Major Knitter

Photographic Proof of WWKIP

Remember I told you that my sister participated in WWKIP and I didn't?  Well, today I have photographic proof. 

Here's a picture of Ellen knitting at the little league ball game.

And here's her son Pierce checking Mom's progress.

Ellen hopes to have her 40 sts turned into one garter stitch square before I come home again in late August.

The best part of Ellen picking up knitting is that she told me "I don't know how to knit."  I simply looked at her and said "Of course you know how to knit.  You're Grandma Grace's granddaughter and you spent entire weeks with her during the summer in your childhood."  Sure enough, after a 5-minute refresher course, it all came back to her naturally.  Her three children were delighted to see Mom knitting and already put in their own requests for socks and other handmade items.  Darling children, really.

Crafters at the Caroline House

I just wanted to share some thumbnails of the amazing students at The Caroline House from this past week.  These ladies were amazing - and the teachers were even more fantastic.  Danni and her mother organized this entire event.  Danni, with her mesmerizing powers of attraction and adoration invited some of us Knitting Central groupies to come help.  We were so glad we did.  Little did we know that we would be the ones finding joy and fulfillment.

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You can read all about our excitement at Danni's blog. But if you believe that a picture is worth a thousand words, than go ahead and let these smiles tell you the whole story.

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And then we had some show and tell. 

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We're hoping to get a regular knitting bee started in the fall on Fridays while the children are in school.  The Caroline House tries to teach basic skills, so we'll be teaching knitting while expecting the ladies to employ their English as a Second Language skills.  It's quite the motivated group.  Wish us luck!  We might be in need of basic instructional books and supplies, so if you have extra needles, books and yarn, please set them aside.   

The Caroline House

Today I went with my friend Joanne to help Danni and her mother teach knitting at The Caroline House in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  My friend Kathy was there, too.  We had a great time teaching knitting to ladies who don't speak English.  I guess you could say that knitting is a language of its own.

 

The Caroline House is run by the School Sister of Notre Dame - it helps new immigrants to this country learn English and other skills that they'll need to get jobs.  The best part is that while the mothers are getting English as a Second Language classes, their pre-school children are looked after in the house's day care center.  We'll be there all week.  It is such a pleasure to teach knitting to someone who really enjoys it.  I think I may have found my calling in life.

Arts in Action

Today was the fourth day this week that I was involved in giving to others.  It's been quite a week!  This was the day that I offered to help my knitting buddy Kathy R teach knitting at the Fairfield Woods Middle School's Arts in Action biennial program.  It was worth every second! 

Here's our group coordinator Kathy in her gorgeous lace poncho.  (PS - Kathy informed readers that this is called Lacy Linen Poncho, page 44 of Summer 2005 InKitters magazine.)

Thanks Kathy for bringing us together for this energizing day.  Seeing the middle school students take a crack at knitting, or improving on their basic skills, was the best thing a knitter could ever want to see.

Here's a sampling of some of the small knitting items brought today for show and tell.

Here I am teaching some students how to knit.  These two were amazing! 

One student managed to finish a cell phone cozy and a book mark.  Not bad for an hour's work.

Does your school devote a day to teaching arts in the classroom?  This was an awesome effort by the PTA and the community.  I'm so happy I got the chance to participate.  I'll be smiling about this one for weeks.

Fibre Content Ahead

James was in England for the sole purpose of attending a Kaffe Fassett workshop.  Lucky dog!  I did say that with a wee bit of envy in my voice, now, didn't I?  I learned so much from James' telling of the workshop.  First and foremost, KF's name rhymes with Waif Facet.  It's Kaffe - like waif - not like taffy.  I feel so much better now being in the know.  The best thing to see was James' Persian Poppy wrap. 

Wow!  I can't tell you how luxurious this is with it's mohair mixture of fibres.  James' knitting with color is absolutely flawless.  I'm not even a mohair fan, but this is to die for!

James also came bearing gifts.  I got a personally autographed copy of the newest Kaffe Fassett book

with a personal inscription to Moi.

Wow!  I am not worthy.  I am so thrilled.  I really must work on perfecting my color work techniques.  I am having a blast enjoying my Kaffe Fassett workshop vicariously through James.  It's almost as good as being there.

Bloglines by Six

Every morning after I send BF off to work and before I wake up the boys, I usually find myself catching up on the day's blogs on My Bloglines.  It's my version of reading the morning newspaper.  I love to catch up with my friends and see who is knitting what out there in knitterdom.  It usually takes me about a half hour to catch up on my reads - between 0600 and 0630.  How about you?  When do you catch up on your blogs?  What did any of us do before bloglines? 

Major Knitter and The Scottish Lamb

Don't you just love it when you finally get to meet one of your virtual blogging buddies in person?  That's what I got to do yesterday.  Jean of The Scottish Lamb and I have been virtual buddies for a few years now.  We're both knitters, bloggers and military (She's Army.  I'm Marine).  She moved back to the States after being stationed in Germany for many years and as fate would have it... she ended up in my backyard.  Well, technically, she's at Westpoint.  I'm in Westport.  Our two towns are a mere 65 miles apart.  After a few failed scheduling attempts, Jean suggested heading up to Rhinebeck to meet and visit the Morehouse Farm.  What a great idea!  So after getting the kids off to school, we each motored to the sheep and wool mecca and met at Bread Alone for some coffee. PS - I highly recommend it when you head to the Sheep and Wool Festival next month.  Then we jumped in one car and headed here.

 

I think we walked in at 11:03 a.m.  We weren't anxious or anything, you know.

The store is lovely and I'm just wild about their freshly spun merino wool.  They have some fun displays.  Look at the concrete base for the fun stands - Tonka Trucks!

Jean and I looked at patterns and wool.

Jean found some wonderful lace scarf kits that would make great Christmas gifts.  (Hey!  Did anyone realize that it's only 3 months until Christmas!!!)

I may have gotten a bit carried away on my purchases.  I bought the orangey-red goodness and the blue variegated to make My First Merino Sweater as future baby gifts.  I made this one for secundogeniture nearly 9 years ago and it's one of my favorite baby sweaters - especially when it's knit in non-traditional baby colors like these or the one I made for Secundogeniture

Jean and I had a fun time in the shop as you can see by our smiles

Then it was time to head home.  We didn't want it to end.  Jean mentioned a great diner that was in Hyde Park - not too far from the store.  So we went in our separate cars and ended up here at the Eveready Diner

It's the single best diner I've ever been to.  That's saying a lot.  It's another must do item when you go the the New York Sheep and Wool Festival next month.  If you're driving up Route 9 - stop here for a meal.  You won't be sorry.  It was the perfect ending to our perfect day. 

And by the way, Jean was a hundred times better in person than she is on her blog.  And that's saying something because all of you know how amazing she is online.  I'm so glad I got to meet you Jean.  I hope we'll get together again soon!  Happy knitting.

Teaching Little Fingers to Knit

Isabella and her Mom came over yesterday afternoon to learn how to knit with needles.  Following the Montessori Method, Isabella is learning a great deal of life skills.  She already knows how to finger knit, loom knit and well, all that was left to learn was knitting with needles.  Although she's only 6 and 3/4 (as she proudly told me), she caught on quickly to knitting on two sticks.  The same is true for Isabella's Mom.  I started another Child's Cap (along the same lines as the Save-the-Children caps) to help teach the garter stitch.

Oh my!  Is that bluish-gray?  With penguin needles?  I just can't get away from Project Spectrum 2.0 it would seem.