Taddie Bee Knitting

Healing Is a Choice by Stephen Arterburn

2011-11-20T08:33:00.001-06:00

I wasn't able to finish this book. The theology seemed illogical to me and when something strikes me that way, I don't want to spend any more time on it.
Arterburn writes that choosing to be healed is a person's choice. I believe that. But then it says that God may choose not to heal someone. I haven't seen precedent for this in Scripture.

The book says that if God doesn't decide to heal a person, that they may still go on to acquire other types of healing such as emotional or spiritual healing. Arterburn seems confident that God wouldn't hold back on these types of healing, but he doesn't cite Scripture for these views.

Healing is a Choice reads like the Gospel According to Human Experience.

The Book of Man by William J. Bennett

2011-10-01T09:03:00.000-05:00

I like reading original source material. I especially like it when someone else has compiled an interesting collection. Bennett's collection is wonderfully eclectic--representing some of the best stories, poems, essays, letters and myths on the topic of what it means to be a man.

Befitting many of its classic authors, it is a beautifully bound and typeset book. The heavy paper with crinkled edges could make me imagine I'm reading it by a massive stone fireplace 200 years ago. But Bennett's introductions to each writing bring the reader solidly into the 21st century--reinforcing the timelessness of the uplifting messages.

Loosening Up

2011-03-12T08:54:00.002-06:00

There was something so precious about it, so beautiful. I wanted to smile, and cry and laugh out loud.

I'm talking about a teenage girl learning to knit. *Sharona is in an emergency care cottage at Baptist Children's Home where I teach a weekly class.

She learned quickly, but was the tightest knitter that it is humanly possible to be. She'd wrap the yarn around the needle as if it had to hold on for dear life. Her face would scrunch up with each stitch--terrified the yarn might slip off the needle.

That first night, I tried to joke, "Sharona, honey, you've got to loosen up." Maybe I wasn't smiling enough, because a pained looked flashed across her face. I wanted to kick myself--really hard. She'd probably endured enough criticism without adding to it in a knitting class.

Over the next few weeks, I made sure to smile and joke with her about "loosening up" and assuring her that most new knitters knit tightly for fear of loosing stitches. I showed her several techniques for creating looser stitches. But nothing helped. Her first project, a face cloth, continued to be ferociously tight.

But, miracle of miracles, last Thursday night she sat down at the table and the last inch that she had knitted during the week was absolutely perfect. I was so happy for her. I congratulate her (pat myself on the back) and she simply said, "Yeah, I finally got it." Later, I take a break in the class to watch her knit.

She's not using any of the techniques for controlling tension that I taught her. She is doing the most unique and creative thing I've ever seen a knitter do. As she wraps the yarn around the right needle, she simultaneously wraps it around her left index finger. Then, she knits the stitch as tight as ever--biting her lip and pulling the yarn so tight I wonder why it doesn't break.

Then, with the new stitch safely on the right needle, she removes her left index finger and is left with a large loop which she then cinches up to form a perfectly-tensioned stitch. Oh my. This is where I want to laugh out loud for the joy of witnessing such creative problem-solving abilities. And then cry imaging how much practice she's likely had with problems to solve.

That class was Sharona's last. She's moving from the Children's Home today and into foster care. I pray God keeps her. I pray she feels him tightly holding onto her.

* Name has been changed to protect privacy.

Sheep Shearing Day at Rising Meadow Farm

2011-02-13T09:13:00.001-06:00

Bobbie, Karen and I had a fabulous time at the farm yesterday!

We watched the master blade shearer Kevin Ford at work, saw the new baby lambs who were in a separate barn listening to classical music, bought some of the farm's Corriedale yarn, and enjoyed a lunch of lamb stew and homemade apple cake on the farmhouse porch.

We especially enjoyed meeting some really cool people from Germany who now live in Mebane. Karin Fuhrer-Thornton, who owns SignsMebane, made the amazing apple cake and was wearing a sweater that she had just finished kniting. She had carded the wool, spun it and then knit it herself--all since December--and she had just learned to wheel spin! I'm so impressed....wish I had asked to take a picture.

On the way home, Karen spotted these beautiful churches where we stopped to take pics.

A wonderful day!

Box Day Contest Winner!

2011-01-19T06:14:00.000-06:00

A big thank you to everyone who visited Talitha's website and entered the box day contest! Talitha and I appreciate all your thoughtful and enthusiastic comments!

Congratulations, karmaperdiem, aka #21, you won!

I emailed the Moses pattern to you. Just reply to me with your mailing address and let me know which hank of yarn you would like from my store.

Happy Chinese New Year Phatties!

Research Randomizer Results

1 Set of 1 Non-unique Numbers Per Set
Range: From 1 to 26 -- Unsorted

Set #1:

~ ~ ~ ~ Box Day Contest ~ ~ ~ ~

2011-01-16T07:51:00.006-06:00

Note: This contest is open through Tuesday night at midnight, EST.

Happy Chinese New Year and happy box day, Phatties!

If you didn't manage to snag a box today (or even if you did), you can still win a "Moses" (the mouse) pattern from Talitha Kuomi and a hank of luxury yarn of your choice from my Etsy store,

Just visit Talitha's Web site and take a look at her stylish and artful patterns. (Many of them are free--and you'll love the beautiful, evocative names she gives them.)

Come back here and comment on your favorite pattern.

One person's name will be drawn by random number generator. Winner will be announced on Wednesday, January 19.

Talitha is on Knitscene's hot list of designers to watch for in 2011. Talitha is very cool and because she created a design using my yarns, I feel very cool by extension :)

Talitha Kuomi, Me and Moses

2011-01-11T15:38:00.010-06:00

Several months ago, I was doing my favorite Saturday morning activity--leisurely surfing the web for patterns (aka postponing housework). I ran across a designer on Ravelry who had given such lovely names to her designs. Names like "opposite shore", "line upon line" and "pleasant places". I commented to Talitha that I liked the pretty names and she replied that she also admired my unraveled yarns and had been wanting to create a design based on recycled yarn.

A few hours later we had hatched a plan to work together! I sent Talitha the yarn from an LL Bean wool sweater that I found at Goodwill for $4 (with the $49.95 price tag still attached!).

Talitha used the yarn to design and create "Moses"--the cutest little mouse you've ever seen! When I make mine, I'm going to stuff him with lima beans and lavender.

The pattern for Moses and enough yarn to make him will be included in 50 of the Phat Fiber January Sample Boxes which will go on sale January 16 at 9 a.m and 6 p.m. CST (for about 2 minutes--you have to be quick to snag one!). The theme this month is Chinese New Year and it promises to be a spectacular collection of gorgeous fiber, yarn, patterns and accessory sampling!

I'm thrilled that Talitha wanted to work with me. Her bold and beautiful Wild Olive Beret was featured in this winter’s gift collection by Interweave Knits. And, Knitscene named her one of the top ten designers to watch for in 2011!

It’s been a lot of fun getting to know Talitha. She’s such a creative and beautiful stay-at-home young mother. We corresponded a lot over the last few months and I love the way she writes about her children and family and how she enjoys artistic, natural and beautiful things like gardening, designing, cooking and singing and sharing those joys with her children.

I wasn’t as accomplished when I was a stay-at-home mom, but I surely loved it. If I had a thousand lives to live, I’d live them all as a stay-at-home mom.

Check back here on Box Day, January 16 for a contest to win a copy of Talitha's Moses pattern and any hank of yarn from my Etsy store.

Happy new year! Happy knitting!

My 100th Ravelry Project ~ An online collaboration in 12 easy steps

2011-01-10T13:31:00.002-06:00

First let me say the online knitting community is just so much fun. You get to know knitters and fiber artists from all over the world, learn new techniques, be inspired by their creativity, and LOL at the pictures they take of themselves in front of the bathroom mirror in their jammies and new hat.

One of my favorite projects of 2010 was one I created with the help of designers, dyers and spinners from all over the place.

It started with this 111 State sweater that my daughter found in a thrift shop in Chicago. Not a name brand, but the 100% wool was merino soft.

But yikes, when I unraveled it, the yarn was a a thready mess.

You can knit with thready messes like this; you just have to be careful not to split the stitches. It was such nice yarn though, I wanted to see if it could be improved. I posted a notice on the PhatFiber contributors Yahoo group and asked for pricing to re-ply all 1,200 yards. Several wheel spinners from across the country offered, but Roo's offer from Moonwood Farm was the best. "Let's barter" she said, "Surprise me with some yarn from your shop." What a sweetheart!

I sent her a hank of 100% camel and some other wools along with the thready mess and a few weeks later, voila! . . . I get this beautiful stuff back! (Along with a sweater for unraveling that she happened to have lying around, and some wool wash and rinse. Just love Roo's free-wheeling generous spirit!)

At my request, Roo spun some blues and greens into some of the white wool. She said she used a braid of roving called "Ice Queen" from Erin (of Vines) which was part of the very first Phat Fiber Sample box. It's a 100% rambouillet (which is a French merino). Roo added sparkle (undyed firestar) because she said Ice Queen deserved some icy sparkle. I agree!

From these yarns, I made myself this Ripley hat (my daughter modeling, thank you Beth) and am still working on the scarf to go with it.

The online knitting community is full of people who bend over backward to help their fellow fibery friends. It's fun seeing that....and the lovely golden thread running through it--people sharing and creating from their own little corner of the world.

How Sweet the Sound

2011-01-08T06:47:00.006-06:00

I love him.

