Eggnog continues ~

Thankfully there is still eggnog at some of the Starbucks, and I'm enjoying an eggnog latte while knitting with Venezia.

Waiting for the kids to be done at the movie theater...relaxing times!

Done late ~

These were socks that I was supposed to finish for Christmas, but I had to restart them due to wrong gauge and odd stripes. She didn't like the stripes, so I added the other color only in the afterthought heel ~ very fun, indeed!

So now they are done, and a late Christmas gift....for H, that now has three pair of hand knit socks for Christmas!!!

Lucky kiddo!!!

More Christmas Gifts ~

I have to show this great picture of how excited someone can be over hand knit alpaca socks. They turned out so beautifully, and are now appreciated very much, indeed!

Great holiday surprise ~ H received two pair of hand knit socks from me!!

Christmas Gifts ~

In my girls' Christmas Stockings, there was a special treat. Hand knit socks from me....Perfect, to receive socks in one's stocking? (Clever, you say?!)
The 2009 Birthday Socks in Claudia Hand Paints for E, as she loves the Tropicana Orange just as much as I do... and blue Jitterbugs for H, as she loves all things socks....

They loved getting hand knit socks from me....and they appreciate them very much...so they will stay on my list of people that receive my hand knit gifts....

Qiviuk forever ~

Another luxury of the holidays is to be able to work on knitting that is not part of the, "items that must be knit by Christmas" and so I pulled out this amazing Qiviuk scarf that I started awhile ago. I was having trouble reading the chart in Arctic Lace, so I wrote all 33 lines (just the odd rows, as the even rows are purl back) on individual index cards. What a big help that is!You can see the lime green index card under this wee scarf start. Can you see the rosewood needles as well. I may be knitting on this qiviuk scarf with rosewood needles forever....but that's not really a bad thing.... :)

Holiday Spinning ~

When the preparations for the holidays wind down a little bit, it is so wonderful to take some time to relax with some spinning and knitting that is not part of a due date. I brought out my drop spindle won at the Sock Summit and spun the rest of my yellow merino that I bought 2 years ago, determined that I would learn how to spin.

I think I'm getting better at drafting, and a little better at spinning thinner one-ply. I took a spinning class this month at a great LYS and am signed up for January as well. I am still in Park & Draft mode, but am hopeful I'll get better with more practice!

I need to drag out the hat I cast on with my first plying adventure of the yellow merino, and perhaps make it into a scarf. It was too thick-n-thin for the hat...so I stopped! Now I want to use that yarn to show myself that it isn't so bad, really!!!!

Holiday Gifts ~

Wishing you all a wonderful and amazing holiday. May all your family be close by, happy and healthy, and may all your knits be cozy.


I can't tell you what this is yet, but it shows all the love and caring that knitting friends have for other knitting friends. The friendship and caring are the most important message here, we care about you being cozy and surrounded by a knitted hug....not the perfection of the knitting (or lack of perfection) but the knitted hug itself.

Sold out ~

A knitting friend bought the new Interweave Holiday magazine the day before we went on the tour of the Cascade Yarn Warehouse Tour. I looked through the magazine when we stopped for coffee afterwards, and liked several patterns, especially the cover Paprika hat and mittens. By the time I was out shopping and started looking for my own copy, I couldn't find them. All sold out everywhere I went. Major Bummer.... Then, Hurrah! Look what another knitting friend gave me for Christmas!!!

HURRAH!!! Guess who cast on the Paprika Hat!! (a very excited me!)

Manos Craving ~

I have been craving more Manos yarn for weeks, since the Jitteryknitter was crocheting a lovely purple and green scarf at one of our Starbucks visits. I've only one Manos project on my needles now, and that is my car project - always in the car in case I need to have some knitting on the go.

So after we looked at all the Manos in the store, even the green and purple worsted wool, I still chose more of the silky wool Manos...

I can't seem to have enough.... these will be soft mittens, and perhaps something else....it is so lovely.... and I feel better to have more Manos....

