I would like to introduce you to Barb Tinsler my friend of 40 years. We have been through singlehood, marriages, a divorce and many "Knit by Jan" items. I love wool but some times see a pattern I love that calls for a non-wool yarn. Barb is allergic to wool. Is that a friendship made in Yarn Heaven or what? I get to knit great things that I won't wear.

This is the first thing I knit for Barb. It's made from this absolutely scrumptious yarn I purchased at the Quarter Stitch in New Orleans on my first visit. That first visit was a really expensive one! The visit was 20 years ago and I made the scarf about 16 years ago. Barb still wears it in the winter every time she shovels snow. The winter she was going through chemo, she was always cold but this kept her warm.

One year I experimented with knitting with wire. All of my friends received variations of this necklace. It was amazing! They took so little time to make compared to anything else I've ever knit. I became an assembly line; matching beads with wire, knitting little squares, finding the perfect cord or chain. I was cooking! You might ask, "Jan, why didn't you continue making these tasty little morsels?" There was no yoga magic in them. I didn't get the calm, serene feeling I seek.

I saw this sweater in The Yarn Barn in Lawrence, Kansas and had to knit it. I was smitten. But when I finished, it just wasn't me so it became Barb's. Barb is one of the most generous people I know so it is great to be able to give her something she cannot give herself. After many years of friendship, I know her colors. I can spot a Barb project at 50 paces.

This is another version of the "Thick and Thin" scarf. I just love this pattern as you can see.

Barb's birthday is in May. One May I was struggling to find a birthday gift. Nothing in the stores looked right. I was going through my TBFL (To Be Finished Later) tubs and saw the pieces of this sweater. It screamed "BARB!" I finished it, wrapped it and she loved it.

This is my top of the mountain, pinnacle, master piece. I love the pattern, the yarn, everything about this sweater. On my first Yarn Tour with Linda Kaufman, I bought this kit from Crafty Lady. It was a pullover, but I loved the effect of knitting with two colors at once. It sat in a TBFL tub for years, partly because I matured out of the pullover sweater. Then one day a light came on "Cardigan!" I changed the pattern, found the perfect buttons in my button stash and TaDa! I am so proud of this sweater and Barb loves it.

It has been great to introduce you to Barb, my very best friend. That person I can always count on, who makes me laugh and accepts my tears. I have two things in TBFL tubs for Barb. Some day I will finish them then post them but in the mean time, Shhhhhhh don't tell.

I posted on Facebook that I was starting a series on "Knitting: A Love Story" on "Yarn: The Tie That Binds Friends" and ask people I have knit things for to send pictures. The very first person I heard from was Dayle Reed a dear friend from Ohio. Dick and Jerry Reed met years ago on a high school counselors' trip to Paris Island, SC. Dick was waiting for the plane to take off when a man walked through with a deck of cards saying, "Anybody play bridge?" That was the start of a couples' friendship going out to eat and playing bridge. Once a month for years we would meet for dinner (one month in Toledo and the next month in Adrian) then play bridge and have desert. What warm memories! We exchanged Christmas gifts and Dayle became one of my favorite people to knit for. She was so appreciative.

I learned a lot from Dayle a happy, funny woman who loved her family more than anything. She always had a joke and made me laugh. I watched her boys grow up, go to college, become adults, have children. I loved stories of the Reed family get togethers. Dayle taught me the easiest, best desert in the world. You take ice cream sandwiches put them in a 9 x13 baking dish being careful to cut them so they fit snugly. Cover with Cool Whip, squirt on some chocolate ice cream shell and TaDa you have a great desert.

Dayle was also the recipient of a Jan Bag. I think it is one of the best. I just loved how the stripes stacked and the colors popped when it was felted. Dayle loves estate sales and yard sales and has found some treasures. I think Dayle must be one of the world's best mother-in-laws and grandmothers. As I write this I realize how much I miss Dayle and our couple evenings playing bridge. How do we let things slip away?

Thank you, Dayle for sending your pictures and helping me take a walk down Memory Lane.

I have introduced you to my great friend and knitting buddy Linda Kaufman, but I haven't introduced you to my other friends. I am going to do that through the things I have knit for them. I don't know about you but I am very particular about who I knit for. I must love them and they must appreciate the art of knitting. I must feel that they truly get the time, talent, treasure and love that goes into each garment. I once knit a Christmas vest to raffle off for United Way. It was adorable. It had a Christmas Tree which I decorated with wonderful little trinkets and tinsel. The yarn was an exquisitely soft one that felt great to knit. The woman who got it was thrilled. A co-worker asked if I would knit one for her. I said of course and she only had to pay for the materials. It was $100. She said she wouldn't pay that much and she would buy the yarn at Walmart or Hobby Lobby. That is when I learned for sure that I was a yarn snob and understood more about who I would and wouldn't knit for. I said I would pass on knitting the vest. I knit for people who love great yarn.

I would like to introduce you to one of my best and most memorable friends Toni Carrol.

