Knitting for Kids

So, no kids or grandkids but the desire to knit for kids. Thank you to my niece and her husband for having a beautiful family to satisfy this need! Okay, this is not why they have this family, but I’m delighted to be a Grauntie (my friend’s term for Great Aunt). I think the kids are going to call me “Chuch”, though. That’s a colloquial version of “Aunt” in Ukrainian. So excited.

Three years ago, when I started knitting, I wanted to make something for Great Nephew #1. Since the family is dedicated to the Saskatchewan Roughriders football team, I found a knitting chart for the logo and knit my first kid’s hat (I adapted it from this Penguin Hat pattern which I made for to other kids in Knitting Year 1) :

Last Christmas, there were two Great Nephews. And two new knitting projects. I stayed with the Roughriders theme and knit my first sweaters ever. Another success. This is the kids wearing them during the Grey Cup game in November 2013 (and yes, Saskatchewan won). I adapted a cute kid’s Frog Sweater for this. Love these boys:

What I knit

And THIS Christmas, there’s a third Great, a Great Niece. Wow, what a beautiful family. And a great opportunity to knit baby things, baby GIRL things! I was able to finish hats for the boys (they’re footballs in case you didn’t recognize them; I adapted this great Hat Pattern) and my Great Niece’s first hand-made Roughrider’s hat (using the best Newborn Hat pattern). Adorable threesome (and Mom in this picture):

Needless to say, there’s more in the works (can’t help myself).

It’s been fun looking through my Mom’s patterns for ideas. The books are for things she knit my brother and me AND for my niece and nephew. I feel very connected to my Mom when I knit for these kids.

What I read

I finished a wonderful book, especially for a knitter (recommended by http://bookpage.com/; check this out if you don’t already know this site for book reviews): Ann Hood’s “The Knitting Circle”. Hood writes about death and grieving, and you might think her books are too sad. But they’re also about loving and learning and sharing. This one concerns a woman who, after her child dies, joins a knitting circle and meets women (and a few men) who knit, tell their own stories, and help each other recover from great loss. It was beautifully written and compelling. I actually finished it very quickly, despite my own knitting.

Unkillable Cowl

I follow the Peterborough, Ontario Twitterfeed @Ptbo_Canada. Sometime late summer, they introduced Courtney Druce and her blog http://sassyblondecancerbegone.blogspot.ca/. She’s a local woman in her 20’s who is a four-time Cancer survivor. Yep, I said “four-time”.  The description for her blog says “No story will go untold, or be edited. Everything from diagnosis, to treatment, and life after. Be prepared... for everything and anything”. I found that irresistible. So I started to read her blog that day. And I’ve been hooked ever since. She is a funny, truthful, irreverent, saucy, and very good writer. Want to learn about living life, no matter what? Read Courtney’s blog. Amazing.

In her November 3 post, she wrote about her vow to “Fuck Cancer” and be “Unkillable”. The post featured a black and pink t-shirt that matched that sentiment. That set my needles clacking. I wanted to send Courtney something that would remind her of her strength and power and of how so many people, like me, care about her.

What I knit

Meet Courtney and her Unkillable Cowl:

I’m so excited that she liked it and wears it.

Just a bit more about Courtney. She and her Dad, John, are Co-Chairs for the local 2014 Pink in the Rink campaign. This is a partnership between the local hockey team, the Peterborough Petes, and the Canadian Cancer Society Peterborough and District Unit. Money will be raised from t-shirt sales and the big game against the big rivals, the Oshawa Generals, on February 6. Courtney is a great spokesperson for this important fundraiser. I look forward to following this venture, and getting a t-shirt!

What I read

I made Courtney’s cowl during my marathon Christmas knitting, so I didn’t read much. But I did finish “Fallen Women”. Good, but not my favourite Sandra Dallas book (I loved “Tallgrass” about a Japanese Internment Camp in Colorado. When we drove back from the West in 2011, we followed The Santa Fe Trail as much as we could. We happened upon Camp Amache, the name of the real internment camp. It was very moving and I was thrilled to recognize it in “Tallgrass”).

Neighbour Cowls

Believe me, I have been knitting constantly since Thanksgiving. But I’m either not finished some projects or or they haven’t been revealed yet to the recipients. But some cowls were delivered to neighbours on Christmas Day.

What I knit

My first delivery was to our neighbours. We’ve enjoyed the friendship and help of the Lloyds for 20 years! Angie and Tony keep an eye on our place while we’re travelling and looked after our first cat, Cassie, when we went away without her. The kids (now both married, and Mark is the Dad to baby Bryson) were our first, and frankly,  only Trick or Treaters (and yes, we buy candy every year “just in case”). Kristina and her husband, Martin (and occasionally their dog Roxie) are frequent visitors and Facebook friends. Then there’s Oma, Angie’s lovely Mom. I’ve enjoyed tea and chats with her when she visits.

