Dreary day in Georgia. Yesterday we got a dose of icy weather, followed by a chilly evening. Today was just stayed gray. I was glad to work at the hospital...got me out of the house and it was good to meet new people and, maybe, spread a little joy. My job as a volunteer is very low-key and I love it. I deliver coffee, juices and the local newspaper to all the patients in the hospital and to visiting family members as well.

Came home and did some more spinning and a bit of weaving. I'm weaving fabric which will be turned into bags or pillows. The hardest part of weaving is not the weaving but the warping (threading all the threads (warp) through the hundreds of heddles). Once that is done so that the right threads are lifted in order to make the pattern, the rest is easy.

I had a lot of interruptions this week so I didn't accomplish as much as I hoped I would. Here are a couple of pictures of things I've already completed.

The shawl pictured above is made of a very light-weight silk and wool yarn that I dyed and spun and then knitted. The pattern is very simple. Using size 11 needles and yarn of lace or fingering weight, cast on 12 stitches. Knit every row adding one stitch to the beginning of each row by knitting into the front and back of the first stitch. When the shawl is as big as you want it to be or when you run out of yarn, cast off, steam press and wear. If you want to add fringe, you will need to save 4 yards of yarn.

What I love about this shawl is that it is so light that it can be folded up and put in your pocketbook and pulled out if needed. And, it really is quite warm.