Saturday, November 14, 2009

Numbers 24, 39, and 93- Check!


Good morning everyone! It's a lovely Saturday in November, no sign of snow, and temps are still in the 50s. Bleh. It should be colder, people! And we should get at least a little snow. This is Wisconsin. Anyways. It's been a big couple of weeks. I've completed, or nearly completed, three more items on my 101 list! Yea me!

First off- my hair is red again. A little back story: I used to do all sorts of weird things to my hair- it's been purple, green, blue, pink, red, it's been cut short, cut badly, and I once had the world's most unfortunate perm. But somewhere along the lines, I think about 5 years ago, I went to donate 10 inches of my hair to Locks of Love. The hairdresser was new (read: completely inexperienced), and she took 18 inches. It was a shock, because I really like my hair, love it in fact. Since it's mostly grown back, I've been really cautious about who does what to my hair. It hasn't had more than a trim in 5 years. So, here we are, a week ago, and I impulsively grab a box of the most red and vibrant color off the shelf at Wal-Mart and I went home and dyed it. Honestly, I was horrified for the first 3 days until I realized that I really didn't give a crap what other people thought, and have now come to really love my red, fading to pink hair. (Even though the dye said permanent, it keeps washing out... hmmm.) So, here you go-



That's me in my fiery glory. Me-ow. #93 is officially done.

What's next? Oh yes, it's a two-parter! Numbers 24 and 39. I have to give a big shout out to Abby G who I work with. For the cost of a medium hot chocolate, she taught me to knit and purl, increase and decrease. I've only had one lesson so far, but I've completed my first and second projects. The first was a ribbed hat, in a lovely olive green wool that brings out my eyes.



I call it the green bell. Not really, but it's fun to name things. It came out a little smaller than it was supposed to; I don't think I knitted enough length, but it fits and it's adorable! You doubt me? Check it out:



I'm precious. It's nice and warm too. I will definitely need more practice sewing seams together, and more practice knitting in general, but I'm very proud of this hat! Number 24 on my list is about giving back to people who have given so much to us, and this country. Knit Your Bit is an organization that was started in 2006. They accept scarves and blankets, and then donate the items to veterans around the country. So far, they have handed out almost 10,000 scarves from knitters worldwide. And I'm just really excited to be a part of the program! My Grandpa K was in WWII. He saw a lot of action, and was always in the thick of things. Knowing that there might be other brave soldiers out there, who aren't as fortunate as my grandpa, makes me want to help. Go to this website for more information: http://www.nationalww2museum.org/calendar/knit-your-bit.html. Here is the scarf that I made-



I couldn't get the best detail shots, but it's very soft, and about 90 inches long. It's important to the program that the scarves are gender neutral, and washable. They have a new pattern every year that they like you to use, but the also accept any appropriate scarf. I felt that since this was only my second knitting project, I should play it safe. I used size 17 needles and a bulky yarn, so it knit up very quickly (like how I'm throwing knitting terms around?). Here's an action shot:




I look warm, right? The scarf was made with much love, and will be headed towards Knit Your Bit headquarters later today in the mail.
As it turns out, I love knitting. I love the feeling that I am creating something that is beautiful and functional. I'm making something warm. And passing that warmth on makes me feel wonderful. I encourage all of you knitters or crocheters out there to donate as well, if they feel called to this cool program. So, numbers 24 and 39 are well on their way to completion. Technically, number 39 is done, because I know how to knit, but I'm still new, and there are a lot of techniques I haven't tried yet.
All right, I think that's enough for today! Keep your feet warm, and your hands busy. God bless.

Laura