A Christmas Table Runner

Here we are into November already! Now that the Halloween craze has passed us by, there is no excuse for knitting up gifts for all those on our Christmas lists.

Here is a pattern for a very pretty table runner. I always use a cotton yarn for anything for the kitchen; cotton washes easily and is very durable. Even rugs and curtains can be done up in mercerized cotton yarn; especially with all the color choices, you just can't go wrong!

I have given these away for gifts and have one, and very soon, another for my own kitchen. I tried several other patterns of my own, but could never come up with a runner that looked as nice as this one. Amy Stender does a really nice job with this pattern!

Later this week, look for my original pattern for a pretty neck scarf. The yarn is a dusky repeating pattern, and it knits up quickly.

In the coming weeks, look for more Christmas postings, as there is always something to be knitting while watching all those holiday movies on TCM!

Deep in Summer

Piper, (my husband Bob says we should have named her Pudgy, funny) and I walk most mornings down our gravel road to another connecting gravel road where homes are far from the road, either up hills or hidden by trees. Vales of ferns dot empty woods; empty of houses that is, and humans. Wildlife abounds, as I see almost daily.

Wild turkeys preening and parading their feathers, shy momma deer with their white-dotted babies growing bigger every day, frogs, turtles, squirrels, dragonflies, hummingbirds, warblers, robins, crows, woodpeckers, chipmunks, grasshoppers, spiders, crickets, eagles, hawks, to name a few, and even this guy crossing under my car a few days ago. The picture is a bit blurred, but he really is a snail, slugging along at a snails pace! About half an hour after I took this picture, I went out to check on where the snail was, and he was gone into the grass beside my house. Invisible to me!

But, the days are slow in late July, for we truly are deep in summer. Everything is lush and green, with no indication of rot, or shrivel. The only thing that is changed is now it's dark at 8:30 instead of 9:00 or later. And mornings are not as bright at 5 a.m.; in fact, they're downright dark! The seasons have their seasons, and so it goes.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In my July newsletter, there is an article about an introduction to lace knitting. My favorite knitting. You can create pretty, lacy things, such as this christening blanket.

Looks a lot like the real thing, Queen Anne's lace. Right now, they are in abundance all over the place, and will be until the first hard frost. Here are my third set of placemats, which I knitted in Sugar n Cream Hot Green. A very pretty color. I used 2 skeins, and size 5 needles. This picture is not as nice as I'd like, but when you knit your own, you'll see how nice they really are! The pattern follows.

Hot Green Diamond Placemats

for the border:

Row1: Sl 1, k4, p4, k3, (main pattern), k3, p4, k5.

Row 2: Sl 1, k1, p10, (main pattern), p10, k2.

Alternate these 2 rows for the entire pattern. I will refer to these as B12 (border 12).

Main Pattern:

CO 97 sts.

Row 1: (RS) B12, p1, k1, p1, *(k3, p1) twice, k1, p1; rep from * to end, B12.

Row 2: B12, p1, k1, *p3, k1, p1, k1, p3, k1; rep from * end p1, B12.

Row 3: B12, k4, *(p1, k1) twice, p1, k5; rep from * to end last rep k4, B12.

Row 4: B12, p3, *(k1, p1) 3 times, k1, p3; rep from * to end, B12.

Row 5: Rep row 3.

Row 6: Rep row 2.

Row 7: Rep row 1.

Row 8: B12, p1, k1, p1, *k1, p5, (k1, p1) twice; rep from * to end, B12.

Row 9: B12, (p1, k1) twice, * p1, k3, (p1, k1) 3 times; rep from * end last rep (p1 k1) twice,

p1, B12.

Row 10: Rep row 8.

Repeat Rows 1- 10 until placemat measures approx. 12" from cast on edge. Bind off and weave in all stitches. Block.

I love making placemats, dishcloths, scarves, afghans, and curtains, to give as Christmas gifts. Now is the time to start thinking about that!

Sunday is August.

It's the dog days. Time to rest up!