Knitting

Filling the time ‘till testing

March 9, 2023March 9, 2023 annbh3563 Comments

hand knit triangular green and purple shawl draped on wooden hanger

My knitting time during these deep winter months (January into March) has focused on small, quick-to-complete projects while I await participation in my first test knit. The sage colored cowl uses yarn I hand-dyed with Kool-Aid as part of a class with Heather Best and I did a stash dive for the wool, alpaca, mohair, silk blend that resulted in the soft, squishy cable bordered shawl.

The pattern I volunteered to test is currently in the making by Jennifer Berg, Native Knitter. While her projects often incorporate geometric images in contrasting colors reminiscent of Acoma pottery or Navajo blankets, a first glimpse of her new design reflects the dramatic colors the raw southwestern landscape. Proceeds from the sale of this soon-to-be released pattern will benefit MMIW – Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

Travel

Reconnecting

March 1, 2023 annbh356Leave a comment

Having barely missed being snow bound in Minnesota by a winter storm that made the national news, the pops of spring color in Tennessee brightened my short visit despite rainy skies. My unexpected trip was that bittersweet mix that permeates funeral days – sadness for a loss and the happiness of being together to celebrate a life.

Growing up there were very regular gatherings when this family of cousins drove to Wisconsin in a large gold Suburban to visit our shared maternal grandparents or my family ventured a bit to the east when traveling south to visit my Alabamian paternal grandparents. But college schedules, jobs, and life (in general) intervened and years went by punctuated only by Christmas cards and infrequent letters. A recent wedding and now a funeral has us reconnecting. And, I am pleased to have an April trip already planned.

Knitting

Vibrant Colors on a Winter Day

February 23, 2023 annbh3563 Comments

two skeins of yarn aqua on left and varigated yellow on right

handknit aqua and coral striped shawl on hanger

My stash has lots of blue, green, and purple skeins with an infrequent pop of red. I joined the Sew Happy Jane Hand Dyed Happy Yarn Club intent on stretching my color palate.

While I tracked my first hand-dyed installment from Idaho, I wondered if the new skeins would blend with the predominant hues already in my stash or provide challenges from the color wheel. Both of these thoughts proved true. The solid aqua skein was well within my color comfort zone. The variegated skein is one I definitely would never have selected with its repeating runs of un-dyed natural cream to yellow to coral to burnt orange.

I knew I needed to use this odd yellow skein right away or it would languish for years. A new shawl pattern from Marie Greene featuring lacy contrasting stripes was released at just the right moment for a February project inspiration.

Baking

Sweet Treats

February 12, 2023 annbh3564 Comments

12 round and heart shaped cookies decorated with pink, red and white frosting on a clear glass plate

Every year, as we start February, a not-so-subtle shift in television advertising occurs. The increase in ads for diamond studs and men’s fragrances (think Versace’s Roman archer on a pedestal) are aired with the intent to convince the viewer these objects will demonstrate love.

Since our household fits none of the standard marketing demographics, we never succumb – no champagne to tickle the nose or heart-shaped necklaces to store in the dresser drawer. With a nod to the Victorian card-giving traditions, we may exchange cards although these have been given and then re-given many years over.

Except, this year will be different. With a nod to my friend Kim R. for offering cookie decorating classes at the recent church fundraising auction, Richard and I will enjoy an artfully decorated selection of Raspberry Sugar Cookies and Brownie Rolled Cookies. While I will certainly not be going into the cookie decorating business, I am pleased with my first attempts at decorating these sweet concoctions.

Knitting

Stash Challenge

February 9, 2023 annbh3562 Comments

handknit gray and purple striped triangular shawl with lacy edge

In the spirit of new year de-cluttering, I joined Marie Greene’s Stash Challenge – a much abbreviated version of her Stash Sprint class. Within the text of five emails sent over five days, she offered “stashtastic inspiration” in manageable micro amounts. Then, I coupled my efforts and transformed a beautiful Merino-Silk blend into this Swiss Dot Shawl from her Stashbuster Series: B is for Bobble patterns.

Other items of interest

My first Mahjong!

January 19, 2023 annbh3562 Comments

three rows of mahjong tiles with white backgrounds and red and green imagery

When Richard began playing Mahjong in 2015 he invited me to join him but, as I was still two years from retirement, learning the game landed on a future to-do list. Even during Covid, when many were learning new skills, from baking sourdough bread to mixology, the game did not pique my interest.

I am clueless as to what inspired me during this year’s 12 Days of Christmas but the time was right. As a skilled player, Richard patiently introduced me to the unfamiliar imagery of the Chinese characters and symbols printed on the 144 tiles. Some people claim Mahjong is like Rummy or Solitaire only with tiles. I disagree. Unlike Rummy, where a winning hand is a winning hand whether today or five decades ago when, one semester, I played cards in the Blugold Room on the UW-EC campus until my GPA dropped, winning hands are determined by the National Mah Jong League and change annually.

After several weeks practicing at home and observing the Tuesday group play at church, I joined actual play, won a game and shouted – Mahjong!

Photo credit: Mahmoud Yahyaoui from Prexels

Knitting

Happy Yarn

January 13, 2023 annbh3562 Comments

white mailing box surrounded by skeins of different colored yarn

Martina Behm’s Strickmich! Club has gone on hiatus for 2023 so no squishy packages will arrive this winter from Damsdorf, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Lest I miss the excitement of mystery yarn deliveries, I have filled the gap by joining the Sew Happy Jane Hand Dyed Happy Yarn Club.