Strong and sure words

That broke my heart

For they were as strong and sure as when I spoke them about my father

Who was as close to perfect as a dad could be.

Her dad wasn't always there for her.

She had to choose to love.

And love never fails.

He is home now.

And loved perfectly, as always, by his Father

And our Father

Whose grace is amazing.

My Little Monster

2010-12-31T10:31:00.002-06:00

I've been trying for several years to get one of my sisters to learn to knit. To no avail--until last September.

Tommie retired from teaching and since summer was ending and her amazing organic garden wouldn't be needing so much of her attention, she finally agreed to give it a try.

I suggested she start with a wash cloth. She huffed. "Uh uh! I want to make something beautiful that someone can actually wear."

Well, alrighty then!

Forget garter rows on two needles. Forget stockinette even. She wanted her first project to be a cowl for one of her daughters for Christmas. It was already September and I didn't know how things would go, how much time she'd find for knitting, but I wasn't about to discourage such fearlessness.

So we jumped in. She quickly tackled and perfected techniques I didn't even know existed until I had been knitting for years: circular needles, double pointed needles, cable stitches, button holes, and textured stitches in complex patterns.

In less than a week, she finished the cowl and then made another one for her other daughter.

Then honeycomb scarves for her two oldest granddaughters.

Then a lined hat with matching mittens for her grandson--which she also designed by the way.

Then a camouflage tobaggon for her newest granddaughter (to go with the lifetime hunting license of course).

She finished all of her Christmas gifts and jumped right in to a complex aran-patterned afghan for herself. I can only stumble back in awe and stammer, "You go girl!"

A few weeks into the knitting mania, my husband and I were watching TV when the phone rang. We let the answering machine get it and listened to her talk for a minute or two. It was an urgent request for help; she was almost finished with one project and needed yarn and pattern advice so that she could get started on the next project without a delay. She didn't want to go a day without something on her needles.

I smiled and rubbed my hands together, "My little monster."

My wonderful little knitting ninja monster.

Knits for Kate

2010-10-18T23:56:00.009-05:00

My third grand-girl was born this summer. After hearing my daughter was in labor, I made it from rural North Carolina to downtown Chicago in time to see her take her first breath and to be wrapped in the knits I'd made for her.

Her newborn gifts were a combination of pricey and practically free. The reversible cable blanket is made from Venezia Worsted (pricey) but the cashmere vine lace hat and booties were made from a 100% cashmere sweater that I found for $4.00 at Goodwill.

I tripled the lace weight yarn into a fingering yarn while working with just a single strand. It's a very useful technique called Navajo knitting or Navajo plying. You can see it here. Or, check out the video at the end of this post.

Good Kate, sweet Kate.

I just finished her very first winter hat (the Inca Snowflake from Itty Bitty Hats)...which she's already had the chance to wear in Chicago. It was made from unraveled J.Crew sweaters in two shades of gray that my daughter found at a thrift store.

My favorite part is the organic cotton fleece lining that I found at WorthyGoodsTextiles. It's soft and thick and luscious.

She likes it!

Holy Bible "Big Red" in 3-D by Thomas Nelson Publishers

2010-10-18T23:18:00.001-05:00

I have a strong and pleasant memory of being fascinated by the illustrations in my mother and grandmother’s Bibles when I was a little girl. The one I stared at most (usually when bored in a church service) gave me the willies. It was of a blinded and bleeding Samson laboring over the lever on a millstone. A strong runner up—but one that didn’t give me the willies, was the one of Jesus knocking on a door. These illustrations helped me understand the stories and concepts I was hearing about at church and home.

I don’t particularly care for the computer-generated style of illustration used in this children’s Bible, but it appears to have been executed by a talented artist. The content appears accurately portrayed and the compositions are engaging. I think it’s great that Thomas Nelson has created a Bible with illustrations that will make the Bible feel relevant to children’s lives.

My Sweet Daughter

2010-09-23T22:04:00.005-05:00

Allie precious . . .

Nothing's sweeter than my grandgirls . . .

and baby Kate.

But their mommy surprising me with 56 wool, cashmere, angora, and camel hair sweaters was pretty daggone sweet.

My Blue Italian Lake of a daughter has a two-month old but still managed to scour thrift stores to surprise me on our last visit to Chicago.

She had them in two big piles--one on the
couch and one on the ottoman.

I couldn't stop laughing as I sorted through them. It felt surreal to see so many luxury sweaters in one place.
God bless the well-dressed people of Lincoln Park.

A sampling . . .

55% Merino, 45% Alpaca. Now in my Etsy shop.

100% Merino. Now in my Etsy shop.

100% Wool

Arriving in my Etsy Shop

and in Phat Fiber Sample Boxes in mid-October.

Contest Winner!

2010-09-20T18:02:00.000-05:00

Congrats, BunnyKnut!

Just like the proverbial white rabbit, your name jumped right out of the hat (actually a snowman ceramic vase).

Email me your address at TaddieBeeKnitting at gmail dot com and I'll get your Green Apple Wool right out to you!

Thanks everyone for participating!

Box Day Contest -- Farmer's Market

2010-09-18T07:43:00.001-05:00

Because I like reading as much as knitting, this month's contest will again feature one of my favorite books, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

In the book, Kingsolver journals about the year her family spent as loca-vores—eating ONLY local foods or whatever they grew or raised themselves.

Correctly answer TWO multiple choice questions from the book for a chance to win TWO hanks of this Green Apple Wool. The winner will be chosen at random. Let me know if you post on Ravelry, Facebook, Twitter, etc. about my Etsy shop. Your name will be entered once for each post.

100% Wool, 150 yards, upcycled from a J.Crew sweater

Hint: Answers can B deduced by context clues. I want it to B fun!

1. Americans put almost as much fossil fuel into their refrigerators as their cars. Each food item in a typical U.S. meal has traveled an average of ________ miles.

a. 15 miles
b. 1500 miles
c. 150 miles

2. Kingsolver explains that small changes in buying habits can make a big difference: "If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country's oil consumption by over ________ of oil every week."

a. 1.1 million gallons
b. 1.1 million barrels
c. it doesn't matter, meat and vegetables grow in supermarkets

The winner will be announced on Monday evening, September 20.
Have fun visiting your local farmer's market this weekend :)

Farmer's Market Samples

2010-09-16T06:41:00.007-05:00

I wasn't sure I was going to make it in time this month....but I got my samples off to Jessie just in time to make it into the September box--with the theme Farmer's Market.

Each sample includes a fruity tea bag--in honor of the theme.

Samples include 100% camel hair, cashmere, alpaca, wool, and one mohair blend....from sweaters like J.Crew and Ann Taylor.

My favorite yarn this month is this 100% Camel Hair. I'll have six 200-yard hanks available (DK weight). I read online that camel hair is usually not dyed, but left in it's natural state "a buttery golden brown." So, this appears to be undyed. Absolutely luscious!

My daughter found the perfect-condition sweater in a thrift shop in Chicago. Labeled "CoxMoore of England" with European sizing.

It's fun to wonder about this sweater's history. Evidently bought in England, belonged to someone in Chicago, then unwound into yarn in North Carolina....and now where will it end up next?

Please visit my blog again on Box Day for another fun contest...which will be based on one of my favorite books.

Hint: It might be helpful to have a copy of "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" handy.

The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews

2010-09-07T04:13:00.001-05:00

The author recreates implausible childhood scenes of four men associated with plant engineering: Norman Borlaug, Henry Wallace, Moses Carver and George Washington Carver. The text somewhat clumsily connects these stories as it introduces each boy and then explains his future accomplishments.

The prose doesn't engage me. Each boy's story begins with, "I want to tell you a story about the boy who changed the world". Ugg. The story reads like there was at one time maybe a spark there, but having to make all those connections in the chosen format sucked the life out of it.

Having worked in children's publishing, this book feels to me like there were too many cooks in the kitchen and someone tried to make them all happy. Like my favorite publisher ever (Sherrill Flora of Key Education), used to tell me, when you try to make everybody happy, nobody will be.

Beyond Opinion by Ravi Zacharias

2010-09-07T04:10:00.000-05:00

Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend is a collection of essays by editor Ravi Zacharias and other apologists. The essays include the existence of God, the problem of evil, the evidence for intelligent designs and Eastern religions.

The book is challenging, but worthy of rereading and study. It would be especially good for youth groups, college courses, or book club study.

Contest Winners!

2010-08-18T19:38:00.001-05:00

Yay, Juliaknit! You answered the four questions right off the bat! I'm glad a true fan of these charming books got in there with the correct answers right away.

Jessie, what a great new name for Etsy! It says it all and in a fun, alliterative way! Etsy should buy it from you as a new tagline.

The Make it, Sell it, Buy it, Love it Marketplace!

Juliaknit and Jessie, please email me and we'll make arrangements for you to choose your free yarn!

taddiebeeknitting at gmail dot com

Thanks so much to everyone who entered! Your responses were funny and cute and catchy and showed lots of Etsy love :)

Look for another contest in October when the STEAMPUNK boxes drop!

PhatFiber Secret Site Contest!

2010-08-15T11:06:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Taddie Bee Knitting! I'm excited to be a first time contributor to Phat Fiber!

I'm especially glad to start with August because of the theme--AFRICA! My family has a special connection to a beautiful country there that will be the focus of TWO contests this week. I will be giving away a hank of yarn to two smart and creative winners . . . or the same person could win both!

