We're Back! Well, Sort of ....

After a lovely summer break, we're back to knitting. We even met on the first Wednesday in October. But I'm away the first Wednesday in November, so we're taking a break then.

But we've been discussing broadening our focus. Not everyone wants to continue knitting prayer shawls, finding them a larger commitment than they can manage at the moment. And so we are expanding to make this a group for anyone who wishes to do any kind of charity knitting. Whether it's caps for preemies, or scarves and mittens for mitten trees, or socks for soldiers, or lap robes for those who mind the cold, you're welcome to bring your knitting and your dreams and prayers and join us.

And because the first Wednesday isn't always going to work, we're talking about expanding to the first and third Wednesday, with the invitation to come when you can, and feel no guilt when you cannot.

So, although we will not meet on November 5th, if you want to come and knit I'll be there on November 19th. And if you need some inspiration for a smaller knitting project, we'll have access to the Internet where free patterns for a variety of projects abound. And if you have suggestions, please feel free to bring them, or post them or send them my way!

Dawn

Summer Break -- Tuesday Evenings

I just wanted to make sure that anyone who relies on the Blog for information is aware that our Tuesday evening group is taking a summer vacation. We will resume in October. That will be Tuesday, October 7th, meeting at 7 pm. I hope that all of our evening knitters enjoy their hiatus, and look forward to picking up the needles again in the fall!

Dawn

May Meetings

On Sunday we said good-bye to Cathy who has been with us for 8 months. Cathy, if you're reading this, know that our two Shawl groups add their best wishes for your future endeavours. We'll miss you! Before she left Cathy added yet another stole to our supply. Thanks, Cathy. We'll find good homes for them all. God bless.

On Sunday we also discovered that there would be very sparse attendance for the Tuesday night meeting of the Shawl group and so the Tuesday evening meeting which would have taken place on May 6th is cancelled, for this month only. Wednesday afternoon's meeting will proceed as usual on May 7th -- from 1:30 until 3:00. Hope to see you there!

Dawn

An Update

First, I must apologise for the long silence -- but I was on holiday and then Easter intruded -- and Cathy never tried to tackle posting here.

With Easter behind us there was some discussion about whether we would wrap up or continue to meet to knit, crochet, and visit, since this did begin as a Lenten project. The decision is that we will continue to meet on a monthly basis -- with some flexibility about the summer months -- which we will post here.

So - we will be meeting on the first Tuesday of the month from 7:00 until 8:30 pm and on the first Wednesday of the month from 1:30 until 3:00 pm (though both groups tend to overrun on the time!) But please, call the church to confirm (if you think of it!) before heading out. And yes! Newcomers are more than welcome to join us at any time.

And now, a photo update on how the shawls are coming. Some have already been given away, but this shows some of the assortment nesting in my office until the need for them arises. And still more are WIPs (works in progress). Aren't I fortunate to play host to so many lovely shawls and all the prayers that they hold?!

More Finished Shawls

Each week the shawls are getting longer! Just look at how this one has grown!


Each week more shawls are finished.





All of the shawls are growing nicely. Some are growing faster than others, but not all of us have the time to knit on them when we are not gathered together -- life has a habit of interrupting even the best laid plans.

I was excited because this week I finally got to cast off (bind off) my triangular shawl. It didn't quite make it to the recommended number of stitches (though I had a terrible time trying to count exactly how many stitches I had!) I just kept knitting until I couldn't bear to work on the triangle any more - and until it measured long enough when draped over my shoulders -- I let the Wednesday afternoon group confirm that it was long enough, and then began the tasking of casting off my stitches. So here it is (I was getting into trouble because until today I managed to make sure that I was the one taking the pictures and not in them!) There are still a couple of ends to darn in ... but that is the work of only a few minutes, if I remember to bring a tapestry needle with me.


We aren't finished yet. For some it is simply a Lenten project, and when their shawl is finished, so is their time with the knitting/crocheting group. But for others it is more than that, and as they complete one shawl they promptly begin work on another.

There has been some conversation about continuing to gather to knit even after Easter is over. So do feel free to join us any time. We'll be here for sure until Easter, and quite possibly well beyond that. And though our knitting progress may be leisurely, the time we spend together makes it all worthwhile.

Dawn

They're Growing!

Our shawls are growing! And so is the sense of community among the groups. Members are welcome to attend whichever session best accommodates the busy schedules of their lives. And new members are always welcome. This isn't a race. I know I've said it before but it bears repeating. Each of us knits at a different pace, and each of us has a busy life, with shawl knitting fitted in whenever and wherever works for each individual.

