To Germany

I FINALLY finished the items for my brother David's care package destined for Germany where he presently attends the Calvary Chapel Bible College. I know it is cold and I feel bad that it took me so long to get done. However, I hope to have his package in the mail by early next week.

In addition to the blue hat I finished a month ago, I knit another hat in black and gray with black fingerless gloves to match.



Here is a closer view of the fingerless gloves.



This is the same pattern I've used the last couple of Christmases to make presents for my husband and oldest son. But the hat was my first time through the pattern and I love it.



It is from the book, "Hats On" by Charlene Schurch. I loved the pattern so much I have already cast on for another of these hats in pink for Gabrielle for Christmas. Moths got into the hat and mittens I made for her last Christmas. (Didn't know we had to worry about those critters here in the south.)

I also wove a scarf for my brother.



This is the Heritage Yarns free pattern called "Calvary Twill." I don't see the crosses the printed pattern depicts, but I like the pattern very much all the same.



While I will admit the weaving is amateurish, I love the scarf all the same and hope my brother will like it okay too. If he gets cold enough the scarf is made with alpaca and that is warm.

My friend Darlene came over this morning with a lovely surprise. Her husband works for a clothing manufacturing company which has moved to South America. They are closing everything down here in the states and throwing away lots of fabric remnants. Her husband Mark saved some from the trash bin.



These are mostly stretch fabric. Not pictured are a couple rolls of sheer black material like a fine netting. It would make a pretty over skirt. One of the natural colored rolls has a fleece like backing and would make nice sweats.

Darlene then took me to church where Mark had deposited lots more fabric for anyone who wanted it. I tried to restrain myself but came away with probably 100 pounds.



The turquoise fabric in the brown paper is a 50 pound package and I'm sure the rest of it, pink, purple and white, equals that. They are all medium weight knit. I had been in the middle of ordering a dress pattern from Butterick that required knit fabric when Darlene arrived and through her the Lord provided plenty of the required fabric before I'd hit the "send" button. I love the Lord's provision! (And I left far more than I took so I didn't deprive anyone else at church who might want some so I don't feel bad at all about it even if I probably have more fabric now than I could sew in a lifetime. And Gabrielle insists that I share with her anyway.)

The turkeys are out free ranging today. They are very social so while we unloaded the fabric from the car, we were surrounded.



They look so big right now.



I keep thinking they must be ready for the table. But Kurt picked one up and they are only about 10 pounds. I want them to be at least twice that by the time we process them. In the meantime, Michael loves to talk to them.



If you say "gobble, gobble" to the turkeys, they will respond in kind. It can keep Michael entertained for a long time.

I've been doing a great deal of weaving lately and Gregory has been watching. He is ready to learn to use his floor loom too. But we can't figure out exactly how to tie and wind the yarn onto the back beam.



I don't have a sectional back beam so we are learning together. I suppose we have to tie on to the rod in the picture, but that would seem to create a lot of loom waste. We don't have a spool rack or a tension box, but Margaret from Heritage Yarns tells me we don't absolutely need one to use the loom. Gregory is so excited he has already wound a warp. I think it is going to be too small if we have to tie directly to the beam rod. He only intended to do a sampler, but still.

My calender says Christmas is coming. Now that I am ready to send off my brother's care package, I need to figure out what I am going to do about family Christmas knitting. Or weaving. . .