I've been challenged

Each month, at my local knitting guild meeting, we are assigned a challenge for the month, then get to show it off at the next meeting, and possibly win a prize. Usually, it's a gift certificate to a local yarn shop. So last night, at our meeting, the challenge for October is to knit something for charity. The guild supports several charities, from Project Linus to Lapghans for Veterans. One of the charities though that doesn't seem to get much participation, headed up by my friend Karen, is newborn articles to be donated to a home for pregnant teens. It is located in Santa Cruz, California, and having lived in Monterey for a couple of years, I know how chilly the weather can be this time of year and all through the winter. The mothers and their babies can only stay at the home for three months following the birth of their baby, so it's nice if they can take something for their baby with them.
I came home and decided that Karen's charity was who I was going to knit for. I chose the Pine Forest Baby Blanket, by Ingrid Aartun Bøe. I gathered up some of my charity yarn I prefer to use, the Encore Worsted by Plymouth Yarns, my needles, and I headed for my favorite salon for a pedicure this afternoon, where I relaxed with my knitting. You can't see it in this picture, but I did make it to row three of the lace chart. Not too bad!!

 

A couple of hours prior to leaving for the meeting yesterday, I also cast on a pair of fingerless mitts. My sister has requested a pair, just like the ones I knit for our youngest sister a couple of years ago. I love this pattern and don't mind doing it over and over!! It's quick, it's fun, and I think just looks so elegant in that creamy white. They will be for my sister's birthday next month, and I'm pretty sure she's going to love them! This is my third or fourth pair, and I have yet to knit me a pair...maybe one day!

 

 

I still haven't had the motivation to rewind my ball of sock yarn so I can finish my second sock I talked about yesterday. It was way more fun casting on a couple of new projects, especially since I had a valid excuse! I will get to it very soon though...

 

The weekend here in northern California is forecasted for some pretty warm temperatures, low 90's I believe. Hubby and I plan to stay inside anyway and take up the old carpet in our bedrooms, so the new can be installed this next week. That of course, will have to be in between my attending Lambtown. It turns out that I may be going both Saturday and Sunday...I'm so excited!! On Saturday, a friend of mine is participating in the Sheep to Shawl contest and I agreed to go cheer her on tomorrow. On Sunday, I'm meeting a friend of mine I've known since 1983. We were once neighbors when our children were pretty young and when each of us moved away, we lost contact for many years. We recently reconnected, and in the interim, she has learned to knit and SPIN!!! We plan to meet up and have lunch together, and I'm so excited to see her!

 

And last, but definitely not least, I'd like to wish my beautiful granddaughter a very Happy Birthday!!! We normally would meet to celebrate and have lunch together, but she has a big girl job now with state employment, and had to work. We will get together soon, I'm certain. I love you to the moon and back, Alex!!!!! She made a comment at Christmastime how she would love to have some of my handspun yarn, which totally surprised me. I didn't forget it, so I included a skein of her favorite color in her birthday box I mailed to her. I can't hardly wait for her to get back in from the field tomorrow and open her present!

 

 

Even with the warmer temperatures, it's going to be such a lovely Fall weekend. With the sun at a different angle now, it's a different kind of feeling with the heat, or at least, it seems that way to me.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend in your corner of the world!!