Camp Fire Memories

Camp Wolahi
Originally uploaded by brenda.pirie

I read an article from the San Diego Union-Tribune about the Camp Fire Council in Balboa Park is on thin ice. This is no surprise to me, since our beloved Camp Wolahi burned down to the ground in the 2003 Cedar Fire things have not looked good for the Council.

I have so many wonderful memories from when I was a Camp Fire Girl and as if that weren't enough...I got to enjoy it all again through the eyes of my own daughter. I was her Camp Fire leader for 8 years. What fun it was to watch Veronica and all the kids from my club grow up!

I miss Camp Wolahi and Camp Cahito so much! I remember scraping my nose on the bottom of the pool while doing a backwards summersault at summer camp, I think I was 11. Fast forward and I'm sliding down Squirrel Hill, hurting my ankle as an adult. Godzilla lives at any age, eh?

One camping trip while were were staing in Kuta Cabin, all us adults woke up the kids at 4am to watch a meteor shower. It was AWESOME! Another trip, it rained the entire time...poured, in fact. Somehow we gained access to the lodge...we made a roaring fire, played games and hung out all day. My experience in Camp Fire taught me, amoung many things, to macrome, build a fire, cook a foil dinner, sing more "camp" songs (I still remember most), play Stress and fall in love the sound to the sound of little girls giggling.

Any other Camp Fire girls out there besides me?!

WoHeLo

Dude Sweater

Saddle Shoulder Sweater
Originally uploaded by brenda.pirie

I knit this EZ Saddle Shoulder sweater for my nephew William. The dude in the photo isn't him. My first no-pattern sweater in a long, long time...I kinda liked the freedom of just going for it. I was lucky to have such a wonderful model to try it out on before shipping it off to California this Christmas. And the best thing is the yarn was from the stash!

Holes on Purpose

I’ve got lace on my mind today. What is it about those gossamer strands that make my heart pitter-patter? I love, love, love lace!!! I’m amazed how tiny lace weight yarn can be knit into beautiful shapes and designs. Not only are they a feast for the eyes, but the garments are truly warm. How can something with so many holes keep a body so warm? Must be the love knitted in, huh? I’m just itchin’ to start a lace project! I’ve got plenty of wool as you can see from the photo, but which to choose? I thought about starting the Lace Ribbon Scarf so I can use the last of my Malabrigo. The pattern looks easy enough for me to knit at knit group. I usually don’t travel with my lace projects because of the charts. Chatting + lace charts = tinking!

I’d also love to start A Curved Shawl with Diamond Edging from Victorian Lace Today. I have some scrumptious Alpaca Fine in a chocolaty brown…yummy! My dad bought me the book, Victorian Lace Today for Christmas in 2006. I hadn’t really done lace the more traditional way until I got this book. I asked for the book because of this pattern…it has circles in it! I thought, “How’d they do that?!” The book is excellent. Wonderful, clear instructions that help you create the most wonderful goodies.

I think I’ll do what Dad suggested when he gave me the book: Have fun knitting!

Glove Love

IMG_2227
Originally uploaded by brenda.pirie

Wishing everyone a peaceful day! Testing out new skills :)

Sunday Fun

Sunday’s drive took us to the beach. We cruised through Ponte Vedra, drove by so many beautiful homes and ended up at Jax Beach. The weather was so beautiful. The tide was low and there were piles and piles of shells. Most of these piles held broken bits of shells…beautiful to look at but tough on the feet. There was one area with shells in bigger pieces. Justine and I had fun digging for our shell treasures. The sun felt warm and wonderful. The wind was blowing quite hard and the sweatshirt didn’t come off, that’s ok. Besides, I needed my front pocket to hold all our shells.

That afternoon I worked on William’s sweater. I’m super excited to get to the decreasing part for the saddle shoulder. I’d like to do more Elizabeth Zimmerman patterns next year when working on my stash. Getting back to basics with my knit skills and sweater construction sounds good to me.

This is what Sundays should be all about. Nothing to do but go for a drive,

walk on the beach and knit.

Medrith + Faith = Sweater Love

Here’s my mom’s latest class project. The pattern is from Medrith Glover. Her patterns can be difficult to read through and understand, you just need to knit and do what she says, when she says and have faith it will turn out. I’ve only knit up her Circumnavigated cardigan…talk about a fun knit!

Isn't my mom cute?!

Personal Small Items Club 2009

I have 12 brown bags containing small projects, sealed up and waiting for the New Year. I’ve joined the Personal Small Items Club 2009 on Ravelry for 2009. It's a thread on the Stash Knit Down 2009. One small item project for every month, to be opened on the 1st of the month and knit up by month’s end…with any luck.

I have 7 socks, one hat, a neck warmer and 4 mitts waiting patiently for 2009. Did you do the math? One bag has two left overs from socks and some black sock wool to make up two pair of mitts, either Endpaper Mitts or my own Good and Plenty Mitts (I really should write that pattern and submit it to Ravelry’s free patterns some day.) My goal is to finish both pair in one month.

I didn’t label the bags and I’m not even going to pick them each month…Justine as volunteered to do that for me! If I pick the bags, I know I’ll be trying to figure out what’s inside. I can’t help it!

My First Blog Post...evah!

Well, hello there! Never thought I’d be blogging, but here I am. I also said I’d never knit socks.

I wanted to start a blog to document my travels through my stash of yarn for 2009. I plan to knit exclusively from my stash. That’s right, no yarn purchases. None.

Exceptions (You saw this coming, right?) would be replacing sock yarn once it is gone at the rate of two pair per purchase and spending any Gift Certificates I get from my wonderful family and friends who support my addiction.

Sock yarn never lasts long in my stash; I’m usually knitting 2-3 pair at a time. Socks are my “turn of the brain” kind of project. I do have some more challenging sock patterns in store for my DON’T FEED THE STASH ’09 (Oooo, I like that name.) quest.

I know you’re probably thinking I have patterns matched with all the yarn. I don’t. Something in mind yes, but that’s always changing.