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!)