Major Knitter

A Year in Review

I can't believe that another year has come and gone.  My how time flies.  I decided to take a personal inventory of the knitting goals I accomplished and put them together in one post.  You probably all know that this was my year of three main things:  Knit Notes, Socks, and Charity Knitting.  I held not one, but TWO contests to help gather supplies and support for the charity projects.  I endeavored to learn Fair Isle Knitting with the Crayons and Chalkboard Vest for my nephew... but it got stalled and lost in the UFO pile.  Boo Hoo.  Here's a pictorial review of my year in knitting. 

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Mets Ornament, CB's Scarf, Ruffle Scarf for dolls, OSS Baby Blanket, Gracie's Ballerina Wrap, Pink Proliferation, Doll Sized OSS Baby Blanket and an American Girl Doll ribbed cardigan.

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Bratz Doll shrug, Preemie cap for Save the Children PTA Knit-a-thon, Crayons and Chalkboard vest, Santa Claus ornaments from Charlette's Collecitbles, Pink Proliferation Scarf, Flying Triangles Baby Blanket, Red Almost Argyle Socks, Knit Notes and Orange Almost Argyle Socks

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Mets Baby Blanket, more Preemie Caps for the Save the Children PTA Knit-a-thon, Wilma Flinstone Halloween Costume for Wilma, Snake Socks, Opera Scarf, American Girl Doll cardigan

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Opal Socks, White Cable Socks, and Denim Blue Ribbed Socks - all for me!

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Finally, I knit two pairs of socks for Secundogeniture.  The second pair requires the kitchener stitch today and it will be all done.

I guess for 2007 I will plan on a) finishing the Crayons and Chalkboard sweater, b) making more sweaters, c) stocking up on some baby blankets for future potential gifts, d) continue to add to my growing sock collection, and e) make more charity knitting projects come to life.

My Very First FO

I decided to wear this vintage vest to SNL this weekend.  It was the very first thing I ever knit.  I learned how to knit in the 1980s with my Grandma Grace.  We went to the local Ben Franklin and I bought this hot pink fuzzy Red Heart yarn.  Wearing this vest today (for the first time in ages) was like visiting my beloved Grandma Grace.  Knitting is such a wonderful experience.  I'm thinking that if we had gone shopping together, it wouldn't have been quite the same nostalgic feeling.

Great Grandma Wolfe's Socks

I was moving some boxes in the basement and stumbled across a box of linens from my Grandmother Lois Huffman.  There were also some things in the box from her mother, my Great Grandmother Wolfe.  I can't say for certain if these socks were Grandma Lois' or Great Grandma Wolfe's, although my guess is that they were Great Grandma Wolfe's socks.  Either way, it was a treasure to find them.

 

Here I am modeling the socks.   I wear an American size 9 1/2 shoe and was surprised to find that these socks just fit my feet.  I wrongly guessed that my female ancestors had smaller feet.  What a nice surprise!

Here's a close-up of the lace and cable pattern used on the sock.  Isn't it wonderful?  Does anyone know what pattern it is?  I was going to look through a stitch dictionary, but didn't have time tonight.  I hoped that one of you might know. 

Don't you just feel my excitement at this discovery?  I know you can share in my joy.

Michael's First Baby Sweater

Here's the first baby sweater I made for my son, Michael. He's only about 5 weeks old in this picture. I received the kit from a co-worker and fellow knitter as a baby shower shower gift. She threw in an extra skein of yarn and told me she knew I'd be able to create a cute cap and mittens to go along with the pattern. She was right. I had so much fun making this kit from the amazing Morehouse Farm. If you haven't been to their site before, check them out. They have the most beautiful merino wool. It's such a joy to knit. With the bold variegated wool, this set got the most comments of anything I have ever knit. Everyone loved that it wasn't the same old pastel baby outfit. It makes an awesome gift if you're looking for something a little bit different.

Cable Study Long Forgotten

While getting out the "Basic Dishrag Can Also be a Baby Blanket!" last night, I found this vest that I made in 1989 with leftover yarn from the Zig Zag sweater. Problem appears to be that I didn't quite have enough yarn to make the armhole and neck ribbing large enough. It's been hiding in my stash ever since. Maybe I'll rip out the armhole and neck and re-do them. Anyway, I loved this cable pattern and thought I'd share it with you.

Photo Logs

I spent a good part of the day today scanning photos of all sorts of things I made over the past 20 years. Gee that was hard to actually put into writing! Check out the photo albums to walk down memory lane with me. There is an album entitled my "Historical Handknits" which basically documents my life from dating to children via sweaters. There's one called "Regina's Knits" which displays the beautiful sweaters my mother-in-law made for my husband when he decided to move to the US. There is even one called "Children Knits" which shows some pictures of the sweaters I've made for my nieces and nephews, as well as my own children, over the years. I hope you like them. I apologize for the quality (both the actual photography and even certain knitting designs) on some of the early shots. Such is life!

Major Jennifer Jackson-Martins aka "Major Knitter"

Here are some pictures from the original knitting bee in Quantico, Virginia and the subject matter of the "Major Knitter" article by Beverly Katz in the Spring Summer issue of Family Circle Easy Knitting. The original knitters are Corporal Shiquata James (red Marine Corps t-shirt), Gunnery Sergeant Julie Pruss, me - Major Jennifer Jackson-Martins and Mrs. Gayle Skidmore. Of course, all three ladies worked in the general's office so we knit during lunch when he wasn't there. Julie has since retired from the Marine Corps, but continues to knit. There's even a picture of her teaching her daughter Justine how to knit. The tradition continues!

The original item was a basic diagonal dishrag knit in Sugar N' Cream