The Hole in the Ocean

Has it really been two weeks since I blogged?  Recently someone told me that retirement is like digging a hole in the ocean.  As fast as you dig it, stuff flows in and fills it up!  Of course, I do have to remind myself that I'm doing the things I want to do.  I just want to do so much!!

Where to start?  Well, last weekend we had our 4th Annual Spring Tea.  This is an event that two friends and I have been hosting for - well, four years.  It's nothing fancy, but just a fun time to get together with friends and be a little girly.  I made scones, lemon poppyseed muffins, Devonshire cream and lemon curd.  Yummy.  My friend made finger sandwichs and the tea (she's British so we bow to her expertise).  The third friend contributes the invitations and made some beautiful fabric corsages. 

Of course, two little girls needed new dresses and Nana was glad to oblige:

Isobel has decided she doesn't like being "girly", so I was a little worried, but she was pleased that her dress was blue and didn't complain at all.  Maggie got into the spirit of the occasion with her own corsage:

There were hats:

And, of course - tea:

The weekend before the tea we had the girls for the weekend to give Abby a little break.  During their stay Isobel became infatuated with my spinning wheel and wanted to make yarn.  She pedaled and I drafted:

I asked her if she would like to learn to knit and she said, "I'd love to learn to knit."  Definitely an improvement over last time when she informed me that only old grannies knit.  So, I guess I'd better start thinking about it.  Anyone out there ever teach a child to knit?  Any suggestions?

I'm still a trifle obsessed with making little zippered bags.  I've sold some as wedding sets and I think they'd be great for shower gifts.  I especially like this set that I just did:

The smallest case is a tissue holder.  Here's the inside:

Pretty, huh?

I have been knitting in the evenings and finished In Dreams.  No picture yet because it's not blocked and looks like a pile of beaded dental floss.  Once I finished that, most of my knitting was rather plain and boring, so in a fit of I'm-not-sure-what, I started a new sweater.  I've been wanting to do a Dale of Norway for me and chose Nagano.  I'm up to the plain part of the body:

Now that I 've started a winter weight wool sweater, warm weather is sure to come - maybe?  We actually hit 70 today and it was glorious!!  Now we just need to string two of those together in a row and we can officially call it spring.

Comments

[Judy]

Those dresses are adorable! I assume you sewed them? You're right, fancy teas are very fun. A friend did one last year for a shower for DD2 and was such fun. I love your sweater and am anxious to see the shawl as the pattern sounded challenging. Last visit to Chicago I attempted to teach David (6) to knit and became rather worried about the sharp points on the needle as waved them around. We then switched to spool knitting, and he caught on quickly, As I recall. Mom taught me when I was 6 or 7.....

[Dorothy]

Good idea about the spool knitting. I may start her on that first. Yes, I sewed the dresses. Its so much fun sewing for little girls after having all boys!

Dorothy

[Lorette]

None of the grandkids around here seem very interested in knitting yet, the boys are mostly the "let's see what we can destroy" kind of kids, and Penelope would rather read a bazillion books. I'd go with bigger needles, wool since it's forgiving, and a project of some sort that actually turns something out in short order that she can actually wear. Scarves take too long. Maybe wrist warmers, knit flat then seamed? And she's probably not to young to learn to spin, either.

[Kristen]

What a precious picture of the girls in their tea party dresses. You must be thrilled that Isobel had a change of heart and wants to learn to knit! The wedding set is so pretty.

[Kristyn]

Love the girls in their dresses. I love the idea of having tea with the girls maybe my friends and I should do it.

[fleegle]

Those little bags are lovely!

Thanks for the compliments about my Crocus shawl. We aim to please!

[Marguerite]

Oh the tea looks like so much fun. And the food sounds delicious.

I still remember all the dresses I made for Heather when she was little, and shirts for John. It was the beginning of the 70s and he had some amazing hand embroidered shirts. One was purple. I must find the picture!

[Donna S.]

At 5 my granddaughter sat on my lap with her hands on mine as I knit. It wasn't long that she wanted to learn. We just switched with my hands on hers with about size 9 needles. She had it in no time. The way she was doing in I thought it would be wayyy too loose but it wasn't really. It was best to let her do her own tension rather than try to correct it.

[Lifesastitch]

A corsage on Gracee? Maybe for about ten seconds. Did Maggie get her own teacup?

[gayle]

Maggie looks adorable! Well, actually, all of you do!
I taught my oldest daughter to knit - several times! - but she never really took to it. After a break of 20 years, she's recently taken up needles again and is knitting up a storm. My youngest daughter, on the other hand, enjoyed knitting from the get-go and has been knitting steadily since she was 8.
I taught my granddaughter when she was 6 - she still knits garter stitch aprons and scarves for her dolls. We'll see if she branches out a little more now that her mother is knitting...