Martha Mistake ~

A very odd thing happened as I was getting the mail out of our box this weekend. With all the catalogs and cards, I noticed one that looked very out of place in our box. I smiled as I saw the title of the magazine and thought it could be Mary Jo's, or Carla's, or even Laurie across the street....so I checked the name...

It was my name and address on the label....I started to laugh....I have one thing in common with Martha Stewart, we both have chickens..... that's the end of the "in common" list for the two of us. I don't cook much, I don't enjoy cooking at all.... baking is OK, and I'm thankful that my hubby is an excellent cook and I've not had to cook much for the family. I have many other talents, so I let him do the cooking... so...who sent me this magazine...(no idea)....most people know that I don't cook....perhaps there are those that think this would nudge me into cooking enjoyment.... my hubby thinks it is too funny, and we are hoping the mystery will be solved soon.... meanwhile, I'm still chuckling at the article, "recipes, tips & tricks to use all year" Can you imagine????

Yarn Graffiti ~

While driving one of my kids to cross country practice, we noticed a delightful bit of excitement on the high school driveway corner.


Yarn Graffiti ~ beautiful and fun and colorful!


Done by the same ladies that created the marvelous yarn graffiti exhibit at our library this spring.


On this corner they are decorating several dead tree trunks that were going to be carved into statues, but funding ran out.... and I think this is a perfect way to share some art!

Eggnog and socks ~

Another Sunday night at Starbucks with my knitting, and there is still eggnog to be enjoyed. While kids were enjoying their holiday party, I was enjoying an eggnog latte, gingerbread and these crazy socks.

Not sure if I can knit them completely before Christmas, but I can dream about it! I'm almost to the point of putting in waste yarn for the afterthought heel....

Finish something ~

When I can't get a new pattern to work, or I really want to cast on something new, or I'm frustrated with some knitting that seems to be taking forever...well, I just want to FINISH SOMETHING ALREADY!!!!

So, I looked around my projects for some instant gratification....and saw Jitteryknitters scarf on those lovely rosewood needles...and thought, "This is the closest project I have to completion" and off I went....

Turned out very nice, indeed...and what a great feeling to finally finish something!!!

More Venezia ~

Remember when I took a little vacation from my serious knitting to take a break with the silky smooth Venezia scarf? Well, as these vacations often go, I didn't pack completely before jumping off into the scarf pattern, and found that I didn't have enough to complete the scarf. However, did I want to search around and pay top dollar for one skein for completion? Well, I do hate to pay full price for anything...so I started looking for a sale....

I found a sale on 10 skeins...so, well, I couldn't refuse such a great sale....and the yarn is so great...

plus it looks so festive with our little sleigh, don't you think so?

Again, cast on ~

Here we go with the crazy socks again, without the yellow stripes, for oldest daughter. So now they are cast on, and pictured here with my "knitting bag for the holidays" that I love to use for Christmas knitting...

Not sure if these socks will be done and under the tree for Christmas, but we'll see if I get any help from those knitting elves....

Gift ideas ~

If you're thinking that this post will have some great ideas for what to get those knitters in your life for the holiday season, sorry, not this post. However, I need some gift idea help from you. Let's say I have this knitter friend who is a rock star knitter, and is one of the few friends of mine that "gets it" when it comes to knitting. What do I give her for a holiday gift?

Well, I could give her a knitting calendar... (I already did that a few years in a row)

I could give her some blocking boards, as she borrows mine - that she gave me as a gift (bad idea, as sometimes that's the excuse we use to get together, as one of us needs to borrow the blocking boards)
How about giving her another pair of rosewood needles, so I don't have to keep borrowing her only set (nope, then we would lose another one of our excuses to get together, sharing the one set of rosewood needles...we do have some great excuses to make knitting time!!!)

Hey, how about a gift certificate to a local yarn shop, with the request that I have to be with her when she spends it (whoops, I did that last year - but it did work out well for both of us...)

What about yarn or pattern books (no way would I know what to choose, except she love-love-loves yellow and orange...and 'last years' colors...)
Or, perhaps.....


Hey, great idea!!!!

