Knitting is good for your health

 

I just came across this video about how knitting (and crochet) are good for your health. Check it out! 

Keep clicking and stitching,

Glenys

I made one like this

Few garments are as bound up with the image of Ireland as the Aran sweater, that heavy cream coloured jumper worked all over with cables, diamonds and honeycomb. It takes its name from the three windswept Aran Islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, where the knitting tradition was carried to a high art.

The undyed wool, once left rich in its natural oils, helped turn the wind and rain of the Atlantic, and every household had its own way of working the stitches. The patterns were never merely decorative, for the cable is said to echo the fisherman's ropes and the diamond the small stone walled fields of the islands.

Today the Aran sweater is worn around the world, but it began as honest island clothing, knitted by firelight for husbands and sons who worked the sea. In each family's stitches was a quiet kind of signature, a piece of home worn close to the heart. -author unknown

I saw this picture of this beautiful Aran jumper in heavy beige wool and it took me back to the one I knitted for my ex-husband when we were engaged. It was made in Jet Wool about 8ply.

I loved making it but it got very heavy as it grew. I had to post this for myself to remember...

Keep clicking and stitching,

Glenys

Lovely to see the end result!

 

                                          

You may recall I crocheted a lemon and white baby shawl for my granddaughter, Jessica. Well it has finally been used. 

Jessica recently gave birth to a sweet little great-granddaughter and she chose it to bring her home in.

Although I have been in hospital and don't have the spoons to crochet or knit for the moment, it is still lovely to see the end result! 

Keep clicking and stitching,

Glenys 

Such a nifty hack!

I came across this from a group called 5 Minute Crafts.  I thought it might be handy so I posted it for you!

The one with the safety pin and measuring tape was my favourite!

Keep clicking and stitching,

Glenys

Feeling creative again!

 

After quite some time of feeling unwell, I have turned the corner and am feeling creative again.

These darling baby bibs are my next projects. I have one blue and two pink ones to do.. with the babies due in a few weeks, I will have to pull my finger out!

Here are the free patterns I downloaded. I will post a pic of them when they are finished! 

Its' so good to feel creative again! 

Keep clicking and stitching,

Glenys 

"A Sustaining Passion"

 

There’s a kind of quiet therapy in simple, repetitive tasks. Knitting, chopping vegetables, folding laundry, shelling peas — nothing demanding, nothing urgent. Just hands busy and mind slowly unwinding.

Kathleen S. Giles, "A Sustaining Passion"

Not feeling creative...

                                  

I have had to pack away the wool and knitting needles for a while. I simply have no spoons (energy) to knit or crochet...

These last few weeks have been horrid. My fatigue and pain levels were so high that I had to have Prednisolone to bring down the inflammation from my Polymyalgia Rheumatica and fibromyalgia.

I have been so fatigued that I  have to have a nana nap after breakfast. Without it I can't even function. So I have had to just do the basics to keep our home clean and keep us watered and fed.

As soon as I feel better, spoons withstanding, I will be back to knitting and feeling creative again...

Keep clicking and stitching,

Glenys 

Our Prince of Peace

 

 

So many years ago, the earth saw a miracle that blessed humanity for all time...

The earth that saw Jesus'  birth 33 years before, drank in the Blood that flowed freely.... freely running, freely given, freely pardoning, freely saving unto eternal life anyone who would only believe in Him.

The same earth that is Gods' footstool, trembled at the cross alongside the centurions and soldiers and those few of Christs' followers who remained or who watched from a distance....

Unable to withstand the magnitude of atonement and celestial grief, it swayed in its power, reeling as someone in shock...

And utter darkness covered the earth as it shook, highlighting the terror as God turned His Face away from His Son, unable to look upon the sin of mankind that His Son had taken upon Himself...

It violently heaved in the aftermath of a crucifixion that saw the greatest gift of redemption the earth would ever know, releasing resurrection power to many who had died and tore the Temple veil in two.

Then hastily the earth swallowed the body of Christ into its maw of hewn rock, as it had done to men since Abels' untimely death until this day.... yet no ashes to ashes or dust to dust: no decomposition...

And another Sabbath passed, not shrouded in joy and welcomed since the birth of the Jewish people, but bringing with it a desolate cloak of disbelief, shock and despair that threatened to engulf the little band of believers who had trembled at Christs' words... unaware that triumph was already His. And theirs.

Beneath, the earth reeled as Christ stripped Lucifers' hopes of victory against a God Who now presented Himself King of Kings and Everlasting God.- Light of Light, Holder of the Keys of the Kingdom, destroyer of death and sin.... and Lucifer and his minions  trembled.

The earth marvelled at the intensity of the Power of Resurrection... molecules and atoms infused with Life,  vibrant in a way it vaguely remembered at its birth so many aeons ago.... magnificent creative force, God breathed life and Power.... Pulse of God.

Was ever there a time like this as Creation remembered Diety's Touch, revelling in His Footprints as His pierced Feet swung from the burial ledge, and His Hands that held the weight of the world folded the shroud so hastily bound around His lifeless Body 3 days ago?...

