, of course -the moose of a certain color, that is. It would seem the PurpleMoose and his cohorts got into somebody’s stash and have been having a high old time - and they couldn’t even go out and get party hats . . . instead they raided my newly finished knit baby socks and put them on their racks!!! There is no shame in the moosie family, I’m afraid. (hahaha- 2008 is gonna be another laughing year, yes?)

In the meantime, while I was looking for another 451 Press link to publish here, I thought - HEY, they must CERTAINLY have a city link to Columbus, Ohio, right? Well, it turns out they do. Tadah! (they are 4 hours ahead of us, so have been snoozing into the new year for better than 3 hours now).

I will have to keep up with this blog over the next couple of months as hubby and I are taking our oldest granddaughter to Columbus in March. We met there (I was born there) and were married there and had both of our daughters there. I have only lived in two states - AND two towns - in my whole life! (sad, huh?) 28 years in Ohio and nearly 30 years now in Alaska.

Granddaughter and I were to have gone to Washington, D.C. with her history class over spring break, but her teacher had to cancel the trip. Hubby and I didn’t want to see her miss out on a trip (her brother and I went on the D.C. trip two years ago), so the three of us will be going back to our old stomping grounds.

We will show her where we went to school, where he gave me my first kiss (behind the mummy which was at that time in the museum on OSUs campus - but is now in the Ohio Historical Society museum on the fairgrounds), where we were married and where her mama and aunt were born. We will also introduce her to my aunt and his aunt . . . give her a little sense of her own history.

I am hoping to give her a journal to keep while we are traveling - and her mama is giving her a digital movie/still camera for a digital journal. We are all looking forward to it.

Hope you all have a safe and sober new year’s eve - and a wonderful 2008!

So, I KNOW that you are all dying to know what is the latest project off the needles and the latest project that is ON the needles. Or, are you too busy trying to decide just what to feed the hungry hordes on New Year’s Day? (Click that link and Lessa will tell you all about what to do and what NOT to do . . . because we all know, Lessa knows best - except for her Mama, of course.) hahaha

Okay - for the curious among us, here is the latest from the needles - both off and on:

Okay - the color is TERRIBLE, but I wanted you to see the whole thing. The piece in the background, of course, is another “stocking” cap - yup, just like the one I made Lessa for Christmas. Lessa’s friend loved hers and I offered to make her one in her favorite color. She said yellow - and I happened to have a skein of yellow on hand, so, “J”, here ya go. As soon as you get me your address - or Lessa - then it will be on its merry way to you.

The pattern, by the way, is available online from knitty.com

It is actually more of a baby yellow in color - I’ll show you in a closeup picture of the other object there.

While this picture is blurry, it does at least show the color off a bit better.

Oh, and the object still on needles? It’s a baby sock - made out of leftover sock yarn - a pair being made for a certain friend of mine who is going to be a first time Grandpa this summer.

That link will take you to my home page entry about his wedding in 2006. He and his bride and their children all came to the US from the UK in order to be married by Elvis in Vegas. And, yes, this ‘laskan went to the wedding - where, I of course melted, as temperatures were in the 120 degree range. I was thus a “baked ‘laskan”, yes indeedy.

Now as my friends come up on their second anniversary, his daughter is going to present them with a first grandchild. He’s not so sure he is ready to be a grandpa, but we will talk him through it and he will love the little tyke immensely, I’m sure.

I’ll post a pic of the finished pair - perhaps tomorrow.

Really, it’s a cap with a stocking on it . . . how much fun can that be? Well, just ask Lessa:

She looks like she is enjoying it. Her honey would have loved it - and I would have had to give it to him and make something else for her if he was still with us - or make a mathcing pair.

She like sit so much she told a friend of hers about it and now I am making one for HER, too! Her friend J wants it in yellow. I’ve already had to rip it out once because I got it twisted when I joined the circle - didn’t realize it until I had about 6 rows done. Ah, well. I can frog as well as the next person.

So, by now you are all tired of the ham and turkey leftovers, right? Well, do a pot luck Thursday with Rachael Ray! You just GOTTA love pot luck, right?

Speaking of which - I have the most awesome sisters in Christ! They have been spoling hubby and me since my surgery - bringing in meals. Tonight I have a turkey and rice casserole simmering in the oven thanks to my pastor’s wife! These lovely women wanted to bring in meals EVERY night, but I asked them to cut it back to only every other night. There are only the two of us - and well, food seems to go a lot further with only two in the house.

But, man, can they ever cook! We’ve had chicken divan and a fish casserole and chicken and rice and one couple brought dinner in already plated up - pork chops with baby potatoes, carrots and asparagus. Yummo!

