Etsy shop update

I am all caught up on orders for right now. If you placed an order prior to yesterday, then it is on its way to you already! I plan to shut down my shop on March 22nd (unless I run out of supplies earlier) so that all orders can be filled and mailed out with plenty of time to arrive before Easter and I can spend Holy Week focus on my family. I did want to mention that right now there are a couple of items other than kits for sale. First, there are two beautiful pairs of fingerless gloves hand knit by my daughter who you all know as Sunshine.

You can see her Cranberry Cable Knit gloves here and her Dahlia Bamboo Field Mitts here.

Also, I have a couple of ready made dolls if you are looking for a basket filler for a littler person who's not yet ready to do embroidery. 

Sunshine Knits for Courtney!

UPDATE #2: 8:30 pm The are all sold. Thank you to those who purchased, those who made a donation and those who offered their prayers! Your generosity is inspiring.

UPDATE #1: 12:40 pm The only pair left is the perfectly pink Carnation gloves. Thank you so much for loving the Lenaburgs and supporting my dear daughter's efforts.


My sweet girl has been following the story of Miss Courtney, the Warrior Princess, and has begged me for something that she can do to help. If you don't know the Lenaburgs, please take a moment to read a little about what their life looks like right now as they prepare to say goodbye to their beautiful girl and return her to our Eternal Father's glory all the while facing impending unemployment.

Courtney's body has been racked with seizures since she was five weeks old and after 22 years of fighting, her body is just worn out. Sunshine has come to know Miss Courtney through Miss Mary's blog and we are so thankful she has shared her precious girl with us and the world so that we can offer our prayers and petitions on their behalf. But we are also "doers". And when someone is struggling, we want to do something to help.

We came up with a little fundraiser idea for Sunshine. She contacted the designer of a pair of fingerless gloves and got permission to use her pattern for gloves to sell on Etsy. I am so proud of her initiative!

Today, I have posted four pairs of fingerless gloves hand knit by Sunshine herself in different colors and different yarns. Most of them are one-size-fits-most teen/adult women's hands. One does run smaller than the other so it might fit a child's large hand.

They would be perfect to tuck into a teen's stocking or spunk up a winter outfit with some color. ALL of the proceeds will go to the Lenaburg family to help with Courtney's extensive medical bills and future funeral expenses. So, you get to make a donation and receive a beautiful pair of fingerless gloves in return which just might give you a jump start on your Christmas shopping!

If you live where winter barely breaks below 70 degrees and  have no need of any fingerless gloves or would like to make a donation just because, you can use the Paypal button on Mary's blog or use the GoFundMe website that some friends established to send them a little financial assistance if you'd like. I know that prayers and sacrifices are always welcomed.

Head on over to my Etsy shop to see more of these gorgeous gloves and decide how you'd like to help this dear family in need.

A Knitting Post from Sunshine

I'm turning this post over to my knitting girl, Sunshine. She has been working as a test knitter for Katherine, testing out this adorable Blossom Tee pattern. It is beloved by her littlest sister and just about everyone else who sees it including costume designers for television shows (more about that later). There were many adults at a family party yesterday wanting one in their size! Katherine is offering a giveaway on her blog for the pattern if you are a knitter or know someone who is.

Now, I'm going to let 15 year old Sunshine tell you about her experience with the pattern…

 I had been knitting for a little over six years when Miss Katherine asked me to test knit the Blossom Tee pattern for her. I had knit one of her other patterns before, the Martinmas Sweater, and I was thrilled to test this one as well. I tested size 4 in Cascade Yarn's Ultra Pima Fine in Primrose for my little sister, Cupcake.

 The pattern itself is very clear and precise, perfect for a beginner knitter who is ready to move on from scarves and such to their first sweater. The yoke increases and the flower detail at the bottom of the sweater also introduce the knitter to very basic lacework. Very simple, yet at the same time, pleasingly challenging. 

 It did take longer than I would have guessed to knit this sweater, but only because of my gauge. I cannot stress enough how important it is that every knitter knows how to check their gauge before knitting on a project they want to turn out well. A friend of mine commented on gauge once, “Gauge: the bane of a knitter’s existence that miraculously saves sweaters from turning into tents,” and I whole-heartedly agree. It is crucial to check your gauge before, and even during, your project, because your tension might not stay consistent throughout your work. Checking your gauge will keep your tension in check and prevent you ending up with a garment that’s too big or too small. (Need I tell you about my first sweater that was much too wide in the middle with the sleeves hanging way past my wrists? I thought not.:) So, it took me longer to finish this project because I had to start over and pay closer attention to my gauge throughout, but it was worth it to get it right.

Sunshine's Test Knitting Update

Here is an update on Sunshine's progress. She's test knitting a friend's pattern and hoping that this will be her first completed sweater that will become a part of Cupcake's wardrobe this year! She had one rough spot but she was able to work that out with Katherine. She's feeling more confident now but still sees some areas where she'd like to work on her technique should she try to make this pattern again. It's really been a learning experience for her in so many ways and I'm thrilled that she's had the chance to do it alongside such a gentle teacher and friend like Katherine. It's also been quite a learning experience for me. I may not know how to knit but I'm learning the vocabulary!

A Survey from Sunshine

My sweet Sunshine is working on a project for her math and would like some help. There is a question for knitters/crocheters and one for non-knitters/crocheters although if any knitters/crocheters wanted to answer both, please feel free!

1) If you are a knitter/crocheter, what fiber would you be most likely to create with?

a. Wool

b. Alpaca

c. Bamboo

d. Cashmere

e. Cotton

f. Silk 

2) If you were to purchase a hand knitted/crocheted item which product would you be most interested in:

a. Sweater or Cardigan

b. Hat

c. Baby Clothes

d. Socks

e. Shawl or Wrap

f. Mittens or gloves

g. Scarf

h. Bag

i. Pillow

j. Blanket

Just leave you comment in the combox. Anonymous comments are allowed. Thank you so much for your help!

Sunshine's Sky Scarf

I meant to post this back in June... oh well.

I saw this Sky Scarf idea on Pinterest (thanks Miss Kelly!) and showed it to Sunshine. She fell in love with it. Can I just say, as a homeschooling mom (although not a knitter), I love the idea of conceptual knitting. She's kind of grooving on it too and thinking of projects she can create along the same lines.

So, after looking at the instructions, she decided to come up with her own color scheme and wants to alter the width a little. It's going to be a long process but she's excited. The knitting began yesterday and Sunshine has given me permission to blog her progress. Since she is using worsted weight and not fingering or lace weight, a year's worth might make it too long so Sunshine reserves the right to finish off the scarf when she feels it's a good length. Might be 6 months, might be 9, we'll see how it goes. I think she'd like to see the change from summer to fall and then winter primarily although spring would give her more stormy skies to notate.. We decided that 10am was a good time for her to make a daily observance, of course reserving the right to change her observation should the weather change drastically during the day. I told her not to treat it like a science project but to allow for artistic license. I think she's going to find the patience the hardest to accomplish. She's usually anxious to start a project and get it on it's way enjoying seeing the progress she makes. This project progresses slowly but I think a few months will be enough to see something lovely emerging.

Here are her sky designations...

Clear blue:

Clear blue with clouds:

Light blue:

Light blue with clouds:

Foggy or snow:

Cloudy / overcast / light rain:

Dark clouds / heavy rain / thunderstorm: