Sunday, December 11, 2016

Yop 24 - It's all an illusion



I have learned a new knitting technique and I am obsessed with it. Illusion knitting!

From the front it looks like this:




From an angle this appears:



So I made a second for myself and of course it had to be a hummingbird (my totem),




and a third, fourth and fifth that I can't show you dear readers until after Christmas.

I can make a pot-holder/dish cloth size in two evenings. It is a great way to use up the cotton and hemp I have in my stash.

I have also started another double-knitting project, but I can't show you, you've got it, until after Christmas.

My apologies (again) to my sweater. I have finished all the decreases but have about an inch or so to knit before I bind off the sleeves.

Every day I have been knitting my four rows of my Project Peace cowl. There are over 20,000 knitters working on knitting peace into the world.
I have figured that I will have enough stash to complete all 21 repeats alternating between the red and grey. I will finish the i-cord edging with leftover yarn from my sweater.

As I knit the pattern which is slip, purl, purl....I repeat to myself Love, Peace, Peace. It helps. With every stitch it helps.

Here is my progress as of day 11:



I attended my knit group's annual Christmas party on Thursday. We swap secret Santa gifts, donate something knitted to a charity, and share good food and company. I received a wonderful bag that is perfect for my drop spindle, my extra bobbin and my extra small whorl.



I also won a door prize - Kate Davies Book of Haps. A wonderful book about Scottish haps (shawls), with history, anecdotes and of course patterns and so in the new year, when I am no longer stash busting, I want to make some of the haps from this book. I am going to start with the Tree of Life which is documented in the book and I found the pattern on Ravelry as Cloud Drift, and then I will continue with other patterns from the book. I am so excited.

As an aside to my Year of Projects update - I want to take a moment to talk about the magic of Christmas and my belief in Santa Claus.

This year, as it is many years, I didn't feel I had the resources to tackle Christmas. Some years it was about the money, some years it was more about the feeling, or lack of feeling.

And every year, a job appears, something happens that makes Christmas come and I am ready for it. Happy for it. Blessed by it.

This year was no different. I wasn't going to go to the Christmas party. I hadn't made a gift, and I didn't have anything to donate. It was easier to just bow out.

However, my angels, literally, clearly had another idea. I found the angel illusion cloth pattern and quickly knit it up as a present. I dug out the two pairs of socks I had on the needles since the beginning of October and quickly finished them for the donation box.

My excitement with the illusion knitting got me thinking about two presents I could knit, and then a third presented itself as a KAL (knit-a-long) that just happened to be an illusion knit as well. And since I was working with all my cotton and hemp leftovers I started another double-knit zodiac pot-holder which will be the perfect gift for a certain someone.

This weekend I went to Whistler to help friends with their three children. When I got home from a very snowy l o n g drive, my daughter, my Christmas elf, had started to decorate the living room, and kitchen and even the bathroom with Christmas lights, and candles and knick-knacks. Her husband had dinner ready for us. The house looked and smelled heavenly.

So yes, Christmas is coming. And I will be ready.

Yes, Mary-Anne, there is a Santa Claus.

I have always believed it.

I always will.


17 comments:

  1. Illusion knitting is new to me. Yours are fabulous, and I especially like your hummingbird.
    Yes, I agree with you that there is a Father Christmas. He sure pops up when you least expect it, and very nice of him to put the idea of decorating in your daughters head.

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    1. Try an illusion knit. There are many free patterns on Ravelry for dish towels or wash cloths that are quick knits.

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  2. Well, I am counting on you for my share of festive decor and gift-making this year. We take-off at 11:00pm Christmas Eve for our 25-hour trip to London. But as it will still be Christmas Day when we arrive, I promise to try to be sufficiently cogent to send you a photo of the Oxford Street lights and decs.
    How blessed you are to have an angel to guide your creating and two fairies to cook and decorate for you.
    I hope there is a place for some shells amidst the snowflakes.
    Cyber hug

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    1. Oh yes, my shells will be hung on my tree! If I was in London on Christmas Day I would go to church at St. Pancras. I will think of you on Christmas Eve to help you wing your way to your new home.

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  3. I had seen illusion knitting before on the web, but never KNEW anyone that had done it. That looks so cool.

    How sweet of your family to decorate for you. Lots if Christmas miracles happening all around you.

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    1. Miracles are all around us, but especially at Christmas.

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  4. I'm glad you went to your party. And that Santa Claus hasn't forgotten you. The projects are coming on nicely.

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  5. Illusion knitting is so fun! I love the hummingbird! Congrats on the door prize and Merry Christmas!

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  6. I am both fascinated and completely intimidated by the concept of illusion knitting. Yours look great, and I can't wait to see the ones you're giving as Christmas presents. The slip-purl-purl makes a pretty pattern. I can see how that would make one feel a sense of peace repeating it over and over. And thank you for sharing about Christmas. I struggle with having a true Christmas spirit, but something usually comes along and puts me in the right spiritual frame of mind for it. My experience came last night and now I'm good to go this year. :) For me, it's not about the material gifts, or the trappings of this season. It truly is about having a heart of gratitude and wonder over the spiritual and non-material gifts I've been given for a lifetime.

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    1. Yes, I agree with you. It isn't about the things, it is about the moments of grace and peace and family and love. I am glad you had an experience to help you with the season of Christmas.

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  7. You go girl! I love the illusion knitting and so happy that everything came together for you....in miraculous ways! I love the spindle bag and the Kate Davies book and her "hap" designs.
    I had a friend who used to say "it's a great life if you don't weaken"....I think he was right. Whenever things seem the darkest something sweet gets carried to us on the "wings of angels"....I wish you peace and happiness this Christmas season.
    I have 1 round done on the Peace cowl...lol! I'm always behind but at least I haven't messed it up yet that I can tell! Have a great week!

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    1. I am keeping up with the cowl - 4 rows a day - and then other knits get attended to. Thank you for your comments. I love reading them, and you have such great energy.

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  8. The cowl is coming along nicely and looks great. I have never heard of illusion knitting, maybe one day I will try it. I love the hummingbird cloth.

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    1. Thank you, I am very pleased with the cowl as it progresses. Try an illusion knit - they are easy, just follow the pattern - there are lots of free patterns on Ravelry.

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  9. I love that illusion knitting, how clever. You now have yet another string to your already full bow, Mary-Anne :-)

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I look forward to reading the comments. It makes me feel like I am not just posting into the void.