My Daughter’s Secret Sample Stash

Alex has a “Sample Stash”.  She has been saving all her samples from her yarn adventures since she started crocheting, so at least for the last 15 years.  She even saves the instructions and ties them on to the samples.

After hearing about our knitting and crocheting for charity group and the quilting ladies that also have been doing fidget quilts for the memory impaired she realized that her “Sample Stash” was the perfect donation of dangly things to attach to the fidget quilts and the twiddlemuffs for memory impaired.

For some reason she made these tiny hats and scarves for the wee folk, the elves, leprechauns and faeries.  She is part Irish and part Gypsy so I think it is some kind of warding off the evil thing.

Thank you for donating your memories Alex, it will be a meaningful addition to the fidget quilts and twiddlemuffs and make them very special.

Love You!

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Take That! To the Kind and Helpful Brandy at the Yarn Shop!

 

 

So when my step-daughter Alex was visiting me last week we hung out for awhileat the Recycled Lamb Yarn Shop.

A delightful staff person, Brandy, was helping us with questions and just in general being friendly.  Alex and Brandy were talking about their yarn stashes.

Alex looked pensively at me, I had just the night before, in secret, showed her my alarming yarn stash.  As someone new to knitting I thought it was huge, it fits in one small paper box……

Alex immediately told Brandy about my stash and its size, Brandy looked me right in the eyes and said “How cute!” and burst out laughing.

Well check this out Brandy, I doubled my yarn stash in one purchase, here is what I picked up today!  Now I will need two small paper boxes for my stash!

 

Knitting and Crochet for Charity Update

Here is a square I knitted for prayer blankets.   My sister loved  butterflies and this just brings me close to her.  My tension needs a lot of work.

A lovely sweater made by our fearless leader Nancy.

Grace has been very busy knitting and sewing hats and scarves.

More of my experimental squares.

I have to tell you I’m really surprised at how calming and meditative learning to knit is, thanks Nancy!

 

Yarn Stash Fairy!

I’ve been advised by another blogger that yarn stashes are caused by Yarn Stash Fairies.

What a relief to know I do not have a serious addiction!

Unlike some fairies Yarn Stash Fairies carry no malice.

They are romantic creatures that want you to enjoy texture and color.

So next time you have an uncontrollable desire to pull into the parking lot of that new yarn shop do not despair, it’s not an addiction, it’s the Yarn Stash Fairies trying to release your creative talents!

 

Yikes! I have a yarn stash!

 

How did this happen?  First I joined a group and we were going to knit and crochet for the homeless and other charities.  So of course a bunch of yarn was donated and I picked out a couple or few skeins to take home.

Then I went to Joanne’s and picked out a couple or few more skeins.  Um, they were having a sale.

Then I went to Hancock Fabrics, they were having a sale too……., and picked out a couple or few more skeins.

Then I went to Walmart and saw they had a couple or three of fun colors for reasonable and picked out a couple or few more skeins.

Then I went to the thrift store and somebody had donated a bunch of yarn, still with the wrappers on them, never touched, pretty colors so I picked out a couple or few skeins.

Yikes, now I have a “stash” and the terrible itch to “pick out a couple or few more skeins”!  And I haven’t even been in a real yarn shop yet, help!

The worse part is I am still a beginning knitter.  I haven’t learned to crochet yet at all.  All I have progressed to is making ten inch squares for blankets.  That is like a skein a month is all I need…..

Sigh.  I’ll never use the stash up.  Hey, isn’t that the point of a yarn stash?

 

 

Decreaseophobia

Phobia is an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something. Phobias vary in severity from mild anxiety to total and disabling panic.

The ladies in our knit and crochet for charity group are wondering why I have only progressed to very simple purl and knit patterns.

I suffer from the very dreaded Decreaseophobia – Fear of learning to decrease in knitting.

My friend knitted this hat for me and I can only be astonished at the brave decrease to make the crown on the hat!

