Spiderwriterknits: March 2011

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Catching Up!

         It's about time I bring this blog up-to-date. As I say in the description, I procrastinate better than most people. December 4, 2010 was my last post. Way too long between posts.
         Well, gee whiz, I did it! Replaced defective Verizon Broadband equipment with their new and improved Verizon Broadband equipment. One dicey moment when I couldn't connect to the Internet, but all turned out well.
        Christmas was wonderful. Ed, myself, and his three daughters, Jane, Sue & Barb, Barb's husband, Jay, and Sue's special guy, Don enjoyed an outstanding week. Sue outdid herself in food preparation. Food was more than sufficient. Christmas Day dinner highlighted the entire week.
        Ed and I stayed at the Olde Pineapple Inn Bed & Breakfast just down the street from Sue's place. It's the oldest house in Melbourne built in the late 19th century by a pineapple farm. Seems this area was/is a large pineapple growing area. Who knew? I thought all pineapples came from Hawaii? Live and learn.
        Breakfast at the inn was superb. Every breakfast different, served by the owners of the Inn. Everything from Omelets to Crepes to French Toast, etc.

March 22, 2011

       Gee, how I procrastinate. It's been 18 days, +/- since I started this post. What have I been doing?
       Well, for one thing, I've been a knitting fool. Working on the Endless Feather and Fan shawl. It's on #9 needles and 108 stitches plus 5 on either side for a border for a total of 113 stitches. When I do the usual 91 stitches for this pattern, it seem my shawl is to narrow, so I added an extra pattern repeat. Now I'm sorry. With the border, the 91 stitches would have been fine. Seems I'll never reach the 72 inch length I'm shooting for.

      Other knitting projects are the Wrap Me Up Shawl I started two years ago. This is a series of blocks, all different sizes and patterns, with each one a different technique to learn. Finally, I am close to finishing. I have one block to correct; just a corner. Then the shawl must be washed and blocked before picking up the stitches for the edging. Whew! I've done a few changes in directions to make the shawl uniquely mine. I'm sure the author of the pattern will understand and forgive me. It's a beautiful shawl,. I know I need a picture of it on my blog but I tried that once and it didn't work out too good. Will try again later when I have more courage.
      On my needles are two sweater patterns, a scarf, another feather and fan shawl in linen yarn. That's all the OTN's I can remember. ::whew-wiping brow:: One sweater needs to be frogged, that is, ripped out. When I changed to longer circular needles, I used a size bigger needle and so I must frog it. ::rip it, rip it,rip it:: :-D
Forgot about Emmaus Class at church last Thursday. I;m sorry to have missed it. Monsignor is discussing the Mass: Ever Ancient, Ever New, is the title of the class. This is the Year of the Mass in the Roman Catholic Church so there is a lot of discussion about the Mass, what it is, what we learn, what we experience, etc. I find the subject fascinating.
      Duty calls. Must get back to knitting more today. A bit tired after aquatics class. Will probably fall asleep while knitting. It's happened before.

Joan

Books I've read and loved

Anthony Adverse, by Hervey Allen (read at 4 times)
Company of Liars, by Karen Maitland
Dissolution, by C. J. Sansom
Green Dolphin Street, by Elizabeth Goudge
Heart of War Trilogy, by John Masters
Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova
NIcolo Rising, by Dorothy Dunnet
People of the Book, Geraldine Brooks
The Angel's Game, by Carlos Fuiz Zafon
The Friday Night Knitting Club, by Kate Jacobs
The House of RIverton, by Kate Morton
The Hungry Tide, by - Amitav Ghosh
The Lymond Chronicles, by Dorothy Dunnett
The Outlander Series, Diana Galbadon (5 books in series so far)
The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant
The Vanishing Act, by Maggie O'Farrell
Wilderness Series, by Sarah Donati (4 books in series to date)

A New blogger, semi-old knitter, and stalled writer

Well, I've entered a new realm...for me, that is. I've started a blog. Now what to do with it?? And who in the heck am I?

Joaniecomelately seems to fit me the best. As much as I try, as many good intentions I have, I'm always late. And I hate being late. I think it is arrogant and insensitive. So, I'm working on it.

A work in progress, WIP, that's me. I feel anyone can expand their horizons, change their ways or thoughts, take on new challenges despite their age. That's the last time I'll mention age.

I'm a knitter, have been since the 1960's. Sarted as a crocheter in grade school. My Aunt Margaret taught me when I was about six years old, maybe a few years older.

I made the most elaborate, fluffy edges on handkerchiefs. Today, Several of my classmates in the 7th and 8th grades, along with myself, would work the crochet hook all during class. And this was with Sister Hilda's blessing. A stern lady, but we could do our lady's needlework. Sadly, only one of those hankies remain.

So many heirlooms of the handmade type have been lost through the years. It only dawned on me recently to look at these treasures as heirlooms. I truly wish I had that old, wool serge quilt my sister, Lois, and I slept under on those cold winter nights in the cold patch of Southwestern Pennsylvania. All Grandmother Mary did was cut squares from discarded men's clothing, most of wool serge, real scratchy material. When the square were all cut, she sewed them together to make the top of the quilt and then put on the bottom. This she stuffed with an unknown filling. When this was done, she cut small pieces of yarn to tie knots through the middle of each square to hold the fabric and the filling intact.

This quilt didn't win prizes. The colors were dark navy, brown, gray and black. Nothing pretty about it. But it was warm., especially when the ice was on the inside of the windows in the winter time. The coal stove was banked (the coals were smothered to keep the flame low so there would be hot coals to start the fire in the morning) when my parents went to bed and the ice formed quickly.

Sadly, I can barely crochet a chain nowadays. However, I do knit and I love it. Mainly , I've been working on shawls, lap robes, baby hats and blankets.

Last winter, I winter I proposed to our Monsignor that we have a Prayer Shawl Ministry in our parish. With enthusiasm I didn't expect, he gave me the go-head. I expected, prayed for two or three women to join me. By the afternoon of the first announcement in the Sunday church bulletin, I had twenty plus women on the list. Today, we have about fifteen very active ladies, with a couple working from their home in their spare time. We even have a member at a local nursing home. The rest are still on the list since we are open to people coming when they can and doing what they are able.

By November, 2007, we made and gave away 100 plus items; shawls, lap robes, and baby blankets. And the need for these is still going strong. Some of the women are lightening fast, making 3, 4, 6 items every two weeks. These are the crocheters in the group. We knitters are slower but just as productive in the end.

I thank God daily for the enthusiasm and dedication of these ladies, all of whom I did not know a year ago. Now they feel like old friends.

Writing is another passion of mine, but my husband is finding this hard to believe since I haven't written a word in quite a while. But I will write again, this is for sure.

Several unfinished manuscripts are logged in my writing files and saved on disks. One of them, is the story of my ancestors immigrating from Eastern Europe and settling in the col towns in Western Pennsylvania.

I want to show the hardships and obstacles they overcame to make a better life for themselves and their families to follow in successive generations. In this, they succeeded, despite all of the animosity encountered from some of the citizens in the surrounding areas. The same threat citizens felt when the Irish, the Germans, and other nationalities came to the United States.

For now this is enough about me. As this blog progresses, I hope to share the accomplishments of my fellow prayer shawl ministry members, my own knitting triumphs and missteps along the way. And maybe even a chapter or two. Miracles do occur.

joaniecomelately