Let the Games Begin!

Opening Ceremony Knit Hat

Ravelry Knitters + 2010 Winter Olympics = Ravelympics!

Are you competing in the Ravelympics? It's cast on time tonight along with the 2010 Winter Games Opening Ceremony!

Here are the Ravelympics Rules according to Ravelry:

The Rules

The One Rule To Rule Them All: Challenge yourself by starting and finishing projects during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

What will be a stretch for you: a new technique, that first sweater or pair of socks, something massive, something delicate, finishing that monster in the closet? The goal of the Ravelympics is to support you in expanding your knitting/crocheting horizons.

Just remember the one rule: Challenge yourself!

Ralph Lauren's

Lace-Up Shetland Sweater

I am on my knitting guild's Ravelympic team, Team Yarn Sac Near & Far. We're having an Opening Ceremony Party tonight to cast on during the Ravelry Mass Cast On and watch the Opening Ceremonies. (We're even letting husbands tag along and they don't have to knit!)

I am competing in the Short Track Shawl event. My challenge is to knit my Clapotis Deux during the Winter Olympics. For those that know me...this is a big challenge since my first Claptois (even though it was the larger shawl version) took me over a year and a half to finish!

My knitting friends are challenging themselves,too. My guild friend Sally has entered the Nordic Colorwork Combined event. She is knitting Baltic, a Fisherman's Sweater by one her favorite knit-wear designers, Alice Starmore. She is a bit nervous about the Fair Isle colorwork on the sweater. No doubt, we will be cheering each other on across the finish line!

Go Team USA!
Ralph Lauren is an official outfitter of the 2010 US Olympic Team. Be sure to check the Opening Ceremony Hat that the team will be wearing tonight at the Opening Ceremonies!

The Opening Ceremony Hat is an intarsia design with moose and trees. It is knit in a wool and alpaca yarn. Let's hope this knit hat brings good luck to Team USA!

Let the Games Begin!

(all images from www.RalphLauren.com)

I'm a Blanketeer!

Make A Blanket!

"I'm putting my knitting needles to good use...

I've become a Blanketeer!"

Thanks to my knitting guild The Camellia City Stockinettes, I have discovered the world of community service or charity knitting. My guild has many active knitters who knit generously for Veteran's Lap Robes, Preemie Baby Caps and Chemo Caps. Since the recent devastating disaster in Haiti my guild members and friends are also knitting for Project Linus. Thanks to them, I now know about Project Linus.

Project Linus

Project Linus was created in 1995. It is comprised of hundreds of local chapters and thousands of volunteers across the United States who make handmade blankets (knit, crochet, and quilted)for Project Linus. Each volunteer and local chapter work together to achieve their mission statement, which states:

First, it is our mission to provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blanketeers.”

Second, it is our mission to provide a rewarding and fun service opportunity for interested individuals and groups in local communities, for the benefit of children.

Project Linus currently has a blanket drive for the babies and children of Haiti. My knitting friend Sheila is collecting 7" knit squares which she is sewing into blankets. The blankets will then be delivered to our local Project Linus chapter and then sent on to Haiti.

This community service drive has touched my heart and I am happy to report that I have become a Blanketeer for Project Linus.

So in turn, I am now spreading the word about this wonderful and worthy cause. Be sure to check out Make a Blanket Day on Saturday, February 20, 2010. Every year on the third Saturday in February, volunteers around the country gather to make blankets and spread the word about Project Linus.

Will you help spread the word, too?!

It's a Blissful Life!

Couldn't we all use a Hamptons Weekend?

In the midst of winter...doesn't a summer Hamptons Weekend sound like the perfect getaway?

Well, the new Debbie Bliss magazine has just arrived and gives knitters a glimpse of sunnier days ahead. The Debbie Bliss Spring/Summer 2010 issue is filled with relaxed coastal knits actually inspired by British designer Debbie Bliss' own holiday in the Hamptons, on Long Island, New York.

Here's a little glimpse inside:

A Hamptons Home

The magazine's Hamptons Home theme is filled with classic navy and white nautical knits. There is a lovely "Nautical Throw" cable blanket and a neat nautical "Anchor Floor Cushion" pillow. Both are knit in Eco Aran, a 100% organic fair trade yarn. Both patterns are perfect for any Hamptons vacation home!

The Draped Cardigan

The Creme de la Creme section features designs knit in neutral shades of creme de la creme, cafe au lait, ecru and stone. The "Draped Cardigan" above is knit in Rialto yarn color # 6 Stone. I normally don't knit sweaters but I could see myself knitting this summery cardigan...someday!

Debbie's Inspiration

This is Debbie's fourth magazine issue. Perhaps what I love most about the Debbie Bliss magazine is that it is just not all about knitting. Each issue features a British recipe from Debbie or her daughter Nell. I loved her Cream Tea Scone recipe in her premier issue 2008!

Each issue also allows us to get to know Debbie better along with her Knitting Friends feature (which included designer Louisa Harding in issue two).

At the back of each issue is Debbie's Inspiration page. I like to think of it as an inspiration board of sorts. The adorable child's Smock Dress in the premier issue caused quite a stir on Ravelry. All the Debbie Bliss fans wanted to know where to find that pattern. The pattern was eventually published in Debbie's Design It, Knit It book.

Fair Isle Cardigan

The Inspiration Page in this issue is all about color! Debbie tells us how to play with color and how to select the perfect colorway for Fair Isle knitting. Love that!

The pretty Fair Isle Cardigan (photo above) is from Debbie's latest book Design It, Knit It and the pattern is included in this issue. I am not sure but I think it could be an updated version of Debbie's Fair Isle cardigan Nell from Rowan Magazine # 28?

If you're lucky you may be able to find Debbie's latest issue early on your local yarn store's shelf. The magazine's official date to hit the stores is February 2, 2010.

My knitting pen pal Ruth keeps me "in the loop" with Debbie Bliss. Ruth wrote me on Ravlery and said "the new magazine is in and flying off the shelves" at her LYS Loops in Tulsa, OK.

I hope you find your very own copy soon and enjoy an escape to summer knitting...

Hamptons style!

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!

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.

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

Wrap in Style!

Red Sweater Wrapping Paper

Looking for a creative way to wrap up your holiday knit gifts this season?

Well, look no further than Target. I found this adorable red sweater gift wrap the other night at Target in the holiday department. Isn't it the perfect Christmas wrap for hand-knit gifts?

The adorable gift tag is by Knitterella...another perfect touch for any hand-knit gift.

Once the word gets out amongst knitters, I bet this red sweater gift wrap will sell out quickly.

Will you be dashing out to buy some?