CONTEST #1 Be the first person to answer FOUR questions about Africa correctly and you will win your choice of any hank or ball of yarn in my Etsy shop (free shipping of course).

CONTEST #2 Rename ETSY and I'll choose another winner of a free hank of yarn.

This handwoven basket was made in "The Gem of Africa."

The yarn is from an Ann Taylor sweater, 100% cashmere,

now available in my Etsy shop

CONTEST #1
FOUR QUESTIONS Be the first person to answer these four questions correctly: (Type your answers in a comment box.)

1. Name a certain country in Africa. Here are three hints:

My son-in-law grew up there. (ok, not so helpful for most of you)
A popular book series about a lady detective takes place in this country. HBO also produced a TV series based on these books.
This country is called "The Gem of Africa."

2. Name the fictional detective who lives at #5 Zebra Drive in this country's capital city (Be very specific; use her given first and last name.)

3. What is this fictional detective's favorite drink? (Use the name that she calls it--not what it is called in America.)

4. In this country's language, the word for money is the same as the word for rain and blessing. What is this lovely word?

Since all those answers can easily be Googled, and since Phatties are so creative, I want to add another contest that offers a chance for some creativity, and that won't necessarily favor the first visitors to the contest.

CONTEST #2
RENAME ETSY In the book and HBO series mentioned above, the shop names (and the name of the detective agency) in this African country all have charming, unpretentioous, straightforward names. Names like:

The Last Chance Hair Salon

The Go-Go Handsome Men's Bar

Speedy Motors

The Double Comfort Furniture Shop

Rename "ETSY" in this style, and I'll award a free hank of yarn to the creator who, in my opinion, comes closest to the quirky, fun-loving spirit of these shop names.

The creative and knowledgeable (or Google-savvy) winners will be announced on Wednesday, August 18.

Have fun!

My Phat Fiber Sample on YouTube

2010-08-13T23:21:00.001-05:00

I became a new "phattie" this month!!....by contributing for the first time in the PhatFiber sample program.

Phat Fiber Sample Boxes are sold on Etsy. They are a mystery box of samples from independent fiber artists that include artful yarns, bits of roving, small batts, stitch marketers, original patterns, and now . . . luxury recycled yarns from Taddie Bee Knitting! I think I'm one of the very first upcyclers to participate in Phat Fiber.

Phat Fiber bridges the gap between online artisans and consumers hungry to support independent small businesses.

If you go to YouTube, you can see Jessie talking about Taddie Bee Knitting at minute 5:15.

On this embedded video, my sample is about exactly halfway through the 10 minute video.

August PhatFiber Samples "AFRICA"

2010-08-02T05:50:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to be a new contributor to PhatFiber! It's perfect for me because from each sweater I unravel, I usually have several small balls where the yarn breaks or I have to cut it. My limit is one join per 100 yards, so I've just been stashing these smaller pieces or sometimes even tossing the smaller ones out.

My 50 Samples for the August Box

These samples include sixteen cashmere hanks, thirty wools, and four silk/cotton blends. These yarns came from sweaters like Ann Taylor, LL Bean and J Crew.

I put each sample in a baggie with a tea bag from Africa
and a tag (business card) that notes fiber content on the back.

I'd like to thank Galia of Galia's Spindle Designs for telling me about PhatFiber! She lives in Israel and makes the prettiest and most unique spindles I've ever seen.

Galia not only told me about PhatFiber, she was so sweet to help me get started--answering many questions and taking the time to give me advice about samples, yarn tags, and other things. Thank you, Galia!

Each of Galia's lovely spindles are point balanced, tuned and tested.

Galia also makes other beautiful things for knitters at her PurlyPurl Etsy store. I plan to do some Christmas shopping at her store. My friends would love handmade items from Israel and her shipping to the US is very reasonable--only $2 shipping for these stitch markers!

Galia's bamboo stitch markers with heart-shaped rings.
She also makes these as earrings using sterling silver instead! Gorgeous, huh!

July Cashmere Shopping in Lincoln Park

2010-08-01T05:37:00.147-05:00

I went to Chicago in early July to witness the birth of my third granddaughter, Kate.

Welcome good Kate, sweet Kate!

On the way to Kate's first checkup, my son-in-law dropped me off at The Brown Elephant Resale Shop. Proceeds there benefit the Howard Brown Health Center.

Another afternoon, I slipped away to the White Elephant Resale Shop which benefits Children's Memorial Hospital. (That's another thing I like about unraveling--it's such a win-win for everyone along the recycling chain.) This shop is within walking distance of my daughter's house and it's so much fun walking around in Lincoln Park and feeling part of this vibrant and trendy yet classic Chicago neighborhood.

Because Lincoln Park is an affluent neighborhood and because Chicago has such cold winters (my daughter describes them more colorfully), I always find great sweaters there.

Here are my latest finds . . . they'll appear in my Etsy shop in mid-August.

J Crew 100% Lambwool

Drying after hanking and washing.

This punchy pink sweater yielded six 150-yard hanks.

This luscious sweater yielded 450 yards of lace weight cashmere.

I combined three strands to create a
more substantial fingering weight yarn.

Alexander Julian 100% Shetland Wool

The flecks of tweed in this wool are gorgeous.
I'll have six 165-yard hanks available.

I got a good deal on this cashmere
top because the shoulder seam was torn.

I'll only have one 115-yard hank available
of this lovely turquoise lace weight yarn.

I'm really excited about this Peruvian sheep's wool sweater. I usually don't unravel multi-colored sweaters, but I imagined they could be separated and used to make smaller Fair Isle projects in these same beautiful colors.

I was right!
The colors separated nicely and I was able to create
four Fair Isle kits. Two small kits from each sleeve
and two large ones from the front and back.

It doesn't get much better than this in the unraveling world.
Ann Taylor Cashmere in a fingering weight neutral.
I call it "oatmeal."

I'll have five 150-yard hanks available.

In Memory: An Unconquerable Soul

2010-06-19T21:55:00.013-05:00

I've been re-reading one of my favorite devotional books, "The Manhood of the Master" by Harry Emerson Fosdick. This book was printed in 1913 and belonged to my dad (and maybe my granddad). The author examines the gospel stories and especially the words in red to give a tremendously fresh interpretation of what a radiantly overflowing personality Jesus must have been.

The section on Jesus' joy reminds me of my dad. Here's an excerpt:

"The sources of [Jesus' Joy] were not at the mercy of men and circumstance. . . . all through the final months of his ministry you can hear the click of closing doors around his life, until at last they shut him into the upper room to face a terrible tomorrow. Every door which the hand of man could reach was closed.

Then that wonderful thing happened, which is the mark of all exalted souls and supremely of the Master; he fell back on resources which the hand of man could not touch. . . . When his trouble was at its climax in the upper room . . . his joy was unquenched.... "Be of good cheer," he said, "I have overcome the world." [Jesus] . . .could stand anything that men or circumstances could do to him and still have resources of joy. He was an unconquerable soul."

"The men who have most cheered their fellows are not the men of untroubled lives, but those who spirits were too glad to be submerged by sorrow. Men like Robert Louis Stevenson who, exiled to Samoa for his health, and sure to die there soon, prayed, "Give us to awaken with smiles. . . ."

Such men have been the joy-bringers of the race, and Jesus is the Master of them."

Such men like Bruce Campbell. At 69, he experienced a massive stroke and did not walk or speak normally again for 14 years. But like his master, he had joy that strengthened him and encouraged others.

During the last and probably most difficult year of his life, the first words out of his mouth each morning were the song, "This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." It makes me happy to imagine how greatly this must have vexed the devil.

I'm so proud of my dad for the joyful and victorious life he lived. Happy Father's day, Daddy.

If I Could Ask God Anything by Kathryn Slattery

2010-06-07T04:55:00.002-05:00

When I die, will I become an angel? Why do some Christians carry John 3:16 signs at football games? What's the difference between a disciple and an apostle?

The first thing that struck me about this book were the variety of Bible and cultural questions. They're really good ones . . . ones you might not think of on your own. The book provides good kid-friendly answers that could easily springboard into great discussions around the family dinner table or during family devotions. Each answer includes Scripture references so that you can research the question yourself or fine tune the answer for your family and your denominational beliefs.

A nice resource for families and Bible teachers.

A Little Algebra and the Aptly-Named "Swift"

2010-04-24T09:59:00.002-05:00

I recently purchased three things that have cut my unraveling time to a fraction of what it used to be. Yay! More time for knitting!

A ball winder from Knit Picks. ($19.99) I now unravel sweaters directly onto the ball winder. Infinitely faster.

A swift from TheKnitStore on Etsy. I got the large oak one for only $23.95. It works great. I can make hanks in six different sizes, 34 to 74 inches.

The third item that has also saved me lots of time is a Royal digital scale that I got at Wal-Mart. I think it was about $20.
In addition to using to weigh packages and save trips to the post office, it speeds up the hank process.

When I finish unraveling a sweater, I may have six, eight or more balls of yarn. I want to put them into hanks with no knots or the fewest possible knots each. So, I choose the most average size ball and wind it into a hank using the swift. I count the wraps as it spins and stop at a standard yardage amount that would make sense to knitters (100 yards, 250 yards, etc).

Then, I weigh this first hank on the postal scale. Say it is 200 yards and weighs 80 grams for example. I then weigh the other balls I've harvested from the sweater and I choose the ones that are 80 grams or perhaps select two that equal 80 grams. Then, I can wind these 80 gram balls into hanks without having to tediously count the wraps.

