While I have been knitting, I have not been doing much exciting

 Like everyone else is experiencing, this year has been a challenge on many fronts.   

At the moment I am doing comfort knitting.   My friend Fritz bought a skein of Mountain Colors Bearfoot a while ago.  He has not gotten around to knitting it so I am taking over the project.   I had forgotten just

Yarn bowls can used to hold yarn and not stuff. 

how lovely this yarn is to work with.   Mountain Colors does make wonderful yarns and Bearfoot never disappoints.  Sadly, it seems to have gone out of production.

Other than fixing a few dropped stitches, this has been a lovely knit.  This a a  reminder of how meditative knitting can be.   When I am stressed out I can pick this up and find peace.  

Earlier this year, I did an hat for my Minion obsessed grand nephew.   Trying to do this using intarsia was a special bit of hell.  HELL.  Doing the hat stranded was not a picnic either.  If I did not adore Owen, I would have buried this project the the depths of the yarn closet.  I did finish it...and Owen loves it.

My sister, his grandmother, told me he insists on wearing it even on very ward days.  

Does that make it worth the agony.  Oh yes it does!

Owen's sister Emily will be a year old next weekend.   Hard to believe that is already upon us.  

Some years ago I had used a yarn that knit into a stripe and flower pattern for someone else's newborn.  Helen loved it.   I had more of that yarn and saved it...until Emily was on her way.

Last summer I got that going.  To make the pattern work out as I wanted it to, I did the sweater top down.   I had enough yarn to make it possible to piece together the yarn so that the body stripes fand the sleeve stripes looked nice together.   There were a lot of ends to tie in.  Worth it.

I can't find a picture of it and have not gotten a picture of Emily wearing the sweater.

Last March, I misplaced a project.  I looked for it at the office..and at home.  Multiple times.  Finally, I searched the internet for more sock yarn.  The yarn knit into wide bands of red and white.  I was able to find some similar yarn....and do the socks.   A month or so later, I was digging through project bags and felt something stuffed in the back.  The rogue project bag return.  Now Fritz has two pairs of socks that are similar...the different reds make them different enough.

Last January I went to BeWoolen for the first time. The BeWoolen folks are lovely to work with.   They welcome knitters and even figured out (I have been there twice since) for knitters to gather together in a COVID safe way.   The store is candy for the eyes.   My visits there remind me of what a total joy it is to spend time in a yarn store.   Yes, I did spend a lot of money on yarn.

Now I am plotting my 2021 yarn adventures....stay tuned.