Whew! Where Does The Time Go?

Since last I posted, I've been in training with Weight Watchers, and busy with holiday shopping, finishing up orders, and of course, knitting and ...

My annual audit is in full swing and I've been crazy busy ... I finally opened up the blog this afternoon and thought - WHOA! It's been a long time...better get something together.

And I have been taking photos, so I'll share everything here, now. I'm making this:

You might remember it as Chapeau Marnier from Knitty a few years ago...That's Berocco's Ultra Alpaca Light and the hat is for a drive my LYS (Wyrd Sisters) is doing for a local cancer center.

Then one evening recently (probably last week) I saw Vogue Knitting post on Facebook a link to this article and upon reading it, hurried to Ravelry (with tears in my eyes) and discovered the group mentioned, and then a link to one of the instructor's websites for the sock yarn she dies and contributes a portion of revenues to the program...the name of it? I Fought The Law and The Law Won!. Aren't the colors rich?

Why, yes, that's the skein I ordered...

Tonight, as we walked back from dinner in a newish downtown restaurant (wonderful food, and we'd hoped to be there for the live music, but apparently it started later) but just a delightful place - Blue 5, for those of you in the area, and were enjoying the crystal clear and very crisp night air, when the carillon above the United Methodist Church began to play almost in the same moment that we realized that along the wrought iron fence in front of the church were tied zip-lock baggies with a note inside saying "If you need one, take one" and a size (small, medium, large). I looked a tiny bit closer and lo and behold - HANDKNIT hats! I stood there in the dark, hearing the Christmas Carols pealing thru the night and realizing that the women (mostly) of this church had made these hats with the intention of helping those in need...and without fanfare, were distributing them in precisely the best manner possible! No one feeling put down because they have less, just a simple, "take what you need" (don't ask us, if you need it that's enough)...

And again, the tears came to my eyes...

It's the magic of the season, of course, but it's something more. It's seeing that women, like you, and like me, KNITTERS (men and women) are making a difference in peoples' lives, in small ways and important ones...caring little steps...

Ok...enough. But I've said here before, it's this sort of thing that can move mountains, and make a world of difference, can literally change what the world is like. What you dream becomes reality.

It's been a year of knitting hats for me, of course, so part of it is that...Such a basic need: warmth. The covering of the head keeps the heat from rising off the top of the head, holds the warmth inside. The handknit nature of the hat being a simple act of ones hands touching the yarn, forming the fabric of loops, to cover others' heads...an indirect laying on of hands.

Ack. I'll stop. It IS a mystical sort of thing...a mission of sorts. My last package to Vermont will go out the first of the week, with a pair of socks, a cowl and another hat.

So much need...so many knitters giving of their time and their talent. We can change the world.

But I've been gone a long time, and I've not kept you posted on the rest of the things in my world...the last of the TKGA Greensboro bags went out in the mail this past week. Two Sadie's:

And once they were done, again, the bursitis returned to the shoulder (probably more from the overdoing it at yoga, but still the sewing aggravates it) and another cortisone shot required. Things are better...

But the weather was also damp and cold (which also aggravates the shoulder (and hip, and hands, and and and...)

The kitties decided my lap with knitting was the best place to warm up.

And Sweet Meezer was most happy when she could be alone with Mommie.

And in the daytime, The Tonk has discovered the birds in the front bushes. He'd love to chase them...

But Mommie says "No." I say, "No Fair!"