History: We remember D-Day

Long before I could knit, I was an amateur historian and the first era of history that I fell in love with was the wartime 1940's. The thought that people could sacrifice in the ways they did on the home front was so inspiring to me.

History is not a bunch of boring facts and dates--it's real people who lived and worked and loved and fought and dreamed. It's your grandparents and great-grandparents waiting for letters in the mail, hanging a star in their window, huddled around the radio for the news of the day. It matters more than you think to our current world, because the headlines of today have their roots in yesterday's stories.

Today is an important day in history. It will be remembered more publicly and universally in Europe than in America. For some reason, history is kept alive and passed on to the younger generations much more efficiently in Europe and England and Australia than it is in this country. Today is the 71st anniversary of D-Day.

D-Day was the name given for the invasion of Europe during WWII when more than 160,000 Allied troops invaded enemy-occupied France and began the push that ended the war. To remember D-Day is to remember courage, sacrifice, dedication and excellent leadership.

And of course, it is a day to remember knitters. Knitting had been an important part of home front life in WWI and during WWII, needles were once again clacking with the rhythm of hope and the assurance that every little bit helped.

A pattern from "Practical, Warm Hand Knits for Service Men, published by Fleisher Yarns.

As we remember the horrific battles fought on this day in history on those beaches in northern France, don't forget the knitters who were at home, waiting to hear news of those battles.

For more information about wartime knitting and other vintage knitting patterns check out my Pinterest board: Vintage Knitting.

Big 10 Knit-a-Long: Horseshoe Cable and another contest!

Can you believe it's June already? We are half-way through the year with this month and half-way through our Big 10 Charity Knit-a-Long for the Carolina Youth Development Center! To date we have knit more than 50 afghan blocks--isn't that incredible? It takes 49 to make a blanket so we are well on our way to finishing a second blanket and starting on a third one. I've been asked what my goal is and honestly, I don't want to limit the amazing generosity and talent of the knitters I know, so I have thus far not put forth a number. Wouldn't 5 completed blankets be wonderful, though? That's a total of 245 blocks, knit with love for kids in need.

To "spur" you on, another pattern and another contest!

The pattern:

Horseshoe Cable Afghan Block

You'll need: US Size 7 needles or size needed to achieve gauge of 5 sts = 1 inch; Worsted weight acrylic yarn. Finished size should be 7” x 9”.

C4B: Slip 2 stitches to cable needle, hold in back. Knit next 2 stitches off left needle, then knit the 2 stitches that were put on the cable needle.

C4F: Slip 2 stitches to cable needle, hold in front. Knit next 2 stitches off left needle, then knit the 2 stitches that were put on the cable needle.

CO 36 stitches
Rows 1, 3, 5, 7: k8, p2, k4, p8, k4, p2, k8

Row 2: k10, p4, C4B, C4F, p4, k10

Rows 4, 6, 8: k10, p4, k8, p4, k10

Knit for 8 repeats or a total of 9”.

Bind off in pattern. Weave in ends.

The contest(s):

At the Charleston Knit in Public Day event on June 13, fabulous prizes will be awarded for:

• Most afghan blocks turned in by the time the event ends at 12:30
• Most knitting completed on a block during the morning.
• Most crocheting completed on a block during the morning.

If you can't make it to Knit in Public Day,  you can instead participate in the alternate contest:

• Most afghan blocks turned in for the month of June.

Remember to weave in your ends before turning them in and you have until June 30 to be eligible for the month-long contest. Blocks turned in on June 13 at Knit in Public Day won't be counted for both contests, just for the contests on that day.

Questions? Let me know!

Here is the link to the page with previous patterns: Charity Knit-a-Long. You can use these patterns or make up your own--just aim for 7" x 9" for each block. Like this month's Horseshoe Cable block, they may not always come out exactly square but the magic of seaming covers a multitude of issues.

A day in the life: Graduation

Saturday was a special day, filled with lots of emotions and exactly zero knitting.  

My advice that I am always giving to people to knit a little every day? Well, heaven knows I tried. I took two projects with me to graduation, and since I was there early, you would have thought that would have been the perfect time to knit, right? Too excited. Too nervous. Too many people that kept finding me to give me a hug and say congratulations or hang in there or do you have enough tissues.

And really, what made me need tissues the most, was all that support I kept getting from people. It is difficult at best, close to impossible even, to remain stoic with all that love coming at me. Mind you, I'm not complaining. As much as it would have been nice to shed only very controlled, very minimal tears at my daughter's graduation, it was worth the messy cry to feel the embrace of community.

When my kids were small I gave literally no thought whatsoever to graduation. As they grew, the only aspect of graduation I focused on was getting the credits on the transcript so graduation could happen. Eventually. One day. No hurry.

