Coming Back to Knitting!!

I have been knitting as long as I can remember, it seems. Along with simple cross stich and hand work, my Swedish grandmother taught me the in's and out of knitting when I was very young. We never ever sat without our hands working on something. I was raised by supremely skilled and talented muti-tasking women ! These owls have brought my love of stitch and hand work back to me and working on a small knitting project has brought me back yet again to my love of yarns and knitting. It all goes around in an endless circle of the love of creating and the joy of giving hand crafted items to loved ones!!

Before I share my knitting project, several of you asked to see pictures of my owls on display. I have hung them from a curly willow branch (actually I believe that this is a branch of Harry Lauders Walking Stick). They are flying along at Liberty Town, as the display is up on a shelf where it catches the breeze created by the ceiling fan. The pictures could be clearer but they are what they are! They seem to have caught the attention of many who pass as I have recieved a few compliments, hopefully some people will like them enough to give them new homes!!

Now , on to knitting!!! I was inspired to create a scarf in a hot color for my neice who has just started her college career in beautiful upstate New York at Colgate. She is already having some issues with temperature shock to her thin tropical blood!! She ahs become very used to an Endless Summer climate, as she has been living in equatorial Africa, Malawi and Dar Es Saalam, Tanzania, for the past 10 years or so. Needless to say we have been all been thinking of her need for warmth. her birthday was in mid September but she has learned to expect gifts on the late side from her Aunt Elizabeth!!! Here you see a photo of the finished scarf being modeled by her cousin Becca.

This is a very simple pattern that creates this awesome and fun spiral effect. Thru a series of increases, starting with 150 stitches and growing to 1800, the ruffled spiral is achieved. ( Yes ,I dos till need to weave in those yarn tails!!) I used #9 circular needles (64inch long needles) to have enough room to get all fo the 1800 stitches on!!! It is a worsted weight wool and it took 1and 1/2 skeins. It was a real eye opener to see how long it took to knit a row of 1800stitches!!! Perhaps next time I will do as the pattern suggests and start out with only 100 stitches!!!!

This picture is a bit washed out as I needed to use the flash but I wanted you to get an idea of how many ruffles and curls are created from 1800 stitches!! I think that our college girl will have lots of fun wearing this in the chilly New England winters that are coming her way!!

At the recent Montpelier Sheep Show I picked up this absolutely lucious skein of raspberry colored cashmere,silk and alpaca yarn that I am going to use to make a scarf for myself- with the 100 stitch version, for sure!!!!

Now, as the tea kettle is singing and the rain is falling, I am off to enjoy my day creating in my studio!! I love this sort of weather for settling in and creating something or even just messing around with new ideas!!

I hope that you all can find some time to create today as well!!!