Another way this scale comes in handy is this: Say I've wound a sweater into five 80-gram hanks. I have one 23 gram hank left over. Hmmmm....wonder how many yards that is?

I don't have to count the wraps. I just plug some information into this handy-dandy algebra formula that my math-major husband set up for me:

base grams x = base yards * new grams

In the above scenario, this would be written as:

80x = 200 * 23
Multiply 200 * 23
80x = 4600
Then, divide each side by 80, and you get:
x = 57.5

So, now I know that my leftover 23-gram ball of yarn is exactly 57.5 yards--without having to measure it.

The best part is, I don't even have to do the math. I found an algebra calculator here.

I remember telling my high school algebra teacher that I was never going to use algebra. I take it back, Mr. Thomas!

Kabul 24 by Ben Pearson and Henry O. Arnold

2010-04-03T07:41:00.000-05:00

This book chronicles the plight of aid workers who were kidnapped for three months in 2001 by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

This event captured the attention of the world, and I enjoyed being able to learn about the culture in Afghanistan and these events from first hand accounts.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers for allowing me to review this book. I am a member of their book review blogger program.
http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

Upcycled Knitting Projects

2010-02-14T09:01:00.020-06:00

This post was created especially for Etsy customers of TaddieBeeKnitting. Here, you can see how unraveled yarn knits up beautifully at a fraction of the cost of new yarn.

This Talbot's sweater was 100% wool. Name brand sweaters often give the best results. Even though this yarn became slightly un-plied when unraveled, it was easy to work with and the finished projects turned out great! From this sweater, I made a hat, a child's scarf and a pair of socks.

(See how the seam above is sewn together? If you're unraveling your own sweaters, that's the kind of seam you need to look for. Serged seams are cut and will unravel only one row at a time, leaving lengths of yarn only as long as the width of the sweater.)

Irish Hiking Hat

Child's Honeycomb Scarf

The Venezia Worsted yarn for this cabled blanket was pricey, but I saved plenty by knitting the Vine Lace hat with 100% cashmere unraveled from a J.Crew Sweater.

This sundress was made from 100% cotton sweater.

This little brown bear with its matching sundress was made from a 100% wool sweater.

The blue wool of these slippers are from a pricey store-bought wool, but the white cuffs are a rustic 100% lambswool from a GAP sweater.

I dyed a peach-colored wool cardigan to make several children's specialty items. My two-week old grand-nephew wore this Pittsburgh Steelers hat while he watched them win the Super Bowl in 2009!

My granddaughter Allie's favorite food is watermelon. So, of course, I wanted her to have a watermelon hat!

Some of the peach yarn was dyed with strawberry Kool-Aid to make this Hello Kitty ensemble.

These "Fetching" fingerless gloves were knit from a non name-brand sweater (Canyon River Blues) but the fiber blend was lovely and they knit up beautiful, soft and warm.

(75% silk, 15% angora, 10% nylon)

One of my favorite fibers is cashmere. The yarn for these socks was a 100% cashmere Bloomingdales sweater. It knit up beautifully.

Since cashmere is so soft, I reinforced the heels and toes with Lang Jawoll reinforcement thread.

When I gift knitted items, I like to attach the yarn tag so that the recipient will know fiber content and washing instructions. It's fun to create your own tags when you upcycle yarn. I named this colorway, "Cashmere Chill" because the sweater came from a thrift store in Lincoln Park (and a nickname for Chicago is The Chill).

Don't be afraid to use yarn from unraveled sweaters! It's fun! It's less expensive than new yarn! And it's good for the planet!

Please visit my ETSY store for luxury upcylced yarn.

TaddieBeeKnitting on ETSY

Surprised by Beauty

2009-12-27T05:42:00.054-06:00

At the health care facility where I work, I'm daily confronted by sights, smells, and moans that are unspeakably sad. But surprisingly often, there are also scenes that bring tears to my eyes for their astonishing beauty. I want to stop in my tracks, circle my forefinger and thumb over my eye and frame the image in memory. I'll stand there wishing that I were a skilled and artistic photographer who could capture these moments that would inform and surprise the world. For who knew there could be as much beauty in a nursing home as in a museum, a cathedral, or a garden?

While observing these vignettes on the strength of the human spirit, I'll think of my friend Rodney Slate who actually is a skilled and artistic photographer, and wish he were there to document the images I'm seeing. His photographs tell strong and beautiful stories. Like the one above of his mother's hands.

If Rodney were there, I imagine he would capture the soft winter light falling on Mr. and Mrs. Hunt*. He'd probably focus on the familiar way the husband is holding his wife's hand. You'd see 52 years of loving still in Mr. Hunt's eyes. And you would sadly notice that emotion is missing from his wife's. In Mrs. Hunt's face, all that remains is a greater contentment in her husband's presence.

Another beautiful image could be captured of Corrine with her daughter. Corrine suffers from Alzheimer's Disease. One time I asked her if she'd like to go listen to some music and she replied, "On this planet?" I usually don't laugh at such lapses in cognition (or was it?) but that one had me chuckling. Corrine's daughter doesn't laugh though. She battles the foe of dementia for her mother with all the strength and determination of a heavy-weight prize fighter.

She constantly talks to her mother about family and friends, local and world events. To hear only the daughter's side of the conversation, you'd think Corrine was busy whipping up Christmas dinner for twenty back in her own kitchen.

I overheard one of these one-sided conversations a few days before Christmas. Corrine's daughter was showing her gifts that were going to be from Corrine. The daughter held up a herringbone monogrammed scarf and asked, "Do you think Aunt Martha would like this one? Oh, good. Let's wrap it up for her." I can't begin to describe all the love in that, but Rodney could capture it. You'd see the sweet yet steely desperation for normalcy in the daughter's eyes--the entertained but somewhat vacant look in the mother's. You'd see this woman courageously fighting to keep her mother with her one more day and you'd feel blessed to witness such determined love.

And then there's Ira. He's so frail and slow and bent over that you wonder how he even takes care of himself. Yet you can set your watch by this man. He comes to feed his non-responsive wife each meal as he has done every day for three years. Ira should be on magazine covers like a sports hero; paparazzi should follow him around to show the world how real men keep promises. Ira is a quiet soul; he doesn't converse much with staff or even look around. With head down, he walks straight to Rosemary. Three times a day. If Rodney were there, I'd ask him to record this image--Ira walking toward his wife.

How I wish Rodney had been there last Thursday when a bunch of rowdy kids from the YMCA sang Christmas Carols. Teenagers were in charge of them, and at first I thought how I would've managed things differently. But I would have been wrong. Their performance was lovely in all its spontaneous glory--like a field of wildflowers on a breezy day. There was one little girl whose straight red hair was cut in a pixie. She smiled a lot and added hand motions to some of the words--whenever the spirit moved her. What a little character. What a unique expression of God's goodness.

But the scene I most wanted Rodney to capture was when the kids couldn't think of any more songs and a leader said, "Okay, tell everyone bye." The crowd of 25 kids charged out into the wheelchairs and started hugging people. The old faces beamed and grew younger behind the embraces of this wild and happy choir. I even saw overjoyed tears wetting the cheeks of the ever-silent Molly after nuzzles from the feisty strangers.

This crazy little thing we call "love" is the most powerful force in the universe. It's the only power on earth that "never fails" according to Saint Paul. Maybe it doesn't always change things exactly like we want. But change things it most certainly does.

* All names have been changed to protect privacy.

Everyday Greatness by Stephen Covey -- Good Read, Good Reference

2009-10-03T08:30:00.003-05:00

This is a very strong compilation of essays and quotations from a variety of people such as Maya Angelou, Thoreau, da Vinci, and Chuck Norris. The material is organized under categories such as respect, responsibility, perseverance, and gratitude. Amidst these mostly character development sections, I especially liked the final selection called "Blending the Pieces" which included essays and quotes on balance, simplicity and renewal.

The book is interesting enough to read straight through (in small doses), but would also make a great reference book for speakers or writers needing topical quotes. Though published by Thomas Nelson, Everyday Greatness does not exert an overtly Christian emphasis. The material does, however, strongly represent Christian values.

A Heart Wide Open

2009-09-29T10:14:00.005-05:00

Through the miracle that is Facebook, I recently connected with my favorite friend from back in the day--Karen Wiley Slate. We've been having a great time together after our ah-hem-cough-cough...--ty year hiatus. There are many things I love about Karen, but this one tops the list: She lives with her heart wide open and comes right out and says things, beautiful things like . . .

You are a dear friend.
It is a blessing that God brought us together again.
You are such a good writer.
I wonder if God has something in store for us to do together.
I love you.

Gulp. Why can't I say things like that? First? And she does it as easily as breathing. Thirty years can do things to people. Hearts can close up. Not Karen's. Karen's free-wheeling heart is a work of art.

And she doesn't just say things. She does things too. She made this amazing brunch for me one Sunday morning, just to celebrate our getting back together. Beautiful, huh. And there was fresh thyme sprinkled on the cantaloupe.

John Mayer's, "Say" reminds me of Karen and the way she speaks her heart without fear.

Oddly enough, Anne Lamott's instructions for writing a first draft remind me of her too. In Bird by Bird, Lamott says it's important to write a "shitty first draft"--to spew out exactly what is in your heart, just say the words, not caring about eloquence or grammar or anything. Then you have something real and worthy to work with. Karen lives this way, but somehow manages to skip the shitty part, going straight to eloquent.

