Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Knitting Update

I haven't posted anything knitting related lately, so here is your recommended daily allowance of "Fiber!"

I finished up my tenth hat for Kristy's Hat Quest and got them mailed off to her a couple weels ago. (you will count 15 hats here--5 are 'bonus' hats that I had completed prior to this project and stashed away in the yarn cupboard)
Kristy's received over 300 hand-knitted hats that she will be distributing to orphans in the Ukraine on her trip there in October. What a neat project. Thanks Kristy for taking on this challenge.

I'm still working on some knitting projects for the flood victims in Iowa. These don't have to be done until November 1st and I'm thinking about actually delivering them in person to Carol Anderson (a knitting pattern author and coordinator of this project) as she lives about an hour away in St. Ansgar, Iowa. I will post pictures of these projects once they're finished.

Last week I got a call from my friend Don who's enjoying a "staycation" this week and working on some major room rearrangements at his house. Because he was trying to free up more space for other projects he wants to work on, he decided it was time to get rid of some yarn. Now Don is one of the most fantastic knitters I have the privilege to know and he's always buying more yarn (like me, he would have to live to be at least 200 years old to complete all the projects he's got patterns and yarn for). Fortunately for me, when Don decides to "get rid" of some of his yarn stash, he calls me and I got the phone call at work today saying he had some yarn sorted out for me and I'd probably want to bring the truck by to pick it up!

I'm always inspired after visiting Don and seeing what projects he's working on and today was no exception. Two hours later, here's what Don sent me home with--a few boxes (every one of these boxes is stuffed with yarn!)
Here's a sampling from one box
Here's another afghan project Don started a few years ago and never finished. I will enjoy the challenge of getting these squares done and learning some new knitting stitches. Plus this will make a fabulous afghan to donate somewhere for a silent or live auction fundraiser.

But wait......there's more! When Don ran out of boxes, he started filling bags with yarn! I tell you--he wasn't kidding about bringing the truck! The trunk, back seat, and front seat were all full by the time I was ready to go home.

Here's a sampling of some of the pretty yarn in the bags:
The autumn colored item in the right side of this bag is a partially completed prayer shawl. That will be a great item to complete and give to someone special.
Here are just a couple of balls of some really nice yarn in one of the bags too--it's a blend of merino wool, silk and cashmere. I wish you could feel it--it's so soft. I think it will knit up into really wonderful hats or scarves.

There's no way I can ever re-pay Don for this yarn (worth hundreds of dollars!), but he is so generous and he knows that I will give this yarn a good home and be using the majority of it for projects that will be donated--either to folks in need or as fundraisers for non-profit groups. In exchange for all this yarn, I gave him some fresh veggies from the garden, plus the orange bag (labeled "4") in the picture above contains a vest Don started knitting for himself that I will finish knitting for him (hopefully by winter).

So if you don't see any posts from me for a while, you'll know that I'm busily knitting away (so I don't have to figure out where I'm going to store all this yarn in my house!)

22 comments:

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

WOW Ruthie! Could you hear me gasp? What a generous fellow that Don is. But then so are you dear Ruthie. :)

Enjoy the knitting. I've been calling around looking for a knitting class. I'll let you know what I find!

KGMom said...

Oh. . .my. . .goodness! You will be knitting until your fingers drop off.
I don't think I could ever knit enough to use up all that yarn.

Anonymous said...

Good Gravy, woman! This is amazing! How will you ever use it all up??
your Sissy

Beth said...

oh my goodness-you hit the motherlode! So many nice colors and fine fiber--you will create much beauty with it. Be sure and share the pictures.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe Don GAVE you all this yarn, absolutely amazing. Are you going to buy another yarn cupboard for this stash? [Can I ride along to St Ansgar, I could meet you somewhere?] The colors of some of the yarn are very pretty, pastels go with everything. Should I pray for a long winter so you can knit in front of the fireplace with a dog on one side and a kitty on the other. What a cozy picture that makes. HAVE FUN!!!
MOM

LauraHinNJ said...

I don't know where you find the time, Ruthie, but you do beautiful work.

:-)

Jane said...

Wow, what a friend to have! Ebjoy your knitting, looks like you have some lovely yarn to use

Jayne said...

Holy cow! Don does love his yarn, doesn't he? :c) Such a lovely bounty for you Ruthie, and so kind of him to give it to you. Can't wait to see what all you create.

RuthieJ said...

Hi Lynne,
Don's given me yarn before, but never this much (I gasped too!) I feel like I've struck the Mother Lode and my brain is just in a whirl of patterns and trying to decide which yarn & pattern to try first.
Let me know how your class search goes.....does your Community Ed offer anything? If you can't find anything soon, let me know and maybe we can arrange to meet somewhere one afternoon and I'll give you some lessons.

Oh Donna, you're right.....even if I gave up working, eating & sleeping, I'll probably never get all this yarn knitted up, but it will be fun trying anyway!

Hello Sissy.....need any socks? How about gloves, or a scarf, or a hat or a......... One project at a time, this yarn is all going to be used up (hopefully in my lifetime!)

