Creative Spirit in Overdrive

I had a wonderful time with the 7th graders exploring downtown Philadelphia. Having lived in the heart of the city for more than 10 years I am looking forward to returning from the 'burbs to the city in a few years.

My knitting group keeps expanding. Five 6th graders who are now having lunch in my office 4-5 days a week to knit. They all are beginners but are flying through their projects like pros. Projects completed are a washcloth with a heart motif, a felted shoulder bag with braided I-cord strap, a teddy bear with multiple color changes, an I-cord braided/felted bracelet and a scarf. One of the girls is making a felted netbook bag for our assistant head of the middle school. She picked out the yarn and is learning how to knit in the round. I will teach her how to pick-up stitches so she can add a flap. She already knows how to make I-cord so the removable shoulder strap should be a breeze. I will make the pocket so the project gets finished before June.

With all of this activity going on in my office my creative juices are flowing. I also made the washcloth and felted shoulder bag. To add to the mix I ripped out once again, and began anew, a cocoon sweater I began a year ago. It uses 8 colors and changes color frequently. It also adds stitches every other row. The patterns were just not coming out right. I finally decided, this is the 3rd try, to not include the added stitch in the pattern count. It seems to be working because the patterns are looking correct.

But while the cocoon sweater is cotton and can be worn in Florida in the winter or at school up North in the Fall and Spring, I decided I needed some sleeveless knitwear to take on my summer vacation to Europe.

I found some dark blue dk cotton I purchased a few years ago but never made the project I bought it for. Found a tank top with a keyhole in the back in the latest issue of Interweave knits. I had enough yarn and a few days later the back is half way completed.

But of course 2 projects is never enough. I found this beautiful ballet neck top that I just had to make. The light purple Sublime yarn made of bamboo and pearls arrived the last day before spring break. It bodes a lace neckline and stockinette for the bodice. The back neckline I started yesterday and should have it ready to take in the car, along with the other tank top, tomorrow for our car trip. Six hours to and from Savannah should net me a lot of knitting time.

Do I stop there? Of course not. I found 3 or was it 4 more patterns I wanted to make. Already have yarn for one of them. One of these days I am going to have to sort my patterns that I keep at home, at school and at my Florida house and get them organized. Some people hog yarn, I hog patterns.

Guess the pattern organizing will have to wait for summer vacation. My granddaughter starts kindergarten in the Fall so the felted backpack I have planned for her will have to be made over the summer.

I could retire now and just spend my days listening to books on my iPhone and knitting to my hearts content.