Here are a few other phobias that I am also grateful I do not suffer from.

• Ablutophobia- Fear of washing or bathing.  Actually those around me are grateful.
• Consecotaleophobia- Fear of chopsticks.  Being Asian this would have really sucked!
• Knitagoraphobia: Fear of knitting in front of others
• Crochetagoraphobia:  Fear of crocheting in front of others

My phobia is very mild and my sister stitchers are working hard to encourage me to learn to decrease.  My goal?  I will knit a hat before winter 2015!

Thrift Store Rescue

As Queen of the Design Feature I have many responsibilities.

Two of which are:

• I must be responsible and thrifty.
• I must not let my yarn get tangled.

I responsibly and thriftily (Not an easy word to read, is it?) went to the thrift store to find something that would keep my yarn from tangling and rescued this bright and cheerful bag.

Not as cute as one of those special yarn bowls but it also only cost me $1.50.  Just ran it through the washer and it was ready to go to work.

 

 

How am I doing? Queen of the Design Feature!

The most recent get together our knitting and crochet for homeless and other charities group had was another success.

The weather was great so the kids wanted to play outside.  This took the pressure off of me trying to keep up with them so I actually did some knitting!

Nancy got me started with the casting on.  I asked her how she knew how long of a tail to start with and she gave me a wicked smile and told me that it was a guess….

She made the mistake of complimenting me on my tension and even stitches.  Well I got cocky and made a whole row mistake   Didn’t even catch it .  Nancy diplomatically pointed it out and I asked her if I needed to start over.  She gave me an impish (I think she might have leprechaun in her) smile and said “Heck no, that’s called a design feature and will make your piece unique!”

Bless her heart.  I now have a new mission, to be “Queen of the Design Feature”!

 

Knitting and Crocheting for the Homeless, True Confession

Our knitting and crocheting for the homeless and other charities group was meeting this last weekend.  Noel had brought yummy food and I was having a big plate of it.  I believe it was Terry who asked, “Paula are you going to knit anything?”

The room went silent.  You could hear a knitting needle drop (tee-hee).  I responded, “Well I don’t want to rush into anything, isn’t this only our second meetup?”  Someone else chipped in, “Um, no this is our third session….”  (Unsaid by entire group: “And you haven’t started on anything yet.”)

Some sweet lady piped up “She has been taking pictures for us…..”

Okay, I admit it.  The perfect tension control exhibited by the kids is a bit intimidating.  I haven’t knit or crochet forever and those adorable young people are intimidating me with their perfect tension and perfect looking projects.

I did pick out these two beautiful skeins of yarn to start with.  I talked to Nancy, one of our fearless leaders, about what I should start with and we decided simple 8″ squares that can later be sewn into prayer blankets.  That way, until I get my tension control um controlled, I can just measure until I have 8″.  Brilliant!

Now I will just let these two skeins of yarn season a bit…….. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

Scarves and hats for the homeless, knitting and crochet group Feb 2015

The second meeting of the Scarves and Hats for the Homeless, Knitting and Crochet Group took place February 15th.  Once again the children were the fastest learners and had the best tension control.

The group discussed other projects such as:

• Having a ton of fun!
• Prayer afghans where the members would each knit or crochet 8″ squares to be joined together for special prayer blankets.
• Knitted and crocheted stuffed animals for children.
• Holiday gifts for those in need of cheer.
• Sweaters for rescue dogs at a Jefferson County shelter.
• Mittens.
• Fun personal projects that the more experienced will help the newbies with such as shawls, purses, other items.

If you would like to join us at Simpson United Methodist Church in Arvada, Colorado the group is a community group for anyone interested and we hope to meet about every other week.  Send me a comment and I will make sure you get a contact.

Here are some of the personal projects the more experienced ladies have been working on:

Gotta hurry before the baby grows anymore!

Warmest mittens ever!

Felted purses too cool!

Much needed sweaters for rescue dogs.

We’d love to have your ideas, company and help!