Thursday, December 31, 2009

Wishing you, Faith, Hope, Love & Knitting!

Faith Love Hope Knitting
by Lorna Miser

What a way to end the year...running into Lorna Miser at Borders Books on the afternoon of News Year's Eve.

Lorna was at Borders cafe working on her second book edit which features hand dyed yarns. She even gave me a sneak peak at the photo proofs for the book which were fabulous. Her new book should hit the book shelves sometime late in 2010.

Lorna was a big part of my knitting story for 2009. I asked Lorna for a photo so I could use it here in my last post of the year. Here goes...

Looking back on 2009

In reflecting on the past year, one of the best things I did in 2009 was to join my area's local knitting guild The Camellia City Stockinettes. A member of the guild Nina urged me to join after I met her at an event at my LYS Knitique. Nina sent me friendly reminders every month for guild meetings. (She never gave up on me joining the guild.) I finally went to a guild meeting and joined the Stockinettes last January and now I knit more than ever and even write a blog for the guild!

Joining my local knitting guild is how I met Lorna (she was the 2009 Guild President) and all my new knitting friends! I am so thankful for all the new friendships that knitting has brought into my life.
I also found out this year that if you hang out with knitters...you knit. Imagine that! Well, I should say that you knit a lot. I now knit more than ever with friends at local yarn stores and cute cafes. I am a better knitter now thanks to joining the Stockinettes and their wonderful workshops. The best advice I can give any knitter is to join your local knitting guild!

In 2009, I even met knitting superstars! I met Lucy Neatby and Stephanie Pearl McPhee through knitting guild events. My dream came true last January when I met my knitting idol Louisa Harding on her California visit. Louisa's fashion forward knit-wear designs and beautiful pattern books are what really drew me into knitting. It's been quite a year!

So as the year comes to a close, I would like to say thank you to all the knitters in my life. Thank you to my knitting teacher Danielle at Knitique for giving me the confidence and skills to knit beautifully on my own now. Thank you to Ruth in Tulsa OK for being the best knitting pen pal a girl could have!

Thank you to all the knitters who pass on their knowledge and keep our craft alive. Thank you to all the talented designers who continue to inspire us with their beautiful designs, year after year.

So how appropriate that I would bump into Lorna today on the last day of the year. I had already been thinking of her today, reflecting on what a great year it has been. I think Lorna's book title really says it all...Faith, Hope, Love, Knitting. I wish you all of these and more in 2010!
And, thank you for reading my blog!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas!

'Twas the night before Christmas...

Anthropologie Fair Isle Christmas Stocking

and all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The Stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.

Merry Christmas to all my knitting friends
and readers all over the world.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Skater Scarf & Frost Hat

Skater Scarf & Frost Hat

Just in time for winter....we have Louisa Harding's Skater Scarf & Frost Hat. This exclusive pattern is on the cover of the UK's December issue of Knitting. It just hit the US newsstands this week.

Louisa's lacey Skater Scarf is knit in Louisa's new Willow Tweed yarn in colors Stone and Aqua. Her Frost Hat is knit in her other new yarn Thistle in color Stone.

The Frost Hat is similar to one of my favorite hats in Louisa's Little Cake book called Featherbed which is also knit in Thistle. I already have Thistle in the gorgeous green Holly color. Now which pattern shall I knit?

So many lovely Louisa patterns and not enough time to knit them all in time for this winter season.

If you pick up the magazine, you can also join the fun with the Skater Scarf & Frost Hat KAL in the Louisa Harding group on Ravelry. Be sure to read the errata for the Frost Hat in the KAL group pages, too.

Knitting December 2009