Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas dear readers!

This year we were blessed to get a beautiful snow the week of Christmas. This past Tuesday my son had a snow day. I stayed home with him. When we went out to play I brought the camera out with me. These are a few shots from my neighborhood.

I did have one other Christmas gift made that I gave to a past coworker.

I can't remember the name exactly. I think it was called chunky neck warmer.

The yarn is Plymouth Yarn, More than one skein.

Needles U.S. 105.

I got the buttons at Wal-mart.

We had a very nice Christmas eve. Today we are taking it easy. We played some games and a late breakfast. It's too chilly to go out so we have "A Christmas Story" on tv. For me that is turning into a Christmas tradition.

I hope everyone else is having a wonderful day.

Busy day, no photo

I was fortunate enough to sleep in the last few days. But I've been working hard around the house the last few days getting stuff picked up, purged out, etc.

Today I wrapped up the last of the presents. I ended up doing a little switch at the last minute. I think the one coworker of mind would rather appreciate one of my monster rice packs than a pair of fingerless mitts.

Yesterday I started working on the heel of my vanilla sock. I also did a round on the Pi Shawl.

Right now it's almost 10 p.m. I've got a couple loafs of bread in the oven. I have a feeling I won't be going to bed anytime soon.

I think the next couple days are going to be a blur. A complete blur. Thank goodness for short work weeks the next couple weeks.

A quick spin

I just couldn't fight the urge anymore, I had to do some spinning.

So pulled out the wheel and made this fluffy bit


into this


I don't know how much I had and I haven't pulled it off the bobbin. It was quick and dirty, lol. I let it go bumpy in places. It was nice to just let it go. I had a pretty great day but I have been itching to spin and yet I didn't want to sit for a long time. This was just what I needed.

The fiber is some shetland fiber that I processed myself. A year ago my SIL brought me a fleece that came of a sheep that belongs to her friend. Her friend has "pets" which means that they are treated as such and the fleece isn't taken care of. I'm sure they don't do a real clean job of shearing either. But hey, it was free and it gave me the opportunity to process a fleece and learn the ins and outs of it.

However, the fleece was brought to me when it was the middle of winter and I was completely overwhelmed at how much it was. It was a very dirty fleece. I pulled it out this summer and tried to pull out as much of the clean bits as I could and then I scoured it. The neighbor's dog came over and burrowed into the dirty fleece. I know the neighbor wasn't too thrilled at that. But I got such a kick out of that because the dog is a little prissy otherwise.

So I've got a bag of fleece that really isn't all that big, and I'm carding it, bit by bit, with a pair of dog slicker brushes.

This coming spring I think I will keep my eyes open for the local fiber sale and try to get up there and buy a whole fleece who raises sheep for their fiber.

But first ... I must take care of this bit that I have.

Christmas knitting is done!

Wow.

I didn't finish by the end of November like I wanted. I was having second mitt syndrome and decided I *had* to work on the 3 a.m. cable hat, and my vanilla sock was suddenly very interesting to me.

But I finished! This past Monday I cast off and weaved in the ends of my second fingerless mitt that I am making for my nephew.

Pattern is my own design. Knit using Kathmandu DK yarn, color 408. This yarn is super soft. It's Merino woo, silk and cashmere. I did have a bit of a struggle knitting it with wooden DPNs though. I used DH as a model to get the sizing. One person at my work really likes the pattern and wants it. It's in my head right now screaming to be let out.


These are a pair of my vanilla socks that I made for my SIL. I couldn't get the color quite right. It's a really pretty deep turquise color. Knit using Berroco Vintage yarn.



Susie's reading mitts. Made for a coworker. I *heart* these mitts. I'm going to make a pair for myself.

Look at that adorable picot edging. Adorable!

And what would the gift giving season be without a pair of fetching mitts? This is another pattern I enjoy and have made several pairs of them. None for myself -- yet! I made this pair for my other coworker. Blue is her favorite color. Knit using -- what else -- Berocco Vintage yarn.

No I have two projects on the needles. My vanilla socks and the Wendyknits Pi Shawl.

The sock I'm working on here and there. The shawl ... I am *not* going to get this shawl done by the end of the month. I have transitioned to clue 4 and I have almost 600 stitches per round. It takes me quite a while just to do a all-knit row. But I have a lot of energy and focus on these two projects right now. So I'm going with it until I burn out again. I am breaking the shawl up into bite size pieces so it's not so overwhelming.

I will post updated photos of these two projects soon.

FO ~ 3 a.m. cable hat

This morning I finished up the 3 a.m. cable hat I have been working on.

Yarn: Super soft acryllic yarn
Needles: U.S. size 8

Took me around a week to knit. I worked on it off and on. I really do like this pattern.

As soon as I finished it the little man promptly put it on his head and wore it around.

However, I think he likes his blaze orange store bought hat better. Well, you can't win them all.

Gillyweed is all done

This weekend I set the twist on my gillyweed. The yardage ... 403 yards approx. Wow! Did not do a WPI on this either. As I was putting it on the niddy noddy I was impressed that I did thick and thin.

I may not touch my wheel until after Christmas. I really want to focus on the few things I have left on the needles.

I finished the fingerless mitts I was working on yesterday. This weekend I also cast on a 3 a.m. hat for my son. I really do enjoy this pattern. This is my second time with it.

Okay, ... so what's currently on the needles:

Wendyknits pi shawl

Socks of doom (vanilla socks)

3 a.m. cable hat

Second fingerless mitt for my nephew.

What needs to be done by the first is that fingerless mitt. I suppose I could try and push for the hat to be done by the first. It's pretty cold out now. Not that my son is lacking for hats but he loves the hats I make him.

I have really been enjoying the four day weekend. We haven't done too much outside of the house. I have gotten some projects around the house taken care of. I'm now hitting that time of year when I am really itching to clear out and clean. Unfortunately by the time I feel like doing it and have the time and energy it's time to get ready to go back to work.

Happy Thanksgiving

Today has been a pretty great day. My MIL made an awesome Thanksgiving dinner.

We did go out and hit a few stores that were open. I was surprised at how cold it was. Later I realized the windchill was about -15. Jealous? It did snow a bit yesterday. We did shovel a little bit but the wind was just enough that it kind of blew some back.

On the knitting front I did do the finishing touches on one of the fingerless mitts I've been working on. I haven't done much else today except clean and help the little man set up the Christmas tree. He has been looking forward to doing this for the last two weeks.


Yes, I am planning on doing Black Friday shopping. I hope I'm not too loopy tomorrow.

If I have the energy I want to skein up and set the twist on the Gilly weed fiber I finished up a week or so ago.


Three bobbins of loveliness. I decided I was going to keep it as singles and make a shawl (perhaps) out of it. I'm thinking I must have at *least* 600 yards. I should be able to make something out of that, right?

I know a few people on my blogroll has posted today what they are thankful for. I am thankful for so many things and so much seems so trivial. I am thankful I have a healthy family, a roof over my head, I don't have to worry about food or clothing. I have a job when so many don't. I'm thankful that I have a partner who treats me better than I could have ever though possible. When you are a young girl/woman you dream about a man who will come and treat you like a princess. I was fortunate enough to meet someone who does just that.

I have a wonderful MIL who has been more of mother to me than my own mother has these past 13+ years.

I feel *extremely* fortunate to have found, not one but two, online support groups. One group I've know them for five years. The other group I have known for two years and is an awesome group of ladies. Well, they both are. We all can go online and blather absolute nonsense and it will be well-received and reciprocated.

Well, I could go on but I better stop. I have to start getting ready for that Black Friday shopping. :-)