moonfrog

Last year I went to our county fair and watched the local guild members’ spinning competition. This year, thanks to my friend Connie who coordinated all the guild activities at the fair, I am a member of the guild and participated in the competition. It was great fun! I entered both events: speed spinning and fine spinning. I’m not a fine spinner, so the second one was just for fun — and because I’d bugged someone else to enter who wasn’t going to, either. Heh.

Well, surprise, surprise! I won the beginners’ speed spinning. That overspun kinky, errr . . . designer yarn skein is what I spun in 20 minutes. I thought my legs would give out from treadling so fast. The white merino on the 3rd place ribbon is the fine yarn. It’s wrapped around the gold coin there. I admit I gave up on that one. I wish I’d gotten a picture of the fine yarn that won the advanced group. It was spun by Janet of Aunt Janet’s Fiber Mill on a custom spindle made from a button and a double-point needle. Yikes!

The yarn on the bobbin is what I made with the nice big bump that Aunt Janet gave me after the competition. She kindly supplied all the wool for the speed spinning. Romney wool, I think. I asked her the next week if I could get some more, but it was all used up. Rats!

The next week was the Sheep to Shawl demonstration and I helped with that, too. One thing about participating is that I just don’t think to take pictures. Take my word for it, though, it was fun, and there were lots of people helping. I helped with the carding, using my drum carder. It’s amazing to see wool come off a sheep at noon and a completed shawl come off the loom a few hours later.

I didn’t actually see the shearing, done by Ace ‘n the Hole Ranch who donated the fleece, as I was working in the guild room at the time. Working — ha! I was demonstrating beginning spinning, complete with fits and starts. After finishing the bobbin of speed wool, I moved on to some variegated blue merino/alpaca roving that I got in a swap. Next I spun 4 oz. of red merino top from a swap. I love that red shaded with black!

Those two lots are nestled on a bed of luscious merino top that I bought from the same woman who I swapped for the red merino. I have enough merino for a very long time. In fact, I have extra. I bought some more merino top from a close-out. If you’re interested, drop me a line and I’ll let it go at a good price. I have lots. Seriously. I also have some merino/hemp blend roving that is for sale. Lovely stuff, but only a couple pounds to sell. I’ll send pictures if anyone is interested.

We also have a bit of a garden growing that I’m excited about. It’s at my family’s summer cabin where it is hot. We got a late start, but it’s coming along now. The cherry tomatoes are ripening a few at a time and the bigger ones are putting on size. We have over a dozen plants.

Then there’s our favorite. One pumpkin plant. It took a long time for it to set fruit that didn’t drop off, but it’s coming along now. Isn’t this the cutest baby pumpkin you ever saw?! It was the size of a softball when I took this photo, and I’ve heard that it has grown considerably since then. There are some crookneck squash keeping it company, but I haven’t seen another pumpkin.

Well, it’s time to work a bit more on my Ravelympics hats before that competition is over. I have until Saturday at 9 AM to finish whatever I can. I’d like to get one more done, so I’d best get back to it!

* Seriously!

After Le Tour de Fleece, it seems a little odd to jump right into another knit-along competition, but that’s just what hundreds — no, thousands — of knitters have done on Ravelry. I just checked the Ravelympics group and there are 6,194 members, all working on teams to meet challenging goals while watching the Olympic games (or not.)Before Ravelry, there was the Knitters’ Olympics in the winter of 2006. I used that event to challenge myself to finish Picovoli. This year, I’ve gathered a list of 9 hats to make, plus one unfinished object. My project page on Ravelry has the picture above on 5 out of 9 spots. That means that I’ve made 4 hats since August 8th. Okay, so I started with the easy ones, but I was warming up. Now, I’m kicking it! I’ll post the 4 hats later, but what I want to crow about now is the UFO.

After warming up on a simple cable beanie, I picked up the long-neglected Shedir and she is done! I can’t believe I did it. I almost gave up. But I knit, and tinked, and tinked some more, and finally reached the end. At one point, I missed a jog where the chart shifts the beginning of the round, so my stitches are all one off at that point, but fortunately it is where the cables begin to spread out and the error gets a little lost in all the movement. It was just too far back to tink and I had been too lazy to put in another lifeline.

