ROUNDLOOM HATS

Here's a pix of some of my ROUNDLOOM hats. Quick, easy and great fun to make. I use double strands of yarn for all my hats (with fun fur creations, I use one strand knitted worsted, one of fun fur.) I like to embellish the hats with buttons, jingle bells and patches. Visit the ROUNDLOOM yahoo group to meet a great bunch of folks creating many unique items with this great little invention.

ROUNDLOOMS@yahoogroups.com

LATEST PROJECT

Another picture post! And, this time it didn't take me the better part of forever to send the pix to my computer. These are dishclothes, done on size 6 needles with 100% cotton yarn. Patterns include Raised Diamonds, Simple Weave and Stacked Barrels. Patterns can be found (along with LOTS more of them) in the Knifty Knit Dishclothes booklet. LOTS OF FUN AND THEY KNIT UP QUICKLY!

HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS

The following post was made on the ROUNDLOOMS board, yesterday. It's appalling to think that, once again, the victims of the Katrina devestation are being treated so poorly by our own government. Please read Denise' post and visit the links provided. They are a real "eye opener."
Hi all,I really need your help. As many of you know, I have been working over the last year and a half to help the residents in Pearlington, MS recover from the devestation of Hurricane Katrina through my charity site Purls of Hope. The families in Pearlington are in a great time of need right now. In late February the FEMA trailers, which took some up to 9 months after the storm to receive, WILL be TAKEN AWAY! Some of the families have been able to salvage their homes and make them livable again. Some who's homes were totally destroyed have yet to even start rebuilding. Through the efforts of various groups, much of the debris has been cleared making way for rebuilding. I have partnered all along with the Pearlington Project Katrina Foundation, a non profit group that is basically taking over the organization of the rebuilding efforts in Pearlington.. as it is an unincoorperated town and has no government to do this. I have adopted one of the families in need of a new home, the Earl Family. Please go to one of the following links to read about them and please make a donation if you can. If you can't make a donation.. please spread the word on your blog, through emails etc.. My Blog:http://www.knitchat.com/2006/11/13/my-name-is-earl/My charity Site:Http://www.purlsofhope.comThe Foundation Website:http://www.pearlingtonproject.org/index.htm
Online Donations are now set up on the foundation's website. If you donate because of this post,
please put Purls of Hope in the comment section on the donation site. Thank you so much! Together we will build a house! WE WILL make a difference!
Denise
PS I am donating 100% of the profits of my pattern sales for the remainder of the month of November to this fund.

KNIT PICTURE

My first blog photo! This was taken with my wireless phone. My son, junior in college, called to explain how it works. Anywho...this is a hat and scarf made for my Dad's 79th birthday, Nov. 18. Tomorrow it will go in the mail, along with homemade cookies and hand knitted wash clothes for his wife (a lovely girl.) Dad lives in Dallas, Texas and, although it is much milder there than here in the midwest, Dad has mesathelioma, an inoperable lung cancer, so he is often cold, even in the house. He's doing VERY well, in spite of the doctors' diagnosis, which would have buried him six months ago. Instead, he went dancing!

The hat was made with my wonderful ROUNDLOOM, the largest one. I added a jingle bell angel for some holiday cheer. The scarf was done with size 10 needles and 2 strands of yarn. I don't care for fringe so I found a soft, fluffy fun yarn to trim it in.

CAREGIVERS

Being a caregiver to my Mom is probably the most difficult thing I've ever had to do. They say that because our parents take care of us for many years, we owe them the same care when they grow old. I understand this reasoning but, as a parent of three boys ,and grandparent of five, I feel that it's not the same scenario to raise a child as it is to care for a parent. Perhaps, it's the gratification one receives , as a parent , that makes that job more rewarding. Caring for a parent, on the other hand, offers little in the way of "thank-you's" and rewards. It's just plain hard work. My Mom lives 5 blocks away and is totally dependant on me for her basic needs. I shop, order medicine, pick up medicine, take her to all appointments, empty her garbage, care for her pet, do all of her paperwork, pay her bills and balance her checkbook. I take her on outings and try to visit 5 out of 7 days a week. She has no friends in the community, refuses to make any, and my brother, who lives 100 miles away, has seen her about 6 times in 3 years. Mom refuses to visit him because she doesn't get along with his wife. My health is deteriorating because of stress and basic overload, and I'm still feeling guilty that I don't do enough for Mom to make her life happier. (Although, deep down, I know this isn't rational thinking, on my part.)
Caught in this dilemma that has no good solutions, I would like to offer anyone out there who needs to "vent" about there own caregiving situation, an opportunity to COMMENT as much as you might like. Our only hope is support and a good hobby! I would be happy to offer my support to anyone in need.
By the way, I have two cousins in very similar situations. There are a lot of us out there.

WHY I KNIT

I've enjoyed many types of craft work for years, always doing something creative, including counted cross, quilting, painting and sewing. I learned to knit years ago but never really got into it until last year. Then I read somewhere that knitting has been proven to be as relaxing as practicing yoga. As full time caregiver to my 80 year old Mom, I needed all the relaxation techniques I could find. At the same time, our community formed a knitting club, which we call "Hooks and Needles," and my passion for knitting took off. There is hardly a spare minute that I'm not working on a project. I use both needles and looms and always have more than one project in the works at any given time. At present, I'm working on a tapestry, felted purse, using duplicate stitch over knitting. That's my BIG project for the moment, as the stitching is taking a lot of time and, secretly, I'm almost afraid to finish and felt--just in case my 100 hours of work will be in vain. My fun projects include knitting dishclothes, quick and easy, and making hats on my roundloom. Both of these projects take about 3-4 hours each to complete. As soon as my son comes home from college (Thanksgiving) I will post some pictures of my work. I gotta have those youthful instructions on how it's done!