Be there or be square

Calm down, I'm still knitting the mitten.  We're striving for some balance in life, right?  It's been too long since I've contributed to any charity knitting so when Kay put out the call last week for 4" sock yarn squares, I knew this was the project I'd been waiting for.  Aside from benefiting the most worthy of causes, Oliver's Fund, the knitting can practically be done blindfolded and uses up all of those sock yarn leftovers that have been accumulating in the bottoms of project bags.  This is my waiting-for-the-tea-water-to-boil project, sitting in a basket on the kitchen counter, easy to pick up for a few quick rows at a time.  (Great for those long phone-chats-with-sisters, too.) 

In the 'she who giveth, receive-ith' category, while digging around in a dark hole looking for sock yarn scraps, I found this fairly recent issue of Piecework, somehow separated from the rest of my knitting library.  Not only had I forgotten about it, but in the sad tradition of so many magazine junkies, I don't think I ever even read it.  Is My Face Red!  (That was the name of an 'embarrassing moments' column in some pre-teen mag I used to read back in the day.  Anyone remember the magazine?  It's not a contest...just a brain-freeze moment.)

Anyhow, after quick perusal I could see that I needn't have spent all of that time fiddling with mitten calculations last week.  The cover mitten, pattern included, is a women's medium, knit in Finullgarn, charted as shown but perfect as a basic pattern in which to plug your favorite ethnic colorwork.  Additionally, there are articles on historical Estonian mittens, other Scandinavian knitting traditions and profiles of several contemporary knitters working in these styles.  Although the Piecework website seems to be out of stock, Nordic Fiber Arts has the issue in stock, if anyone's interested.  I know that many libraries carry Piecework in their periodicals, as well.

Ok all of you sockknitters out there...go over to Mason-Dixon Knitting and get the details. (A few more questions answered here.)  Any number will be most appreciated and they couldn't be easier to make and send...just pop them in an envelope!  Knitting stamps not required.

USA 2007 holiday stamps

Comments

[Chris]

Alas about finding the mitten calculations late! Hmm, those stamps are cute, but I think I'm sticking with breast cancer stamps.

[thehomelyyear]

Hi, your choice of patterns and colours is fabulous...you have a great knitting talent!
Margaret and Noreen at THY

[Carla]

IF you had moved to Geneva (IL) you could have had first day covers of those stamps as they were first shown Here at Wool and Company!-Honest!

[Kristin]

Oh my gosh! I love those mittens on the cover! I've got to get that issue. I'm also making those squares and they are so quick and easy. I love using up the little bits. I also have to say that those stamps are the bees knees. Now I've got to make sure I get some of them!

[Schnoobie]

Blindfolded sock knitting???? Not i said the schnoobie.....it's looking good so far , love the diagonal stripe......and I DO REMEMBER that "was my face red!!" column too... was it in "Seventeen"? that was about the only teen mag I read.......So glad the stamp gurus are paying atention to us fiber folks!!!!!!!

[Schnoobie]

Oh wait!! It's just a square knit in a sock weight yarn!!! hahahahahnarnar that's a definite MAYBE for blindfolded knitting (without the stripes!!!)

[floribunda]

the magazine was "Calling All Girls". My older sister got it (while I still got "Humpty Dumpty") but I used to read the column you mentioned! What a hoot!

[lori]

I'm pretty sure the magazine was Young Miss. That was a blast from the past!

[Kay]

Can't wait to see your stripy square in person.

Thanks Jan. I remember that column too! I think it was a dentist's office read for me, in the day.

xo Kay

[Kathie]

One of these days I plan to dive into mittens too, once I get the lace out of my system.