Hey, Everyone, Fall is here!

What a wonderful time to pull out those projects on a rainy day and try to remember where you were 6 months ago!!! Hopefully all the instructions are intact and you have all the yarn at hand as there is rarely the very same one still available after all this time! Now that the wind is up and the temperature is down I am looking for that wool hat I made last year. Maybe I will tweek it a little...add some ear flaps and I-cord ties? Maybe add some mittens or socks? Just in time yarn construction!

Halloween is over...and all those little pumpkin hats have been made. Don't put them away 'cause Thanksgiving is just a short time away. If you haven't started some things for Christmas, there is still time. In fact there are some ornaments and gift decorations that take a small amount of time and effort. Look back to our blogs last December for on-line ideas.

If you have some energy to spare for the Deming Library, we always like to put in a plug for the efforts of the Friends of the Deming Library to raise money for the support of our beautiful building. Currently there is a lovely, large shawl on display, made by our loyal Good Yarns participants (see the picture). It is being sold by silent bids and is hanging at the Deming Library entrance. The bidding ends at the end of November. Starting in December, bring in your donated crafts for the Craft Fair. Last year this netted nearly $1,000 for the Friends of the Deming Library. Hats and ornaments, cards and books, paintings and candles...so be creative with your creations.

Last but not least, there is the annual Holiday Tea on Saturday, December 10, with refreshments and entertainment all afternoon. It is a lovely afternoon for family and children. See announcements for event times.

Relax and have fun this winter with the color, the snow, the excitement of children and lots of cheerful food. Whether you celebrate traditional holidays or not, there is much to see and do in Whatcom County.

Life Is Just a Bowl

Lorainne made these lovely soft bowls by wrapping strips of cotton fabric around a strand of cotton clothesline then stitching coils of it together. She says this is a great way to use pieces of quilting scraps because no matter what the color or design of the fabric, the finished bowl is always stunning.

Every Little Knit Counts

You could own this wonderful shawl!

If your library has kind and knowledgeable people to help you find the perfect book, if you can meet with your friends and knit every Wednesday night in a comfortable room at your library, and if your children can go to your library and have a nice person read a story to them, then your library is just like our Deming Library.

We would like to give a million dollars to ensure that the Deming Library would serve the public for many more years. If only we had a million dollars but, like most people, we don't.

So, we of the Good Yarns Group, knitted this beautiful, warm and comforting shawl and it will soon belong to the highest bidder in order to donate funds to The Deming Library.

When the date and time of showing and bids are available they will be posted on this blog and on the bulletin board of the library.

Knit Rewards of Winter

Such an opportune time.

February - Snow and Rain - Read and Knit!
March - Snow and Rain - Learn and Crochet!
April - Rain and Rain - Dream and Knit!
May - More Rain - Share!
Greta has used these past months to knit a friendly doll for her baby sister. Then she made matching clothes, two hats and two jumpers.
Her favorite books are Itty-Bitty Hats and Itty-Bitty Toys by Susan B. Andersen.
When she brought her sister to model her creations we were delighted to meet her mother and two brothers, too.
We are so grateful that Greta's Dad drives her to the Library every Wednesday to craft with us.
Such a lovely, generous, talented and creative family.

Amigurumi pictures

Here are two amigurumi made by our yarn enthusiasts; one is crochet and one is knit. These were donated to the Deming Library Youth Group, as prizes for accomplishments. Amigurumi are popular items for all young at heart. See previous blog, by Anne, for books with patterns

Little Bits of Spring

Alleviate the "Big Project Mental Block". Take a break and make something quirky and small.Several years ago I blundered upon this little chicken pattern at Http://www.clevercreations.com/knittingpatterns.html
It has become an Easter favorite.







The local 4H Club had booths and animal showing at the Lynden fair ground in March 2011. One of the booths presented the transition of fibers to projects. These felted bees were no bigger than the tip of a finger and...




this adorable wee family of sheep.

So many patterns of little creatures to knit and crochet are available at your local library.You can request any book that you don't see on your local library shelf by going online and searching the library catalog.


The Whatcom County Library System can be accessed online at wcls.org

Some of my of favorite library books are:

KNITTING MOCHIMOCHI by Anna Krachovic
Knitted wild animals by Sarah Keen
WORLD OF KNITTED TOYS By Kath Dalmeny
Knit & Purl PETS by Claire Garlandand
And...
any publication that has AMIGURUMI in the title.

