Just off the needles. Sharon Miller’s Dove shawl project. The pattern can be purchased from her site.

I loved working with the kidsilk haze mohair and the pattern was very easy to memorize so knitting with minimal distraction is possible, such as during class, which I find knitting during class or any kind of lecture allows me to concentrate on the speaker as my mind does not seem to wonder. This one is already sold I have received a request for another one which is a testimony to the designer, Sharon, who has many beautiful, some very elaborate, patterns. I don’t know if I will ever be ambitious enough to try her “Princess Shawl” but for those who need the challenge, I recommend you checking it out.

Since I am so fond of knitting lace and Crispin offers such beautiful Angora fibre, I spin a lot of lace weight yarn, which can be a little tricky on a drop spindle.  I can’t count how many times my “drop” spindle took on a whole new meaning as I picked it up off the floor over and over, or just gave up on using this tool all together turning to my wheel in its stead.  Still there are times when bringing a spindle along is so much more convenient and practical when wanting to spin outside the home.

For anyone who has spun on a “support” spindle, attaining the ability to keep the spindle spinning upright and spinning while drafting, without falling out of control can be quite frustrating.  What I love about this Spindolyn is that it fits into a secure support allowing you to take your hand off the spindle and draft with two hands if you want, as it continues to spin.  It makes spinning more delicate and/or shorter staple fibres a delight.  I absolutely love spinning on it.

I was taking note, recently, of the sad state my dishcloths were in, and wondered which would be quicker, knit one up or run to Wal-mart to purchase one. Since we live”in the sticks” there is no such thing as a quick run to anywhere. I also took into consideration time to shower, dress, walk through the vast superstore, wait in line to check out and return home. I might have been able to manage it in about 2 hours, which, as it turns out, was about how long it took to knit this up.

I used a very simple pattern that can be found on the “How Stuff Works” website. Using about a third of a small skein of “sugar and cream” cotton, I plan to use the rest of the skein to knit a matching dish towel, and size 8 Brittany needles. I always look forward to using one of the few sizes of walnut needles I purchased from Brittany before they stopped making them from black walnut wood. The birch ones are nice but the walnut needles were noticeably softer, which is a big deal when you suffer with painful hands. Fibromyalgia is the biggest culprit, for me….there is no way anyone is going to convince me that years of fibre arts contributed in any way to my painful hands.

I had to add this picture, despite my windblown hair that obviously did not receive any attention after taking Onida for a walk, but it is a wonderful example of why I enjoy knitting. There is nothing more healing than comfortable “frumpy” clothing, enjoying quiet time with a couple of knitting buddies. What better way to unwind at the end of the day.

Each year our little festival grows, but more importantly, with growth we are able to keep this Saint’s life the main focus, and what he taught, through example, Orthodox Christians.

In addition to offering the life of St. Nicholas the festival also affords the opportunity to educate the community about Orthodox Christianity.  Father Thomas, as shown here, dresses in Bishop’s vestments, (as St. Nicholas) and gives periodic to the church and her history.

One of the Orthodox Church’s treasures, and the festival’s highlight is our choir’s performance of the ancient hymns.

Another highlight is our Russian cafe that offers traditional, homemade, Russian dishes.

All profits from each festival go back into the community through local charities.  This year we will be donating to “Co-operative Ministries” who work with the poor here offering financial assistance.

I can’t believe I finally finished this lace headcovering. After having to put the work down for a few months to concentrate on helping Onida understand the difference between her toybox and my knitting basket (see “Knitting in Tandem February post below), along with other basic puppy lessons. As much and I enjoyed working on this project with Onida I was relieved when I could finally focus on finishing this gift for a friend, by myself, in some sort of timely manner.

I do love knitting lace and knew it would take some time, given the needle size, but did not realize that knitting 880 (lace weight) yards of a rather complicated pattern could take so long. One of the more significant time bandits was that with this pattern when a mistake was discovered some rows down, I couldn’t just rip those rows out and put the work back on the needles easily, so, instead, I had to tink the rows, which can be very time consuming. It would have been more relaxing if it had not been for a friend, but rather something I was making for myself I would have been less concerned about the time it took. Still it was a real adventure and I always appreciate adventures, not to mention the joy working with alpaca.