More Excitement!

Isn't life grand? There's never a dull moment, and if I ever think for one second that things are getting monotonous or boring--well, that's when God surprises me with something spectacular! He is awesome, isn't He?

Our news is that we're having a wedding in the family!! My son, David, has found the love of his life in Ashley, and they are to be married on May 2. That's not a lot of time to plan a big wedding, but somehow it's getting done. Ashley is an amazing young woman, and David is blessed to have found her--and we are blessed to add her to our family. We wish them all the best and pray that God will bless their union.

In addition to that "little tidbit" I am packing for the 2009 Winter Retreat in Boone next week. Printing patterns, making up notebooks, knitting swatches and samples, making list after list after list--where did I put those dpn's?? and what did I do with that black yarn I was going to make into.....??? Here's one of the technique classes I'll be teaching. We'll be adding beads to our knitting. And here is a block I've knitted for one of the charity projects at the Retreat: And here's one of the blocks from the Great American Aran Afghan, a big project at the Retreat:
and here's another block from the GAAA:
I plan to take many pictures to post when I return. I hope to see you there next week!

Everything "old" is "new" again!

Basketweaving! What is better than a hand-made woven basket? Hand weaving your own basket! My friend Maggie taught 7 of us how to weave our own baskets today. Each one was unique and beautiful--and very functional! Isn't it fun learning a new craft?

I hope to see you on Saturday, Valentines Day, at Baskets of Yarn where I'll be teaching the Karabella Open Long Cardigan. Betsey has a fun-filled day planned, so come by and see me!

Great American Aran Afghan

What a week full of knitting this has been! And a glorious week at that! I started the actual knitting of the Great American Aran Afghan a week ago and have completed 2 of the blocks, except for the actual 'blocking', which I plan to demonstrate at the Baskets of Yarn 2009 Winter Retreat next month. My class on the afghan will include the various cables and other stitches used to knit the afghan, as well as how to read the charts and how to make the charts easier to understand. I'm very excited about knitting this project, and having completed the first two blocks gives me a lot of confidence that I will be able to finish it by May, which is my goal. I have chosen the recipient of the finished product, but I do not want to reveal the name just yet.

Saturday at the Baskets of Yarn shop I took a class with Sue Dial, the Wet Felted Rose. It was very productive (I actually finished my rose!) and so much fun. Sue is a wonderful, generous teacher and so artistic. Accidentally sipping the soapy water was not much fun, but aside from that I can't complain about anything. It was a wonderful day.

Saturday afternoon I sat with 5 other knitters who wanted to make the Starry, Starry Night beaded scarf. Their yarn colors and beads were yummy, and I can't wait to see how they all turn out. Stringing the beads can prove to be tedious, but the result is well worth the time it takes.

On a very sad note, tonight we learned that two teenage girls in our community were killed in an automobile accident. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of these girls and to their very young friends who will grieve their loss forever.