Wish Theresa Would Learn to Knit Already

Whenever someone says that Theresa is an excellent knitter, etc. Theresa will say "oh, I'm not that good; I need to learn more".

Well this shawl is part of an outfit that won an award at Stitches (a yarn convention with classes, etc) in Chicago. I hope the close up shows off the beading as well as the stitches. Can you imagine what she might accomplish if she really were a good knitter?

Of course, the chubby rascal on the table is another Stanley destined for the Yarn Ball. Theresa made him, too

Pat's Sweater

Anyone who has been following the blog for the past year and a little more should remember bits and pieces about Pat's sweater.

Pat determined she would make herself a sweater in the style of one of her favorite sweaters. We all loved the yarn and the color. We mentioned whenever Pat reached another milestone in her design. We were so pleased to see her continue and never give up even when things got tough. At different times knitters in the group helped Pat out.

But the great help was Shirley, who told Pat what to do, what not to do, and what came next. So just as proud are we are of Pat's accomplishment we also are proud of Shirley who never once stopped supporting her friend. We should all have such friends.

The sweater looks wonderful. Why isn't she wearing it? She says it's got wool in it and can't figure out how she ever purchased a yarn with wool. Well, perhaps she will wear something light under it. Because we would all love to see the sweater on her at the ball.

Frog Hats

One of a kind frog hats. To fit children, the hats have a circumference of 18-19". We have a frog prince and tree frog. If you want one of these hats you'll have to get to the Yarn ball early (7:30). Like most handmade items: just one of a kind.

Cute Hat!

Karen made this cute baby hat. It's her own design. Don't you have a little sweetheart in mind for this darling hat? It will be available at the Yarn Ball, just waiting for you to select it.

Some Personal Projects

While Amanda was so busy knitting this sweater for her daughter, she found time to knit another preemie hat! I'm sure her daughter will love it. The photos don't really do justice to the the nice yarn she chose.

Then Shelli made her first attempt at felting. It really is funny how big you have to make the item before felting. But as you can see, she was quite successful and now has a great tote.

Carol and Patti

Carol and Patti have completed 2 more baby blankets. Patti did the the striped blanket and Carol completed the cream blanket with the sweet trim.

Lyn's Prolific Hook

Lyn's been hard at work again, putting together various yarns to make baby 'ghans and lapghans. I'm always impressed with how great her creations look. Remember she's using donated yarns, and unless she gets really stuck (sometimes she uses her $$ to purchase a needed yarn) she doesn't have much choice.




But we really need a little input on the last item. Lynn put together this afghan from all the pieces that were in with yarns.

We just couldn't decide if it should be at the Yarn Ball. We thought it would appeal to teen agers or look cool in a college dorm. It's so different than the other afghans we've offered, we just weren't sure. What do you think???

What Happens When....??

What happens when you take a class to learn broomstick crochet? You get a 12 mos. size baby sweater, a newborn size bonnet, and 2 Victoriana drawstring purses.

What happens when you have yarn left from making Godzilla Hoodies? You get frog hats. Like the newborn size Amelia wore and the child size frog prince.

All these items will be at the Yarn Ball.

More Guatemala Hats

I made the fuzzy wuzzy hat and Karen made the striped one. I like to think of theses hats as "Smiley" hats. So that the wearers can show off their new smiles after the dental work.

What else might be at the Yarn Ball?

In the last entry, I mentioned that the newborn frog hat would be at the Yarn Ball.

So are the two crusher hats, modeled by Becky.

Karen made them in two sizes.

The "Navaho" looking afghan was made by Lyn.

As a group, we all seem to be attempting to expand our skills. This was Lyn's first attempt at colorwork.

Then there's the "Pittsburgh" afghan slip stitched by Joe. His efforts are always over the top.

Late Shower Gift

Susan Dittrich, an up and coming knitwear designer, was overwhelmed with work when we had Amelia's shower. But these are the planned items that would have been in the pix. Certainly worth the wait.

There were four washcloths. We all decided these were awfully nice for just a baby's bath. And, the star of Susan's efforts, a stunning dress. Just makes you want to be little again so you can wear such a darling item.

Amelia's Modeling Career Begins

Amelia is modeling a frog hat for newborns that will be available at the Yarn Ball.

Upside down Amelia is modeling a sunsuit I made for her.

I must apologize. I scanned in the photo for the first time and did not realize it would come out here upside down. Though my iphoto program has turned her in the correct direction, moving the photo to my desktop reverts back to the original. The blogger program doesn't allow for this kind of photo fix. Hopefully as Amelia's career proceeds she will encounter better photographers.

Latest for my grandniece and grandnephew

I just finished up what I like to think of as the Godzilla hoodies. The design is by Darla Sims from Crochet World June. The yarn is Designer Sport by Red Heart.

The hoodies have a pouch to keep little hands warm and a drawstring to help cuddle into the hood. The spikes run over the top and down the spine.

My cats won't stand still for pix. The stuffed kitty looks like Monty, but he is missing the attitude, frown and disdain that only a Himi can project.

And the Hats Keep Coming

Last Saturday, more hats were donated. The little blue hats were knitted by Shelli. They'll go to Knit One , Save One. Chris crocheted the colorful fun hats for Hats for Guatemala.

Visit to a Mini Mill

Last Saturday, four of us went for a tour of the Stramba Mill. A mini mill will make yarn from batches of fleece that are too small for larger mills and can make some combinations that a bigger mill may not be able to do either.

The pictures are pretty close to the order of the process. But by no means covers the entire process; there were so many steps that I was flabbergasted. Without the equipment the process must be terribly arduous. The mini mill is the way to go. Even then this is a lot of work. The yarn hasn't even been dyed yet.

I'll certainly appreciate my natural fiber yarns more.

Amelia's First Crochet Group

Rebecca came to crochet with her mom, Luana, and her daughter, Amelia, who decided to come attired in a knitted sweater design by Elizabeth Zimmerman and executed by Lisa V.

Amelia blithely slept through most of the gathering's noise except for occasional refreshment.