Give Thanks!

Today is Thanksgiving here in the good old U.S.A. I'll get to the knitting in a minute, but first, in the spirit of the holiday, the top five things I'm thankful for:

1. Breathing. Yep, it's a simple thing we don't often think about, but I'm sure thankful to be doing it. I've gotten to the age where one thinks about such things more often.
2. Friends. I have many acquaintenances and I'm thankful for them, too, but I'm very thankful for my true friends. They lift me up, they nourish my being, they are, to borrow from Martha Stewart, very good things.
3. Seasons. Living in the Northwest, I'm privileged to watch the seasons pass through an ever-changing, wonderous, colorful cycle. It's one of the things I love about living here. Yes, it rains a lot, but that rain nourishes everything, washes away the old, and ultimately ushers in spring that is absolutely breathtaking. Spring and fall are my favorite seasons; times when life renews, recycles, and begins a new phase. I like that. :)
4. The Internet. Without this, my life would be vastly different. I wouldn't have work. I wouldn't have access to information. And most importantly, I wouldn't have all the wealth of knowledge of all you wonderful folks to help me learn more and more about the craft that I love.
5. Which brings me to creativity. I'm thankful for creativity. That we all have it in some form and that so many are so willing to share theirs with others. It makes life much richer.

There are many other things I'm thankful for, but I won't make this post all about that. I thank God every day that we live in such a wonderous world. With all its flaws, all its sorrows, all its trials and tribulations, it's still an incredible place. The day I stop noticing rainbows or a single, brightly colored leaf clinging desparately to a bare branch or any number of small miracles is the day I will cease breathing. Even if I can't see those things, I'll be hearing the beautiful song of a robin in spring, the wind rustling through the trees, and the delight of a child's laughter. "And I say to myself, what a wonderful world!"

Okay, now on to the knitting. After all, that's what probably brought you here! :)

I finally finished the purple Spring shawl! It's not blocked yet, but that's next. I used aboug 5.5 skeins of Debbie Bliss Cathay, color 12012 (50% cotton, 35% viscose microfibre, 15% silk; 100meters per 50-gram skein) and the result, unblocked, measures approximately 52" x 27" at the longest point of the triangle. It's not huge, but then neither is the recipient. :) Once it's blocked, it should be the perfect size for her. I think she'll look marvelous wearing it on the cruise ship when we go to the Eastern Caribbean in May. Hope she agrees!

I admit to some feelings of loss when I finished this one. It's a very easy pattern to memorize -- really just a repeat over five rows), so I got into a rhythm working on it.

But, undaunted, I push on! I was fortunate to be in a LYS that carried Blue Moon Fiber Arts. I purchased one skein of KidMo (50% kid mohair, 10% nylon) in a beautiful colorway called Blarney Stone and cast on for a one-skein scarf. I chose the Airy Scarf pattern by Brenda Overstrom, as published in Joelle Hoverson's book, Last Minute Knitted Gifts because it's very simple and quick. Of course, the two hours that they say it should take is much longer for me, but. . .

Anyway, so far, it's coming along nicely. I don't much care for very narrow scarves, so I added some stitches to the pattern. Instead of casting on 22 stitches as the pattern states, I did 34. The result is a scarf that's approximately 8" wide. So far, it's about 32" long and I still have quite a bit of yarn left. It's not going to be really long, but it will be long enough. I think I'll look for a pretty scarf pin to go with it and gift it to a friend this Christmas. Hope she likes it!

I'm not sure what my next project will be. I had high hopes of making a wonderful scarf for my brother for Christmas, but I don't think I can finish it in time. I have another one that is quite manly that I made earlier this year and he may be getting that instead. I will probably make a bunch of mini stockings to distribute attached to lottery tickets (great gifts for those acquaintenances I mentioned above). There are other options, too, as my gift list isn't completed yet.

Of course, after Christmas, there are lots of things on my list to make for me. But that's later. :)

So what are YOU thankful for? And now I'm off to a friend's house, pies in hand, to enjoy a meal that's much too large and company that's very, very enjoyable. Blessings to you and yours.