theraineysisters knitting and so much more

Just adding this link because I referred to it elsewhere! Susan Rainey’s Improved I-Cord Cast On

Each year I look forward with anticipation to the launch of the free Shetland Wool Week hat or kep pattern. In fact, this year I even stocked up on some jumperweight wool so I would have more variety in my colour selection — and it paid off!

This year’s hat is the adorable Bonnie Isle. Loved it right away! Checked my newly plumped up stash and had ample yarn for the pretty pink version:

So here is my cute hat! I love it!  It was a fun knit, it fits, and it’s different than my usual darker color palette!

It’s been over a week and I think I can finally bring myself to write this post.  My knitting bestie, Kim, died last week of cancer.  Loyal readers would have read about Kim many times over the years.  I did share this news on Instagram, so those who follow me there already know.

Taken January 2, 2020 as we model our newly finished weather scarves. From left to right: Kathy, Mary, Me, Kim, and Beth.  Ellie is the photographer. 

I met Kim several years ago when I was teaching classes at my [then] LYS.  She was funny and quirky and I just plain liked her right away.  It’s hard as an adult to make friends outside of work, so I asked Kim to meet for coffee and knitting.  No coffee for Kim, but there was knitting!  Eventually she started coming to our weekly knitting group at Panera’s.  The rest is history!

In 2011, we decided to go to Meg Swansen’s Knitting Camp.  I had gone a couple of times and it was her first.  First timers are supposed to attend Camp 1, but we went straight into Camp 2.75.  We attended every year after that, until COVID shut things down.  Every year but one.  That year was 2013, when Kim announced that since her DIL was expecting their first grandchild, she just couldn’t risk missing the big event by being at Camp.  Sally stepped in and then attended several camps after that.  Really special times.  We would get so inspired that on several occasions we stopped to shop on our way back through town!

Besides Yarnover and other Minnesota Knitters Guild (MKG) events, our annual tradition was going to opening day of the Great Minnesota Get Together, aka the Minnesota State Fair.  We would get there by 0900 so we could be at the Creative Activities Building as the doors opened.  We made it most years!  Especially nice when my husband John started dropping us at the main gate!

We would enter with eager anticipation and look for our knitted items.  Some years that was quite a feat!  But our real interest was in the ribbons.  What ribbons had we won??

We never looked at the results ahead of time — we wanted to be surprised.  2017 was truly the best year ever.  We walked into the building almost smack dab into a large glass case.  In it was Kim’s masterpiece, her Kauni Damask blanket, festooned in ribbons!  I also did well, winning two sweepstakes (in linens, and seniors).  We were beside ourselves!

We were shameless.  We would kind of lurk around close to our award winners and wait for comments.  If they said something nice about Kim’s blanket, I’d say, “Oh, my friend Kim made that!”  Ooooh, ahhhhh!!  She would do the same.  Then we would go eat our faves: corn dogs, Tom Thumb Mini Donuts, fried cheese curds, and Big Fat Bacon.  All to kill time until we could go back and look at the knitting again.  I looked forward to it all year long.  And then COVID took the last two years away.

When COVID hit, no Camp, no Yarnover, no state fair, no weekly knitting at Panera’s.  So, Kim and I texted constantly.  We would also share a lot of Instagram stories that we liked.  Even now, I see something and think, Kim would find that funny or ridiculous or interesting.

The most important thing in Kim’s life was her family: she left behind a husband of over 40 years, two sons, two grandchildren, loving parents, and a brother.  Her life revolved around her family.  Period.

I will miss Kim every day.  She was a special friend and a wonderful person.  This picture really captures Kim — I saw her make this face many times!!

Here are some more examples of her beautiful knitting.

Bohus Scarf

Shhh!

Widdicome Fair

Alfur

Kim is still on Ravelry under the name Luckydogknits.  And, no, I don’t know what it means! 🙂

Farewell, my dear friend.