I would like you to squint and use your imagination on this picture. I knit this pattern as a shawl for Toni. It was knit the long way (cast-on 160 stitches) so the ribbon yarn went the length of the shawl. It was knit in a beautiful copper. Toni loved to slip it on for the cool South Haven evenings. It was really very lovely.

Toni passed away 2 years ago. I would like to share with you the eulogy I gave at the celebration of her life. I even mentioned my joy in knitting for her.

"My name is Jan Parson and like many of you Toni was my dear friend. I would like to talk about what it meant to me to have Toni as a friend.

Toni collected friends like many people collect fine wine. She found those she loved, kept us close then nourished us with her wit and wisdom. Toni preferred cheap wine and fine friends to fine wine.

Toni loved to cook and share her creations. Was there anything better than a pot of Toni's soup? Some of my best memories of Toni include soup, salad, bread, wine, Tim and Dick. She was a master of vegetables and herbs in a pot.

Toni was my bridge partner in Adrian for years. She was a teacher, student, and lover of bridge. We had many adventures playing together. We taught and learned from each other but we didn't always agree. When Toni kept score she was known for making addition mistakes. When confronted by one woman about the incongruence of her being a math instructor and making mistakes adding Toni said, 'I am a mathematician not an arithamatician.' How many of you have heard Toni say, 'Down one is good bridge.' or 'The tens provide texture.'

Toni loved color, the brighter the better. You could see it in her home and the beautiful jewelry she made. I loved knitting for Toni because I could always pick the beautiful, brilliant colors I loved and know she would love them, too.

Toni loved books. Some of our best conversations included a pencil and a piece of paper sharing the titles of books we thought the other would enjoy. I was fortunate to be able to attend one of Toni's book clubs. What a hoot. All books with strong women as the protagonist solving mysteries. Doesn't that fit how Toni lived her life?

I learned much about feminism and liberal issues from Toni. No matter how far left I thought I stood on an issue, I could always look over my left shoulder and find Toni standing there. I was happy when the affordable care legislation past, but Toni felt it had not gone far enough and was disappointed it had not included the public option. Once again Toni was thinking of others. Not only was Toni a believer, she was a worker for issues she believed in.

I talked to Toni a lot as I wrote this. She provided guidance reminding me of things I should say. She wanted me to remind you that we need to take care of each other. She wanted me to remind women to stay strong and proud.

On behalf of all of us who called Toni "my friend," I would like to thank her for everything she gave to us."

Of course, Toni was the recipient of a Jan Bag. The one thing I wanted to make for Toni but didn't was a scarf with beads knit in. Toni, I love you and am thinking of you. I hope you enjoyed meeting my friend Toni.

A couple of days ago I did a little teaser about this yarn and finishing a huge project. I am proud and glad and relieved to say that huge project that went on for 9 months (it's only a coincidence that it how long the gestation period is for a child) is finally, totally completed. Any project this big must have a long story behind it and this one started at Yarn Quest in Traverse City the day I brought Interlacement Velvet.

I brought this gorgeous yarn as UD (undesignated, I loved it but didn't know what I would do with it) in the summer of 2011. I kept looking through knitting magazines, on Patternfish, through my old knitting books. Nothing looked right until . . .

I bought the fabulous "Knit, Swirl!" by Sandra McIver. As soon as I saw this concept, I knew that the Interlacement Velvet would be perfect. Lots of projects got in my way. I was so into Survivor Shawls for a few years that I didn't knit much else. I still had this idea in the back of my mind "Interlacement Velvet--Knit Swirl! Yes!" I must admit I was a little intimidated by the pattern. I read and reread the instructions and was continually amazed at what Sandra McIver had accomplished. The Swirl is a totally unique knitting experience, one of those that you never know until the end if it will fit or not

In the late summer of 2013, I saw an announcement by The Knitting Room a fabulous LYS in Birmingham for a Knit, Swirl class. What better way to start than a social knitting experience at one of my favorite LYS. On a very stormy day I got up early and drove the 90 minutes to Birmingham to begin my Knit, Swirl adventure.

Here it is and it fits!!!! I wasn't sure at first but after a heavy duty steam with my industrial steamer (thank you Crafty Lady for teaching me about the best way to block knits) it was perfect.

Sally was the instructor and she was great. Of course, I had to buy yarn from The Knitting Room for the class that's very standard and I expected to. I bought this great Lang which was soft and subtlely colorful. And we were off! I learned two indispensable things from this class that I will use forever. Since the Swirl is knit in the round starting at the outside edge then joining, it started out tricky. I had to longtail cast on 577 stitches! Here is the first learning. Cast on either using two balls of yarn or using an end from inside and one from the outside the ball of yarn. How many times have you done a longtail cast on only to run out of tail before you were done?!?!? Annoying, frustrating, maddening!!!!! With this cast on method, that never happens. Ok, so I have 577 stitches and I need to join them with no twist. Next learning: Knit three or four rows of pattern then join. It's perfect! When you're finished you weave the little separation closed and Ta-Da.