Sunday someone brought a chicken stew - Christmas was skipped because of Lessa, the Girl and the neighbors cooking - and then tonight the turkey and rice casserole.

Now you might be wondering at the “no beef” appearing in any of the meals. My hubby cannot stomach beef any longer. I still love it, but we don’t eat it because it just roils up and spoils in his tummy. Nobody should be near when that happens.

Hope you are enjoying your after the holiday glow. Take care, eveyone.

Didn’t quite make it here yesterday, but I’m sure most of you did not, either.

Christmas at our house was much merriment, fun and mayhem. Same as yours, I’m sure. At least I hope you had a share in the same. There is NOTHING like a group of grandyounguns to make your heart go pitty-pat, I must say.

Grandpa worked all night so he came home and grabbed some shut-eye while I snoozed in my chair - resting up for the onslaught - and watched some Christmas telly. I did miss our local news program’s special last night - hopefully they will run it again New Year’s eve. It is always fun - music videos with local talent, music from local talent as well. Merry Christmas from Alaska 8! Hmmm - they don’t have #8 listed there yet, but it is available in local stores.

I finished up another purse, so now have two waiting to be felted. Both of these are from the One Skein Wonders book.

Oh, and how did the family like their hats/scarf/purse? Lookit here:

Yeah, there’s always (at least) one making faces - this is the best group shot I could get (out of several). They’re MY monkeys and I love ‘em - funny faces and all.

And the Boy? He LOVED his spooky hat (from knitty.com) - check it out:

He added some bugs and frogs. VERY realistic, now!
(click for larger views, of course)

Lessa put together a photo montage of the day - enjoy:

before felting . . . looks sort of shapeless, or does it? Hubby said it looks like a bell to him. He’s a funny man, that one.

I am not getting much reading done while convalescing - I seem to fall asleep too often to make good sense of what I am reading.

BUT . . . I am getting a fair amount of knitting done and that is always fun. This purse is another project from the One Skein Wonders book.

So - did you get all of your Christmas knitting finished? You do know that the big day is tomorrow, right? Right!

Actually we are having the family exchange tonight - at youngest daughter’s house. Tomorrow I will post a picture of everyone in their new finery. At least, that is the plan . . . to have everyone pose for a group shot. But, best laid plans and all that - we are talking kiddos from the age of three to nearly 16, you know. Yeah, it’s the nearly 16 that will cause the ruckus . . . NOT! They are all good kids - but it is going to be a bit much, I’m thinking. However, that will not stop me from trying.

A friend of mine - we’ve known each other since 6th grade - wrote to ask me if I was planning to cook Christmas dinner. Actually, the way she said it was YOU’RE NOT GOING TO COOK, ARE YOU?!!! LOL. The answer is no, I’m not. The oldest daughter and her daughter and the next door neighbor are cooking dinner. Well, hubby is putting a ham into the oven, but everything else is being cooked offsite. Yay!

She would mother me if she were here, but we are separated by 3000 miles (a bazillion or so) miles. It is times like these that we wish we were closer.

But, I get to see her in March when hubby and granddaughter #1 and I fly out to Ohio for a visit.

Anyway . . . I need to get out of here and put some clothes on -get myself presentable for the family doings. Have a wonderful day with your families. And, don’t forget to come back for the family picture tomorrow.

If you have visited here any amount of time, you will know that I get a kick out of whacked out things - and that Lessa generally sends me the links in the first place.

Have I got another one for you . . .

Knitted landscapes!

It looks like the idea started with one group (European) placing their knitted items in very public places, leaving them to be found, asking the inhabitants of this great blue ether to shoot off a picture of the found objects.

Apparently others have gotten into the idea and are leaving their items about and sending pictures in.

Kind of a fun idea - taking nature’s lead in showing off nature’s beauty by enhancing it with some of their own.

The taking pics part - well, that is not a new thing, either, is it? My counterpart blog has an alterego - the PurpleMoose. He rides in my car with me and is often the character in a photo montage. I have other friends who use mascots similarly.

And, then there is “Flat Stanley” of course - who often arrives at his host’s house in a legal sized envelope and is then strutted about town and has his own private photo shoots.

All in good fun - and all in good silliness. That’s what life should be about, don’t you think?

My motto is . . . I live in Alaska, I make my own fun.

You should try it, too. Laughter really IS the best medicine.

Night, folks!

Getting closer to having all of the Christmas pressies finished.

#2 daughter’s is finished and just waiting to be wrapped. No peeking, Ladybug - the pic is behind the cut.

#1 daughter’s is on the needles in its beginning phase - you know the one where you’re thinking “is this gonna fit?” or “does this make my (enter keyword here) look fat?” But it’s in her favorite color (think Goth) and is just kinky enough that the techs at the hospital’s MRI department are clamoring for the pattern after I told them about it. Heh. Gotta love that.