We have one triangle shawl completed (not mine!), and two rectangular shawls almost completed. Some have been created with specific recipients in mind, and some have been created simply from a desire to share with whoever might have need of one of our shawls. No specific decisions have been made about distribution of those shawls, but there is time for that, and the decision will be made by the groups.

We gather on Tuesday evenings from 7 until 8:30 and on Wednesday afternoons from 1:30 until 3:00. New members are always welcome, whether they want to come once in a while, or every week. Hope to see you there!

Dawn

More Pictures!

Our shawl groups have started meeting, and this week I remembered to bring my camera. Of course, I forgot all about it on Tuesday night so have no photos of that group - but I did have my wits about me on Wednesday so have some pictures of our work in progress. If you look really closely you can even see that I've taken the green knitted stole and am in the process of converting it to a crocheted one with bands of white between the larger green sections.
I promise that at our next meetings I will do my best to remember to take photographs both on Tuesday night and on Wednesday, and I'll get everyone to hold up their shawls so you can see how well everyone is doing -- knitting or crocheting at their own speed -- since this isn't a race, but a lovely way to either learn something new or use a familiar skill in a new way to reach out to others. And do remember, it isn't too late to decide that you would like to join us!

Dawn

Promised Photos

I promised that I would post photos as soon as I had them -- so here they are!
This is Cathy, reluctantly wearing her completed!!!!! shawl. And here is her shawl draped on a chair in her office.My triangular shawl done in garter stitch is growing very slowly now ... so unlike Cathy I still haven't finished a shawl yet ... but here is what I have so far.It's wide enough now that the length is only increasing slowly ... but it is more than two feet in depth and more than 40" across ... just how much more is becoming difficult to measure ... it's wider than the knitting needles and I don't want to make a mistake now!!!!!

We'll keep you posted on our progress -- Cathy has already started another one ...

And surely I'll have one finished soon! I really, really, really have to have at least one done before Cathy leaves us!

Dawn

What do I need????

I hope you'll have patience with me as I continue to find my way around this whole blogging adventure. You'll see that I've added some links so that you can find patterns, and alternatives easily and without fuss. That was today's lesson!

But there are some basic material supplies that will answer your question of what do I need????

The basic knitting pattern takes 3 skeins of Lion's Brand Homespun (6 ounce skeins) and 8 mm or 9 mm knitting needles. I would recommend a circular knitting needle so that the weight of the shawl as it grows rests in your lap instead of dragging on your shoulders.

The basic shawl can also be knit out of worsted weight (usually 100 gram skeins), but then you will require about 5 skeins. The same needle size can be used.

The basic crochet pattern is less specific. It suggests 3 to 5 skeins of yarn -- worsted (100 gram skeins) or Lion's Brand Homespun (6 ounce skeins)or a chunky weight yarn. Crochet takes more yarn than knitting, so you'll need more yarn. Recommended crochet hook sizes for worsted weight are 6.0 mm or 6.5 mm. For Homespun or Chunky weight a 10.0 mm hook is suggested.
We haven't had anyone test crochet a shawl for us so we can't be more specific at this time.

Cathy can tell you that her three skeins of Homespun were sufficient for a knitted shawl, with a little left over. She also says that her tension tends to be on the loose side.

We do ask that the yarn be one of the "easy care" variety: washer and dryer friendly.

If you want to do a more complicated pattern (see links at the side), then you will need to be guided by the yardage that the pattern specifies.

We hope that this will be a rewarding experience in the creative aspect, as well as a gift of blessing to the recipient.

Dawn

A Pattern! Well, sort of ....

Cathy has finished her shawl!! She brought it to church on Sunday and showed it off. She even modeled it for us. I didn't bring my camera to church, and I forgot it this morning, so photos will have to wait a day or two, though we will post them. I promise! My shawl, unfortunately, is not bigger than it was in the last posting. BUT, I do have a great excuse, er, I mean, a good reason, for the delay. Honest!

I've been told that there are those who do not want to purl, and the pattern on the Shawl Ministry web-site is a knit 3, purl 3 pattern -- not too cool for anyone who doesn't want to have to purl. Soooo, I decided to try my hand at a basic triangular shawl that is done in straight knitting, known in the knitting world as garter stitch. I don't have a picture of it either -- but it is now at least 40" across the top and is over 21" deep at the centre. It's a very simple pattern - working from the bottom up. You can knit it either way, depending upon whether you would rather increase or decrease, but there is a distinct advantage to working from the bottom up -- when you realise that you are about to run out of yarn, you cast off (or bind off, if you prefer). If you work from the top down, you are more or less compelled to continue until you finish the bottom point ... so this works best if you are certain that you have more than enough yarn. Otherwise, you'll wind up with an odd shape and might even be compelled to frog the whole thing (a sophisticated knitting term for tearing out knitting, derived from an ancient language -- rip it, rip it, rip it ! I know, that's very sad, but if you have to unravel your knitting you are indeed very sad.)