Oh Beth, I was so thrilled when he started opening boxes and showing me what he was giving away. I just need to take a whole day to go through it all so I can sort and choose patterns....the hardest part is deciding what project to start first!

Oh Mom, I think I'll need a whole 'nother storage building for all this yarn! Unless you see it, you can't really believe how much yarn is here--you have some empty closet space, don't you??

Hi Laura,
I find time for knitting because I'm not wasting precious time dusting, scrubbing the bathroom, weeding the garden, exercising, and all the other useless activities people who don't knit are usually doing! (fortunately I can still watch birds and knit at the same time)

Hi Miss 376,
Thanks for stopping by my blog (all the way from the UK!).

Hi Jayne,
Don is one of those people who when he finds a new hobby, he's into it 100%! He's been knitting <10 years, but he's a fabulous knitter and has a much better paying job than I, so he can afford all the pattern books and really good yarn. Fortunately for me, he's into lots of other hobbies too and once he realized how much yarn was hiding in his house, he knew who to call to find a good home for it.

~Molly~ said...

Whoooooa! What a GIFT!! My mind would be in a tizzy too, that's going to be FUN for you to play with.

I wanted to thank you for sharing the potato project. We're definitely going to try this next year. My parents let one of their neighbors plant part of their pasture in peas and potatoes, I've never tasted such heaven in all my life! Homegrown is truly wonderful. We don't have room for a garden but the can will work! My 15-yr-old son is a potato junkie so hopefully we'll get enough to feed him for a while.

Molly

Julie said...

Oh Wow Ruthie! How wonderful! I am looking forward to see what wonderful things you create with all the yarn!

Anonymous said...

So far we all looked at the yarn and were amazed by the boxes and bags that were given to you.
The hat project started out this blog, and they were so pretty and in different sizes too and no one mentioned them until now. I hope whoever gets a hat will enjoy wearing your creation and keep their head warmer.
MOM

Mary said...

Ruthie! HOW FAST CAN YOU KNIT???!

If you use all that yard and make your deadlines (for wonderful causes and I commend you), we'll never see or hear from you for months!

Wow. You know some great people. Make me smile for warm knitted hats for children in the Ukraine. My grandmother was born there.

Mary

Ruth said...

You are such a generous person that it does not surprise me that you are on the receiving end of someone else's generosity. The hats are gorgeous!

RuthieJ said...

Hi Molly,
Good luck with potatoes next year! I was reading an article about gardening not too long ago about how an entire generation really doesn't know much about vegetable gardens at home. I hope you and your son have success with your potatoes and he develops an interest in growing his own vegetables!

Hi Julie,
I've been spending lots of time at Knitting Pattern Central choosing some new patterns!

Thanks Mom. Kristy doesn't go to the Ukraine till October and will distribute our hats just in time for winter. She assures us she'll share photos when she gets back and I'll post an update then.

Hi Mary,
I'm a pretty speedy knitter! Plus I'm knitting almost anytime I'm sitting down (except when I'm eating). I even figured out a way to attach one of those little "hat lights" to the visor in the car and now I can knit on the way to work again!
P.S. don't worry.....you'll still hear from me!

Hi Ruth,
I like "paying it forward" in fiber!

Mary C said...

Ruthie, you definitely have *very* generous friends! I look forward to seeing and hearing about your new knitting projects. At least Don thought of giving you the yarn at the right time of the year now that our gardens and birds have reached their "peak" for the summer.

entoto said...

Holy Moly! that is some serious stash busting! You are one lucky lady. That Kathmandu knits up beautifully, a favorite on my needles. Does Don spin? Some of those gorgeous hanks look like homespun.

nina at Nature Remains. said...

That's beautiful yarn, you must be in heaven to have your fingers wrapped in that!
The time you put in to projects on behalf of others is wonderful.
You are very generous with your talent.

(and extremely talented!!)

Marsha said...

Wow, that is one good friend to give you that stash of yarn! I am so impressed by all the knitting you do...where do you find the time? It's gorgeous!

Unknown said...

Wow! I need a friend like Don in my life, too.

RuthieJ said...

Hi Mary C,
So far, I've gotten 4 of the boxes of yarn relocated into 2 large storage totes. I'm watching for a sale to pick up a few more totes. I've also started a pair of socks (birthday gift for my SIL--need to complete those by the end of this week-her birthday's the 26th!)

Hi Trixie,
Believe it or not--Don still had yarn that he was keeping for himself! Thanks for the word on Kathmandu--I don't buy much yarn and I'd never heard of it before. I can't wait to start something with it.
Don has a couple spinning wheels and now that he's rearranged his project area, he has one wheel out again and I'm sure he'll get back to spinning too.

Hi Nina,
I've got a couple knitting books coming from the library too. I want to find some traditional Fair Isle patterns to use all of those skeins of Shetland wool for.

Thanks Marsha, believe it or not, this is the third time he's given me yarn and by far, the greatest amount. I love that he buys mostly wool yarn--I really like knitting with wool best!

Hi Priscilla,
Don's a prince--that's for sure!

Anonymous said...

Each one of those hats is a work of art, and for such a good cause. I look forward to seeing what other projects you come up with from your abundance of yarn.