I'm sure it's a gift. I'm hoping some of it will rub off on me.

Long live Facebook!

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller

2009-09-29T10:11:00.000-05:00

While working with screenwriters on the film version of his autobiographical book Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller observed that his life really wasn't very interesting. He began striving to give his life the elements inherent in all good stories: conflict, heroism, sacrifice, and ultimately--meaning.

It's a fascinating journey that Miller takes us on. He begins by making major changes in his life: improving relationships, facing long-held fears, exercising his ice cream- and TV-loving body, setting and accomplishing specific and challenging goals--like hiking the Inca trail, biking across the country, and meeting his father.

It's all done in Miller's self-deprecating, insightful, humorous, think-about-God-in-a-way-you-never-did-before style. The book is entertaining and encouraging, but mostly, it is challenging. To think about one's life on earth as a story--with a beginning, middle and end, exerts a certain pressure to get it right.

One of my favorite lessons from the book is when Miller explains the screenwriter's tool for developing dramatic, memorable scenes. Miller tells the story of a family who when guests pull away from the dock at their lake house, the whole family surprises and thrills the departing guests by waving goodbye and then jumping into the lake--fully clothed. Maybe I won't ever bike across the country, but hey, I could jump into a lake with my clothes on. I could make a scene or two.

MeeMaw for an Hour!

2009-09-19T09:53:00.009-05:00

I got to be Hannah's MeeMaw on Friday and it was so much fun! Since neither Tommie nor Mike could make it this year, Hannah asked me to come to Grandparent's Day at her school. I got to tell a story about Hannah to her class.

I told about the time that Roxie asked Hannah and Beth to help her put her false teeth back in. Beth just gagged, but sweet little Hannah said, "I'll find someone who can help you!"

This girl is the sweetest!!!

She's pointing to her message to me, "I love you Aunt Carol, Love Hannah".

I love you too, Hannah!!

Thank you, Hannah, for a wonderful time at your school! It was an honor to stand in for your MeeMaw for a little while!

Elvis Impersonator Impersonates God

2009-09-18T05:45:00.014-05:00

David Chaney recently performed his Elvis Tribute at the nursing home where I volunteer. He was so convincing as the King of Rock 'n' Roll that one astonished little lady leaned over to me and remarked, "I thought he was dead."

High praise for the impersonator and for Piedmont Crossing--supposing that they'd swing not only for Moon Pies and RC colas, but an afternoon concert with the real Elvis Presley to boot. Whether or not these precious folks from the greatest generation were aware of exactly who was performing, all of them had the best time I've ever witnessed them having.

They were young again. They flirted with Elvis. Flirted with one another. They chair-danced like I do in the car when no one's watching. Some could really put on the moves.

During Burning Love, Elvis pointed straight out at Ernie* and sang:

He's a hunka-hunka burnin' luh-uv,
Yeah, he's a hunka-hunka burnin' luh-uv.

Because of the way Ernie's eyes flashed back at Elvis, I could see it. Totally. Ernie, with his strong jaw, deep-set eyes, and mischievous grin was once somebody's major love machine. Now, I like to greet Ernie with, "Hey there, Mr. Hunka-Hunka Burnin' Love." Ernie just grins--denying nothing.

When the impersonator started singing Suspicious Minds, however, it wasn't David Chaney anymore. Wasn't Elvis the Pelvis either. It was God Himself and let me tell you, He was a-speakin' to me. I've heard God speak a few times before, but never so out of the blue like that, rarely that strong, and definitely not through Elvis lyrics.

I could feel a message coming for a second or two before it hit me, kind of like the electrical charge in the atmosphere before lighting strikes. God is so surprising, so creative, so weird sometimes. For real, who is like Him? Almost every line of the song pierced my doubting heart and reprimanded me--but not without hope. I also heard, "You can trust me, don't doubt my love, I've not gone anywhere."

Here are the lyrics; maybe they'll remind you, too, of something you need to hear.

We're caught in a trap
I can't walk out
Because I love you too much baby

Why can't you see
What you're doing to me
When you don't believe a word I say?

We can't go on together
With suspicious minds
And we can't build our dreams
On suspicious minds

Here you go again
Asking where I've been
You can't see these tears are real
I'm crying

Oh let our love survive
Dry the tears from your eyes
Don't let a good thing die

When honey, you know
I've never lied to you
Mmm yeah, yeah

Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
~Exodus 15:11~

* Name changed to protect privacy.

Roots of Frugality

2009-09-10T06:57:00.051-05:00

I'm not sure why I feel the need to use every last inch of yarn I get my hands on. I could understand it with luxury fibers, but I'm like this with wool unraveled from $3 thrift store sweaters and even acrylics. It's embarrassing to admit, but last night I caught myself staring at sample yarn cards--trying to imagine uses for two-inch pieces of mohair.

Maybe it started with Granny Norman. Before my chin cleared the kitchen counter, I watched her as she scraped butter off its wrapper, saying, "A woman can throw more out the kitchen window with a spoon than a man can shovel in the front door." It took me decades to process that. I don't think I've ever scraped a butter wrapper, but I do the equivalent with yarn. I save the smallest scraps, hoping to find a use for them one day.

Maybe it's my seventh-grade teacher's fault. One Saturday afternoon, Mrs. Garrett invited a bunch of us girls to her big white house on Randolph Street (the one beside the old library) to make Christmas decorations. I can still see her thudding down the old home's narrow staircase into the living room and plopping a huge box in the middle of our work table. It didn't contain a single new craft supply. Everything was a scrap she had saved from a previous project. It was full of yarn remnants, felt scraps, sequins, buttons, beads, and endless possibilities.

She taught us to choose the right combination to create things that turned out, well, beautiful if I do say so myself. I still display mine every Christmas. It's a narrow banner of white felt with the word NOEL in red letters. It has felt holly leaves and berries, each berry accented with a single red sequin. And the pièce de résistance? . . . a red yarn tassel.

Maybe this waste-not, want-not mentality started with one of my favorite books as an adolescent, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. There was something magical and empowering about Francie's frugality. When Francie's father lost his job (uh-gin) and was throwing money away at the local pub, she and her mother were wearing their coats indoors. Each hour they kept the furnace off, they'd put a nickle in a tin can hidden in the top of a closet. When Francie wanted a corsage for her high school graduation like the other girls, she got it--despite her alcoholic father. When she wanted to go to college, she made that happen, too.

Or maybe it was either Jesus or my Grandpa Campbell. When Jesus fed 5,000 people with a two-piece fish dinner, He made sure the disciples took care of the leftovers. "Let nothing be wasted," He said. So, I figure nothing means nothing. Fish, loaves, yarn, talent, whatever. My grandpa must have believed this too, because one time, as the family story goes, he ate a whole bowl of cornflakes after accidentally pouring buttermilk on them.

I guess I got it honest.

Do you have an odd frugal streak? Admitting it can be the first step.

Anyway, here's what I scraped together from one $3 wool sweater that I unraveled. I still have about 10 yards left over. And yes, I'm saving it because you just never know.

An Irish Hiking hat for Beth.

A pair of Kool-Aid dyed socks for Pos.

A Honeycomb looped scarf for Allie.

God's Little Princess Devotional Bible by Sheila Walsh

2009-07-12T11:56:00.003-05:00

Even though I think some "Christian princess" products for little girls are missing the mark, I like this little devotional Bible. It contains about 80 Bible stories, with devotional material designed for ages 4-7. The material is designed for a mom to either read to her daughter and sometimes for them to perform an activity together.

The issue I have with some "princess" products is that I think the world could use fewer "princesses" and more little girls who are learning to grow in the fruit of the Spirit. The devotionals in this book, while often referring to things little girls like to do (play dress-up, feel special, etc), it does do an excellent job of always focusing on what Godly princesses do--which is love and value others.

It took me awhile to understand the flow of the book. It would have helped if each devotional was titled on its first (Bible story) page. The devotionals ran together until I got used to the layout.

It' a cute little glittery hardback with real glass stones on the cover. The real gems are inside.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers for allowing me to review this book. I am a member of their book review blogger program.
http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

God's Little Princess Devotional Bible (ICB): Bible Storybook | Bible | Thomas Nelson | Publisher of Christian Products

Me Big Copy Cat

2009-06-23T11:14:00.013-05:00

I went outside this morning to photograph a basket of yarn that Widya unraveled for me and noticed that some of my new perrenials are blooming! Most are from divisions my friend Karen gave me in the spring. Inspired by her blog (http://karenslate.blogspot.com/2009/06/summertime.html) where she showed blooms from her garden, I decided to be a big copycat and post some garden pics myself. My pics aren't gorgeous like Karen's but it was fun to take them . . . and I now need Karen's help remembering their names!

Is this a gerbera daisy? or an aster?

I'd like to knit something in these 3 shades of purple for Bella. She looks amazing in purples, pinks, and especially magenta.

Sidenote about nature-inpired knitting . . . My Ravelry friend Kay (needlenit) showed me this really good blog this morning from Sock Pixie: http://sockpixie.blogspot.com/2009/05/new-flower.html#links This color artist dyes yarns and creates projects inspired by fine art and nature.

And speaking of Needlenit . . . I wouldn't knit any new pattern without first checking on Ravelry to see if Kay has already knit it. She makes amazing improvements to everything she knits and supplies detailed notes on her project pages. The designers and magazine editors should hire her to test and improve patterns before publishing them because her changes are excellent and always make me wonder why the designers didn't think of them. She has a great eye for form and function.