I worked all the repeats and used size 3 needles, because that’s the size I had when I started this hat over a year ago. I was worried about running out of yarn, so I skipped some of the plain rows between the decrease rows. No need to worry, I had plenty of yarn. I also had saved a simple crochet beanie I made for Caps for a Cure in the same yarn, just in case I needed to frog it for Shedir. Now that little cap can go its merry way.

The Shedir is staying here with me. It fits me perfectly. And there are too many mistakes for me to feel comfortable sending it off to someone else. I really need to hold onto this one to remind myself of what it takes to meet a challenge. When I started knitting this cap, it was a huge challenge and it was difficult. I really doubted that I’d ever finish it.

When I picked it up again two days ago, it was amazingly easy in comparison. I made plenty of mistakes, tinked back a row several times, but it was not the struggle of a year ago. The chart was easy to read. I could memorize the stitch repeats and the complex cables and work without painstakingly re-reading for every single stitch. I really noticed how much my knitting had advanced.

Well, she’s done. Sigh. She’s had a good bath after much rough handling over the long haul. It feels good, but there’s that little wistfulness. It’s time to cast on a couple new projects to fill the void. I have the Nordic Sock Sweater on hold for a while — it has grown too big to be portable and I’m at a turning point in its construction. The husband’s socks must be cast on again. But I need a challenge. A few more hats and I’ll think of something new and exciting. In the meantime, let me know what is challenging you lately!

Rehash of the details:

Pattern:  Shedir from Knitty.com 

Yarn:  Rowan Calmer in Powder 

Needles:  Addi Turbos size 3, two circulars 

Time:  15 months 

For quite a while I’ve been posting to this blog quickly, usually late. Today is no exception, but today I took a little time to check the section that shows who has linked to my blog. Imagine my surprise when I found that the famous Yarn Harlot linked to my blog at the start of Le Tour de France. A month ago. I didn’t even know about it until today. Amazing. Thanks, Stephanie!

Well, I do have something to show for my time away. First, I managed to spin the three bobbins of wool that I set as my goal for the Tour . . . and I’m almost done with my fourth. I’m thrilled that spinning now seems to be a habit — a lovely, relaxing habit.

I also finished Branching Out. It was a fun break from the garter stitch and other simple patterns I’ve been working.

I made it 64 inches long, which is my height. I’ve heard this is a good measure for a scarf and think it is just right for me. The yarn is Queensland Llama Seta, which is an alpaca/silk blend. Funny name for it. I used three and a half balls for the scarf and matching hat. They’re tucked away waiting for cooler weather. I’m thrilled with these, too.

But there’s a new thing that has me beyond thrilled. I finished my first weaving project! It started with buying a used Schacht rigid heddle loom. With little time for learning something new, I decided to visit my LYS for help with the warp. I’m so glad I did! Warp on, I set out to make a pillow that I had promised for our guild’s county fair booth. I almost decided to give up on this, but it all worked out terrifically.

Next, I got out some Noro Kureyon in brown, gray, and gold. I gave myself permission to make loopy, raggedy edges since I’d be cutting and sewing anyway. I’ll learn to make nice selvedges later. After a few inches, I saw that the neutral colors were not enough and pulled out a ball of Taos wool in blues. Ah, just right! I stayed up late working on this piece, loving every minute.

Then a trip to the fabric store for backing and a pillow form. Ta Da!

This less-than-perfect project made me inordinately happy. There’s no way I can give this pillow away. My plan is to put it in the guild sale and buy it myself. (I heard this idea from the guild president, so I think it will be all right.)

There’s one thing that scares me a bit about this new weaving thing, though. First there was knitting: needles, yarn, etc. Then there was spinning: wheel, fiber, etc. And dyeing. And now? Oh, yes, the equipment and stash grow in variety and size. I just have to be more creative about how to store it all!

The really good thing about all these things is that they give me a sense of balance. Life is not all work. I squeeze more fun out of it every day.

Well, I met my scrubby goal and then some. I wanted four and ended up with six, but only three went to my mom. See, I was knitting away and one of my sons’ friends (you know the kind who grows up in your house along with your own?) says, “Hey, a loofa! I want one!” Then he explains how it will keep his face all handsome for the girls. Yeah, yeah. : ) So, I check the tulle scrap bag and find some black. Before Mr. Handsome can say anything, my son claims the black for his own loofa. What?! This boy never, ever wanted anything handknit. Guess the competition (Mr. H) had to be put in his place. So I dug around in my stash and found some medium blue. Of course, I couldn’t leave out second son, so he also got a blue one. Mom got three and was tickled pink. (Sorry about the lousy picture, but these buggers flew out of the house before I could get a better one. You get the idea, though.)