Heather Best is an amazing fiber colorist. I used her DK tweed in the Brighter Day colorway for my Fireworks pullover and a matching cowl. The yarn was lovely to work with and that sweater is among my favorites for a bit of warm color on a gray winter day. Using her Kool-Aid formulas, (Yes, the sweet summer drink concoction!) I took five skeins from au naturel wool to subtle hues all the while learning that my passion is not as a dyer.

She begins dying each month’s palate only after club orders are placed. This ensures accurate quantities without overstocking and enables members to choose Fingering or DK weight yarn in single 100g. skeins or to double the fun with a pair of perfectly coordinated hanks – 1 tonal and 1 painted. And, if beautiful yarn is not a prize in itself, each themed box includes curated gifts. Club members may vary weights and quantities each month and even pause participation for a month or two without totally disengaging. The flexible subscription plan is great for participants, although I imagine this marketing approach requires more recordkeeping. Waiting is the only downside of this new yarn service. On these gray January days, while Heather is deep in color-filled production, I must wait to discover the treasures of my February Happy Yarn Club box.

Happy knitting!

Knitting · Reading

2022 Highlighted in Knitting & Books

January 2, 2023January 2, 2023 annbh3564 Comments

Taking an inventory of the old year is by no means a unique task. It is, however, not something I have done previously in this blog. So here are a few highlights of my 22 knitting projects (some of which you will have already seen) and my titles read – 82 – although to be honest, I indulged in a number of quick read YA fantasies and enjoyed a variety of easy-listening titles while driving to-and-from Eau Claire and hours spent gardening last summer in order to reach this quantity.

handknit blue silk scarf with beaded zigzag edge — Hitchhiker Shawl

gray knit afgan on blue leather chair — Hitchhiker Shawl

handknit shawl using rustic silk in muted creams and lavenders — Buds & Bumbles Shawl

blue green sweater with cable stitched yoke — Buds & Bumbles Shawl

handknit cardigan in light sage with navy blue accents — Coastal Grandma Sweater

bronze medallion marking Boston Freedom Trail set in sidewalk with the tips of two black leather shoes on bottom edge — Coastal Grandma Sweater

handknit blue shawl with contracting cream colored bands and lace edge — Apple Cart Shawl

Spirituality

“Wrapped in blue cloud cloth…”

January 1, 2023 annbh3564 Comments

heart shaped antique glass Christmas ornament on tree with three lights (blue, red and yellow)

We celebrated my Mom’s 99^th birthday on Thursday. She still lives in the house my Dad built 60 years ago. During the past few months, she has undertaken a new task – finding those things she has not used in years and feels she no longer needs. Nearly every day, when I call her, she proudly describes what she has moved to the small green bedroom (her designated collection point) there to await my next visit when I will deliver these gently used items to the thrift store.

Following her example, I have started de-cluttering our house. It is amazing just how much stuff is tucked up on closet shelves, hidden in desk drawers, or stashed in the way-back corner of the bottom kitchen cupboard; items that certainly served a purpose or filled a want but which have mostly been forgotten. It feels good put into practice the three Rs – reduce, recycle, reuse..

My first thoughts about 2023 were tinged with wariness. After all, this past year was filled with false starts and yet more uncertainty. Then I began nudging myself toward a change in attitude; if only a shift in semantics. Rather than looking at the coming tomorrows with trepidation, I am trying to change my language and look at the new year as time of mystery; balancing cautiousness and excitement; looking at the days ahead with a sense of wonder.

I recently rediscovered a volume of poetry by Langston Hughes, originally published for children, but with lyrical phrases that offer weighty advice to children of all ages. His poem, “The Dream Keeper” gave me insight as to how I might approach my attitude adjustment. He wrote:

Bring me all of your dreams, 
You dreamer,
Bring me all your
Heart melodies
That I may wrap them
In a blue cloud-cloth
Away from the too-rough fingers
Of the world.

That phrase “That I may wrap them in a blue cloud cloth” rang true as I gently wrapped my Grandmother’s heart-shaped mercury glass ornament and put it away for another year; carefully handling the fragile heirloom all the while joyously celebrating childhood memories and thoughts of future holidays.

The poet’s words also reminded me that my hopes for today and tomorrow will need tender protection from “too rough fingers of the world” and that I need to keep that “blue cloud cloth” close at hand so that I might safely wrap my dreams while looking for the wonder and the mystery in the days ahead.

Happy New Year!

Knitting

Solstice Mittens

December 21, 2022 annbh3563 Comments

blue-brown knit mittens — Slightly wonky but very warm fulled mittens

With winter storm warnings blinking on my computer tool bar and anticipated temperatures hovering below zero all day, it seemed the perfect time to wear my first ever fulled wool mittens.

The timeline from knitting to fulling to wearing spans nearly a decade. These mittens were knit between February – March 2013 during a course at a local fabric store no longer in business. But the class only provided the pattern and a knitting circle on two evenings. I took my new project home and worried about how to actually create the thick mittens without ruining my work. I finally deduced that whether I ruined the mittens during the hot water agitated washing or if they simply continued to sit at the bottom of a wicker yarn basket, they were equally unwearable. A Covid Finishing Fest hosted by Northfield Yarns in May 2020 gave me the impetus to watch several how-to videos and violà mittens! Not needed with springtime temps, I tucked them away to be forgotten, thought lost, then found, and worn today for the first time.

Happy winter solstice!

Note: The distinction between fulling and felting is one of timing. In the textile world, felting is a done with fibers, not with woven cloth while fulling describes the act of wet finishing the woven cloth or knitted item with water, temperature and agitation.