Back to the blooms . . . I think this is Shasta Daisy with Blue Sage in the background, right Karen?

What is this yellow and green plant? Does it bloom?

This is the bee balm, right?

Love this delicate flower atop a spindly onion-like stalk; what did you call it?

Eureka! My photo expedition led me to the first ripe tomato of the year! It's not the first one we've eaten though. I cut up a green one the other night and tossed it in a veggie stir fry.

The perfectly sweet scent of my butterfly bush always reminds me of my perfectly sweet Anna.

Is this artemisia?

What did you call this, Karen? Will it bloom or is it a groundcover?

This sweet little plant looks promising; what is it?

Thank you again, Karen, for all these great cuttings! They've really beautified my perennial beds and they remind me of your sweet self every time I see them!

100 Bible Stories 100 Bible Songs created by Stephen Elkins, illustrations by Tim O'Connor

2009-06-06T08:48:00.006-05:00

I’ve seen beaucoup Bible story books over the years. I’ve purchased them for my children, edited them professionally, and now I’m buying them for my grandchildren. This one is simply magnifique! It contains 100 key stories that will provide a good basis of biblical literacy as well as 100 related songs with arrangements that are fresh and toe-tappin’ happy.

Many nice details went into the creation of this book. Its size is perfect for holding with a child in your lap. Its padded cover is squishy and fun to touch.

With the exception of the Wise Men story (which shows the Magi at the stable in Bethlehem rather than a house in Nazareth) the text and illustrations are biblically accurate. It isn’t easy to retell a Bible story in one paragraph and keep it meaningful—not to mention engaging for children, but most stories meet the challenge. Teachers will appreciate that each story includes full references—even multiple ones for each Gospel account.

I like the way certain words are colorfully highlighted to either bring subliminal attention to them or to provide discussion tips for the adult. (For example, in the story of the prodigal son, the following words are highlighted: two, money, hungry, traveled, father, God, forgiving.

The illustrator put a lot of emotion and whimsy into the work that children will appreciate: flabbergasted prophets, worried fishes (is Jesus gonna step on us?), and happy-to-be-found sheep.

The main lesson of each story is synopsized and then followed by a life application challenge: “I will follow Jesus and tell others about Him.”

It would be nice if the stories and songs were all numbered 1 through 100 so that you could follow up any story by going directly to that song, or vice versa. There is a good index, but it would be easier if everything were numbered. Perhaps getting the second CD to display its tracks 51-100 was technically impossible.

The American Patriot’s Bible edited by Richard G. Lee

2009-05-29T07:16:00.008-05:00

This beautifully-created version of the New King James translation would make a great study Bible for any student of

United States

history. Its presentation and family record pages would also make it useful as a family devotional Bible. This Bible contains many features that teach the reader the spiritual significance of key events in

United States

history.

I was very impressed with the historical scholarship as well as the spiritual application that the editor brought to this work. This Bible contains all the standard study features of a NKJV Bible such as notes, concordance, and Bible maps. The meat of this special edition, however, is in the thematic introductions to the 66 books, the 254 articles, and the 12 sections that delve deeply into how the teachings of the Bible are connected to U.S. history. These in-depth studies are enlightening, but it’s also fun to read the shorter notes that are scattered though out--to learn interesting things such as how the prophet Malachi influenced Hamilton’s writing of the Federalist Papers and on which verses U.S. presidents chose to place their hands while taking the oath of office.

In so profound a work of scholarship (not to mention that this is indeed a Bible), I feel shallow commenting on one of my favorite things about this edition . . . but it is graphically very beautiful. The 48 full-color insert pages are gorgeous and the large typeface as well as the two-color treatment throughout the rest of the book makes it particularly enjoyable to read.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers for allowing me to review this study edition of the Bible. I am a member of their book review blogger program.
http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

A You Tube video featuring The American Patriot's Bible http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjHaNCre6do

The American Patriot's Bible (NKJV): The Word of God and the Shaping of America | Bible | Thomas Nelson | Publisher of Christian Products

The Power of a Sincere Compliment

2009-05-18T18:55:00.018-05:00

Shortly after Christmas, someone on Ravelry started a forum thread titled, "What is the best compliment you ever received as a knitter?" Over a hundred responses quickly followed. Some of the compliments were received during the recent gift-giving season, but many were years or even decades old, yet still fresh and sweet in the minds of the knitters.

I smiled, cried, and laughed out loud at the poignant range of expressions that had touched these knitters' hearts. Here are some of my favorites:

The woman who had spent all year knitting hats for each family member and said she would never forget the feeling of seeing her loved ones all sitting around the Christmas dinner table still wearing their hats while they ate.

The hilarious mother who asks for one of everything her daughter makes. She has even tricked her by requesting socks for the "pregnant daughter of a friend" and then kept them for herself. Gotta love her.

The woman who is happy (and hopeful) because her estranged sister still requests hand knits for her children at Christmas.

The young woman whose little sister texts her every time she wears the hoodie she knit for her--telling her how much she likes it. She said it brings tears to her eyes each time.

The woman whose grandmother was a master knitter who didn't give compliments freely. When her grandmother moved into a nursing him, she acquired her stash and knitted her a lap blanket from it. The grandmother didn't ooh and ahh over it, but held it up, glared at it, and critiqued it. When she was done, she told her granddaughter that she had a gift and that she was proud of her.

The girl whose little brother only said "thanks" when she gave him a hat, but never takes it off--even indoors, and calls her a knitting ninja to his friends.

The woman who, after her father passed away, found the gloves she had knit for him more than 15 years prior. They barely had a thread of the original brown wool left in them. He had been patching them with different little bits of yarn for 15 winters.

My favorite compliment that I've ever received as a knitter came from my daughter Anna--even though she called the wool and silk scarf I made for her “an insult.”

I was about a week late finishing her Christmas present and so when I finally sent the scarf, I included a note requesting admission to a fictional club that she and her husband used to joke about belonging to when they were in college. It was called the “Slackass Losers Club.” Here’s Anna's thank you email . . .

From: Admissions Committee, SAL
Re: Application
Status: Denied

Dear Ms. Layton:
We appreciate your interest in SlackAss Losers. We accept a limited number of new memberships each year, and these are reserved exclusively for slackass losers. Your Christmas present's belated arrival does not qualify you for membership. Exquisitely crafted, hand knit gifts (especially beautifully designed scarves that cause the recipient to Oooh and Ahhh for hours after opening, and wear around the house despite the temperature being in the 70s) are an insult to everything we stand for at SAL. Please refrain from re-applying to SAL in the future.

Sincerely,
Membership Services

I wasn't the only one who loved Anna's response. My post received more "love" and "funny" clicks than any other post on the thread!

Here's another knitting compliment that I really like. This poetic thank-you was given to Mara Mori for the socks she knit for the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

ODE TO MY SOCKS
by Pablo Neruda (translated by Robert Bly)
Mara Mori brought me
a pair of socks
which she knitted herself
with her sheepherder's hands,
two socks as soft as rabbits.
I slipped my feet into them
as though into two cases
knitted with threads of twilight and goatskin.

Violent socks,
my feet were two fish made of wool,
two long sharks,
sea blue, shot through
by one golden thread,
two immense blackbirds,
two cannons,
my feet were honored in this way
by these heavenly socks.

They were so handsome for the first time
my feet seemed to me unacceptable
like two decrepit firemen
firemen unworthy of that woven fire,
of these glowing socks.

Nevertheless, I resisted the sharp temptation
to save them somewhere as schoolboys
keep fireflies,
as learned men collect sacred texts,
I resisted the mad impulse to put them
in a golden cage and each day give them
birdseed and pieces of pink melon.

Like explorers in the jungle
who hand over the very rare green deer
to the spit and eat it with remorse,
I stretched out my feet and pulled on
the magnificent socks and then my shoes.

The moral of my ode is this:
beauty is twice beauty,
and what is good is doubly good
when it is a matter of two socks
made of wool in winter.

And, if I might add a thought to this beautiful ode . . . Beauty is also "twice beauty" when appreciated.

$1 Sun Dress for Allie

2009-05-10T09:53:00.040-05:00

Since Emily Post considers it poor manners to let slip what you spent on a gift, I'm guessing it's a major faux pas to actually blog about it. But Anna will like the dress I knit for Allie even more when she learns how little I spent on it. She's weird like that.

Like our hip, green friend who could have any wedding dress she wanted, but found a classic "Jackie O" gown at Goodwill for $20. A clerk saw how amazing she looked in it and how excited she was and reminded her, "Honey, you don't have to tell anyone how little you spent."

She replied, "Are you kidding! That's the best part! I'm going to tell everyone!"

So, without admitting to be cheap (only environmentally conscious and hip) here's how I knit Allie a cotton sun dress as well as a bear with a matching dress--all for about a dollar. But first, isn't Allie darling!

I started with an XL women's 100% cotton sweater that I found at a thrift store for $3. I'm glad the soft green color worked for this project because you can't dye cotton with food-grade dyes.

I unraveled it and have enough yarn left over for at least three more dresses. I'm knitting one for Bella now.

I made the bear from an XXL men's 100% wool sweater from Goodwill for $3.75. The bear used only a fraction of the yarn from this big sweater. This wool can easily be dyed for socks, hats, fingerless gloves, or more bears. (Princess has excellent taste in fibers.)