And thanks for the advice from everyone! It really helped me look at things more clearly (and quit whining.) Once I got stared making the scrubbers with a definite goal in mind, the plastic needles worked fine. As Chris pointed out, light and short are the two best characteristics for this job with these big needles, which is why I got these in the first place. Carrie K. also mentioned the lightweight advantage, as well as suggesting I wait for a winter try-out to decide on the hat. That’s just what I’ve decided to do. Then I went to www.random.org and rolled the dice. (Really, there’s a dice random number generator. I’m easily amused.) And the winner is comment number four. That would be Carrie. Congratulations! I offered either hat yarn or scrubby tulle. I hadn’t thought about an actual scrubby, but that is also an option to go along with the tulle. So let me know Carrie and we’ll work out the details. : )

My other projects are coming along great. Everything is almost done, not quite finished but getting there or making good progress. In fact, my Branching Out just needs blocking before it’s ready to wear. Well, it needs a bit of cold weather, too, but I can wait for that — no hurry on that one.

My Le Tour de Fleece challenge is going well, although it is a bit short of the goal, and the end is tomorrow, I think. My goal was three bobbins, but I am quite pleased to have so much done. I have a bit more to go on one bobbin, and I started with half a bobbin full.

What pleases me is that spinning is easier now. And can you see the difference in the two white spools? The one on the wheel is finer and more consistent. I’ve been working on that with this one. I have a question, though, for any spinners reading. Can I ply the two thicknesses? It seems like that would be fine, but I have to worry about it now, don’t I? After all, that’s what I do best. ; ) Plying is the next challenge. Maybe I’ll have conquered that one by the next blog post. Until then, hope you find time for some fiber arts in your days.

This year on Father’s Day, I was totally stumped for a gift for my dad. When I heard that his buddies who were going to rototill his garden hadn’t been able to do it, I knew that a gift of “helping hands” was what he really needed. So yesterday DH and I spent most of the day pulling weeds and tilling. We’re only putting in a small portion of his big plot, about 4 feet by 40 feet, but it gives him a place to put his winter veggies. We also dug up some volunteer potato plants and got to bring those home with us. New potatoes! Dad never lets us dig those up since he love to see just how big he can grow them.

After a pleasant round of hard work in the dirt, we settled in to Mom’s dinner of meatloaf and vegetables. Yum! While cleaning up, I noticed that her dish scrubber had once again been worn to a rag. Yikes. Time to make her a new one. I keep intending to make some ahead, but never get to it. So last night I got out the tulle and the big needles.

I bought these big (size 17) plastic needles just for making the Mom’s scrubbies. She likes the big size. I thought about getting some nicer needles, but opted for the cheap-o ones. Maybe if I got some really nice ones, I’d be more apt to knit more of these. At least these are lightweight. Another consequence of making the bigger scrubber is that I end up with leftover tulle. It takes more than half a roll to make one. I’m using up the scraps, which suits Mom just fine, but I’m going to set myself a task (which will also make it easier for me to make several of these at once!)

I checked the date when I made the last scrubby and it looks like Mom uses them up at the rate of one every two months. That means she needs about six a year.

My scrubby goal is to:

1. Use up all the scraps and
2. Refine the number of stitches and rounds it will take to use just half a roll and
3. Make four scrubbers total.

Otherwise, I’ve been working on the Nordic Sock Sweater. I started the 3rd ball, so I’m 20% done. *sigh* I’m still enjoying it, though. And I’m about halfway done with Branching Out. I had a sidetrack on that one, deciding that I needed a hat to match. So I needed to see how much yarn that would take.

Thus was born Foliage — the slouchy version.* I like it, but I don’t know if I’ll wear it. It feels bulky on my head — but it is summer and not a good time for judging these things. Still, I’m considering frogging and making something simpler and less . . . well, less big and slouchy. At least the yarn is set aside for the hat.

I’d love to hear what you think about whether I should frog this one. Also, should I buy some nice needles for knitting scrubbies? And what kind? I’ll even make this a little contest for my faithful readers. The best advice will get you either some hat yarn or some scrubby tulle from my stash. Let me know what you think!

*Modifications for the slouchy version of Foliage can be found on Ravelry. Otherwise, email for directions.

