For myself, I finished the baby hue shift blanket. It may not be perfect, but it is undeniably beautiful.
I've started a new log cabin blanket.
The yarn is Premier Puzzle from a big-box store, but I think Marble Chunky would work, too. I'm using Mondragon loop joins and some backtracking techniques so I don't have to break the yarn. There are a couple places where the corner joins can form a hole. I'm still auditioning different mitigation options. As I have my "Stunt Knitting Safety Lines" class on the schedule for South Carolina Knit Inn in January, I am looking forward to showing off this blanket there before donating it to Project Linus. The joins I am getting are lovely. The blanket may be acrylic yarn, but it is working up very nicely. Cuddly Hubby wants to spend three days during the holiday break watching extended editions of both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies. I expect to make a lot of progress on this blanket, as the garter stitch is excellent television or social knitting.
You'll notice for the work in progress photo that I'm using my Denise needle set. I don't use the Denise set frequently, but it has been indispensable for blankets using the join-as-you-go, leave-stitches-live, and run-vertical-lifelines-everywhere techniques I employ. I have the standard blue set, as well as extra cords and connectors. I love that if you break a piece or lose a needle, you can replace it and make your set good as new. (I broke the connector off a cable and was able to buy a matching replacement. To look at my set you would never know.) The extras I bought don't fit inside the container for the base set. For a long time, I tossed everything in a plastic Ziploc bag, but that solution was inelegant. Fortunately, past president Kathy Borden brought a bunch of freebie bags to an Atlanta Knitting Guild meeting this fall.
I was going to make my own storage pouch, but instead snagged this Atenti Grand Pouch. It is perfect for storing my Denise set with extras. If you have a Denise needle set and expanded it, consider this an aesthetically inviting storage solution. Both companies make their products in the United States.
Another US company I should mention is
Rose Micro Solutions. I've
written previously
about the Dazor light I have that came from my mother's home. It has kept me
crafting. I can still do embroidery. I can still knit dark yarn on 2mm/US 0
needles. But I need light and magnification if I want to do so without frustration
or frogging. When I attended PAX Unplugged (a tabletop gaming convention) last
month, Rose Micro Solutions had a booth. They were there for people who paint
gaming miniatures, which are figures typically under 2 inches/5 cm in height.
Rose Micro Solutions sells to hobbyists of all types, although I have never
seen them or anyone like them at a fiber festival. I don't know if you can use
money from a health care account to cover the cost, as these are a bit
expensive? But as I've said before about the Dazor, if this device enables you
to continue crafting for many more decades, it is worth every cent! And unlike
the Dazor, the loupes are portable. If I see them again at a show or festival
where I have my knitting with me, I will consider the investment.
Lovely things have also been happening in my family. My sister, BJ, has spent
a lifetime studying music. She was originally a vocal performance major at
Temple University. I remember my mother spending most evenings in the car
taking my sister to various practices, recitals, and events when we were in
middle school and high school. BJ has spent decades providing sacred music at
various churches. For a few years she taught music at the local Catholic
school. She assists with the annual musical at her public high school
musical. And she recently returned to offering private music lessons. Some of
her past students have performed on Broadway and in London's West End.
Although her full-time day job is about keeping college students fed and
happy, she has always devoted many hours a week to music, theater, and
dance.
This year BJ and her music partner, Van, have the song "Christmas Valentine" on the Joy to the Burg album. Joy to the Burg is a non-profit whose mission is helping those facing homelessness in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and surrounding areas. They've produced several of these albums over the last few years. Sponsors cover the costs of music rights. Time in the recording studio is donated. For the first time in her life, my sister recorded a song in a recording studio. When their song was selected for the album, my sister and Van needed to shoot a music video. Fortunately, my eldest nephew, TJ, knows a thing or two about video production. This is not only my sister's first recording studio song, but my nephew's first music video.
The video appeared last week on ABC 27, which is the local station in central Pennsylvania. The link I've used here is from YouTube — search for Just Us Too Christmas Valentine. The song was played last night on the radio station The River 97.3, which means my sister is now someone with a recorded song that has had airplay! My nephew has had a music video he made air on television! And the song is now available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Obviously, I am super proud!
In whatever way you celebrate the turn of the northern hemisphere from
darkness to light, may that celebration be merry and bright! May those you
love be near. May joy be abundant!
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