I embroidered the daisies with the pricey Cotton Rich that Bobbie gave me on Valentine's Day. I messaged a fellow Ravelry member who had white Cotton Rich in her stash and we made an even trade--some of my lemon for her white. Cost was only postage--about $1.

You know you have an expensive hobby when suppliers use in-your-face marketing blurbs like, "And you thought college was expensive." (I saw that in a Vogue Knitting ad the other day.)

The nicest yarns are definitely worth it, though. It only makes sense to work with the best yarns you can because of the time invested in projects. But when nice yarns can be harvested from high quality garments, that's cool too! More money saved for airfare to see Allie!

In the Footsteps of Paul by Ken Duncan

2009-05-07T07:33:00.016-05:00

I won't read the book of Acts the same way again. Thanks to Ken Duncan, Saint Paul now seems real. Maybe not like “Yo, Bro, what up with thee?” but definitely a flesh and bones man.

In the Footsteps of Paul wasn’t what I expected, and even though the amazing photographs engaged me, I felt a little disappointed . . . but only at first.

I was expecting a more linear representation of Paul’s travels, perhaps a small map on each page with text like, “Paul stayed here for three months, wrote to the Galatians, and then sailed away to. . . .” Something concrete to help me make peace with those Bible maps I attempted to entertain myself with during sermons when I was ten.

Whoa! What was I thinking! After reading this gorgeous book, I see that my original concept is probably impossible and quickly would have become tedious.

Now that I’ve told you what this book isn’t, let me tell you what it is! It is a collection of absolutely stunning photographs of cities Paul visited, objects and landmarks he may have seen, and historic art through the centuries. The variety of photographs was masterful and didn’t become tiring. Modern cities, ancient landscapes, recreations of objects like the basket Paul rappelled in, mosaics and more kept me guessing and provided a fascinating mix.

Each page shows a related quote from the New Testament. I love the way these verses contain highlighted words that give emphasis to the struggles and triumphs that Paul experienced in each location. Words like expelled, persecution and filled with joy. Yep, all from the same verse.

Many pages also include a quote about Paul from notable Christians like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Billy Graham, C. S. Lewis, and Beth Moore. Such a varied collection of folks and yet the bond of brotherhood weaves their thoughts together seamlessly.

And that’s another thing I liked about this book--all of its elements flow together so well. People, places, things, quotations, and works of art spanning twenty centuries--and yet it forms a cohesive, beautiful thing. The result is not only an enriching river of information and inspiration about this esteemed apostle, but a greater picture of God’s power and grace to work in the lives of all of us fleshy, boney people.

The editor in me can’t help but note that the page numbers for the acknowledgments were incorrect. And, I would have liked for the maps to have been more accessibly placed in the back of the book.

This is a beautiful book that didn’t meet my expectations, but far exceeded them. Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers for allowing me to review it. I am a member of their book review blogger program.
http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

Socks for Pos!

2009-04-27T21:59:00.012-05:00

Pos's FB status said, "Steph is an icicle!" When we chatted, she explained that winter had arrived early in Cape Town and that she was so cold she couldn't feel her little toes. I've not seen my sweet Pos in almost 5 years and thought it would be fun to make her a pair of wool socks that would reach across the miles and give her a big hug for me. She said she'd like them to be colorful and funky, so here's what I did . . .

I found a 100% wool TALBOT'S sweater at Goodwill for $3.75. Very nice and soft!

Unraveled it...and ended up with a basketful of yarn.

Made two 150-yard skeins and used grape, black cherry and lemon-lime KoolAde to dye the blue yarn the colors Pos chose--red, purple, blue and green.

Rolled up each skein in plastic wrap.

Steamed them for about 30 minutes to set the dye.

After they cooled, I rinsed the skeins in cold water.

Hung them up to dry.

One skein and one ball ready to knit.

To maximize the funkiness, I'm going to make the cuffs, heels, and toes blue.

Finished the first sock on April 29. It's short on Beth, so I think it will fit Pos's 22cm foot perfectly. Pos, I'll wash them before I send them to you!

Taddie Bee Herbing

2009-04-16T12:39:00.017-05:00

My latest business venture (okay diversion) started out innocently enough. My big bully rosemary plant was spreading everywhere and threatening to take over the lillies and phlox. The thought of tossing perfectly good organically-grown rosemary (that Walmart sells for $3 for a tiny packet or $24 per pound) in the compost pile gave me an idea. So I asked my friend Mike at Cedar Lodge Market if he would like to sell it there.

He said, "Sure! Maybe put it in some baggies."

So, I did....with some printed labels.

I also picked some sage and garlic chives which were busy in the garden just growing.

And then I put them in a basket and skipped (okay drove) to Cedar Lodge Market this morning. Mike thinks they would sell best at 99 cents each. He's not even taking any commission at first! He said lets see how they sell! Cool huh!

And later, I planted some curly and Italian parsley, basil, dill and cilantro just in case fresh herbs really do sell at Cedar Lodge Market. (We can always eat them if they don't.) The business downside about having to "eat" whatever doesn't sell isn't exactly a bad thing in the herb growing business!

Oh, and because I thought it looked neat on the label to have a web address, I also started a blog... evergreen-garden-herbs.blogspot.com

It's not Indonesia . . . but . . .

2009-04-05T10:46:00.006-05:00

This post is for Widya.

We don't have blooms 365 days a year like the paradise that is Indonesia. I wanted you to see what's blooming right now in our yard. Most of these blooms will only last a week or so.

The cherry tree is loaded this year. We'll save some for you to eat later this summer!

Periwinkle...a ground cover.

The plum tree. We're still eating plums from last summer's bumper crop...dried, canned, sauce and preserves.

The fig tree Joseph's grandfather planted. It's never produced much fruit. Maybe this year!

Phlox, a ground cover.

Dogwood blossom.

More dogwood blossoms. They start out kind of pink, but will soon be all white with pink tips.

More cherry blosooms!!

Sunday Afternoon

2009-03-30T07:26:00.009-05:00

As pretty as the angels when they sing . . . just a swingin'.

Onions, lettuce and spinach are up.

Rogue violet.

Rosemary in bloom.

Daffodils my mother planted.

Be Here Now Lesson

2009-03-06T08:21:00.005-06:00

After returning from a walk yesterday (cross that off the list), I thought it would be a good time to tackle some pruning (to cross that off the list) while I had on my outer gear of hat, gloves, etc. I grabbed the shears and gave the butterfly bush its new start for the year and then started working on the Fairy Rose. I was busy pruning away, my mind already on the fresh growth and blooms that would appear over the next few months. Finally, I looked down and saw I was trampeling the crocuses making their way up through the leaf debree and the recent snow. Stop. Breathe. Smile. Be grateful for what is now.

A Kool Way to Dye

2009-03-05T12:10:00.006-06:00

My first Kool-Aid dyeing experiment was trying to make a pink/purple soaker for Allie. It turned out more black and red. Anna said it'd be perfect for Allie to wear to her first Chicago Bulls game!

I had a little bit of Chicago Bulls yarn left over and wanted to continue to experiment so I overdyed it with Berry Blue Koolaid. I like the way this looks! It's not much yarn--maybe enough for an ipod cover.

The finished project.

While I was dying the Chicago Bulls yarn, I dropped into the dye bath a few strands of other yarns just to see what would happen. Each strand of dyed yarn is beneath its original strand. My favorite is the bottom one---the brown yarn dyed into a teal.

Snow Day!

2009-03-02T09:59:00.008-06:00

Hey family in Chicago and Indonesia! Thought I'd show you whassup back home in NC today!

I added this image Tuesday morning. Necklace idea, Widya?

Skeletons of Easter Lillies reminding us that they will one day bloom again.

Widya asked about this plant. It's called a holly bush. Nannie used to call it "berthadye" holly but I can't find any reference online for that particular name--or anything spelled like it.

My beautiful butterfly bush! I was just getting ready to prune it down to 12 inches the other day. Now maybe the snow has done it for me!

Oops. Chore for Dad. Part of fence collapsed.

My garden beds. I just cleared out the asparagus and Autumn Joy sedum the other day and planted onions.

Habib, polar dog.

Rosemary under snow.

Free form beauty.

Valentine's Day at Rising Meadows Farm

2009-02-15T07:00:00.030-06:00

Bobbie, Catherine and I spent Valentine's morning at Rising Meadow's Farm in Liberty for their biannual "Shearing Day."

Of course I had a great time, since I really like knitting and have been curious about the wool process. Bobbie and Cat assured me that they had a good time too. But, on one occasion, I noticed Bobbie standing in the smelly barn of sheep and poop and thought I detected a glimmer of a forced smile. She assured me it was nothing and that she absolutely loved being in a sheep barn. (Is she the sweetest sister or what!)

At the end of this post, I'm going to jot down some of the details I learned about the wool process. Right now, I'm thinking that the whole idea of spinning my own wool is a silly romantic notion and that it seems like way too much effort when there is lovely yarn for sale everywhere.

Here's a sheep in the shearing pen waiting its turn.

Master shearer Kevin Ford doing his thing.

The sheared among the unsheared. On the unsheared ones, you could feel the sticky lanolin in their wool. On the sheared ones, their coats (?) still felt a couple inches thick...and soooo soft.

Careful, Kevin!

Bobbie and Catherine observing the shearing. Love Cat's new do!

I thought shearers used electric razors, but these shearers used manual scissors.

After each sheep was sheered, its fleece was put on a wired table outside the barn where people picked off some yukky, unuseable pieces (called skirting the fleeces). Then, they put the good parts (95% I guess) in a bag and weighed it and offered it for sale at $8.50 per pound.

