A new twist - knitting

I still buy beads whenever I travel. The light facets on shiny glass, details in carved bone, and funky resin shapes are too alluring to dismiss but time constraints keep my stash in the cupboard. Craft time during moments of relaxation has shifted to knitting and knitting with a purpose. We have a new group at 1st UU --- the Caring Crafters -- who have taken on the task of creating prayer - comfort shawls.

I took our new President and the First Lady seriously as they declared a National Day of Service on the Martin Luther King holiday and thus began my study on Inauguration weekend. Lion Brand Yarn offers lots of tutorials, all very simple and one topic per clickable link. So I tackled casting on and it was so complicated for my old brain. I kept holding the yarn up to the computer screen trying to follow the arrows and getting only loops or knots but not a decent stitch. Finally, Richard suggested printing the six pages so I could follow from diagram to diagram without scrolling - something I had resisted in my green efforts. However, that was the trick! After practicing with yarn left over from a sweater I never finished in 7th grade, I started my first prayer shaw. Despite a long hiatus (1972 to present) my knitting continues to improve and I have contributed four shawls those those needing our caring thoughts and prayers.