Sunday, March 7, 2010

Missed the boat!


I wasn't able to finish either sweater in time for the March 1 deadline (but thankfully I had already made a bunch of other sweaters so I was not caught too short, whew!). Both the above sweaters are based on the recent yoke-pullover pattern requiring super-bulky alpaca. To get the right yarn gauge, I substituted with 3 strands of thinner yarn held together e.g. bulky + 2 WW. For the sweater pictured at the top, I used Lambs Pride Bulky, Brown Sheep Nature Spun worsted, and Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Bulky, all randomly selected from my stash (I am amazed at how well they all go together!). The 2nd sweater pictured is actually made from scraps of wool yarn that I've accumulated over the past 20 years of knitting. As I knitted the scraps, I recalled all the good memories of the sweaters I had made from those yarns - sweaters and scarves for my dad, my sister, myself and others. I hope that the recipient of this sweater will somehow be warmed by all the memories that have been knitted in with the scraps!

As this is my first post on this blog (actually, on any blog :-) Welcome to the 21st century, my dear), I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Nandini, and I live in Brooklyn, NY. I've been knitting for a4A since November 2005, and it has been a wonderful outlet both for my knitting as well as for my charitable impulses - being from that part of the world, I feel the need and desperation especially keenly. I work full-time in the Financial industry, and in my limited free time I knit, read detective novels, knit, eat wonderfully tasty food in the local ethnic enclaves, knit, take long walks through New York City's various neighborhoods, and knit some more. It's a wonderful life!!! :-)))
I am so pleased that we all came through with 72 cartons of goodies for CWS. To think we had 'hoped' for (just) 50! Hurrah!!

5 comments:

carolknits said...

Two beautiful sweaters. I volunteer in the basement and am amazed at all the beautiful color combos that come in - you did a wonderful job - now put them away for the next campaign!

Marcie said...

Nandini, what wonderful sweaters! You say you are from "that part of the world"--many of us would love to hear more about your background, having never been to Afghanistan...

Nandini said...

Marcie - I actually meant from 'generally' that part of the world (I too have never been to Afghanistan!) - I am from India and I lived there as a young child. Every evening as I sat down to dinner, the children from the local slum would sidle up to the window and stare hungrily at me while I ate. When my mother admonished me in the time-honored way "Clean your plate, there are starving children in..." (pick your favorite location), I didn't have to look far. That image of 3rd-world-style poverty has stayed with me. I want to do whatever I can to ameliorate the situation, and keeping someone warm is an important way for me to do that.

Tory said...

Your sweaters are really pretty! I love that you saved yarn scraps for 20 years and then blended the colors so well.

Kathy said...

Nandini, thank you for your personal story. It's inspiring for me, too.

And welcome to our blog. Like Tory, I love that you knit happy memories of your family into your sweaters which will warm the Afghan children who are in harm's way.

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