It’s Pi Day

What is pi? “pi—which is written as the Greek letter for p, or π—is the ratio of the circumference of any circle to the diameter of that circle

If you want to know how pi originated click this Scientific American article

Mixing it up. Pie on Pi Day

Rob this post is for you. Rob is a certified Pie Judge. Here’s a post of National Pie day in January 2012. Sorry I missed National Day Pie Day this year but now it’s Pi Day 3.14.

Did you know you can order Pi Day sock yarn? maybe for next year Fibernymph Dyeworks says “ all of our Pi Day colorways, the striping pattern is based on the numeric sequence of pi – 3.141592…, which is a non-repeating number. Thus, the stripe sequence does not repeat within the skein, and you will not be able to get a matching pair of socks (or anything) from a single skein. But if you’re a math geek, that’s part of the fun! We include a stitch marker affixed to the beginning of the sequence”

Pi Day at high school was celebrated in 2015

March 14 2015

North East – More Than a Direction

There is a town in Pennsylvania called North East. Yes, that’s the name of the town, not just a direction. About 150 miles north of Pittsburgh, near Erie, it turns out it’s the northernmost town in PA.

My friend Roberta went to the North East Farmer’s Market and saw a vendor with yarn! There were chairs behind the display table and knitters sitting and knitting. She told them about her friend the knitter (me) and that I’d even been on a knitting cruise to Norway with Arne and Carlos . (If you’re unfamiliar with this creative duo who live in a Norway, you can click their name to learn about their creative designs.)

Sunday night Roberta came over to my front porch to celebrate my birthday. We shared Taiwanese takeout she had brought with her, Blackberries on vanilla ice cream and pizzelles were dessert.

Then I opened a surprise birthday gift she brought. It’s so cool she chose such lovely yarn for me and although she’s not a knitter, she knows I have a passion for it.

Yes, she knew I’d love the yarn from the Three Tulips Yarn Company …dream up magical colorways in tiny, individual batches so that your project will be truly unique. We love yarn and believe that each stitch should be a joy to create.”

You can meet the team at Three Tulips Yarn Company here

Here is what she gave me

Colorful and feels so squishy and a teacup on the birthday card!

Hand-dyed Micro Batch Yarn by Three Tulips Yarn Company I think to make a Hat on the left /Socks on the right.

An End of the Day Birthday Song

Look who gave me the gift of a birthday song video.

Sam Barsky and his Artistic Sweaters came to Yarns by Design in Oakmont PA in 2019 summer and I blogged it. Click on his link to see the list of sweaters he’s knit. Here are a few of his artistic designs.

An April 2018 New York Times Article by Laura M Holson It’s Sweater Weather Forever states:

Samuel Barsky has gained a measure of fame online for posting photographs of himself in front of famous landmarks with his handmade sweaters.”



Thanks Sam. What a great surprise.

Click link to watch 14 second video

Sam Barsky gave me the gift of a birthday song while wearing a birthday cake sweater. Click to see his video we have a mutual friend. A prolific knitter, Naomi, whom I “met” on McWalker Yarns Knitting Zoom .

T-Shirts of his designs are available in his website.

By the way both stores will be hosting the Steel Valley Yarn Crawl July 29- August 7, 2022 click more information

Yarns by Design Oakmont PA summer 2019

World Wide Knit in Public Day

These photos are from World Wide Knit in Public Day 2017 post at Carnegie Library McKeesport branch.

Where will you knit today?

World Wide Knit in Public Day was founded by Astrid Salling. Click link to find a location (Japan,Hungary, Cape Town, Acapulco, or Millvale PA wherever you are – find location where fellow knitters will meet and knit.)

“BETTER LIVING THROUGH STITCHING TOGETHER!”

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Born Feb. 7, 1892

Mary Alta Kerr Hendricks, my paternal grandmother, was born 130 years ago. She went by the name Alta. When my father was born they lived in Farmersville, Illinois. One summer my brother and I stayed with our grandparents and she taught me to knit. I was four years old.

This is just from the time she resided in a Nursing Care Center in Taylorville, Illinois. My grandmother kept a list of the afghans and shawls she knit for others during this period of her life.
Written inside the cover of her copy of The Book of Common Prayer.

Heritage from a post. May 2017. Ben H at WordPress says “This week, share a photo of something that says “heritage” to you. It can be from your own family or culture — a library, a work of public art, a place of worship, an object passed down to you from previous generations.”

