Camp Wapiyapi

Last summer I joined the Sip n Stitch group which meets every Thursday morning at the local Presbyterian church. We drink coffee, work on a charity project of our own choosing and attempt to solve the world’s problems as we see them. :-)

They are such a great bunch of women and welcomed me so warmly that I felt at home right away. This was very special and just what I needed after leaving my wonderful friends at Stitcher's Paradise in Las Vegas.

One Thursday morning Sandra introduced me to Camp Wayiyapi and I started knitting purple scarves for them.

Camp Wayayapi is a camp in Colorado for young cancer patients between the ages of 8 and 15. Three camps are held each summer with 60 kids at each camp. The kids are divided into 6 groups (red, white, blue, purple, orange and yellow). Each child gets a scarf in his/her group color. They wear the scarves while they are there and then get to take them home. Would you believe it is harder to get people to knit in purple, orange and yellow than red, white or blue? Strange!
 

When I heard that Beth (another of the Thursday morning group) was collecting items for the bazaar they hold for the Catholic school each year I decided to pick up some Caron variegated yarn and make something for her too.

My first love is still cross-stitching but it has been fun picking up the knitting needles again.

Please check out Camp Wapiyapi Perhaps you too will want to pick up your knitting needles and knit a scarf for these deserving kids. 

Gifted Gorgeousness SAL

As I mentioned yesterday I have signed up for Jo's Gifted Gorgeousness SAL What a great opportunity to use some of the wonderful things I have been given these past years. Since one of the projects is very large I will concentrate solely on those gifts I have already started using.

Here they are:

  "Overlook Cafe" The Gold Collection Petites by Dimensions

from Berta

25 ct oatmeal Floba

from Mae

"Folded Star Ornaments" book by Carmella Troisi-Hoerr
from Brenda L.

"Lake Landscape" from Art Nouveau Cross Stitch book by Barbara Hammet
from DS
petite braid from Adele

The coming month I will concentrate on "Overlook Cafe" (nearly finished) and the folded ornaments on which the stitching is nearly finished as well. Brenda has told me that the finishing part takes quite some time and since I want to make six of them I think I have enough SAL work on my plate for now. 

As soon as a project is completed I will post a picture of it.

I hope the rest of the GG SAL are enjoying this as much as I am.

Blue Snowman

For a number of years I have been starting a new project on January 1. This year I had such a bad cold at the beginning of the year that my first 2015 project had to wait until the 4th. I'm all better now and here is the design of 2015 addition for my snowman wall.

 

  Blue Snowman by Imaginating, Inc. 

Stitched 2/2 on 32 ct opalescent Belfast linen with DMC.

As of yesterday this is what it looks like.

What a fun stitch. 

Thanks Brigitte for introducing me to the Gifted Gorgeousness SAL Check back tomorrow for a new post to see what 2015 will bring in that regard.

I thought it might be fun to add the books I am reading at the time of a posting. I usually have two going - one a paper copy and the other on Kindle. The Kindle is ideal to read in bed before going to sleep.

 

Happy New Year

Best wishes to all of you and your loved ones for a happy and healthy 2015. Did you do anything special to celebrate the new year?

We arrived home yesterday evening from our trip to The Netherlands and Germany. It was wonderful to spend time with our son in Germany and our daughter and family in The Netherlands. Not only did we spend time with both of them in their own homes but our son drove to The Netherlands on the 24th and we spent Christmas and our grandson's first birthday on the 26th as a family. He has grown so much since June and is so adorable.

I had stitched ornaments for the grandchildren. It was so sweet to see them hanging them in their Christmas tree. What can be better than seeing those little eyes sparkle as the little hands reach up to the branches of the tree?

"Happy Hearts" by Diane Williams

"Santa Bear Stocking" by Sugarplum Designs

Granny had also made an apron for Hadewych as promised when our daughter and family were visiting this summer. She's a big "Hello Kitty" fan and wore it all day every day.

We also managed to see a number of relatives and friends. It was a good trip!

As always, I read a lot of books during 2014. Actually, due to the severe winter we had last winter, I read more than normal. A few of my favorite were:
- "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" Stephen King (2014 favorite)
- "Emily and Einstein" Linda Francis Lee
- "Don't Sing at the Table" Adriana Trigiani
- "The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion" Fannie Flag
- "The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating" Elizabeth Tova Bailey

Children's books have always been big favorites of mine and in 2014 I decided to start collecting the Newberry Award winners. Our Goodwill has such a great books coming in on a regular basis and when you can buy four almost new books for 99 cents it is extra fun to work on a collection like this. So far I have collected 22 of them. A few children's books read in 2014 were:
- "The Westing Game" Ellen Raskin (NA 1979)
- "The View from Saturday" E.L. Koningsburg  (NA 1997)
- "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" Chris Grabenstein
- "The Mysterious Benedict Society" Trenton Lee Stewart

Did you read any books during 2014 you can recommend?

Later today I will put a few stitches into my January 1 start. I will bring you UTD on that soon. I also have some other crafty pictures and ideas to share. Check in again soon to see what they are.

Have a happy, stitchy 2015.