Crime and Punishment ~

I hate to even say this, but it needs to be said. I have not knit since Saturday evening. This picture shows the newly cast on Paprika Hat from Interweave, that I think I messed up in the wee hours of Saturday night...and my last thought was, "I'll look at this with fresh eyes in the morning, and perhaps rip back or start over."

I've not been able to get back... and it is a crime to not knit for five days..... five days... I really cannot believe it, until I see my sad little cast on hat by the Christmas tree... waiting for me to decide what to do next.... What is the punishment for no knitting for 5 days (as if that isn't punishment right there...) other than a triple dose of knitting fantasy....or being banished from the blog... or....

P.S. Jitteryknitter and I were mentioned on the Knit Wits podcast this week ~ check it out!

Wee Harry Scarf ~

Well, I'm at a bit of a crunch time with the holidays coming faster than I can knit...Is anyone out there having this same dilemma? When I'm wrapping gifts, all I can think about is, "I wish I could knit now" and when I'm shopping, "I could be knitting now" and when I'm working...well, then I work, work, work...until we get to walk outside and then we talk about knitting.... Well, when I get home from work, and I'm too tired to knit on something "real" as I know I'll make mistakes....I have this delightful project by my rocking chair by the fireplace and the Christmas Tree.

Yes, a wee Harry Potter scarf.... I'm knitting it for one of our reindeer stocking holders that looks like she could use a scarf...cute, eh?

Socks Restart ~

As I was knitting merrily away on the newest crazy socks for my oldest daughter, I noticed that the stitches seemed to be getting bigger as I was making the color changes. How could this be? After comparing them to her other crazy socks, I realized that, yes - these stitches are bigger in the new socks.

I asked her if I should keep going, or start over with smaller needles for a tighter knit, and her answer was, "Actually, I don't really like the yellow in there ~ how about start over with just the blue?" So, there I go.....I will be ripping them out and restarting soon.....she also said, "If you kept going, you know I would love anything you knit for me...." that's why I'll rip out and start over....she is worthy.... :)

Birthday Socks Done ~

P.S. I've been corrected that Rockstar's knitted vest was fair isle....I must have needed more coffee during that posting!!!

Another great day of finishing this weekend! I cast off my 2009 birthday socks using Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off, and it works so well.

I love this yarn, Claudia Hand Paints, purchased at the magical sock summit....

I'm already itching to cast on another pair with this yarn....

My daughter loves being the model for these photos....

I think she's a bit too comfortable in these great socks!!!

Clapotis Done ~

The clapotis is done. I had no idea how long it would take to "run" all those stitches along the length of the shawl. It took awhile, and I kept thinking that if they were stitches that I did NOT want to run, they would have turned into a major hole before I could blink....but since I wanted them to run (which felt wrong wrong wrong - against all Good Karma....) they would not run fast... but now it is done....After much discussion, I've decided not to block it... it seems to look fine as it is now...

It looks good, and I do hope my mum likes it.....I'm already thinking about another shawl for her, without dropped stitches....

Rockstar Knitter ~

I am blessed to have a few Rockstar Knitters among my knitting friends. They inspire and motivate, and support and encourage. Plus, of course, they knit as only Rockstars can knit. Amazing....

Here is the Jitteryknitter in her Rockstar fair isle vest knit out of alpaca....oh so lovely, oh so soft, oh so perfect.... Hats off to you!!! Hurrah!!!!

Magic of Christmas ~

I came home late from work to find the magic of Christmas...

My sweeties had been busy putting up the tree and outside lights, plus decorating the tree! It was magical to drive into our driveway and see such a beautiful sight!! Here's another beautiful sight, my youngest going to her first junior high dance, with the theme, "Winter White"

She looks great!!

Majestic birds ~

While on our lunch break walk today, look what we saw right by our path!

There are two bald eagles in this tree. They are so beautiful, and we're thrilled to have such amazing birds in our community. We are lucky to have such wildlife so close to our office so that we can enjoy nature on our lunch walks. Of course we talk about knitting while we're walking!!! Today is my Dad's birthday ~ Happy Birthday Dad!