Grandkids

I have been a bit busy the last few days. My almost five month old grandsons are here for a visit. I have not had time to do anything other than play with them. Even when they are asleep like they are right now, in the middle of the living room floor, we just sit and look at them. They are truly a miracle as they were two months premature. So I have no time to knit, read or type and wouldn't if I could. I just look at them and think what a miracle.

Not much knitting today

I spent today working on Christmas stockings for my new twin grandsons. I started this stocking tradition when my oldest son was born. The pattern came from my mother-in-law and I follow it pretty much to the letter. They are made out of felt. Each of the individual pieces, a sleigh, holly, a mitten, a Christmas tree and a gingerbread man are all trimmed with sequins. I hand sew the sequins on and then hand sew the pieces on the stocking. The stockings are machine stitched together and the names go across the top. Sounds simple and it has been. I have made 15 of these stockings over the years but today thought I was never going to finish. It was one thing and then another, sewing the wrong piece together, having to trim a new piece, the sewing machine acting up. I decided after saying a particular "s" word over and over that I was going to have to change to something else. Perhaps "Christopher Columbus" as Jo in "Little Women" would say when outragous things would happen to her. I finally finished them only needing to add the name to the top and a jingle bell to the bottom. I have never liked to sew, ever. My mother "forced" me to learn when I was twelve. I am glad I learned but I hate it with a passion and only do it when needed. My sister on the other hand is a Master Seamstress. She has made everything including suits. Her linings are gorgeous. She sews for fun and to relieve stress. I on the other hand have to take a bottle of Tylenol after sewing. The reason I brought up the stockings was because it made me really know how much I love to knit. Now I knew this but after finishing the last part on the stocking today I said to myself, "I need to go knit on a sock." This in itself would sound crazy to some people. Socks are tiny. You use tiny needles. I use 2.50mm. I love tiny sock yarn. I discovered a few years ago that when I am stressed I love to knit tiny. This must be something psychological but I don't know what. Also as stressed as it makes me to have to rip out and re-do something in sewing I have no problem ripping out twenty rows of knitted lace. After all I get to re-knit it. I am a process knitter. I have ripped out many knitted pieces I have not been happy with and then re-knit them into something else. My sister knits too. She is the one who got me started back knitting after a layoff of many years. I am so grateful for that. What would I have done to relieve the stocking stress today if I wasn't able to knit on that sock.

I will get this figured out

As much as I love knitting I am entering this internet world of knitting with fear and trepidation. Bear with me as I get on my feet. I have been knitting socks again and I think that means that I am under stress. I love tiny needles and fine yarn when I am under a lot of pressure. Soon you will see pix of what I am working on at the moment and some of my favorite pieces including my lace shawl that I am very pleased with. I will be back soon.