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Two days of celebrations

It’s the last day of August….ending with two celebrations…Friday was all about Debra and Sheri…and Patricia….and more! Will chatter about that later today.

Saturday morning photos are “hot off the press”. We celebrated retirements and farewells with a potluck brunch….out came my Grandma’s party glass plates to eat some of our favorite foods. Susanne has retired from Chevron and is moving  with her husband to Chico…..we may get to see her once a month. She proudly announced that she has finished the queen size Mason Dixon adult version of Moderne Blanket…in fact it is now on her son and wife’s bed. This was a 2-year project of many roads of garter stitch. Remember the “99 rows to go”? They’re gone!!

They will be greatly missed…..so glad they have been part of our circle for years. Betsy, who worked at Skein Lane retail once upon a time, had been gone and returned and is now off to Kentucky. Susanne came into Skein Lane retail store 10 years ago. It’s been a wonderful 10-yr journey together. Now a new chapter begins!

Maurie came to knitting about a month ago with her exciting news….she and Bruce got married. They knew each other in their youth and reconnected 5 or 6 years ago.  They had been planning to marry for awhile….they decided now was the time. We all wish them much happiness!

Maurie has been kind enough to share a couple of photos  -their wedding here in the East Bay and their honeymoon at Niagra Falls. Her garden club made the cake a couple of weeks ago and she shared it with the knitting group.

This past Friday was a day of two celebrations within our knitting community.  We started the day with a surprise birthday celebration for Jean….and it truly was a surprise for her. Several of us were waiting with baited breath asking “is the day that she is returning?”. I called to check  and her husband says “yes, she’s on her way!” Shortly after that she stepped though the front door and was greeted with “surprise” and a bottle of bubbly.

The sun is setting!

The sun is setting!

That evening some of us headed to Tiburon to board the ferry for the  Sunset Cruise  where we celebrated Ellen – she recently passed the nursing license exam. It was such a fun evening that we are dreaming about doing it again very soon. Be sure to check out the Facebook photo album.

What a grand day!!

Lily at the age of 16

Lily at the age of 16

This was just like being in “candy land”……Lily shared just a sampling of a lifetime of her creative art – quilts,crochet lace, needlepoint. I couldn’t stop looking. Lily is the mother of my cousin’s wife Avril.

Some intriguing shawls in this post….I now my needles are struggling to knit all that I see…just keep knitting!

anastasiamw's avatarFor the Knit of It

I love shawls. They’re the perfect pieces for adding just a touch more warmth on chilly nights (or in chilly offices). You can use almost any technique/style with them – from cables to garter to lace. It’s lace, really, that I’m loving most right now.

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Spring Round-Up

This idea has been hovering in my mind for the last couple weeks…..Spring Roundup – a bit like Blast from the Past featured in Dec 2012…..time to share those photos that didn’t make “center stage” yet. The only reason they haven’t is that often my ambitions are greater than my time. Now having “whined” about that, here’s the deal. I am going to post photos of Skein Lane knitters….I invite each you featured to pop back into the blog and make comments about your project or activity. This will be truly the personal touch. Here goes!

The “dress alikes” have appeared here before…..but they are so much fun it’s hard not to post again.

It's Hip to Knit

It’s Hip to Knit

Check out this newspaper article! Skein Lane was featured in Trends of Bay Area Living in 2001. (angnewspapers.com) I remember the photo shoot well….it was a lot of fun.

We worked hard, we played hard, we knit!

What do these all in have common? Last Saturday morning was abuzz with projects and techniques.

Betsy just finished one her gauntlets…..a bright spring green that matches her zest for taking on life’s challenges. She has decided to move back to Kentucky….she will be greatly missed. The good news is that we have the pleasure of her company through the summer. Love that gauntlet Betsy!

Recently Katie finished a beautiful scarf….the ever popular multi-directional pattern. I believe her yarn choices came from Art Fibers. This past Saturday found her making major progress on her first sweater….Noro yarn and Noro pattern. It will be lovely.

The cardi/cape/poncho knit with Cascade’s Pastaza (now discontinued) that Nina has draping from her needles is another beautiful piece….that beauty came with some pain. She began this project at a time when her time was stretched thin with work and home care responsibilities….and she knit! She was nearing the end last month when when she discovered she had one panel too many on one of the fronts…….the solutions available were to rip it all out – an option that was not okay….so we opted for the practical solution – to isolate the stitches so there would be no more knitting on that end piece/section. Then what? Steek….that means sew and cut. Nina sewed along the section…I then crocheted next to the stitching…and I cut! It was a miracle solution…Nina will be modeling the finished garment soon. By the way, I actually love to cut as a solution for knitting problems. Hmmmm…..think I’ll tell the story soon (for those who have not heard to talk about it) about cutting an elephant out of a sweater.

One more story tell from this past Saturday…..Marsha arrived wearing her stunning purple MaggiKnits Linen Sweater. Marsha was inspired by a sweater in her closet….that became the pattern. I helped her design from that model. Now Marsha has knit this sweater almost twice…she got off in the setting up in her false seams…and uhoh the fronts were off. There was not steeking option here! She and Susanne ripped it out about 6 weeks ago….and I would Marsha had that cardigan reknit in a month. We call her the marathon knitter. Notice Marsha’s matching shoes….she has the best and most interesting color coordination. Her next project is another cardigan knit with Shaefer’s Cotton Laurel (love this yarn now Shaefer is closed/retired)….the yarn is wound and is already on her needles.

It’s been a fun knitting month!

The Wool Winery

When PJ and her husband Marty travel they always take great photos….here are two that are particularly special for us knitters! (This particular photo takes me back to when I visited my relatives in Napier in the early 1990’s. Could it really be that long ago?) Thank you for sharing PJ!!

PJ says this last week or so…..

Carolyn,

Taken just for you in February 2010. Never too late!

PJ

Store Front - Ireland 2010

Store Front – Ireland 2012

We had way too much fun at Thursday knitting…Debbie and I were over the top comparing our wraps…..the O’Doyle Wrap designed by Maggi Jackson of MaggiKnits.  We each put our knitting “stamp” on our designs. Debbie added decorative pieces under her buttons….she inadvertently changed the line up of her pieces before seaming…it works! I changed the collar to seed stitch rather than the loops. Debbie and I have more in process to share re: MaggiKnits designs. The end result is so fun…along the knitting path we always make change….because we are knitters and that is what we do!