<p>My favorite yarn is Wool Ease (Lion Brand); I just finished a lovely neck cowl using one of their free patterns.</p>
<p>How can anyone talk about knitting without mentioning The Yarn Harlot (<a href=“http://www.yarnharlot.ca)?%5B/url%5D”>www.yarnharlot.ca)?</a> Patterns, humor, and more. </p>
<p>I knit hats on circular needles, wavy-pattern scarves, and garter stitch blankets. For me, it’s all about the wool and the process. I love the feel of really luxurious yarn as I knit.</p>
<p>And colmomto2–I made my son a storm-at-sea (machine pieced and flip-quilted) six years ago (for high school!) and he has taken meticulous care of it. It looks better than the quilt I made for my daughter. (At one point, he told me his girlfriend thought it was cool that he had a handmade quilt from his mom on his bed. Who knew?)</p>
<p>And mollie, you might enjoy the R2D2 beanie: <a href=“http://carissaknits.blogspot.com/2007/06/r2d2-beanie.html[/url]”>http://carissaknits.blogspot.com/2007/06/r2d2-beanie.html</a> (no it’s not a blog, it’s a knitting pattern!).</p>
<p>^r2d2 beanie–priceless!</p>
<p>You have taken me back to my third grade class. In “pre-ritalin” days, Mrs Idey insisted that ALL the boys in class had to learn to knit. It “kept young gentlemen from being fidgety”. When they were not reading, writing or doing math—they HAD to be knitting. Girls were only allowed to knit during recess. We had quite a collection of scarves by the end of the year.</p>
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Ha! So I am already on Ravelry (same username :)), and one of my first searches after joining was for science-themed and otherwise nerdy projects. The R2D2 beanie came up, and my husband caught sight of it and has been begging me for it ever since. I have to learn intarsia first, though!</p>
<p>Mollie–I assure you that anyone who can graduate from MIT can knit intarsia. Or you could do duplicate stitch.</p>
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<p>Did your S take it to college with him? I can just imagine my S sitting on it eating pizza, greasy popcorn, etc. Not that he doesn’t appreciate the work put into it, it’s more like he is sure he won’t spill anything on it b/c he is being so careful. Bless his little pointy head. :)</p>
<p>After reading this thread I’m thinking that a nice afghan might work for my S at college. I can put one together in just a matter of weeks, so if he spills on it I won’t be distressed. Does a young man want an afghan on his college dorm bed?</p>
<p>colmomto2–yes, he took it to college. I think he said he put a blanket over it when he wanted to eat on top of the bed. </p>
<p>I think an afghan is a capital idea.</p>
<p>What perfect timing.</p>
<p>I am just (re)learning to knit. Learned from my mother as a child, but neither she nor I were heavily into it. My friend is an expert knitter and I am knitting [this](<a href=“http://www.catbordhi.com/documents/IslandEmbrace.pdf”>A Knitter's Dream: A Continuous Chain Edge For Circular Edges video tutorial - Cat Bordhi) afghan as my first project.</p>
<p>Trying to be “frugal” (the New Economy and all), so I am not using luxurious yarns. But it is fun.</p>
<p>I hadn’t done any knitting in years, but while searching through a terribly disorganized closet a few months ago, I came across the last (unfinished) project I was working on. It inspired me to take it up, seriously. I am working on an afghan for my hs daughter. It has seven panels, each with a design that represents an activity or special interest of hers. </p>
<p>geezermom, I am waiting for my ravelry membership to come through. It takes a week right now to get the right to sign in.</p>
<p>Any how can anyone talk and knit at the same time? My shriveled brain cannot keep the pattern straight if the phone rings, the dog barks…</p>
<p>I enjoy crocheting using an afghan hook. The afghans I’ve made that way are SO warm and “blankety” and your toes don’t go through the holes!</p>
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<p>I am thinking I can make him an afghan in the school-he-chooses colors as a hs graduation present. </p>
<p>Also reminded that my mom and grandma both knitted. I remember having the best slippers on the planet. Even had a pom pom on top! I made a pair myself for my dad for one Christmas. Can’t for the life of me remember how to make them, though. I have my mom’s knitting needles and yarn basket. Maybe I should look more seriously into taking up knitting. </p>
<p>Have two gorgeous afghans knitted by my grandma and several pillowcases which were handmade including crocheted edges by my great and great great grandmothers. Also some doilies with solid centers and crocheted (tatted?) edges made by these two women. Very delicate and beautiful. All these handmade items are treasured and irreplaceable. </p>
<p>Also have a quilt made by my dad’s mom. Had it on my bed when I was a child and now treat it like a valuable piece of art. It makes me smile everytime I look at it.</p>
<p>We can all feel great about providing beautiful handmade items to our loved ones who just may pass these items down to generations that have yet to be born!</p>
<p>I’ve taken up knitting again just this past year. I love to keep my hands busy and just can’t sit and watch TV without a project going. So far this year I’ve made two sweaters and two hats. I found a yarn shop that’s been very helpful. They have classes for certain projects. </p>
<p>Knitting an afghan is a great idea for a gift for my soon to be graduate. I’m always looking for new projects. Does anyone have a tried and true pattern?</p>
<p>There is a HUGE knitting exhibit in the library in Rochester that some Univ of Rochester students did, come see it, or if you can’t, at least see the video… the screen does not do it justice.</p>
<p>[Local</a> - 13WHAM.com](<a href=“http://www.13wham.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=205467@video.wokr13.com&navCatId=212]Local”>http://www.13wham.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=205467@video.wokr13.com&navCatId=212)</p>
<p>As for me, I am a crocheter, it is amazing that the old granny square scarves I used to make are fetching $50 and up at craft shows, maybe something to do if I get laid off…</p>
<p>I knitted my husband a sweater over 20 years ago which he started wearing again recently. My 24 year old, very cool son saw it and has been coveting it ever since! If I start now, I’ll have a sweater for him by the time he’s 30. I’m one of those people who loves starting projects but never finishes them, so I have a bunch of mismatched sleeves. There must be something I could do with them… leggings? Or those cute fingerless gloves.</p>
<p>I’ve been looking for a cardigan pattern but haven’t been able to find the right one. I want something longish, not too baggy, in a wrap style, in a medium weight yarn. Maybe a nice collar. Anyone know of a good one?</p>
<p>I made one sweater that my husband and two of his friends could get into and then started a lovely cardigan for my then 4 year old niece…she is now 26 and I still need to finish a sleeve. Started knitting again just last week…back to scarves! and maybe will finally finish the sleeve for a 4 year old I don’t know yet.</p>
<p>[The</a> Institute For Figuring // Gallery](<a href=“http://www.theiff.org/reef/index.html]The”>The Institute For Figuring // This page has moved)</p>
<p>Math, crafts and marine science all wrapped up in one</p>
<p>Motherdear: Thanks for posting that. I’d seen it before and was looking for it to give Mollie the link–and couldn’t find it again. Amazing, isn’t it?</p>
<p>Motherdear - Totally cool link</p>
<p>My daughter is a percussionist and found that a lot of classical music has many long rest periods for her so she took up knitting. Last year she was able to knit a sweater and an assortment of mitts and hats during orchestra rehearsal. Kind of funny though because her private teacher was the one who suggested it to her.</p>