Category Archives: Knitting

Family, Knitting

Calling NYC Knitters

Posted on by Jean

We’re at 54 knitted items already!  Mostly hats but there are a few pairs of mittens, scarves and gloves.

So, I’ve been emailing back and forth with The Coalition for the Homeless.  I think I scared them because I got an email saying they didn’t think they could store more than 2-4 boxes of hats.  Store?!  Who said anything about storage?!  We want them to get out as soon as possible.  So Dan and I are going down to the city (not positive of the date(s) yet) so that we can go out on the food vans and help pass them out ourselves.  The woman I’ve been contacting has even offered to go out with us.

If this is ongoing, I might need someone down in the city to help out here and there with getting them passed out.  If you’re willing to do this, let me know in an email (upper left sidebar).  KatyKnitsNYC has offered to help out this first go ’round.  Also, I just found out that the youth group from our church makes a midnight run down to the city in January, so they’re going to take what hats I have then.  Seriously, I’ll continue doing this as long as people are sending hats.  I’ll have the first drawing on the 15th of December and then I’ll do one a week until I’m not getting hats anymore.

I’ve taken a break from hats.  My next-door neighbor is going in for a C-section tomorrow so I cast on Helena the night before last.  I didn’t have any superwash wool in the right colors so I’m using Bernat Softee Baby.  I want it to be easy to care for.  I usually do the February Baby Sweaterfor my baby girl gift but I needed a change.  Gotta say that so far it’s not a lot different. 

On a non-knitting note, I think I’m going to do a bunch of these up for gifts for my neighbors.  LOVE them.  You can find the instructions here:

And for Joe… it’s the best!  I did this poster for his room.  Total cost?  $9.95 for the template from Easy Digitals and $11.99 to have it printed into at 16×20 poster from Shutterfly.com!  How cool is that??  I can’t wait to see his face when he opens it!

  

Knitting

Prepare to be Amazed

Posted on by Jean

When you send your woolens to me please add a note with your email or Ravelry ID so I can contact you.  I’ve had several emails asking about details so to recap,  I’d rather the items were wool for the warmth.  I don’t think laundering is much of an issue here.  It doesn’t have to be hats.  Whatever you want to knit will be very welcome I’m sure.  You can email me from the link in the upper left for my address.  I’m taking the first batch down to the city on the 11th.  As long as I have hats coming in, I’ll make trips to the city.

The generosity of people astounds me sometimes.   We are up to 35 hats, six pairs of mittens, a pair of gloves and three scarves.  I took a picture but it didn’t come out very well.  I’ll try again later today when the mail comes in.  On top of that wait until you see the prizes that Jean (I like her name) sent in.  I think she is blogless (correct me if I’m wrong, Jean).  Sit down because you aren’t going to believe it.  I had to sit down and catch my breath when I opened the box.  She sent all of this to be used for the drawings (which will start December 15th).  

Knitting

Eight Isn’t Enough

Posted on by Jean

Added at 8:07 Eastern: The new Typepad is acting wonky.  I can’t reply to comments now so if you need to have me reply to you, please just email me.  The link is up in the left side bar.  Thanks.

Just wanted to wish everyone here in America a Happy Thanksgiving!

If you’re driving, drive safely!  We’re headed to New Hampshire as soon as Dan can get out of the office tomorrow.  Once we’re through Hartford it’s all smooth sailing (knock on wood).  We’re looking forward to spending time with family and meeting up with Kim (Woolen Rabbit) and hubby Friday night for dinner.  On the way home on Saturday we’re hitting Harrisville for a 10 dent reed and the conversion kit  to convert my new-to-me old model T to the swanky new one with 6 treadles.  Whee!!

I thought I was on my ninth hat but it’s only my eighth.   Must keep knitting, must keep knitting. I’m actually enjoying the simplicity of these but I might have to switch to another pattern just to switch it up a bit!

Enjoy your family and friends!!

Knitting

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends

Posted on by Jean

This week is Thanksgiving.  I’m thankful for a lot of things but  I find myself sitting here tonight in awe.  I’ve made wonderful friends through this blog over the years.  This week takes the cake though.  What started as a hope to provide a few hats to the homeless of New York City has snowballed.  When I first posted I thought I’d be going down to the city on the train with a box or two of hats.   It looks like I might have to drive to the city to make deliveries.  In the past couple of days I’ve gotten over a hundred emails and Ravelry messages from everyone wanting to help.

If it weren’t for friends like Anna, Cookie, Kathy, Kim,  Norma, Sandy, Susan, Suzann and Wendy helping me by spreading the word… well… they did and this has become huge and I’m so pleased to be associated with such wonderful people.  Anyone who knows me knows I’m not mushy.  Not in front of people anyway.    I was in the Army  for eight and a half years you know.  I’m tough.  Just ask me.  🙂 But this G.I. Jean is writing this with tears in her eyes because of the giving nature of so many.  I don’t know why I’m surprised.  I’ve seen knitters do this over and over again.  I am blessed.

Let me tell you about a special little email I just got from Kay Gardiner.  She has graciously offered to donate one signed copy of each of Mason Dixon’s books as prizes! THANK YOU so much!!

  

Knitting

Here Come The Hats!

Posted on by Jean

The first box of hats arrived from Chayah (Ravelry Link)!  Eight!  Count ’em, EIGHT, hats!  Thank you so much!  That means your name goes in the prize hat eight times.