This year I made Oma, Angie and Kristina each a cowl, my first multi-generational knitting project:



Next, when we visited my Dad for Christmas lunch, I delivered another Neighbour Cowl to HIS neighbour, Elaine (the same black and pink yarn as Kristina’s above). She cuts his grass and keeps his driveway and sidewalk clean. She and her husband, Kevin (he got Beer Brittle!) keep an eye out for him and provide me with the security of knowing someone who cares is just next door.

I hope these four women feel the hugs when they wear their Neighbour Cowls.

What I read

In October 2011, we took a great “Wild West” RV trip. In a campground in the Badlands, I met a woman who recommended I read books by Sandra Dallas. When I got home, I started on all the novels the Peterborough Library owned and have been enthralled by her novels about women pioneers across the American West. So I started her latest, “Fallen Women”. It’s set in 1885 Denver and follows a woman who is investigating the murder of her sister, a fallen woman. So far, so good.

What I watched

We finished “Homeland” and are looking for something else as compelling (my friend, Heather, recommends the British series, “The Hour”).

Lots more projects to reveal soon.

Cowls for Sherry and Deb

I go to the winter Toronto One of a Kind Show every year with my friend Alana. Two years ago, just after I started knitting, I looked for inspiration in many of the booths. Both Alana and I loved the neckpieces from the Wild Haliburton Elephant Weavers. This company is owned by Darlene Bolahood, a faculty member at Fleming’s Haliburton School of Fine Arts. Coincidentally, she’s also from Oshawa. See how small the world is. When I saw Darlene’s beautiful neckpieces, I said, “I can knit that”. And I went on a search for a pattern. At knittingpatterncentral.com (another “free pattern” website), I found the pattern for Erica’s Chunky Knit Cowl. And the rest is history. I did make my first cowl for Alana and have made many, many, more over the last two years for my friends. They may not be as special as Darlene’s, which are  made from beautiful mohair, but they are made with lots of love.

What I knit

My friend, Sherry, announced via Facebook that her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer and asked would we wear pink on Fridays, Kathy’s treatment days. So I’ve been wearing pink to the gym for Power Pink Fridays (here’s my class which is coincidentally led by Sherry’s niece, Jess, last Friday):



This inspired me to knit two “Fifty Shades of Pink” cowls, one for Sherry and one for her sister, Kathy. Here Sherry and niece, Jess, are modelling them. I hope they have some healing powers:



I also hope my next cowl has some cheering powers for my friend, Deb. She just retired from Fleming, and I needed to mark that great date with a cowl. Deb is one of my Tweestas. Deb, Alana, Susan, Maggie and I were face-to-face friends and co-workers who deepened our friendships via Twitter. We now keep each other entertained online and at regular dinners out. My Tweestas got “matching” scarves last year, long before I took pictures to document my creations. I may have to make them something new this year.
Here’s Deb in her Happy Retirement Contentment Cowl. She looks happy to me. And she wore it to our lunch last week, matching her gorgeous One of a Kind top and glasses, so I know she liked it!


What I read

Still reading “Heartbreak Hotel”. Slow going.

What I watched

If I don’t read as much, I still watch a lot of TV, which is a nice accompaniment to knitting. We’re watching Season 1 of “Homeland” on Netflix. Wow. Any errors in knitting are due to the tension of watching the show. Great TV.

Ann’s Scarf

Ann’s birthday was next. But I also had to get started on some knitting for my Great Nephews and Great Niece-to-be. So I needed some patterns.

Last winter, my Dad, who I think was impressed by my knitting, told me to take the box of my Mom’s knitting stuff. Wow. What a treasure trove. Tons of needles, pattern books (from 1950’s to 1980’s) and the faint remnants of her scent throughout. My Mom wore Chantilly for ages then switched to Magie Noire when I did. This was a lovely reminder.

The pattern books have held great fascination for me, not only for their instructions and inspiration but also for evidence of my Mom’s knitting style (the things she made are noted by teeny pencil tick marks marking the rows). They’re also a testimony to her knitting for her grandkids, Jennie and Eric. So I’m trying to choose patterns from “the box” for my Christmas knitting for her great grandkids.

But first, my third “pretty” scarf for Ann.

What I knit

I love the yarn I chose for the scarves for Pat, Heather and Ann. It’s Lion Brand’s “Amazing”. As you have seen, there are beautiful colours and it’s soft and lightweight.

I went back to ravelry.com for a pattern and chose the Silky Scallops pattern. I love this scarf and Ann does too!

The day I gave Ann her scarf, we both went to Lindsay for some shopping and lunch. Ann and I started full-time at Fleming at the same time and drove together to the Lindsay campus for four years. It was a great nostalgic day. We made a stop at Aberdeen’s Wool Company, my first “real” wool shop. Oh, what a new world this is! First, there was Heather, owner, knitter and great advisor. Then there were yarns that I had never seen before. What a different experience to Michaels, which I will still visit for bargains. But I will return to Aberdeen’s and will also start exploring local yarn shops.

