theraineysisters knitting and so much more

Sally is travelling but I am sure she would wish the same.

Have you seen these yet, floating about the internet??

Are they not the cutest?  They have sausage inside so they are truly Piggies in a Blanket.  My daughter showed me a youtube video on how to make them but I could not find it.  I improvised with Pillsbury Grand biscuits, and sausage links (casings removed , rolled into balls and baked).  You brush them with egg wash.  The girl has whole cloves for eyes and the boy has peppercorns.

From the back

Anyway, they are awfully darn cute — I almost hate to eat them!!

Our knitting Camp friend, Denise Bell, put her heart and soul into a beautiful endeavor named fittingly Ultima Thule.  Any of the definitions listed could be applied to this book and the lengthy journey it took to get it to press!

Ultima Thule by Denise Bell and Chris Dykes

Denise, with her wonderful Southern drawl, is the talent and spirit behind Lost City Knits.  She creates spun gold out of silk and other natural fibers.  Her yarns are absolutely stunning.  I have a few skeins of her silk waiting for the proper timing and inspiration (or just plain time??):

Denise was also my inspiration to knit the Scatness Tunic.  I sat behind her when she was wearing it and became obsessed!

The book chronicles her trip through the Shetland Isles and includes some wonderful designs.  The shawl shown on the cover is knit out of her silk laceweight (like that shown above).  Wow.  Again, wow.

So, congratulations, Denise, on your brilliant work!!  And I look forward to seeing you in July with all of your stunning creations!!

PS to Janet: The doily is a knitted Herbert Niebling design called Lotus Flower.  Of all the doilies I have made, this one was my favorite to knit.  The pattern (from Doilyhead) is very well done.

Thank you all for such an outpouring of wonderful comments.  The overwhelming theme seemed to be that you a) like that we are knitting sisters, and 2) you appreciate the information we share about knitting tips and the adaptations we make to our projects.  We will keep this in mind as we post in the future!

The Winners Are…(and we wish you could all win!!)

Geri — Rakke Shawl

Kristen C. — Plucky Knitter yarn

Karen K. — Woolfolk Tynd

We will be contacting the winners directly to find out their mailing information.   Thank you for reading, thank you for commenting, and thank you for your support!!!

And a really special thank you goes to all those who have supported the Phil Zajicek Medical Fund. with donations, thoughts, and prayers.  We are very touched.  Knitters are such generous souls!!

Just a friendly reminder that our celebratory giveaway ends tonight!!  Last call!! 🙂

As loyal readers know, Sally has a lovely daughter, Nora, who lives in Boulder CO.  She got married about 3-1/2 years ago to a great guy.  You may remember Matt as King of the Mountain.  Matt’s friends tend to be cycling enthusiasts, as well.  His best man, Phil Zajicek was no exception.

Last week, Phil experienced a horrific bicycling accident while riding in Boulder.  He lost an arm and suffered many severe injuries.  His medical outcome is still unknown at this time, but we do know he will incur incredible medical expenses, and need extensive rehabilitation.  He was the breadwinner for his young family.  A Go Fund Me campaign has been launched for Phil.  We are linking to the site here to offer our support in any way we can.  Phil and Liz – you are in our hearts and thoughts every day!!

https://www.gofundme.com/HelpPhilZajicek

We are just about to celebrate our 10th Bloggiversary!!  March 20 marks the momentous occasion.  It really doesn’t seem possible.  Though we have had times when we wanted to quit, and certainly times when we didn’t post very often, we both still enjoy it.  The blog’s original purpose continues to ring true — read our first posts!!

From Sally – March 20, 2006
My sister Susan and I decided to start a joint blog focused on our knitting; we live 1000 miles apart but we talk on the phone almost every day and most of the time we’re talking about knitting. We have absolutely no idea how to create a website, but we do know how to knit.

From Susan – March 20, 2006
Sally and I share many interests, but knitting is our passion.  We decided to share a blog because, as I said to her, it’s like having a garage sale — I don’t have enough to do one of my own.

C E L E B R A T I O N
How better to celebrate than with fabulous prizes!  We are giving away THREE wonderful prizes to lucky readers/commenters.

PRIZE ONE: Rack Up a Shawl
Susan’s Rakke Shawl is being given away to a lucky reader.  This design by Susanna IC was knit in LOFT (color: Long Johns), and would be a beautiful accent piece for your fall or winter wardrobe:

PRIZE TWO: Feeling Plucky??
Originally purchased with the Camilla Shawl in mind, this coveted yarn from Plucky Knitter could be used for any of the wonderful multi-colored shawls found on Ravelry.  Three skeins of Plucky Oxford (430 yards/115 grams, 75% merino and 25% cashmere), one each in Steelcut, Wingtips, and Hats Off:

PRIZE THREE: Tynd to Your Knitting
This yarn is confused.  It thinks it is 100% merino (Woolfolk Tynd 223 yards/50 grams, color Navy), but it makes cashmere feel like sandpaper!!  This yarn would make luscious fingerless or regular gloves because it feels so fabulous against the skin.  Two skeins.

How to Win??
Three lucky winners will be selected at random on Thursday, March 24th by midnight and announced on March 25th.

Simply post a comment and make sure your email address is correct.  We will pay shipping within the continental US.

If you have a preference for which prize or prizes you would like to win, include it in your post.

Thank you to all of our loyal readers.  We have enjoyed hearing from you over the past ten years.  You have encouraged us and raised our spirits on many occasions.