The Best of a Mess. Prayer Shawl

wristers

Prayer Shawl

Some things are just too hard. Like knitting a sock.  I have spent hours with four metal sticks and some baby fine wool making little knots and loops to create a pair of socks.  Maybe it is the light so I have adjusted the goose neck lamp. Or could it be my progressive lens glasses?  I have cleaned them thirteen-umpty times. What to do? Frog the sock and start over? Call it quits and admit I am too old, too blind, too arthritic to knit a sock? How useful would bulky knit socks on large needles be?  At least I could see them and make them, my fingers would not cramp so much with the larger needles.  What is the point?  I should be enjoying this.  Decision made I am not going to give up on socks.  They will be a work in progress....and put away for a while in the stash bin. I will try wristers in fine wool and tiny needles first. At least no heal to turn. They will stand a chance of getting finished. I feel more determined with this decision and I really want my own pair of delicate wristers for semi chilly Florida weather.
So back to difficult situations and knitting.
My son is on a liver transplant list.  He has been fighting his disease  for over 2 decades now and yet he is so young. Thirty-four. Not fun, unfair, sad beyond words.  I weep. I pray. I put it out of my mind. I can't get it out of my mind. It becomes my mind. I have no mind. I am finding the point. I am missing the point. He is better. He is worse. Dr's are miracle workers. Dr's know nothing. Prayer helps, Prayer frustrates me. I can't pray, all I do is pray.  I am on my knees. I am mad. I am handing it over...no I am taking it back.  I am a mother.

Ross at 24

I am knitting my way to the city of oblivion. Along the way I make some nice things. I make messes. I solve some problems. I frog my knitting. I become a yarn snob. No I will use any yarn...just keep busy knitting. I use yarn I got at Goodwill. Acrylic. No I need to use pure wool. Wool so natural the lanolin faint on my fingers.  I need the connection to life to real wool. Sheep. Silly sheep in the fields.  Chewing their way to the earth to get every taste of green grass. Sheep are such good lawnmowers.
I grew up with sheep. My brother Ross raised sheep. My mother's oldest son and he died so young at twenty-four.  My oldest son trying so hard not to die young.
Sheep, wool, knitting, mothers, children, prayer, projects, desire, love, things that fill my life and clutter my mind.  I am doing my best in this mess. My best is not enough.  The wool is lying slack in my hands with metal needles all akimbo. My son in a hospital.  My son on a list. Far away in the north. My prayers sent into the abyss.
I picked up the Acrylic yarn from Goodwill and began to make a prayer shawl. K3P3, and the opposite on the returns.  Father, Son, Holy Ghost. The Best of a Mess. Prayer.

Pray

Hattie's Dress

• 

free pattern for Hattie's Dress

 Hattie helps herself to some of Mom's beads

 Hattie relaxes in the Palms wearing her  purple leggings and lavender sweater

Hattie's beaded dreads

Hattie's Dress Hattie is 13 " tall
You will need some scrap yarn worsted weight and sz 5 needles
Knitted flat. side seamed.

~cast on 16 stitches
rows 1-6 seed stitch
~1 1/2 " stocking knit stitch
~4 rows K2P2
~1" stocking knit stitch
shape arms
K2tog knit to end
P2tog purl to end
repeat these 2 rows once more you know have 12 stitches.
~2 rows stocking knit stitch
~knit 3, bind off 6 stitches knit to end.
Making shoulder straps.
Put first 3 stitches on a holder or yarn scrap.
Knit each strap to 3" (first one strap, then second strap)
~On last row of second strap cast on 6 stitches in the center of the dress's back. Pick up and knit the 3 stitches from the first strap. (12 stitches)
~2 rows stocking knit stitch
shape arms
~Increase 1 stitch beginning of next 4 rows  (total 16 stitches)
~Stocking knit stitch for 1"
~ K2 P2 for next 4 rows
~Stocking knit stitch for 1 1/2"
~next 6 rows in seed stitch
bind off
fold and
sew side seams. weave in ends.

Hattie's dress is my original pattern.
Hattie herself is made from the lovely  pattern
scrappy doll by Fawn Pea  http://f.peablogspot.com/available on http://ravelry.com

The Mess I Love

Mya is only ten months old, but she is already walking and play reading to herself.  She gets into everything and then goes on to ten more things.  At this moment my family room is strewn with all her toys, books, cookie crumbs, various bits and pieces that have made up her day of staying with Gramma.  I know when her mother picks her up and takes her home tonight I will get a chance to sweep the floor and put the toys away for next time.  Like a bath tub plug pulled all the noise and the days activities will whoosh away and I will be left with a quiet empty space.  I will be longing for her to return.

Wee Red Booties

Made these wee red booties for Mya to wear on her first Christmas.  Hope they will fit her.  She fits us all so well .
Today she turned ten months old.  Another  mile stone in her precious life.  Her mother took a video of her reading a book to herself.  In her soft little baby voice saying sounds that told a story only she knew the words too.
For Mya life is a huge adventure and she the happiest child I know.
How fine to head off into life in red shoes.

Knitting Frenzy

Wisteria

mini sweaters for the tree

Have had to much fun learning to knit again. I am feeling very sad for all the years I have lost NOT KNITTING.  Since I moved to Florida in '92 I foolishly thought I should leave my talent and love for knitting behind in the chilly lets wear knits New England that I came from. What a loss and mistake.  Now to find again the passion to pick up knitting and be creative.  Yarns, threads, and tangles of color have made me giddy with possibilities and projects.   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~My Christmas gift giving has become another home made adventure.  As in years past I am making most of my gifts.  What I haven't been knitting for gifts I have been finding at tag sales and thrift shops.  It will be a very merry and very thrifty creative Christmas with family this year.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arriving at Gramma and this time a big boy!

Children are born everyday, but this week my first grandson was born.  The son of my second son Andy  and his wife Biz. Another child delivered by C-section!  Beloved by his parents and all his grandparents, family and their friends. He carries a long and cherished family name that ends with Jr.  We will call him Leo. 

On his first day in this world he amazed us all by lifting his head and shoulders up to peer around at his surroundings and find the joy filled eyes of his parents looking back into his. He is a big boy over 9 pounds, soft as the newest early morning breeze and strong as the life force that creates it.  I haven't held him yet in my arms he is far away in New England, but I have him firmly secured in my innermost heart and am brimming with love for him.  Leo I am counting the days down until I am with you.

Arriving at Gramma

This has been the year of Gramma Annie.  In February after an emergency C-Section I welcomed my first grandchild into the world.  Her name is Mya and my daughter Amy is her Mommy.  Her Daddy is Micah.  She is a perfect wee little babe with her mother's eyes and the soul of a very wise and traveled person.  Watching my daughter with her daughter is beyond any expectations of, "how will she do?"  They are bonded in a deep and abiding love.  Amy is a mother through and through and she has found her reason to be here on God's green earth.