Pictures to follow soon (or not so soon)

I've been knitting kitchen goodies all winter long ... no-brainer, self-styled patterns and color combinations because I spend a lot of time waiting in the car, waiting at dance class, waiting for the phone to ring. Although most of these little knits are based on the principal of grandma's favorite dishcloth, I basically make them up as I go along. For those who have been asking, here is a general guideline on how to make the coasters and potholders:

• Using the equivalent of three (yes, three) strands of worsted weight cotton (I prefer Peaches 'n Creme, no affiliation, I just really like the product) and size 8 or 9 needles, cast on three stitches.


• Row 1: bring the yarn to the front, slip 1 stitch purlwise (you will be making a twisted chain stitch selvedge). Knit in front and back of second stitch (sometimes written as kfb), knit to end of row. You have increased one stitch (inc 1 st ) There will be four stitches on your needle.


• Repeat row 1 until one side of your potholder or coaster is as long as you like (about 4 inches for a coaster, 6 or more inches for a potholder).


• Next row: repeat selvedge stitch, knit next two stitches together (k2tog), knit to end of row. You have decreased one stitch (dec 1) on this row.


• Repeat the decrease row until three stitches remain on needle. Bind off, weave in ends, and you are done.

This little bit of knitting, done all in garter stitch, creates a thick and cushy coaster or hot pad. Using three strands of worsted weight cotton creates enough thickness to protect your table from oven-hot casserole dishes or the heat from a piping hot mug of cocoa. The coasters are excellent at absorbing the condensation on the outside of the tall tumbler of iced tea or other cold beverages.

Each coaster will use approximately 20 yards of each strand of yarn you use; potholders will require about 50 yards of each.

Just to minimize the number of items in my knitting bag and keep yarn tangles to a minimum, I generally use one strand of double weight worsted and one strand of regular worsted.

Although I haven't done it, some people swear by wool for potholders and coasters. Some precautionary notes: acrylics melt, so the synthetic yarn would probably be okay for coasters; I would hesitate to use it near the stove. If you do use wool, look for washable wool; otherwise, use 100% wool, make your coasters extra humungo, and felt them to size in the washing machine. Again, I'm not a felter, but a google search of "felted wool potholder pattern" will turn up virtually dozens of free patterns.

I get a kick out of creating and gifting these projects. People will actually use these handknitted gifts ... even if you get the colors wrong, every kitchen can use an extra "utilitarian" potholder, and the coasters are handy when extra people show up at the cocktail hour.

Some ideas for the knitted kitchen gift:

• add a matching dishcloth and scrubby for a shower or housewarming gift basket.
• Choose yarn colors that match or complement a special coffee mug, knit one coaster and add a package of gourmet chocolate, sample size of special coffee or tea. Voila! you have created a one-of-a-kind gift for teachers or other special helpers.
• Four coasters, a small package of gourmet cookies, a small package of specialty coffee or cocoa ... another seasonal gift basket

I have an identity ... at last!

When I was invited to become a member of Ravelry (http://www.ravelry.com/), I chose the user name "cedarstrings", to describe my location and my new fascination with the pointy-stick thing. Since then, I've been seeking a way to identify myself, without resorting to cutesie stock clip art, and I've wanted the guitar and violin people who stumble across my blog to know right away that I'm not talking about musical instruments (or model railroad parts).

I've been fascinated with the work of Cindy Moore (Fitter Knitter), who is painstakingly rewriting and charting the lace patterns found in The Art of Knitting 1897. When I landed at her website, http://fitterknitter.com/, I found the answer to my identity problem. Not only is Ms. Moore a busy aerobics instructor, a gifted and dedicated knitter and designer, she is a technical illustrator/graphic designer! Cindy's expressive interpretation of my name could only be created by a knitter: only a knitter would know how to convey to the world that Cedar Strings is a knitter, not a luthier, nor do I traipse the cedar swamps to harvest the bark to create strings for crafting with other kinds of barks and deer hide.

I know this post is rather disjointed, but I am eager to proclaim to the world how happy I am with my new look. I urge any and all who read these words to check out the wonderful creativity Cindy displays on her website; in her knitting work, and in her technical and graphic illustrations. I sincerely appreciate her time, skill and talent in creating my new look, and heartily recommend her services ... whether you need a touch-up or an extreme makeover, this is the artist who can do it!

Are we ready for winter yet?

This colony of bald-faced hornets managed to build its nest practically overnight ... about 150' from my front door. I'm glad that my daughter is back in school; happy that she is occupied with other activities most days until it's too dark to go outside for exploration. I've warned the lawn-mowing crew and tied bright yellow ribbons around the drip line of the tree. My garden guru and other advisors suggest that I trim the branch in the middle of the winter and burn the nest ... I probably will do that. Only because I don't want this colony to send its progeny to another tree closer to the house.

This is the east side of the nest ... sleeping late is not allowed when each member of the colony has to do its share for the benefit of the entire community.