Master Shearer Kevin Ford on the right and one of the farm family members on the left. Kevin was on USA's shearing team in Norway last year.

Undyed rovings for sale.

Yarn for sale. They also had sheepskin rugs for sale.

Cat and Bobbie = BobCat!

The farm served a free lunch (dessert donations appreciated). We ate outside the farmhouse kitchen steps on a little rock wall. On the menu: lamb chili, corn chowder, sandwiches on homemade bread, fruit tea, and lots of desserts.

They also had lamb meat for sale and Catherine and I bought some. Joe's mom was going to make something special for dinner.

Me and the original Bobcat.

Bobbie got some variegated orange/yellow and plain yellow wool for a scarf.

I chose some variegated green wool for mittens.

Hello Yarn.

When I dropped Bobbie back at home, we winded her skeins into balls, played with Maggie (Magpie to me) and then my sweet sister gave me most of her stashed yarn!!! Now with my JBW gift certificate, my recyled sweaters and Bobbie's yarns, I have a treasure trove stash. What recession?

At home, I made some lamb stew for dinner and then knitted the night away watching a movie with Jim. Stupid movie but I didn't care. I had a great Valentine's day!

After weeks of asking questions on Ravelry and viewing tutorials, after just a few hours at the farm, I have a much better grasp of the process. Here's what I learned.

1. People buy the fleeces and then they wash it in their washing machine. They fill up the machine with hot water, put in a little shampoo, then lower the fleece into the water and let it soak awhile. No agitation. Drain the water. Clean out the grimy machine. Do this again at least twice I think. One person said they add hair conditioner on the last washing.

2. Card the wool. Brush it for hours and hours and hours with a comb to get all the fibers going in the same direction. Get out the twigs and briars, etc. I might have missed something...but I think they now have "rovings."

3. Use a spinning wheel or a spindle to make yarn from the rovings.

4. Yarn can be left natural color or it can be dyed. (Rovings can also be dyed.)

OR . . . wear slippers and bathrobe while sitting at computer and shopping at Jimmy Beans Wool. OR, visit Common Threads yarn shop to examine all the yummy yarns where all this work is already done.

While I see how this whole process could be satisfying and even fun...I think at least for now, I want to concentrate on the knitting and designing parts of the process.

Cashmere Coup

2009-02-12T16:08:00.023-06:00

It's the holy grail of unravelers and I found it...a light-colored cashmere sweater with knitted seams! I had looked at the Thomasville Goodwill, Bloomingdeals Consignment, Oak Hollow Thrift Store, and finally found this one at the High Point Goodwill. Can't you even see the softness?

As soon as I touched it, I knew it was special. Then, I looked at the neck tag...Ann Taylor! Oooh, good sign. Then, I held my breath while I found the fabric tag on the side seam...100% cashmere! Then, I did a cartwheel (in my head). Then, I saw the sign above the rack of sweaters. "Management reserves the right to increase prices on name brand items." Then, I made a note to self: Do not gush to the sales clerk. Toss it on the counter as if it's nothing. Be cool, Carol. Be Carol Cool.

$3.75 THREE DOLLARS AND SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS!!!

I think it's a DK weight yarn...a nice pale green color, suitable for dying whatever colors I choose!

It unraveled beautifully. This picture represents the entirety of the sweater. Very little waste yarn as you can see. In fact, I don't think I can bring myself to throw even that away. I'll use it for test dyes or maybe to have on hand in case I need an extra few yards to finish a project.

See the braided skein of yarn on the left? That skein alone would be about $15 retail! I think I've got at least $175 worth of yarn. I'm thinking 3-4 pairs of socks, a pair of fingerless gloves and maybe a hat or two. Or maybe a small scarf and 2 pairs of socks. Decisions, decisions!

There is one thing about unraveled yarn. It tends to be a bit unplied. That is, the four plys that usually make up a strand of yarn is looser than on new yarn. I've read about in on Ravelry and it seems the solution is to re-ply it with a spindle. They make it sound simple. I'm going to look into it.

Did I mention it was 100% cashmere?

Stinkin' Tarheels

2009-02-12T13:07:00.015-06:00

Dukies in Chicago: Be glad you are in Illinois today no matter how windy or cold it is. The stinkin' tarheels are out in full force today in North Carolina. Wearing their stinkin' blue t-shirts and their stinkin' blue hats, walking around all smiling and stinkin' and stinkin' and smiling like they solved the economic crisis or something.

It started last night. My "sweet" "friend" Kelly emailed me right at the buzzer. She's turned dark. Don't know what happened to her. She must have been hanging around Scott. He is his usual insufferable sarcastic self . . . two emails already today . . . accusing me of avoiding him this morning . . . (ha! I was busy! volunteering at a nursing home . . . so there!) And accusing the Blue Devils of misdeeds and foul mouths. He obviously thinks he's a master lip-reader or clairvoyant or something.

These people were my friends! You'd think they'd show some sympathy for a laid-off Christian grandmother. They probably are part of a group on FaceBook . . . "Harrasses sweet Christian laid-off knitting Grandmothers." Stinkin' tarheels.

And I know what Scott would say . . . He'd claim I started it with a trash-talking email to him yesterday morning. For the record all I said was that I hoped he was having a nice day. And maybe something else . . . but that was the gist of it. You just never know how people's minds are gonna twist the most innocent of comments.

Super Baby!

2009-02-11T21:01:00.008-06:00

Bobbie and I went to see Carter on Monday. I was eager to take him the Steeler hat I had just finished knitting the day before. Right after we walked in the room, the nurse started talking about how much Carter looked like Joe and that Carter needed a Steeler hat to match what Joe had been wearing. I felt like Glenda the Good whipping it out of my bag.

We so enjoyed playing with Carter and taking turns feeding him. (But Bobbie was just way too forceful . . . don't know what I'm gonna do with her ;)

Cutest Steeler fan ever!

Awwww....precious!

A Hat for the Steeler's Newest Cutest Fan

2009-02-08T09:35:00.026-06:00

It was so much fun holding Carter during the Super Bowl and seeing Joe's Steelers win. I got to thinking . . . "This newest little Steeler fan needs his great aunt Carol to make him a hat!" I thought it would be fun to try to koolaid dye some yarn yellow and black. Here's the process I used . . .

I found a 100% wool sweater at Goodwill for $3.75. I washed it and then unraveled it. I was able to harvest all of the yarn except for the two front panels and the collar. Probably got about $25 worth of wool from this sweater.

I wrapped a hat's worth of yarn around a couple of kitchen chairs in order to get a skein that wouldn't get tangled when dying. I tied white cotton waste yarn about every 16 inches.

I soaked the skein of yarn about 30 minutes in a water-vinegar mixture (one qt. water to 1/4 cup vinegar). I added the vinegar because I was planning on dying with food colors. When dying with koolaid (which has citric acid already in it) you don't have to add the vinegar for acidity.

I squeezed water from the yarn and then put the soaking water into a stainless steel pot and added about six drops yellow food coloring. It looked too bright yellow (I wanted a dark yellow), so I added one tiny drop of red hoping that it would just darken the yellow (to match the Steeler's jerseys), but it made it orange!

I kept it just below a simmer for about 30 minutes.

Here's the peach yarn after about 30 minutes of simmering. You can see that the water is now clear and all the dye has been absorbed into the yarn.

Since the peach yarn was now orange, I started over with some off-white Cascade 220 wool and repeated the process with a packet of lemonade and a few drops of yellow food color.

Now for the black. I simmered some of the peach yarn in 6 drops red, 6 drops blue and 4 drops green. After drying, the yarn was just dark gray, so I repeated the process and finally ended up with a suitable black.

Since I wasn't happy with the dark gray recycled yarn, I thought I'd try dying some cranberry colored wool using the same ratio of food colors. (This is the yarn during the presoak.) It ended up having too much red still in it, so that's when I went back and re-dyed the dark gray recycled yarn.

After gently squeezing out the water and blotting with a paper towel, I hung the skeins to dry. I hung a coat hanger from the orange recyled yarn to help get out some of the kinks.

The finished dyed yarns.

Here are the final colors I'll use for Carter's hat.

Next post: Carter in his Steelers hat!!

Thank you, Miss Nonie!

2009-02-03T09:25:00.021-06:00

I was 9. She was 84. It was the summer of 66. Dylan released Blonde on Blonde and U.S. planes were bombing Hanoi. NOW had just been formed and John Lennon had finally (sort of) apologized for claiming the Beatles were more popular than Jesus.

These events would one day become more (or less) meaningful to me, but at the time, I was blissfully unaware of them . . . except of course the Jesus thing. My sisters and I were shocked. We loved Jesus. Didn't John Lennon? Didn't the Beatles rush straight from church to the Ed Sullivan Theater on Sunday nights . . . like we did?

My Granny Norman (Miss Nonie to her friends) was the only one wanting to hold my hand that summer. Her veined, graceful and gentle hands guided my little nail-bitten ones over each stitch to teach me the ubiquitous stockinette pattern.

After many insignificant afternoon hours on the front porch's metal glider, the scratchy red ball of wool was gone and the thing finally (sort of) resembled a scarf. Of course, it curled in on itself almost like an I-cord and so even then I wasn't too satisfied with the results, but I had learned to knit! I was a knitter! Thanks, Granny!

GRANNY AND ME, LAKE ARROWHEAD, 1966