A New Adventure

At last night's meeting, several members of our Stitching Tales group learned something new. With a lot of guidance and encouragement from our patient and exceedingly talented friend Eileen, seven of us got started knitting socks! It was a lively workshop, with some fumbling and grumbling (and sweating!).... "how can we possibly handle all those tiny knitting needles?!" .... but ultimately a feeling of accomplishment.
Expressions of intense concentration dissolved into laughter, as we did our best to bolster each other's confidence. Two members (who already occasionally joke that their many similarities indicate they might be "twins separated at birth") happened to show up with the same yarn, and are now conspiring to knit one sock each, and take turns wearing the resulting pair - not really!
We have two weeks to continue our knitting efforts, and advance our socks to the point where we can "turn the heel". At that meeting, Eileen will again calm our confusion and lead us through the steps. Let's hear it for the teacher!!

Good Humor

If you have really been bitten by the knitting (or crocheting) bug, you might be starting to have some trouble finding room to store all that fabulous yarn you've been buying.... for all the wonderful projects you're going to make.
Knit designer and author Lily M. Chin has a few ideas about what to do with all of that extra yarn. This list first appeared in an interview with Lily Chin, posted on the Knitter's Magazine website.

"Lily Chin's Top 10 Ways to Hide the Stash"

1) Tape a bag of yarn to the underside of all the chairs - who'll know???

2) Put a slipcover over a bag of yarn, stick it on the couch, call it a pillow.

3) Remove the cushions of the couch, stuff with yarn instead.

4) There are narrow books that don't reach all the way to the back of the shelf. That dead space behind such books is good for several skeins.

5) Do you wear ALL your shoes at the same time? No. Stick a skein of yarn in each unworn shoe (boots are great for this very reason).

6) Everyone has clothes in the closet that are never, ever worn. Sew up the bottoms of the garments, insert yarn. Do not forget to sew up bottoms of sleeves.

7) Never cook, only order take-out or go to restaurants. You've now got the whole oven!

8) Look to the china cabinet. That large soup tureen? Maybe a bag. Large teapot? A few balls. Covered dish? The same.

9) The freezer is advantageous for fuzzies such as angora or mohair. Make sure to place in plastic bag first. This is known as the high-fiber diet!

10) Get a really large box and fill it up with lots and lots of yarn. Put a tablecloth over it. Voila, an instant table (but you can't put you feet underneath it).