If you have a paper and pencil to keep track and follow the pattern row by row, things move along pretty smoothly. I went home and knit for a few weeks until I had the outside circle done and started on the body. Then Christmas and Sunset Beach intervened and the Swirl became a TBFL project. I pulled it out a few weeks ago and decided to finish. It looked like this

I had no place big enough to steam so I called the Knitting Room and asked it I could come and use their huge blocking area. They said "yes" and off I went on another stormy day. It was great going back. The Knitting Room has an amazing selection of yarns. I always find something I can't live without. My knitting buddy Linda and I discovered the Knitting Room on our very first Yarn Tour and we have been going back ever since. People are helpful, yarn is gorgeous, what more could you want? In addition, I learned those two great hints while casting on. I did resteam it at home using my industrial steamer. I couldn't reach to pin it all out so I really didn't need the big area but it was nice spending some time in the Knitting Room. It really needs a strong steaming. You need to pin the welts to look exactly like you want them, give them a good steam then let it dry. Oh, by the way, it fit perfectly!

Well, you might have noticed. I have my Swirl but it isn't made from Interlacement Velvet! My plan is to use my beautiful Velvet to make another. Someday I will surprise you.

My quest for yarn in Traverse City always leads to Yarn Quest! While Dick waited in line to buy tickets for Red Wings Training Camp in September (that will also involve a Yarn Quest visit), I slipped out for my much anticipated field trip to Yarn Quest. What a glorious LYS! Yarn Quest introduced me to Interlacement Velvet one of my favorite yarns.

Isn't it beautiful! The remarkable owner, Mary Hofmann, has put together an exquisite collection of yarns. When I saw the Interlacement Velvet, I was stunned. I had never seen anything like it. I bought one huge skein in the pinks then got home and called to order more. I had no idea what I was going to do with it but knew I had to have it. (I say that a lot, don't I?) I have had the Velvet for several years and just decided what to do with it. More about that in my next post.

Yarn Quest has the most complete selection of Blue Heron yarn I've ever seen. All colors, all types. You can tell by the picture the choices are marvelous.

This was my newest acquisition. It is called Cotton Rayon Twist Lace and is a 1,000 yard skein. I have no idea what I'll do with it (UY undesignated yarn) but I know it will be luscious. Patty who was working steered me toward this. Did she have my number or what?!?!?

Their button collection is to die for! Even a collector like me found things I've never seen before. As a matter of fact, many of the buttons in my collection are from Yarn Quest.

One of my disappointments was on this beautiful day in Traverse City on the 4th of July weekend during the Cherry Festival the store wasn't packed with yarn fanatics. What's wrong with these people!!!! I can't imagine a trip to Traverse City without a visit to Yarn Quest. Thank you Mary for creating such a fabulous refuge for serious knitters.

After I finished the Lucy Neatby Bubbles scarf, I just had to find more Lucy Neatby. I went to that fabulous website Patternfish and found the glorious Paintbox scarf. It is also double knit, so after I downloaded the pattern, I was on my way. I made a trip to my yarn stash and found the perfect yarn. You won't believe how beautiful it is!

I found a fingering weight cashmere with a slight sparkle. After matching it with Kauni, I was on my way. I learned a lot from this scarf. Double knitting isn't all that hard when you are using the knit stitch, but purl stitches are something else. I can't even describe the contortions my left hand had to perform to make purl stitches possible. I thought I might end up with a trigger finger/middle finger deformity! All of the squares are in purl stitch.

Isn't it beautiful!!!! I love it. The subtle fade of the Kauni! The sparkle in the cashmere! I love it. There was a point I believed I was expending so much energy that purl double knitting must be an aerobic exercise! When I was finished, I was so proud but decided I probably wouldn't make another. I was spent and proud and spent. That's when I knew I would give it to my sister Kathy for Christmas. I couldn't imagine anyone else who would appreciate my toil and it's beauty more. Kathy took the pictures. Didn't she do a great job! Writing about the Paintbox has made me want to knit another Paintbox--almost. Now when I slap myself back to realty, I know that will never happen. Kathy has a one of a kind.

I am working on finishing a huge project made from this yarn. I thought I would have it done for my next post but you know how that goes! Life interferes with fun. Sunday we are going to Traverse City and hopefully I will be able to take you to Yarn Quest. I discovered Interlacement Velvet there. What a beautiful yarn! (I say that a lot, don't I?)

Evie, my BFF from college and her husband are coming today to celebrate the 4th and her birthday. We always have a ball: a little wine, lots of stories and laughter. It doesn't get any better. I think I'll give her a Lucy Neatby Bubbles for her birthday.

She'll love it! I have a tub of FSSD (for somebody some day) knitting. Things I saw, loved, had to make but didn't know who for. They really come in handy.

My best to you for a happy and safe 4th of July. It is possible to knit while watching fireworks.