Included in my package were 2 books, even one from my Amazon wishlist. The books are “Meditations from the Mat” and “Herbal Healing for Women.” Also in the package were Tazo Green Tea, Ghiradelli chocolate with peanut butter, some herbally cleaning towels for mats or whatever, a Wah! CD (new to me! yay!), huge jar of strawberry jam from the sender’s favorite local place, and yaarrrn.

Knit Picks Imagination yarn in Seven Dwarves. Let’s go in for a close-up.

Mmm, wool and alpaca. Lovely warm colors. I love it! Thank you blogless Lauren! I love my package and I thank you so much. Please keep me posted on your move and the progress on your new farm! Namaste!

I chuckled. And that evolved into a giggle. And more giggling.

And giggles evolved into full-blown laughter. And then you guessed it, more waterworks. Laughing and crying at the same time, who knew I had it in me?

Here is her note:

Dear Mo, The instant I saw this pattern in in an old book, I knew it was meant for you! …I hope it fits in your collection. Love, Jo Anne.

Laughing won out in the end as it always does. Jo Anne, I love it. You outdid yourself. I keep this in full view and look at it all the time and still giggle. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I am about a week late reporting that I received my final package from my Warm Ewe Up Swap Partner. And it’s a doozy! See all that yarn? And Opal too! A sock yarn I don’t have And LL Sock in Vera which I have knit into Jaywalkers before but they are all threadbare and worn. I should take a pic for you.

Plus a sock book, a keychain from San Francisco (my favorite city!), a reusable grocery bag, *chocolate* and a wonderful note to let me know exactly who my partner was.

And it’s Jo Anne from San Fransisco! Thank you! You went above and beyond and I love everything.

(OR Warm Ewe Up Winter Swap Package #2)
Isn’t this the funniest thing? It’s a bank!

I will definitely be putting my change here! How clever!

My swap partner was so thoughtful. She included something chicken-related, knitting-related, chocolate, yarn, some post-its with lovely flower sketches and the bank.

The plate is beautiful!

And so is the yarn! It’s Art Yarns Super Merino in color 115 (aka RED).

Thank you partner! I can’t wait to find out who you are!

Anyway, on to the swap!

Here’s the whole package: 2 skeins of yarn, hot chocolate, a box of chocolates from Olympia Candy Kitchen in PA, 2 little chickies, a birds nest candle holder, a “Winter” scented candle, and a bar of soap!

This skein is a Kraemer Yarn “Jeannie” base that my partner dyed himself with indigo!

And this skein is a Kraemer Yarn “Eileen” base that my partner dyed himself with hibiscus and coffee! Mmmm coffee. It smells like coffee.

Thank you to Dave in Pennsylvania! This is a great package and I love that you took the time to dye the yarn yourself

Ironically, the colors of these yarns are my high school colors. I have recently connected with people I graduate with at high school on Facebook. It’s quite an adventure. I love seeing how everyone has spread out and found their ways but I am realizing that I have forgotten quite a bit about my childhood. Time to break out the yearbooks to match names with faces! Anyone else have this problem?

The current question is “if you could only knit or crochet with one brand of yarn for the rest of the year, what would it be and why?”

At first I was stumped – this is a hard question! My favorite KIND of yarn is sock yarn. I love sock yarn! But what brand? So I gave it some thought, and I have decided.

Any yarn that is ON SALE of course! Then I can get more and it will last longer!

I grew up in the 70s and my mom did not work until I was well into high school. She was a prolific sewer and then knitter, and in her later years started quilting. She sewed most of my sister’s and my clothes. She even made clothes for our dolls. I remember one afternoon she created an entire Barbie outfit as I took a nap. Barbie was waiting for me, sitting on the couch at the end of the hall, so I would see her as soon as I came out of my room.

I began knitting as a kid, maybe I was 7? My mother had an old pamphlet from the 50s that included a stitch library and I would practice each stitch, swatching each example and learning.

Here’s an example. I found this in a box my father had stored away. The yarn is easily recognizable – it is from an afghan kit my mother had made (I have that blanket in storage somewhere).  This is an example of a cable. Looks like I needed more practice

The first pattern I remember knitting was a pair of slippers. I used leftover yarn from a cardigan my mother had made. The slippers were a simple garter stitch with decreases, a 2 needle pattern.  My mother had dozens of pamphlets of patterns including one full of 2 needle sock patterns and another for 2 needle mittens.

My mother was into all sorts of creative fabric-y things (she did the embroidery on the runner pictured above). She and my father square danced and she made all of their outfits — matching of course. And clothes for us kids. And Barbie. I had a large doll too (her name was Velvet if you remember her) and mom not only made her clothes but knit her ponchos etc.

She must have had a Weave It loom too. I found this in the same box of my childhood ephemera as the knitting sample. The yarn is from another cardigan she had made.

Fibery activities held my interest for about a year. I tried sewing in high school but it never appealed to me. I moved on to drawing, horses, and other things. I never gave knitting another thought.

Well mom passed away over 15 years ago. As my father went through everything in the house that was uniquely hers, he came across her stash in the closet under the stairs. Needles, yarn, pattern books, accessories, fabric and quilting samplers were all stored in cardboard boxes that ended up coming home with me (my sister got her button stash). In her memory I began knitting again using the same stitch swatch book. I have learned other cast on methods but still revert to the long tail she taught me. I have moved on from her collection of colored metal straight needles and could never use her plastic DPNs but I still keep them. I even found the same needles at Goodwill last week for $.50 a pair. I think that is more than what they were originally.

My father passed away 3 months ago and had many items in storage. Among them was my mother’s old sewing machine. I teared up as I saw it as I thought he had sold it long ago.  So sewing will be my next skill to learn – once more – so I can go through mom’s old fabric stash and finish the quilts she had started.

So why I knit? I never quite answered that question did I? I knit to reconnect with my past and my mother.  I knit to create things for other people that create memories for them as the items my mother made did for me. As I knit I think although sometimes my mind is a void as I get lost in the repetitive counting of some patterns.  It is a meditative and cognitive process sometimes! But sometimes I feel I have to knit to keep up with the stash I keep accumulating!