An almost forgotten thrill caused the earth to shudder as the Power of Gods' angels rolled away the enormous stone that blocked the burial chamber....

And it sang in ecstasy as the Feet of its' Creator once again walked amongst men.... victorious King, conquering Saviour, merciful God, everlasting to everlasting Prince of Peace.....

© Glenys Robyn Hicks

"He is not here; he has risen!" Luke 24:6-7   Sometimes poetry doesn't have to rhyme...

Not wasting my time

You may recall I was making a red cardigan for my granddaughter's baby. But it has proven to be a time waster.

The yarn splits with every second stitch necessitating backtracking and restitching. With limited energy from fibromyalgia and arthritic hands, I don't want to waste my time.

Also, I am not enjoying working with the bamboo circular needles. The wool doesn't glide over them like when I use steel. 

I discussed this with my ganddaughter and she said not to worry about it. Which was a relief. She will have plenty of others by the time the baby girl comes.

As an avid crochet girl, I have given her the wool to finish her large afghan blanket she's working on.

I have never ditched a project before, but at 73, I just don't have the patience, or the motivation to finish this. I am going on to another project soon. I am not wasting my time.

Keep clicking and stitching,

Glenys 

Almost wearing his hat!

 

Another blast from the past. My grandson, Tom almost wearing his blue blackberry hat with pom pom.

He had a matching cardigan and booties just like his brother had 10 years prior.

Looking back, it makes me nostalgic and of course I ask myself, where have the years gone? 

Keep clicking and stitching,

Glenys 

Keeping my promises!

 

So today I finished the mint green beanie to match Sandra's mint green shawl and cardigan. I have posted it to show you, as promised.

I noticed in beanies advertised on Temu that the pom poms are larger than what I used to do in the past. So I made it a little larger. I sent this pic to Sandra and she likes it. I am glad...

So it's forward to the wine red baby blackberry stitch baby cardigan for Jessica's baby. I plan to do some this evening..

Then I will be doing another blue cardigan for Liam's baby boy. Probably my favourite pattern again!

Keep clicking and stitching,

Glenys 

Happiest of times

 

I am currently knitting a wine red baby cardigan with beanie and booties for my granddaughter, Jess who is expecting in July... 

Also, I am working on a mint green beanie with pom pom and some booties to match the cardigan I made for my granddaughter , Sandra who is now expecting in October...

I have found some crocheted baby bibs on the net that I want to do for my grandson Liam's partner who is expecting in June.

My happiest times are when I am doing a few projects at once. As I finish one, I am already planning another project.. I really love being creative!

I will post pictures of them all when I have finished.

Keep clicking and stitching,

Glenys

I just learned something new

 

Something I only learned today and I have been knitting for over 60 years!

If you're knitting a 1x1 rib (k1,p1), and you're changing colors, knit the first row, or round, in the new color. Knit stitches only. Then continue with the K1, P1 pattern for, subsequent rows.  If you change colors and simply continue with K1, P1 pattern, the purl bumps will show through.

Keep clicking and stitching,

Glenys  

Always order enough!

 

Although my wool stash is almost as large as this one- and this one is pretty enviable- it is nevertheless a fact that I often can't find exactly the shade I want for a new project.

One reason for me is that as I shop online only these days owing to chronic illness and I find that often the wool doesn't look the same in real life as it does on the computer screen.

I have learnt to allow for slight discrepancies in shades by making sure I order enough of the same dye lot..

Remember that there are many shades of even a standard white wool so buying from the same batch and dye lot avoids the creamy white/brilliant white streaked effect of mismatched dye lots in your handiwork..

Keep clicking and stitching,

Glenys

I guess I am old school!

 

My babies were dressed like this. Even today I think a handknitted layette looks lovely.

I know life is very busy these days and so it seems that most babies are dressed in jump or grow suits.

I also know that handwashing wool baby clothes can be tiresome, but most yarns these days can be washed in the gentle cycle of one's machine.

Another thing I have noticed is the young mothers these days seem to like deeper colours for their baby's clothes.

I suppose I am showing my age by preferring pastels... in the appropriate gender colours of course! 

I guess I am old school! 

Keep clicking and stitching,

Glenys 

A blue one for my first baby

 

I knitted this matinee jacket in blue for my first baby and in pink for my second. It was a feather and fan stitch in Patons 3 ply baby wool.

I knitted them on tortoise shell needles, but these are hard to find these days. 

Keep clicking and stitching,

Glenys 

Look after them!

 

You may remember I mentioned how difficult it is to find tortoise shell knitting needles.. well they and all products made with tortoise shell have been banned here in Australia and many other countries.

When I consider that tortoises died for their shell, I can understand that.

There are many imitation tortoise shell needles but these are cellinoid needles. These are being replaced by bamboo needles which I quite like to work with.

If you are in possession of tortoise shell needles, I would say look after them!

PS I no longer like bamboo needles. The yarn does not glide over the needles..horrible! 

Keep clicking and stitching,

Glenys