My challenge spinning for Le Tour de Fleece is going well. I finished a full bobbin of the Corriedale cross roving. That’s probably about 4 ounces out of 12. That’s going to take some time! The logical thing would be to spin another skein so I could ply it. Well, maybe not.

Recently, I swapped for four ounces of batts from Sugar Bee Studios. I pulled it out instead of filling that second plain white bobbin. I just couldn’t resist — can you blame me? This is some pretty fiber. It’s extra soft merino with some tencel and angelina thrown in for sparkle. I’m not really a sparkle kinda girl, but this stuff is fun to spin. And the name? Mine is a custom color called Becky’s One Night Stand. So far it has lasted 2 nights. I think I’m in love! This is so well prepped that it slides right along. I still get an occasional slub, but not too bad compared to what I’ve been doing. I have no idea what I’ll do with this yarn when it’s done. It will probably just be a stash pet. That’s fine with me. : )

Oh, and my new spinning head came from New Zealand today, too. It is smooth and lovely, without a flaw — and most importantly — without a crack! Majacraft customer service is quick and very cooperative. I appreciate that.

I’ve been knitting away when I’m not spinning, but haven’t been monogamous so there’s no real progress to show on any one thing. I’ll have an update next week for sure since things are going well. It’s good to have the knitting karma back again. (Oops! Hope I didn’t jinx it!)

Here’s a meme that Carrie tagged me with, so I’ll take a moment to do it.
Rules: You must answer the questions using only one word. Then tag four others.

* 1. Where is your cell phone? Bag (Really? One word? Harsh!)
* 2. Your significant other? Sweet (Or where is he?)
* 3. Your hair? Bun
* 4. Your mother? *Smile* (No word required.)
* 5. Your father? Napping
* 6. Your favorite thing? Air (Gotta have it! Water is a close second.)
* 7. Your dream last night? Forgotten
* 8 Your favorite drink? Cocoa
* 9. Your dream/goal? House
* 10. The room you’re in? Cozy
* 11. Your hobby? Lots! (One word. Sheesh!)
* 12. Your fear? Surmountable
* 13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here
* 14. What you’re not? Organized
* 15. Muffins? SweetCakes
* 16. One of your wish list items? Peace
* 17. Where you grew up? Here (In this cozy room actually.)
* 18. The last thing you did? Cooked (I know, it’s shocking, but true.)
* 19. What are you wearing? Apron (snort! Not!)
* 20. Favorite gadget? Headlamp
* 21. Your pets? Yarn
* 22. Your computer? Mahvelous!
* 23. Your mood? Satisfied
* 24. Missing someone? Always
* 25. Your car? Parked
* 26. Something you’re not wearing? Um . . . . *heavy breathing*
* 27. Favorite store? Co-op
* 28. Like someone? You!

* 29. Your favorite color? Red ( Official answer to a complex question.)
* 30. When is the last time you laughed? Now (Thanks, Carrie!)
* 31. Last time you cried? Yesterday (But just a little — all better!)

Now to tag 4 people: the first 4 who read this, please feel free to do this too!

I’ve been doing some swatching lately, and I have to admit that it was fun for a change. First I swatched some yarn I dyed for last year’s Dye-o-Rama. This was my trial skein that didn’t go to my swap partner. My goal was to end up with wide stripes, but how would I know without knitting it? I was ready to give this yarn away, but just couldn’t let it go until I knew if my dyeing had been successful, so I swatched it. Was I ever pleased with the result! This is just what I wanted — a wide stripe, medium stripe, and a narrow stripe in the middle. I can’t wait to make something with my skein, which is purple, red, and white. I don’t know why I waited so long to try this!

My next swatching was a detour, just something I wanted to make. The Miss Priss in the Renati Tibaldi colorway that’s been resting in my stash was calling out to me, so I gave in and started Something Red, which has been on my list for a long, long time. I decided to make my swatch the actual pattern. That way, if it worked out I’d have some of the sweater done, and if it didn’t I’d see how the pattern would actually look in the yarn. Well, after a few inches of the entire width of the raglan neckline, I knew my gauge was just too far off. So I made a little swatch with the next size needle. Now I’m ready to go when I get around to it. The yarn is a joy to handle and I like how it looks, even though it is a bit busy. It’s a beautiful colorway, but really hard to photograph well. So this is back in the ball waiting for its turn again. Swatching done.