So now this one has come and gone.

I gave in to the temptation to ask her yesterday on our way to Monday Morning Knitters, after a weekend packed full of celebration, parties and family gatherings, what she was going to do with her life NOW. Despite the fact that she and I both still have goals and projects and deadlines (just not high school related as it pertains to her)  I think we both feel a little adrift at the moment. To have focused for several months on this one day, to have the day behind us seems strange. I suppose this is a little like the day after a large holiday, except this doesn't happen every year (thank goodness).  It's also very much like finishing a large, engrossing, enjoyable knitting project. You have bound off, woven in the ends, blocked the thing and now what? Sometimes it's hard to switch gears to other things, other speeds, other directions.

It's hard, but necessary, and with the continued embrace of community....well, we got this.

In the aftermath of the weekend, and despite the fact that I did knit a little on Sunday, I spent extra time on Monday knitting (including time that was assisted by an adorable 3 year old).

Today? Today after posting this I hope to put together this month's newsletter, plan more blog topics for the coming weeks, do laundry, cook dinner for the family and head off to have dinner with friends (hellooooo, Mom's Night Out!). And knit! Honestly, I feel a bit guilty for my lack of knitting on graduation day. I can't remember the last time I missed a day. My only consolation (positive spin time) is that maybe it made the day even more momentous. The guilt spurs me on to make progress on my goal of knitting 49 charity afghan blocks this year (I'm at 17.5 now), to finish the test knit of a new wrap pattern, to swatch an exciting new sock pattern and to finish the bag pattern I've been working on.

The more we knit, the more we hone our skills and drape everyone around us in handknits. Whatever spurs you on to knit more, use it to your advantage and remember to get up and stretch your back and arms and hands frequently. We're in this for the long haul and we won't let setbacks stop us. Feel the embrace of the knitting community, rallying round, declaring, we got this.

Rites of Passage

In knitting as in life there are landmarks that mark our progress, the distance we've traveled from Point A to wherever it is we find ourselves.

Some knitting landmarks are rites of passage, a transition from one part of your knitting life to the next part, like conquering lace knitting, cutting your first steek, your first felted knitting, or your first pair of knitted socks. I remember when I first started knitting, I read a lot of knitting blogs and it seemed everyone was in love with knitting socks. At the time, I was barely managing a garter stitch scarf, so socks seemed far beyond anything I could ever manage. When I knit my first pair, though, I became a Sock Knitter, with all the swagger that goes with the title. (And then I started writing patterns for socks, because I liked it so much!)

My first written sock pattern, (Mostly) Ridge Rib Socks, available FREE.

You all know by now that I think knitting is not just a hobby. It's important. It's life-changing. It's good for your health and well-being. It matters. While I know that not everyone shares my view, I am still just nutty enough to suggest that you make note of special achievements in your knitting journey. Even the part-time hobbyist can get a greater sense of fulfillment when the path is strewn with landmarks that say, "Hey, I did pretty good right here!"

My first sweater.

Our lives are busy and sometimes it's hard to stop and take the time to observe a landmark moment. Did you just finish your first sweater? Why aren't you shouting it from the rooftops and throwing yourself a party? You are amazing and while I'm not suggesting you get all braggy, you should celebrate your accomplishment and mark that achievement. Just think: this is your first sweater now...what will your sweater drawer look like in 5 years? And it will have started right here, right now, with the first completed cardigan.

My daughter will graduate from high school tomorrow, with a group of other homeschooled students, in a ceremony filled with meaning and celebration. My own graduation is a blurry memory at best, with a bit of angst thrown in about not needing the ceremony just to get the diploma, so when we were discussing whether or not to participate in graduation with our homeschool group, I was ambivalent at first.

Is it necessary? Not really.

Will it take time, energy, planning and money? Yes.

Will it, in the long run, be worth it? Yes, I think so.

I'm so glad we decided to a part of this process for many reasons, chief among them the aspect of this being a rite of passage. The whole year has been part of the transition, as my daughter closes the door on one chapter of her life and goes forward into the Next Thing. We've had meetings and votes and decisions and so many things that have helped me as her mom get ready for her future while preparing for graduation, and now we will have a lovely ceremony to mark this moment in our lives.

Two grad photos, 30 years apart. I wish I'd had half her poise, maturity and wisdom!

We could have skipped it, just like I could have skipped the photo session in my first sweater, because it was a beastly hot day, entirely too warm to wear a sweater. I'm glad I didn't skip either thing. Memories and photos and rites of passage matter. They help mark where are, where we were, and even where we are going.

To all of you who are graduating this year, to those who have children who are graduating, and especially to those of you who have passed some sort of amazing knitting landmark, congratulations!! Now celebrate!