Hi Everyone,

Well, here I am again for my second blog post EVER!!  Can you believe that I actually came back to blog more.  I definitely love this concept because I love talking out loud (sort of) to the computer and it's a stream of consciousness that just feels so me.

The sign above is DEFINITELY for me.  I have so much stash yarn it's embarrassing and I don't know what to do about it.  I am seriously running out of spots to store it.  I am on the net and I get these emails from fabulous dyers who have the most beautiful colors and yarns that I just can't resist and before you know it, I'm clicking and buying.  Then the yarn comes and it's gorgeous but I say now what???  I swear people I will NOT live long enough to use all this yarn especially since I am not the most prolific knitter.  This is a little romper I made for my new grandson.  I haven't seen him in it yet but perhaps it's too big for him.  Not sure.  

Romper for Christopher below

Christopher with a bib I made him.

So as you can see, I do knit and now I make things for the grand kids and I'm also learning lace knitting which is completely new to me.  I'm not sure how I will do on that since it seems like you must really concentrate, not good for me.

Now you can see why I call myself PamKnitsToo - I do knit but I guess yoga and yarn collecting is more my thing.  This is, of course, since I've retired and have time for these activities.  I actually started working when I was 14 years old in a local 5 & 10 store behind that lunch counter.  That was interesting to say the least.  I didn't last very long because one day I made someone an ice cream sundae and the chocolate jimmies had ants in them.  That did it for me, end of my restaurant career.  

Then I moved on to the cleaners, where I worked behind the counter taking people's slips and finding their clothes for them on that rack.  Exciting business!!  I did this after school and on Saturday's.  It was fun actually because I had the pleasure of working with an elderly Jewish woman who was very caring and helpful.  She taught me a lot about life and stuff.  Her husband would come in everyday to pick her up when we were done and he was the nicest man.  So that helped me cope with an alcoholic mother at home and an absent Dad.

More about that to come.  For now it's time to move on to other things, perhaps some knitting.  Hope you enjoy my blog and my photos.  Till next time - blessings to all.

PamKnitsToo

                                                   My star dog: Abigail - Sealyham Terrier

This is my first attempt at blogging so I'm headed into uncharted territory. Since I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing, I thought I should probably introduce myself and my purpose for this blog.

My name is Pam Hans and I am a retired Executive Assistant now living in Keswick, VA. I worked and lived my entire life in Bergen County, NJ and then decided to get out of the rat race of NJ and move south to right outside Charlottesville, VA. After living 65 years in one place, it was quite odd to move to another location. Many people ask me why I moved to Charlottesville, VA and I have no answer. My husband wanted desperately to get out of NJ so we began our search for alternate living situations. First we hit Asheville, NC but that just didn't resonate with me or him. Next was Charlottesville and I just fell in love with the downtown area and countryside. We live in a gated community about 5 miles outside of the town where horse farms are common place and the countryside is magnificent. I realized once I was here that I was probably meant to live in a place like this my whole life. I feel so much calmer, like I can finally breathe. Who knew that a person's surroundings could affect there life so much. Certainly not me. So here I am in a new locale, no job, my husband working from home and now what??

Well, I knew that I would feel like a fish out of water if I didn't plan out something for myself. So before moving day, I contacted the local hospital and signed up to volunteer there. I wanted to have someplace I needed to be. That has worked out perfectly. I also volunteer for the local Hospice of Piedmont down here and that's totally rewarding. That was a beginning!!

I was fortunate enough to meet a lovely woman in a local yarn shop and we became friends. We decided to start a knitting group in our neighborhood to meet every Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 - 3:00 pm. We have been doing that ever since. We have just three full time members but others come from time to time. I also belong to a knitting group at the same yard shop on Tuesday's. So this keeps me knitting. The ladies are MUCH MORE experienced at knitting that I am but that's okay, it's not about who's better but just about being friends who enjoy the same hobby.

I am also BIG into yoga and do that 2-3 times a week depending on my schedule and how I feel. I love yoga and happen to be very flexible, so it's good for me to do. I have two different yoga studios that I attend and have made friends there.

As I said in my blog statement, I call my blog "PamKnitsToo" because I do many other things but knitting is so important and fulfilling. I have a 4 month old grandson that I'm busy knitting for these days and a 3 month old step-granddaughter. Life is good in Keswick, VA and I am HUGELY grateful for all I have and where I am.

More to come about life growing up in NJ - not as pretty but it happened.