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I held the quilt to the window so the light could show how beautifully it is pieced and stitched.
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She knit the blue Afghan and handstitched the quilt. She could tat and crochet, too. Made egg noodles and hung to dry on a broom stick.

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My father Roy J. Hendricks (b. 1912) is the boy standing on the left. Uncle Alan Ray Hendricks(b.1916) is the baby on my grandmother’s lap. My grandfather is standing, Floyd Merle Hendricks.
Mary Alta on the left , Sarah and Will Kerr in Illinois

Here’s another post for Throwback Thursday

My paternal grandmother, Mary Alta Kerr, born February 7, 1892 and her brother and sister. I need to do more research, dig around in a box, to get info on her siblings details. I know she called her sister “Sis”.

This is the grandmother who taught me to knit when I was little. No date on the photo. She looks to be 5 or 6? Maybe 1900-1901?

Mary Alta Kerr Hendricks passed March 13,1979 and is buried in Morrisonville, Illinois.

This is a photo of my grandmothers recipe box. This is a poem about bread, glued in the lid given to my grandmother by Ella Beyer. She was my godmother and I was given Ella as my middle name.
My grandmother on the right, the one who taught me to knit. 
1973 photograph of me in the middle, my grandmother on the right and Aunt Vesta Kent on the left. Morrisonville, Illinois.

Great grandson Shawn Hendricks posted a photo of this tag found on his father’s (John)Afghan

Morrisonville City Cemetery
Morrisonville, Illinois

A Felted Bowl

My friend Ann in Colorado invited me to join her knitting group (via Zoom) one Friday afternoon. Everyone was knitting a woolen piece to be Felted into a bowl. it was fun to knit with them , virtually.

You have to use large knitting needles and 100% wool yarn to be sure it will felt. I was trying out Germantown yarn worsted by Kelbourne Woolens made in the USA. Our local yarn store, McWalker Yarns , had just gotten some in stock. I chose one 100 gram skein of Sage Green.

It took me a little under two hours to knit. I ran it through the front loader in hot water with old canvas sneakers, twice. A top loader is preferable for agitation and a quicker result.

Note:There are free knitting patterns to search online to make felted bowls. The pattern I used is in a book so can’t copy it.

The finished Felted bowl

Resolutions or No?

This little gift (sent at Christmas from my friend Joanne) spoke to me today when I picked it up to put it away. Some days it’s a challenge but I’ll put it on the shelf near my sink so I can be reminded.

Daily!

If there’s one resolution to make, I will make this one.

Do you make resolutions? I used to make a list. you know, the usual – read more books, exercise, get organized….

The Quotable Matches Resting on a Christmas Hat
I finished just yesterday. Disciplined myself to learn Norwegian Knit and Purl technique and except for the last decreases with purl 2 together, I accomplished this personal challenge.
Jawbreaker colorway of Knittinbro Bulky yarn

Quotable Cards makes the matches, mugs, cards, calendars and ornaments.

Arne and Carlos videos for Norwegian knitting technique

Bringing Joy

A little handmade gift is especially appreciated by someone who makes handmade gifts. You know what they put into it! ❤️

Thank you dear Pam, a fellow sock knitter.
Thank you dear Tookie. Your beaded ball and mitten are great additions to the garland.
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And sometimes you get totally surprised by a generous spirit, thank you dear Carrie,who created and sent an Advent box, opening a new little package of yarn each day . Just look at the colors! –

And Maine surprises-chocolate lobsters, Moose Poop and maple syrup.

I’m going to knit a Simple Stripes sweater, a fingering weight pattern.

Unraveling

A piece of knitting that’s taken hours to achieve a length, can be returned to a ball of yarn in no time at all.

Ten hours of knitting? Can be undone in less than two minutes! But if it’s necessary? Wrong size, a mistake, wrong gauge, disappointing fabric, the wrong needle and/ or wrong stitch count.

My problem was I cast on 72 stitches for one sock then promptly forgot that I did so on the second. I cast on 64 stitches, my usual number. Rip, rip, rip! 8 stitches make a difference, in this case an inch in the circumference. You want matching socks. You NEED them to match as best you can . To fit! One thing I’ve learned is it will not remedy itself if you keep going. Face it! And rip. Carefully.

You just grit your teeth and do it. don’t think too much. No groaning.

There. It’s back to a ball of yarn. Now go cast on the correct number snd reknit. About ten hours worth of knitting. Love this handdyed yarn from Knittinbro Yarns of Pennsylvania.