Poetry Contest Wrap Up!

Well, Friends, I'm sure May will bring great new things, but April is over and that means, sadly, the end of our Poetry Jam/Slam/Contest. :(  I've had so much fun receiving all of your poems and posting them on Facebook!  Each and every one put a smile on my face, and I loved reading them aloud to all the Beans - as you saw, they were also inspired to write poems and we discovered some hidden talents among our very own staff!  

Now, it's time to announce the winners of some AMAZING Poems yarn so generously contributed by Wisdom/Universal Yarn.  Poems for poems - isn't that fun?!

Grand Prize Winner 

(5 skeins of Poems, plus the Poems Reflections booklet by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton!)

By Parke Anderson

A twenty something girl, new to town

Not into going out or partying down

Makes a friend who's about her age

Who teaches her to knit and read charts on the page

First project, a scarf of white and green

Horrid acrylic on US 13's

Soon more girls joined every Tuesday night

They gossip and laugh, few stitches sit right

Time passes, she's married, the line turns blue!

She run out to buy a book or two

"What to expect..." does not get bought

Knitting for babies is what she sought

The babies come early, little sweaters aren't done

But she doesn't care, being a mom is so fun

It's babies, not sweaters, being washed in the sink

So tired, she knits just as much as she tink's

Now the wip's greatly outnumber the fo's

Forgotten are dreams of little handknit clothes

And that's okay because she's found

She loves playing with kids and running around

And one day they'll be grown and then she'll get
Grandkids to cover in all her hand-knits.

Runners Up

(2 skeins of Poems yarn each!)

A New Knitter Born
By Diane M. Edgerly

My little Nana left to me
A book from the 5 & 10 cent store;
Showing how to crochet, and knit, and tat,
And I’m sure a whole lot more.

A new baby in the family
Should have a special gift you see;
But what could I give, or make, or knit?
I wish my Nana was still here with me!

With no one I knew of to teach me,
I bought needles, small buttons, and yarn;
With hopes of knitting a sweater,
For my cousin’s new child in her arms.

My Nana’s book showed how to cast on,
How to gauge, how to knit, and to purl;
I must try, take my time, and keep trying;
To knit a gift for this sweet baby girl.

A girl of sixteen had done it….
Knit my very first sweater with glee!
With no one here to show me the way,
But my dear Nana’s booklet and me.

I still have this book – what a treasure,
Though it’s old, but not very worn;
Little Nana gave me the gift of her book,
And a brand new knitter was born!

By Olivia Lee-Nuckols

I started a tiny circle,
Worked round into a whirl.
It grew and grew and grew into,
A flower for to wrap my baby girl.

By Sandie Russo

It's been a rough day, so how to de-stress?

Some knitting and wine I think would be best.
Knit one and sip one. Purl two, sip two.
A fun little project I'll knit in royal blue.
My wine glass is empty, so pour me some more,
As I follow my pattern, needles flying for sure!
3 hours later I'm feeling much better.

But, wait were these some socks or a sweater?

Some socks or a sweater? I really don't know.

Oh well, at least I loved the Merlot!

Thank you ALL for contributing your poems and joining us in the Poetry Month fun!  Here are the rest of the poems we received last week - as you can see, it was really hard choosing winners!

A Knitter's Morning

By Kattyradie (Ravelry)

Wake up

Brew some coffee

Turn on the computer

Ahhh! Morning coffee

What's happening on Rav

Post comments

Beautiful patterns knit with beautiful yarn

Dream!

Dream of cardigans, shawls, scarves, socks, mittens and hats

Wake up from the dream

Time to get ready for work

By Xlqqa (Ravelry)

I see wings in my yarn

lifting softly to fly

early spring morning we meet

the sun shines

Lady bug ladybug your landings give me a smile

I’ll help you –

be well -

ending my row -

just a few More stitches to go.

By Rogue1 (Ravelry)

First child, First blanket.

Uncertain hands--tremble, wonky.

Past year? Blocking gently smooths.

String by silvermole (Ravelry)

My love for string didn’t start young,

I was much older before I was finally stung.

I’m glad it didn’t hurt,

but, who knew that yarn could flirt.

It calls you over, “come touch me, I’m so soft and squishy and red no less”

As much as I try to pay no mind, I crumble and become a mess.

Quick! I think, take it all before it is gone,

After all, I am paying less than a song.

I am under the spell and I am handing over my money,

Jimmy Beans Wool, you must think this is funny.

That is ok, I am smiling too, because everyone knows that new yarn makes everything sunny.

Storing my Stash

By Traceyloanne (Ravelry)

I hide my stash under the bed

and in the closet

and in my dresser

I feel no guilt about this practice

I feel no shame

I am a knitter

I proudly wear this name

Stash is expected of me

and in this regard

I am not conflicted

that I find myself conforming

to the norm

I recently outgrew

all the old storage units

I promptly went out

and bought a tub

A big tub

a 20-gallon tub, to be precise

it made me happy

Now I have room for more stash

My Grandma’s Knitting – by Deborah Knight

When I was a little girl

I'd watch my Grandma knit and purl

With fleeting hands she put her heart

In every stitch...in every part.

And then one year she knit for me

A shawl as pretty as could be

With basket stitches in pure white

And I was filled with such delight

I neatly tucked that shawl away

Safe in my closet...and today

I take it out, I hold it dear

And think of Grandma who's not here.

By Deborah Knight

I know a lot of gals who say

Their Mom's a wizard with crochet.

She'll make a scarf, a vest, a hat

A purse, an afghan for her cat.

But my Mom doesn't wield a hook

Or patterns from a Red Heart book.

She'll grab her needles and a skein

And working like a hurricane

She'll knit as quickly as she can

Without a pattern or a plan

A pretty pair of argyle socks

A vest for me that really rocks

Most anything your heart desires

With clicking needles set on fire

She quickly craft a yarny treat

For someone's hands or head or feet.

She'll knit all day and purl all night

With stitches tiny and so tight.

We love her projects. They're a hit.

But check your gauge, Mom. They don't fit!

A PROJECT CALLED “NOW”

By Diane Edgerly

My most loved joy, my favorite project,

Is the one on my needles now;

Once anticipated, once in queue,

Creative pleasure, today, it endows.

The marriage of just the right colors,

With the fibers so soft in my hands;

Sometimes wool from a place not too far away,

Or a silk from a faraway land.

This present pattern I’m knitting,

Will always be “favorite” to me;

At least for today as I knit it…

Until a new yarn “calls to me”.

Thanks again and keep writing, everybody!

~Heather