Well, are you tired of this pattern yet. I've finished vest number 2! This time I used a hand-spun Corriedale yarn that I picked up at the fiber market last month. I used the same pattern size; 12 month. Thinner yarn gave me about a size 6 month finished vest. That's the beauty of knitting for babies. Especially babies that aren't here yet. It doesn't matter what size they turn out, baby will be able to wear it at some point! Again it knitted up easily but I'm not going to do another for awhile... wouldn't do that to me or to you.
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| Odds & Ends by Jo Crisp |
I'm reading a sweet little newsletter that a friend puts out monthly for the retirement complex that she lives in. She is a lady rich in observation and artistic skills. There is a trail that follows Ochoco Creek from one end of town to the other. Jo walks this trail daily (she doesn't own a car) to do her grocery shopping, visiting, and creek observing. She includes in her newsletter weather reports for the month, the lyrics to old favorite songs, jokes, word games, crafts, recipes, and my personal favorite, wildlife observations along our creek.
So when the girls and I go walking, we watch for the things that Jo talked about in her newsletter. And she is so knowledgeable that we always learn something new; the names of wildflowers and trees, what edible plants grow along the banks, how many ducklings hatched near the bridge, why the blue heron has been seen lately without it's mate, the fact that the mink has moved further upstream...
When Jo dropped off the April edition last week she said she is moving to Arkansas next month. She offered to continue to mail me her publication (she knows how much we enjoy it). I am honored and will be thrilled to receive it. But I admit it won't be the same without our personal creek report. I guess the girls and I will just have to do a unit study on Arkansas. I'm sure there will be wonderful observations in the Odds & Ends about flora and fauna, familiar and unfamiliar!
I'm going to miss you Jo, but Arkansas is going to receive a gift when you and your skills arrive to delight those near you.
Joining Ginny's Yarn Along
Blessings, Debbie
Very cool and I love that light green sweater...so cute! ;D
ReplyDeleteYour vests are so beautiful! Your friend's newsletter looks wonderful, I'm sorry to hear she's moving.
ReplyDeleteDebbie, the vest are adorable! Sounds like your friend is a wonderful person. Arkansas is luckey to get her.
ReplyDeleteAmazing, isn't it, how the size of the yarn can change things so much? I made a mistake and used a two-sized down needles when I was knitting my self-designed Nordic style sweater - like, twenty years ago - and ended up with something my twelve year old could wear. And it had deer on it. I was bummed.
ReplyDeleteThat newsletter - what a jewel. So many things like that in the world. You'd think that these things would somehow be a permanent institution - but they turn out to be powered by just one person doing something they just thought up on their own. A real thing, not plastic. And so limited in production. The world is too big, in some ways, and we can't find them all. And to have them slip away - a real loss.
Will you email me? I wanna ask you something. Loved Erin's post. My kids, too, were homeschooled - entirely through grammar school. I let them take choir or band in jr. high. Then anything they wanted to in high school - as long as they made university worthy grades. They never graduated from HS. But my oldest is now an MBA, staying home with her children - the second owns his own video production company; the third teaches hard sciences in a private school and the baby is presently at Pixar. Home education can be an incredibly great thing - and allows a child to find out who she/he is without help from public mirrors. Erin is obviously very bright, with a lovely sense of humor and a strong grounding in the real basics of life. Cool.
ReplyDeleteI think you and the girls should take over the local newsletter --- you would do great!
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love BOTH sweater vests! So cute!
New to your Blog -- cute, and cute love the green one and loved how you displayed the projects -- I love to knit but yet have I made anything so cute as these -- I'll be back
ReplyDeleteVery beautiful sweaters. You did an amazing job! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful memories you are making going exploring, and walking with your girls. Hopefully you can continue to make your own observations at the creek...:)
Blessings to you,
xoxo ...Gloria
Both vests are lovely--I love the colors. And, I wouldn't mind if you made two or three more ;-)
ReplyDeleteJo sounds like a gem, as does her newsletters. It's so nice when our lives cross paths with such kind and interesting people, isn't it? I'm glad you will be able to keep in touch with her after she moves.
Hi - new friend -- to answer your question - where m I - right now in Cabo San Lucas Mexico -- for work related business..
ReplyDeleteOh, I agree with one of the other comments. I'm sure you should take over the newsletter. Must be others that would love to carry on reading the nature report alone. Especially if they can't make it to the creek themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe vests are beautiful. Gorgeous colours.
The vest is precious...getting that grandmother hope chest going?
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet thing...the newsletter, who totally awesome, and what a gift.
Those vest are great!
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat thing to have something like your friend Jo, I bet you will miss her. I like your little vests they are really cute. I love that you are thinking about doing a unit study on Arkansas. I miss unit studies. We only have about 4 weeks left. Most of that will be getting my son registered for college. He has done every thing but picked classes. I will only have one student left and he will be a junior next year.:(
ReplyDeleteI will see what kind of unit studies I can get him to do by himself.
Thanks for your comments by the way. It is nice to read them.
What a great story! Jo is a treasure.
ReplyDeletei think it's a sweet little vest! sorry to hear your friend is moving but love that she'll be keeping up her publication.
ReplyDeleteLOVE both the vests!! I am sorry your friend is moving but it is wonderful that she does a newsletter and that she will continue to do so and share it with you! blessings ~ tanna
ReplyDeleteps you made a great haul in your more recent post!! ;)