Then I moved on to some real knitting. Instead of the many things that are on my priority list, I decided to join a KAL on Ravelry. It’s so much more fun to do something just for fun right now than doing what I think I ought to be doing. So I’m making a scarf — a lace scarf. Unusual for me, but it feels good. I swatched this knit, too, using some Socks That Rock in shades of red. Nope, it didn’t fit my vision of a scarf. I knew it had to be warm and wooly, not just decorative, or I’d never wear it.

So I pulled out some Queensland Llama Seta that I’ve had forever. I’ve had this alpaca/silk blend in my stash for so long that I almost gave it away last month as something that was never going to be used, no matter how much I liked it. Well, I’m glad I kept it because it is just right for my Branching Out. The lace is a ten row repeat, very simple, so I do some frogging and tinking, but still have some hope of finishing it. In fact, I’m about halfway done with it.

Oh, and I’ve joined another “along” only this one is a spinning challenge. It’s called Le Tour de Fleece and the point is to set a spinning goal for the time that the Tour de France bike race is happening. That would be July 5th through 27th. So, my goal is to spin three bobbins full of yarn — any fiber I choose. That is a challenge for me. I have lots of lovely fiber that is ready to spin — some new stash additions as well as some old. Oh, the theme of this year’s Le Tour is to spin from the stash. This is fine since my recent stash enhancements happened just before I discovered the challenge. I guess it’s a good thing I bought more wool, eh? *wink*

I’m happy with how well my fiber pursuits are going lately. Summer can put a stop to most of it, but with my work commute and extra days off lately, I’ve been quite satisfied with my progress. Wish me luck at meeting my spinning goal!

Lucky bunny that I am, spent a wonderful four days at Black Sheep Gathering again this year. First, there’s the drive up the Oregon coast, which is always a treat. We traveled with our usual good company, Connie and Erik. This year they brought their brand new travel trailer, so we camped in style, despite a few light thunder showers.

Then came spinning and shopping and sheep — and the lovely wool from those sweet beasties. As always, my favorites are the alpaca, not the sheep. These are two of the reddish brown ones, which are my favorite color on the hoof. They were very young and shy and spun in circles while crying nervously while I took this photo. Poor babies!

Here are some of the lovely products that these lovely animals provide for us. And lucky me, while I was off buying yet another fleece (a white Romney/Merino cross) my sweet husband was buying me some lovely alpaca and some merino to blend with it. It’s the lovely white with reddish tan on the left, so soft.

I was also fortunate to get into a class about how to adjust and care for your spinning wheel that was taught by Judith McKenzie McCuin, an expert spinner who judged the wool last year. I have been using her book Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning in an effort to improve my spinning. I learned about tensioning and worsted spinning in the class. I think I like long-draw woolen spinning better! I did manage to finish spinning two spools of blue colonial wool top, one before Black Sheep and one during and after. Oh, do you see the different bobbin there? Well, I saved up the pennies this year and bought a Woolee Winder. I love this thing! It really makes spinning easier and more enjoyable as it moves the yarn along to wind it evenly on the spool. You can see what a nice even wind is on the new spool compared to the wildly uneven placement on the other. Now I can just pay attention to the wool I’m trying to tame.

You can see the Woolee Winder flyer on my wheel with the Corriedale cross that I started spinning when we got home. This is the fiber the Man bought me with the wheel last year. I’m using long-draw with it and it’s going really well. Except . . . see that crack on the top of the spinning head? Yeah, that’s the real reason I took the picture. I’ve sent off the dimensions and Majacraft will be sending me a new head. They think it is just a sappy flaw in the wood, but I am quite sure that is a crack. Better replace it than be sorry later. Can you see the crack?

I’ve also been doing some knitting lately. Knitting and frogging. I have made progress on the Nordic Sock Sweater — two out of ten balls knit! I also started the Branching Out scarf as part of a KAL on Ravelry, but frogged it. I think I’ve finally decided on the yarn to use now, so I will cast on again today.

Well, it’s time to pack my bags again to get ready for the Kate Wolf Festival, another yearly adventure. I’ll check in again when I get back. Hope your summer is busy and happy!

After the drastic sock-frogging mentioned in my previous post, a new saying was born around my house. We don’t say ‘I’m going to clean your clock’ or ‘knock you block off.’ The words that strike fear in the hearts of mere mortals are ‘Watch out or I will frog your socks!”