Is Gardening like Knitting?

I once listened to a conference presenter who likened staff development to a garden. It was pretty good, though I wondered if perhaps an employee might object to a flower bed as a metaphor for work life! The point was that time, care, nurturing and planning are needed to achieve optimal results. Of course there are problems to be expected. Some hard decisions to make. Some help from friends who have experience.

Crafts like knitting, sewing, needlework, quilting, crochet, and others, are not completed overnight. The larger the project, the more time, care, nurturing, planning are needed. They are do-able, they just need ....you know...all that!

You hear a lot of people say, "I would like to knit/sew/quilt/crochet but I don't have time/don't have the patience/can't learn the stitches". But the truth may be the starting is what is scary. I understand this, and have had to learn project development through school projects, professional requirements, home remodeling, and even vacation planning.

Take the garden example: Can you tackle planting a patio pot with flowers? Sure! You put in soil and fertilizer, buy plants or seeds, make sure the plants get water and sun. Relatively easy. An entry garden is a little larger, but the same principles: Soil, plants/seeds, water, sun. Just a little larger. A vegetable garden is larger, but the same principles. A little scarier because it cannot be done in a day. It must be planned more carefully.

I would like to suggest that we can do those larger projects! Advancing your skills is very possible. Be daring! Do that sock pattern....start a sweater for Christmas...start an afghan for your (or someone's) couch...get some help learning a new technique, like a local class. You can see the similarities to other projects: a little longer time, a little more planning, care for it and for you, and maybe a little help along the way. Other projects take time...so do these.

The Wednesday Knit-and-Other-Crafts Night is a great place to get started, and to pick up new skills. We have a lovely library to use to search for just the right book with patterns and instructions. We have a Wednesday cheering squad ready to hear all about it. We may even have someone there who can answer a nagging question. We are always ready to celebrate the end of a long effort.

Welcome to Leslie, who has lots of good expertise to share. We enjoyed Sue's visit from the North Pole. Wish you were here more! Kim is becoming a regular after work presence. Our cadre of regulars are some of my favorite people. We always welcome your presence and your favorite textile craft.

Louise

A Few Loose Ends

January was a month of finishing projects that were in limbo during the holiday season. Lorraine put the last touches on this hat for her oldest daughter with the crocheted trim and chin strap. You won't find this pattern anywhere. It is another Lorraine original.







Louise deciphers the pattern of a diagonal knit lap blanket that she started last year.
The wool yarn is of such beautiful colors!



















This is Bully modeling a sweater that I made from a free pattern on the Lion's Brand website.
The original was made with cotton yarn for Martha Stewart's dog, Francesca. Bully's sweater is made of WoolEase yarn which fit him snug and perfect the first time I put it on him but then it stretched and is saggy. I stitched around the buttonholes with 100% wool yarn and washed and dried it in hot. The 20% WoolEase didn't shrink or felt to any degree and is still loose on him. Next attempt will be made with 100% wool yarn on bigger needles and felted to fit.

JANUARY JOYS

The holidays have past and yet the fiber still flies across our fingers in the first month of the new year.

The newest member of the Deming Library craft family is Greta. She is incredibly smart and accomplished. She juggles an amazing schedule and yet she still makes time to join the group and brightens the Wednesday night conversations. The doll she knits is growing every week and will be a work of art when finished.
Yes, that is a prescription pill bottle in the foreground. I remove the labels and recycle them to organize my yarn sewing needles, stitch markers, buttons, etc. The clear plastic makes it easy to identify the contents and the child proof lids help keep my grandchildren from swallowing small crafting tools.
Louise models her new mittens. They are made of Lion Brand Fisherman's wool, knitted flat with a sewn seam. The original pattern finished the finger tip end with a sharp point that Louise was not pleased with so she adjusted it with Kitchener's weave for a more rounded end.

It's football season! GO SEAHAWKS and please forgive me for knitting these booties for the newly arrived baby in a (I hate to utter) Chicago Bears fan household. Consider this as my contribution to the De Feet of Bears. It was fun to use my old Annie's Attic crochet patterns of the Feet Boutique series They are very accurate and diverse patterns of many shoe styles from Cowboy boots to Mary Janes. The instructions include sizes from newborn to adult so that an entire family can wear matching foot wear.
Time to go knit and watch the game now.
Have fun, will ravel.
Anne