Wednesday, February 4, 2015

time to knit

ravelry


Do you use Ravelry? Yes, by the picture it is all about yarn. You can use Ravelry to find patterns or ideas. Or you could visit with Aunt Sally. 

Aunt Sally came to visit next door. She likes to knit. And talk. She had her knitting needles in hand at all times, while telling stories about their farm in Minnesota. She and husband Bob were making their annual trek across country, stopping in St. Louis at the soybean convention, heading to Orlando to the time share, stopping every night and visiting a different relative along the way. She was busy knitting a scarf when I saw her, she knits all kinds of things, mostly to give away. 

homespun prayer shawl
She makes prayer shawls to have on hand, just in case someone needs one. She gave me a prayer shawl pattern, said this is a good pattern to take to meetings and such, as you don't have to think or count, just cast on 60 stitches and knit until it is 60 inches long.

Have you made a prayer shawl?  The idea is to knit/crochet a shawl for someone and to pray for them with each stitch, or think good thoughts, or as Aunt Sally said, "I made one for a catholic friend and threw in a few Hail Marys for good measure."

The shawl pattern is one on the back of a yarn wrapper, and can be found at Lion Brand. Made out of Homespun yarn, cast on 60 stitches, knit 60 rows, I think I can manage that. Oh and to make the fringe, per Sally, just open up the yarn wrapper, it is 13" long and use that to measure your yarn for fringe, a good traveling tip.

ribbed ankle socks
Aunt Sally makes lots of socks. She brought a lot on her trip to give out to folks, but at her last stop she unpacked her stash of socks for her niece to pick out a pair and she said, "Oh thanks, Aunt Sally," and took the whole lot to her room. 

I told her I tried to make socks but just didn't have the patience. She gave me this pattern, said, "You can do it." She got it off one of those free tear-off patterns. It is the Bernat Ribbed Ankle Socks, pattern found online at Mary Maxim or through Ravelry.

I will leave the sock making to Aunt Sally, and all of you other sock makers out there.

It is February, it is cold, it is time to get out the yarn and whip up a few things, I think I will make a prayer shawl for a dear friend in need of prayers. What are you making?


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