I’ve knit up four more hats myself (which I forgot to take a picture of during my little photo shoot this morning).  That brings our hat count up to 12 that I have and I know many of you are busy knitting so thank you!

While looking through my stash for prizes I found hats and booties that I’d knit for the Preemie Project that I found out about through Tracy (Woolwindings).  I thought I mailed them long ago.  Yeesh.

Knitting, Weaving

Gonna Get My Weave On

Posted on by Jean

I knit two more hats since my last post.  What a great way to use up stash yarns!  There was about 2 inches of red left when I finished the stripes.   Waking up this morning and feeling the cold air when I took the dogs out made me realize that I really should have done this earlier.  Everyone has been really great about emailing and donating prizes, so thank you.  I’ll be posting more prize pics shortly.

Many moons ago (at least seven years ago) I had a Schacht Rigid Heddle Loom.  The big one with the floor stand and everything.  I had all the goodies, too.  Tons of books, Handwoven magazines, even videos (no dvds back then).  I had fun with it, but I quickly got bored doing plain weave so I sold it.  ALL of it.  Like a complete moron.  I knew that one day I’d get a floor loom.  No. Really.  I *knew* it.  And still, I sold it all.

I think I made two things on it.  I bought the kit for this scarf from Hill Country Weavers on a trip to Austin (can’t wait to go there again!  We’ll pass right by it every time we go to Laredo and home again.  Weeee!).  I also wove a two-color sampler and used that to sew holders for my dpn needles and circs.  Forgot to take a picture.

I was beginning to think I’d never get to have my loom.  Well the time has come!  Remember my friend Daryl from Elann that I finally got to meet in person at Rhinebeck?  I’d mentioned wanting a loom and she happened to have a Harrisville 36″ 4H/6T for sale.  Yeah!!  I keep saying there’s no room for it here and I won’t be able to play with it until we move to Texas, but who am I kidding?!   There’s no way I’m going to be able to resist. 

My new handy woodworking skills will help in building a warping board and a bench.  I already have a bobbin winder and I just resubscribed to Handwoven.  How I wish I’d kept all the old magazines and the collections.  So just a few items to purchase for now and then I can get started!

Knitting

My Hat Needs Some Friends

Posted on by Jean

In yesterday’s comments Manise suggested why not have a hat drive on my blog.   I was worried about stepping on anyone’s toes that’s already doing one but she’s right.  It would mean more hats to those that need them and isn’t that the goal, after all.  NYC is a big place and there is a great need. 

I’ll collect hats (mostly adult sizes needed) until mid December and then deliver them to Coalition for the Homeless in the city.  I spoke with Juan from the organization’s Grand Central Food Program (click on the link and read “Robbie’s Story” in the right sidebar).  Juan said that they could hand out the knitted goods as they were doing their mobile soup kitchen that has 31 stops throughout Manhattan and the Bronx each night.  At first I thought about contacting shelters but these are the folks that really need them.  The ones that are out in the cold.  So c’mon!   

It doesn’t have to just be hats either…. I’m sure they’d love mittens, gloves, scarves… whatever you feel like knitting.  If you aren’t involved with another charity knitting program here’s your chance.  Or even if you are…. what’s one more hat?  I’m also going through my sweaters that I’ve knit that I never wear.

When all is said and done I’ll do a drawing for the prizes.   For each item you send in, your name goes in the… er… hat.  lol.  I don’t know yet what all the prizes will be.  We’ll see what kind of response I get, but there’ll be yarn and fiber for sure and this one:

Yes.  It’s the Birch Shawl knit in Kidsilk Haze. So get your needles out and cast on!  My email link is up in the left sidebar under the Saving Lucky button.  On all the feeds put together I have over 225 subscribers.  If just 1/4 of you knit one hat I’ll be elated.

Knitting

It’s That Time of Year

Posted on by Jean

I was bummed most of the weekend since my class at Webs was canceled.  I was really looking forward to it but they’ll be offering similar ones in January.  I’ll try again then.

  I feel a little guilty in admitting that since that promise I’ve only knit one hat in some yarn I think I dyed a long time ago.  I looked on the blog but couldn’t find reference to it.  It’s Morehouse Merino’s Mushroom Hat (free pattern).

To keep myself on track, my new plan is to knit on a hat at least a 1/2 an hour each day.   That should increase my production quite a bit.  There’s also quite a bit of driving time coming up over the next couple of weeks so I’m going to limit my travel knitting to hats.  I’m also going to go through all the old sweaters I’ve knit over the years that I never wear and donate them.  I certainly won’t need that much wool in Texas next year anyway.

When we went to the city to see Wicked a few weeks ago it was a very warm night for late October in New York.  But when we walked over a subway grate and I felt the heat woosh up, it hit me.  It wasn’t going to be warm like that for long and there are an awful lot of people that need the warmth.  My goal was to knit at least a hat a week and then deliver them to a shelter on my next visit.  I was going to do a drive on the blog and offer prizes but others are doing that.  As long as they’re getting knit, it doesn’t really matter who the hats are being sent to.

I’m almost finished with the Ribby Cardi.  Only about an inch to go on the collar and then I need to find a zipper for it and sew it in.

I’ll leave you with pictures I took around West Point a few weeks ago from the mountain road that we have to go over to go shopping up the river.  It doesn’t look anything like this now.  There’s hardly a leaf in sight.

Our ski slope right here on post:

The tall building near the back is Eisenhower Theater.  It’s awesome because a lot of entertainers and Broadway shows come to perform here.  We saw Les Mis here in August. It was amazing.