I spent yesterday afternoon at Janine/Feral Knitter's place working with a nice group to sew up Ryan/Mossy Cottage's crazy-quilt afghan of donated squares.
Ryan (front and center sewing up squares here) went through a really bad patch after her long-time SO broke things off. This afghan is meant to remind her how many people care about her every time she wraps it around herself. And everytime she thinks of this afternoon when friends came together for her.
It also will help with the deficient heating in her house. Since it doesn't get below-freezing cold often during our winters, many houses here skimp on heat and insulation or just have faulty designs. Now she can be cozy without having to do all of the work herself.
The afternoon was a lovely exercise in comaraderie. Conversation roamed from mystery novels to the effects of WWI on Britain to the lack of a knitting community like this in Berkeley where Janine will move permanently to join her husband next month. Fortunately for us, Janine will be back to teach her Fair Isle Color workshops for one day at the Madrona Winter Retreat and the two-day version at Suzanne's in the Spring (scroll down to About MFA to sign up for info).
I do need to learn once and for all, though, that when I combine caffeine and sweets I lose concentration, sewing wrong ends together, and become a chatterbox who tends to talk right over others. Then I collapse when it wears off. Sorry if I was rude, ladies. And I should credit Rebecca and her February Lady Sweater since she's in every photo. Janine (half visable sitting in a chair on the edge of this photo) will be missed in our community. Not only does she help out knitters in need when she can, but she's a mainstay in the local general and Fair Isle communities and in the Feral/Fair Isle Knitters meet-ups.