But I am moving on to a new project. I will cast the socks on again, but there is no hurry. So, what is the logical thing to start after some worsted-weight socks? Why, a sweater in fingering weight sock yarn, of course! And that is just what I’ve been working on lately. It’s the Drops Design Jacket that I mentioned last month. I’m going to dub this the Nordic Sock Sweater. I love the colors, and watching them change as I knit is entertaining. The construction of the sweater will be interesting, too, since it switches directions a couple times.

The one thing I worry about it that this will take a long, long time. Will I lose interest? Get burned out? I guess I will just have to chance it. I decided that instead of looking at the rows or inches, I’d count balls of yarn completed. The estimated total is 10 balls of yarn. I’ve used one. Hmmm, that does not impress me much. I figure this will be my slow-but-steady project and am not forcing myself to knit it exclusively, so maybe I will make it to the end. Right now, I’m enjoying it thoroughly.

I’ve also been playing with yarn in other ways. I bought a yardage counter and have been measuring and re-skeining some yarn that doesn’t have labels. I’ve also been spinning a little and looking forward to filling a bobbin or two so I can run that through the yardage counter. Nothing like new toys for a good bit of entertainment!

AudioBook Blurb

I’ve neglected reviewing quite a few books in the past few months, then haven’t listened to much for a month, but I want to tell you about my latest reading that really impressed me. It’s a three book series called The Bartimaeus Trilogy, written by Jonathan Stroud. The series centers around a young magician, a rebellious girl, and a sarcastic djinni (genie.)

The tale is set in London, and the timeframe is a mix of historical and modern. (It’s a little disconcerting to have automobiles and ‘the American colonial problem’ existing at the same time.) The world that Stroud creates is magical and political and socially intriguing.

While some aspects of the story follow traditional lines, there are some deviations that make this narrative different from others I’ve read. Conflicts do not always have happy endings, although there are plenty of those. The characters do not always meet expectations, but are well-developed and complex. The telling of the story is concise and held my attention well.

I would recommend this series to young people and adults who like fantasy. It was a great break in my day. I wish it could have gone on longer.

Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Well, I’ll start with the bad news, so that we can end on a happy note. No, the bad news is not that it has taken me a full two weeks to dredge up a blog post . . . sigh. And in the scheme of things, it is not terrible news, just a little disappointing.

Remember the socks I was making for the husband? The ones that were following Cat Bhordi’s Sidestream pattern? They were almost to the heel. Then I started feeling like I was knitting these for Horton the elephant. The man in residence has narrow feet. These socks? Not so much.

I was knitting them in his size. My gauge was true. I thought I had measured the circumference of his feet, but somehow that measurement did not get included. It seems I used the standard men’s measurement instead. Evidently, his feet are far from standard!
So they have been frogged. I will start again soon. I enjoyed knitting them so far, so it is not such a waste of time as it might seem. They kept me busy while traveling here and there. But today I am swatching the sweater in the Fabel yarn from my last post. It is sock weight, too. It’s a change of pace of sorts.

Now for the good news. I had a birthday while I was not blogging. I feel bad that I didn’t share it with my blog readers, but such is life. Work makes me tired, so I get little more than the essentials done when I’m not working. But I did take time to celebrate with several of my friends and family. It was utterly enjoyable! The man-about-the-house grilled ribs, Mom made tater salad, and I even kicked in and made my favorite bread recipe, an onion braid. I hadn’t made it in years and it is so pretty. Basically, just add sour cream and onion soup mix to a standard bread recipe and shape it into a braid before baking. (If you want the recipe, drop me an email.)

At the dinner party, I was blessed with a special gift from my mom. A beautiful and practical scarf! My love of practical and useful things often outweighs my sentimental side, but not in this case. This gift made me realize how much more than yarn and needles and time goes into something handknit. Besides loving the scarf itself, with its soft, warm ribs and the cool hand-warmer pockets, I find precious memories knit right into it.

Many years ago, I crocheted a pocketed scarf for my sister. She loved it as much as I love this scarf. It was an unspoken token to her that I cared about her, in spite of the many years of kid-sister treatment she had to endure at my hands. Even though my mom and I share open expressions of love quite often nowadays, I still look forward to the cold days of winter, and being able to wrap this scarf around me and think of how much my mother loves me. And a special extra will be that it reminds me of my little sister and a scarf I made for her many years ago. Such a gift!