I don't know if you've ever come across these hornets ... they build the most awesome structures, almost overnight. When we come home from an overnight trip, we will find new nests at our doorways, on the decks, on the wheelbarrow that we forgot to put away. I usually have my planet-friendly bug man treat the house and outbuildings each spring to minimize our exposure. This past year I skipped the bee treatment for a number of reasons, and this is my reward. After a lengthy telephone conversation with my bug man, I learned that the bald-faced hornets really like eating little spiders. A side effect of spraying for bees, wasps and hornets is that the spiders also bite the dust, so there is nothing around here for these hornets to eat. This year, however, the hornets have found happy hunting grounds, so they have settled in for the winter.

My bee man, my garden guru, lots of other advisors ... all tell me to stay away from the nest until deep into the winter freeze, then cut the branch with the nest and burn it. Common sense tells me that is the right thing to do, from a safety point of view. But there is a side of me that feels sad for the hornets ... the insects that are so busy finishing up this winter home have spent their entire lives to create a safe place, warm, filled with food, so the next generation can emerge next spring to find another place to do the same thing.

Observing this nest over the last week has made me think about all of the things I need to do to get my home ready for the winter. The garden needs attention before it sleeps; there are summer toys to put away; windows and screens to wash one last time before the weather turns bad; winter coats to match to hats and mittens and scarves; bird feeders to fill ... and even if I complete all of these tasks perfectly and on time, my home will still not be the model of beautiful engineering, energy efficiency, safety, warmth and good nutrition that these insects provide for their offspring. But the nest is the perfect example of what I aspire to achieve.

Dish Rag Tag - Sweet Sixteen

Dish Rag Tag - Sweet Sixteen

Who knew summer could be this busy?

I only have time for a brief brief entry ... I've been busy without much time for knitting, but I want to take a minute to share the results of my most recent KIP's: "Scrubbing Bubbles". The original "Bubbles" was created by Susan Mrenna at http://knitalittlestore.blogspot.com/2008/03/bubbles.html; a great little pattern that just cries out for individualization. Substituting nylon yarn meant for plastic canvas embroidery, I have been knitting fish as fast as I can cast on.

These little guys are wonderful for KIP (knitting in public): the fascinated onlookers can actually see the fish take shape as I work; the project doesn't require undivided attention so I can actually carry on a conversation AND knit; every now and then someone will say, "I used to knit, I'll bet I could do a project like that" ... if I've re-captured any former knitters with the fishes, they have served their purpose.

The first FO of my new knitting incarnation

When I resumed knitting late last year (after a 24 year layoff), my assignment was to make an afghan for my mom's new couch. Well, after at least ten different swatches, I still didn't come up with the right color/texture/whatever that would have been exactly right. So I took the pile of several yarns, found this wonderful pattern for at http://www.knitlist.com/: http://www.knitlist.com/01gift/the-big-snuggly.htm The Big Snuggly, and sat down to knit it for myself. For some reason, when I showed the FO to my mother, she thought it was hers, so it has been in her living room ever since. In fact, I couldn't even get it away from her to take a photo for my scrapbook.

But mom's on vacation, now, so I snuck in to her apartment to take these photos:

I used three yarns: Lion Brand Homespun (Shaker); Caron Simply Soft (Toast) and Caron One Pound (Bone) ... The Homespun and Simply Soft are very lofty; the Caron One Pound adds body to the fabric so the Snuggly stays put while walking from the recliner to the kitchen.

Done all in garter stitch, this is a great project for TV Knitting; the simple short-row shaping is a no brainer that creates an attractive and useful shaping.

I highly recommend this project: a great throw for each member of the family as we face escalating home heating costs next winter.

Thirteenth Post on Friday the 13th

It's a good thing I'm not superstitious or I would have waited until morning. But I'm so pumped over these Tawashi Blossoms that I just can't contain myself. Unbelievably quick to knit and very cleverly designed, even though my flower beds washed away I'll still have flowers!

I'm sure the folks at Ravelry are going to get fed up with my Tawashi projects, but this is so much fun I can't contain myself. My KIP bag is loaded with supplies for more blossoms for KIP day tomorrow ... these are a totally cool and useful item. I hope to do three or four to hand out to interested passers-by!

Something awesome is coming up for us homebodies ... on Saturday, June 14, 2008, my daughter and I have main floor tickets to attend the live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion at the Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As a proud supporter of Michigan Public Radio, I always donate at both the spring and fall pledge drives. This past April, just as I was balancing my checkbook and trying to calculate an affordable gift for the season, the radio station announced a special opportunity. For a generous donation, a few lucky people could have a pair of main floor seats AND attend a post-show reception in the Auditorium lobby. Let me tell you, I was on the phone within ten seconds ...

At some point, I will feel guilty about the large price tag, but not this week. You see, June 14 is my late husband's birthday. He passed away on April 30, 2007; last year on his birthday I think my daughter and I were still in shock at our sudden loss. This year, we're a little bit better, but we also know that he would have doubled our pledge to take another couple along with us. I can't think of a more appropriate way to celebrate his life than to support National Public Radio, and to enjoy the wonderful music and unique humor of Garrison Keilor's A Prairie Home Companion. DD hopes to get an autograph from Fred Newman (the sound effects man on many of the shows); I hope to introduce her to a little of the cultural experience offered by Ann Arbor during its Summer Festival.