And, here for your viewing pleasure is a picture of my Christmas gift from our staff holiday party last week:

as always, click for a larger view.

Isn’t he so cute? He bobbles when you touch his head. I had to whine to get him, btw. I forgot that he had been given until he was stolen (we do that steal twice - third person gets to keep thing) by a coworker’s hubby. I pouted and said “You know, I collect moose.” And he traded me for the saltwater taffy I had - but would not have been able to eat. It sticks to my crowns and they are too expensive for me to pop off in a candy frenzy, you know? Have to keep my dentist a happy fellow.

And, the staffer and family didn’t really mind. Lots of kids there and that box of taffy was pretty much gone by the time we all left for the evening. Glad they enjoyed it.

Myself? Pass the fudge - sigh, nobody brought fudge. Ah, well. I guess I really didn’t need it.

Well, you all be good to yourselves. See you on the flip side.

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It’s getting closer . . . no, not Christmas. Well, okay, Christmas is getting closer, too. But what I was REALLY talking about is . . .

Christmas holidays for the school kids. Think of it as a mini-summer vacation time. They’ll only be home and under your feet for a couple of weeks, but they will be there.

So, the age old question is already being discussed at the dinner tables and by the parents in their rooms after the little darlings have gone on to bed . . .

WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE KIDS?

Because we all know that shortly after the big guy in red leaves and heads back to the northern reaches of the world . . . shortly after the last battery goes dead . . . shortly after the teeniest pieces of the most favorite toy in the world have been lost . . . it’s then, my friends, that your kiddos and my (grand)kiddos will set up a wail that can be heard miles and miles away . . . .

I’m BORED, Mom!

So gather up your project starters and get ready now - while you still have some of your sanity firmly in check.

Here are some ideas:

How about this Snowman Door Hanger? Made with canning jar lids and paints . . . just right for your school-aged kiddos to do - and the youngers with adult supervision and help.

Continuing with the snowman theme - look at this snowman jar. Way cute - and you COULD even KNIT his hat instead of using material for it.

And, another one in the theme: Frosty Days Jar Art.

Want something INSIDE the jar to warm you up? Try this recipe for Jalapeno Jelly. Yummy!

Hey, many thanks to JM at the Fiction Scribe. I appreciate your highlighting my request.

Loopty Loop . . . here we go loopty lie . . .

I think this looks like a fun project - a Loopy Scarf and Hatpattern found at Joann.com.

It’s at a skill level 2, so you would need SOME knitting expertise, but it looks simple enough. I always try to do projects a little outside of my comfort zone. It stretches me - AND - it teaches me as I stumble through the patterns.

That’s where a Local Yarn Shop (LYS) comes in so handy. It’s especially helpful when there are groups like the Friday Night Knitting Club held in your LYS. There is usually lots of laughter, lots of help, and lots of friendship developing. AND . . . you get rows upon rows completed - which, of course, means lots of projects completed. Way too cool, huh?

I know that every time I have been to the shop there have been people asking Zaynab questions - or asking other knitters questions - how to get out of a knitting pickle - how to do this or that stitch - sharing experiences - sharing joys and sorrows . . .

It can become a family away from your family. And, while I live 150 miles or so away, I have been made to feel more than welcome every time I have gone in. Even the hubby doesn’t have a problem going in. Well, okay, he is all right with it for a short while . . . and then he is ready to go back to the car to wait out my shopping spree.

Hope you are supporting the LYS in your neighborhood. Hope you’re getting those Christmas pressies finished, too. Have fun!

so do the FOs . . . there are 6 hats and 1 bag now completed. For those of you keeping up with me here, that is one Finished Object for each of the 7 grandkids! Hurrah!

Now, I am working on - and halfway completed - the Christmas present for daughter number 2. I have plans for the FO for daughter #1, but need to purchase a new pair of needles! Ack! How can that be? How is it possible that I do NOT have the needle size needed? Sheesh - you’ve got me!

It looks like others have the bug, too. I have a Christmas vest, thank you, that I pull out each December for our holiday party at work - gotta love having some fun. Hmm, just might pull out the reindeer ears, too. haha - okay, maybe not. We will, after all, be in a public place.

Did want to share this article with you, though. If you have been having fun making purses - and then wondering how to finish them off - check out these cool leather tote handles.

I am loving this bag:
but I don’t see where a pattern can be ordered.

So, how about all of you . . . did you take the pledge? Are you purchasing homemade or making your own? How’s it coming? Are you going to make it before the deadline?

Off you go now . . . get those needles clacking. Enjoy the fun of making and giving a part of yourself.

homemade, knitting, felted bag, handles, finished objects, christmas gifts