I'm on my second skein of yarn. I'm using Paton's Decor in a variegated combo called Blossom. It has a small wool content, so will have to be clearly labeled so that no one who is allergic to wool comes in contact with it, but it can go in and out of the washer and dryer, so is an easy care yarn. And I had it on hand, so could immediately start the experiment. Variegated yarns make the knitting a little more interesting, since you get to watch the colours change as you knit. And, I confess, it is easier to meditate when you are simply knitting your way across the row, instead of making sure that you have only knit or purled 3 stitches. Who knew it would be so easy to turn one of the groups of 3 into a group of 4????? So I am finding the triangle a more meditative knit.

If you want to try a triangle, you have a choice of starts:
Cast on 1 stitch, knit into the front and back of your stitch, giving you 2, and then into the front and back of those two, giving you four stitches.
Or, you can cast on 2 stitches, knit into the front and back of each stitch, giving you four stitches.
Once you have four stitches proceed to:

Row 1: Knit 2, yarn over, knit 2.
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: Knit 2, yarn over, knit 1, yarn over, knit 2.
Row 4: Knit
Row 5: Knit 2, yarn over, knit until 2 stitches remain, yarn over, and knit 2.
Row 6: Knit

Repeat Rows 5 and 6 until you have 225 stitches (more or less). Then knit 1 row, and cast off (bind off), loosely.

This pattern is designed for a worsted weight yarn (like Decor) which has approximately 210 yards/192 metres in 100 grams. I anticipate that it will take 4 skeins of yarn. I am using a 7.5 mm circular needle, which gives a slightly looser fabric that drapes nicely, and will still be warm and snuggly.

If you'd rather increase along the edge, instead of after knitting two stitches, you can do a yarn over at the start and end of alternate rows, which will give loops along the edge, instead of a lacy opening two stitches in.
Or
You can increase on alternate rows by knitting into the front and back of the first and last stitch on the increase rows.

All of these will give you a triangle.

If you'd rather knit from the top down, cast on 225 stitches.
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Knit 2 together, knit until 2 stitches remain, knit 2 together.

Repeat these rows until you have one stitch remaining and cast off (bind off) that one stitch.

That's more than enough for today! I hope to have pictures before the week is out!

Dawn

WIP (Works in Progress)

After Cathy and I purchased our yarn, the Christmas season intervened - but we both managed to start our shawls, and add some rows to them -- as you will see, Cathy is much farther along than I am. Hers is the one in mauve shades -- she's using yarn that fits exactly the specifications given, using Lion's Homespun which has 185 yards in a 6 ounce skein. She's using 9mm needles to knit it.
I am lagging behind. I'm using Bernat Berella "4" which is a worsted weight in dark green, and comes in 3.5 ounce skeins with 195 yards to a skein. It is going to take more skeins to complete my shawl, even though I too am knitting on 9 mm needles. The pattern flows once you get on to the knit 3, purl 3 rhythm ... but as I said before, there is no law that says shawls must be knit using this pattern. Indeed, there is no law that says it must be knit.
Knitters or crocheters who are more experienced and who want to do something in a lighter yarn, in a lacier (or simply different) pattern, are more than welcome to do so. Our hope is that the experience of creating the shawl/stole will bring pleasure to the creator as well as the recipient, whatever medium is chosen.

I've just finished another shawl, not for gifting -- at least, not at this point. I thought I'd share a picture of it since it is the product of the second Mystery Shawl KnitALong I joined. (And those Mystery KAL's are the reason I first became aware of and interested in a chawl ministry.) It's called Mystic Waters, and was a delight to knit! The pattern is by Anna Dalvi, of Knit and Knag blog. I finished it before the year ended -- not too shabby considering I started it in early November (I never said I was a fast knitter!)


Cathy obliged me by posing with my Mystic Waters Shawl.

And now, I'm off to knit ... don't forget to look at the last post -- that's where the first photo of Cathy helping me is posted. She's modeling the stole the Sunday School created, letting me act as photographer. (It's my camera! And I'm the Supervisor!!!!) Wait for me, Cathy!