What I Read

I have been reading, very slowly, Deborah Moggach’s “Heartbreak Hotel”. She wrote “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”. I saw and really enjoyed the film, so wanted to try this book. It’s kind of funny (lots of characters visiting a rundown Bed and Breakfast in Wales for “Courses for Divorces”). Each chapter tells a complete story, so the book is kind of perfect for knitting reading. I may have to start reading more short stories!

Heather’s Scarf

My friends Heather and Ann also have pre-Christmas birthdays, so I have knit their gifts for the last two years. This year, in my need to knit something “pretty” and not so utilitarian (they’ve got slippers and warm cowls in the past), I looked for more interesting scarf patterns and yarn.
Heather first. We went to her daughter’s wedding in October, and Heather wore a shalwar kameez in purple:



She looked beautiful, and her scarf and headband were inspired.

What I knit

I finally settled on the Kittyhawk (also inspired by Heather, a cat lover) pattern. I shall admit here that I started and stopped Heather’s gift at least five times. I even discarded  a ball of yarn since I had ripped a different pattern so often! But love of friends conquers all, and I (and she) was happy with the result.

 

What I read

I have two friends who have sons that are on the Autism Spectrum. One of the Moms wrote an almost daily Facebook instalment about her boy during October, National Autism Awareness Month. I looked forward to reading those posts every day to learn more and to laugh, cry and admire the boy and his family and friends.
So, coincidentally, I think, I saw a book on the Peterborough Library’s shelf and chose to read Jael McHenry’s “The Kitchen Daughter”. It’s a story about a woman who likely has Asperger’s, and the book is about her possible diagnosis (she says she doesn’t have a condition, she has a personality). It’s also about her amazing cooking skills AND about a special ability she has to raise the dead when she makes special recipes. It was lovely.

What I watched

For the last few years, I’ve joined Heather and Ann and others at The Muse movie series. It’s a fundraiser by the Peterborough Museum and Archives. They bring movies from the Toronto International Film Festival to town. I have seen some fabulous films, including  Twenty Feet From Stardom which was a documentary on the great, mostly female, backup singers that tried to walk those “twenty feet” to the front of the stage. Try to find it and watch it if you can. And listen to some of the music at the website. Amazing.

Pat's Scarf

I come from a long line of crafty women. My Baba Pesarchuk did beautiful cross stich (she tried to teach me once, but that was a hilarious disaster). My Baba Ostapowich crocheted and was a skilled seamstress (I’ve never crocheted and CAN sew a little). My Mom sewed and knit. In fact, it was my Mom who taught me how to knit, probably for Brownies or Girl Guides. I knit as an adolescent then put away the needles until about 25 years ago when my Mom was dying of cancer. As a distraction or a connection to her, I decided to knit my husband a sweater and us an afghan. Well, I WAS distracted for a while and then the unfinished projects and remaining wool went into a suitcase and into the basement. The suitcase got moved when we came to the farm. Then, a couple of years ago, in a fit of cleaning, David (with permission) threw out the suitcase. I have had other distractions and have found that I’ll never need any external things to connect me to my Mom (I think of her every day). So, my knitting career seemed over.

Then two years ago, as I wrote on Facebook at the time, “After 17 years, 22 states, 5 provinces, lots of love and at least 9 lives, we said goodbye to our cat, Cassie”. She was a really sweet little lap cat, so I decided I needed not only a distraction again, but also a warm replacement for my lap. Off to the Internet to find a pattern for Phentex Slippers (an homage to Baba O who crocheted these for us grandkids every year), to YouTube for some how-to’s and to Michaels for some supplies (where was that suitcase when I needed it?). And the rest is history.

I seem to knit from November to the end of February, then stop until the following fall. In fact, this year, I have declared that Thanksgiving Weekend will be my official “Start Knitting” time each year. And it was. As well as the weekend to start this blog.

What I knit

My friend, Pat, goes to San Miguel in Mexico in late October each year. No need for a warm cowl (kind of my thing; I’ll tell you more another time). So, for her birthday this year, I decided to knit a “pretty” scarf. This winter, I want to try some different, maybe more challenging patterns, so I settled on a “Drop Stitch Scarf”:



She loved it and sent several emails telling me about the compliments she has received while wearing it. THAT’S why I knit!

By the way, I get most of my patterns from Ravelry.com. I love the photos, the search tools and the generosity of the knitters who post their designs there. I like this combination of new and old technology.

What I read

Sadly, knitting doesn’t allow for much reading, but I do read for a break or before falling asleep. So I read less. But I always read.

As I knit this scarf, I read Helen Fielding's "Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy”. I loved the first two books and movies, so it was a natural that I chose this. As well, I followed “Bridget Jones” on Twitter (@bridgetjoneshf) last winter. It was very funny and, as you’ll see if you read this book, became part of the story line. She’s older (as are all the former characters, except Mark), a Mom and struggling. The book is funny, a little sad, sometimes annoying, pretty realistic, and a quick read (thus a perfect accompaniment to knitting).

Well, that’s Project 1 for 2013-4. Lots more to come.