Spiderwriterknits: Will Spring Ever Get Here??

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Will Spring Ever Get Here??

A month and a half between posts.It's been a busy time.

Knitting projects abound! Under the procrastination section of my life, the Wrap Me Up Shawl still isn't completed. And I have so little to do on it, one error to fix and two borders. Except the borders require I picked up a gadzillion stitches before starting the border. I think this is was is causing my procrastination on finishing the project...373, +/-, stitches times two! That's a lot of stitches. One of these days...

Meanwhile, I've finished a feather and fan shawl and baby blanket for the Prayer Shawl Ministry. OTN (on the needles for you non-knitters), I have another baby blanket, a top down cropped sweater, and still the linen feather and fan shawl. I have projects galore but most of them are still balls of yarn in my stash. And the stash keeps increasing...it just grows and grows, with my help.

Vogue Knitting has an easy lace shawl pattern in their latest edition, lacy cover up, designed by John Brinegar. Lacy, lacy, just perfect for summer evenings . Bought some new yarn ::hanging head in embarrasment-what about yarn in my stash!!:: for this shawl. The new yarn is nothing but scrumptious. It's lace weight, in a cream and ecru blend of colors, silk, rayon and linen blend, Berroco's Seduce. he store didn't have the Filatura yarn the pattern used in the picture in Vogue Knitting. Can't wait to start it...and finish it. But must finish my sweater first.

The top down cropped sweater is almost finished. Two inches to finish for the body, sewing the sleeves together and then doing the ribbing border around front sides and bottom. Piece of cake! ::gnawing fingernails:: Did most of it watching Mildred Pierce from the OnDemand section of Verizon cable. Nice feature of cable so one doesn't have to worry about missing a good series or juggling the DVR to save shows. I DVR only regular shows. And with the hockey play-offs and a Pittsburgh Penguin nutty fan in the house, it's even more difficult to juggle recording shows. So I love OnDemand! Must find another good series I missed to finish the sweater!

Yesterday 80+ temps was such a teaser, back in the mid-60's today, but the sun is out. I missed aquatics today. Spent yesterday at the mall with my step-daughter, Barb. Did major damage to the credit card. Walked and walked and am so tired and sore today...my old stnosis bones are screaming in pain. So I stayed home.

I think that when I go out shopping, my hubby sits at the computer watching the charges pile up on the credit card. But he's a generous, loving soul; the smartest man ever. He never fails to amaze me at what he remembers at his age. Last night he was singing songs from a childhood songbook. That songbook was used by his family in the 1920-30's. How does he do it? I can't remember my last sentence and I've just typed it!

It's time to go and knit...and find that new series to watch. Also, I'm waiting breathlessly to watch Game of Thorns, the series written by G. R. R. Martin. I've read all the books...am in the midst of the last one he wrote. What a confusing labyrinth he's written. One will definitely have to print out the cast of characters, at least, perhaps a map of the Seven Kingdoms would help, too, Me, I'm already prepared with the above. The series starts next week.

See you all next time. Well, no one reads my blog, so I'll see myself next time.

Joan

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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