Kathleen's daughter, Pat, is an honorary Chick now. She traveled a little further upstate to visit this week. She lives in Pawling, which to the city dwellers downstate is considered upstate. So the NYC residents must think we're at the North Pole! LOL! Pat is working on a reversible stripes scarf using a self striping yarn that changes colors periodically making the scarf very pretty.
Sheila has made much progress on her "Mistake Scarf" and we're all thrilled at how well she is doing with her knitting skills.
Karin, on the right, brought her neighbor Linda to visit this week. Karin made the green hat for our inventory and....
a pair of mittens using the remnants from previously finished projects. We try not to waste any yarn so these mittens are made up of three different yarns. Cute!
Judy's donation scarf was made using a bulky weight yarn so it knitted up quickly. That will keep someone toasty warm.
This week I'm starting something new which will continue each week until every Chick has had her turn. I'm going to give you a glimpse into the knitting world of each of us with a little interview. First up is Kathleen Corrigan. We joke that she is who we aspire to be when we grow up. Her bubbly personality and winning smile always light up the room when she arrives. She thought she was done knitting and gave all her needles and other knitting tools to her daughters, but when she read about the Chicks in a local newspaper the knitting bug took hold of her again. She finished a Gansey sweater that some lucky child will get to wear after our next delivery.
Interviewer: Kathleen, at what age did you learn to knit?Kathleen: I taught myself when I was in my 20's, married and raising my five children, all under the age of 7! I can't remember how I learned though. My mother never knitted but she was an avid crocheter. She taught me how to crochet and I crocheted an afghan that lasted 50 years before it fell apart.
Interviewer: What was the first item you completed and for whom did you make it?
Kathleen: As it was so long ago, the best of my recollection is that it was probably a sweater that I made for one of my children.
Interviewer: What was you favorite item knitted?
Kathleen: Actually, my favorite handmade item was actually crocheted. It was a tablecloth with a pineapple motif which, after taking it out of storage, I found had a few stains on it. I gave it to my daughter Pat, who was able to remove the stains and restore it to it's original white and we used it for the last two Thanksgiving family gatherings. My other favorite crocheted item is a bedspread which went to Margaret, another daughter. The tablecloth and bedspread were both made while I raised the five children, under age 7 at the time.
Interviewer: What was your most challenging project?
Kathleen: That had to be the Entrelac blanket that I decided to learn how to make when I joined the Chicks. It was very challenging (added by Jody: she did a fantastic job and we're so proud of her!).
Interviewer: What took you the longest to knit?
Kathleen: I don't remember how long it took to make but the item I have knitted numerous times is a Fisherman Stitch Afghan. I have made it at least 25 or 30 times and given it away as gifts for weddings, showers, engagements, and college grads. I've made it so many times that I know the patterns by heart.
Interviewer: What do you like to knit now?
Kathleen: My favorite knits now are childrens' clothing for charity. I don't have to worry about knitting something exactly to size because since it will be donated, it will fit somebody out there. And knitting for charity interested me because I could use my skills to help out someone in need. After all, my family doesn't need any more knitted items!
Interviewer: What is your favorite fiber to knit?
Kathleen: I think my favorite fiber is wool. I like the feel of it and after watching the DVD of Elizabeth Zimmerman's "The Opinionated Knitter" I like the idea that it is a renewable resource.
Interviewer: Where is your favorite place to knit?
Kathleen: I like to sit in a cozy spot in my living room in the evening with my kitty nearby.
Thank you Kathleen for letting us into your world of knitting. Take a peek at next week's entry to see who will be the next Chick we visit.
No comments:
Post a Comment