Wednesday, December 30, 2009

WIP STORAGE

I'm continuing to organize, straighten up, clean, etc. my office/craft room. I purchased a 7-drawer organizer-type chest with wheels to store my WIPS in. This storage tower is sitting in the closet. The WIP's used to be in a pile on the floor in the corner - some in ziploc bags, some in knitting/tote-type bags and some just loose. Now I'm proud to say, they're all in this cabinet. AND, YOU KNOW WHAT! - I don't have nearly as many projects to finish as I thought I did. I even have room to add more. So this makes my heart lighter knowing what I have and seeing what I have - "small things to amuse small minds"

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Winding Down 2009

Well, we've been busy around here today taking down the Christmas decorations. Got it all done and now I'm drinking one of those hot mochas I'm so fond of and reading my Ravelry forums. They're made with the powdered mocha mix and 1 oz (or more!) of Baileys.


Above is what I received from my wonderful hubby for our 47th wedding anniversary tomorrow, Dec. 30th! He searched the internet and found out that #47 is the Book year, then of course, with a little coaching from me, ordered these two books from Amazon. They came this morning, and right away I took them to Staples to have them cut and bound with a nice spiral. Tonight I'm going to spend going page-by-page through them. Tomorrow night we'll celebrate by going out to dinner.

I've signed up to do the Knitting Mama Lace KAL beginning mid-January. Don't know why - I have so many projects I want to do. But I've already ordered my yarn - fingering weight Knitting Mama Franconia - a beautiful superwash merino, cashmere & nylon combo (80/10/10) in pinky-purpley-mauve, to make the Traveling Woman shawl (a one skein pattern).

Our 2 daughters and sons-in-law are going out New Years Eve, so we're babysitting the 4 grandkids. That'll be easy - they're age 7 to 12 and with all the new games and toys they got for Christmas, they'll hardly know we're around.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Ready, Set, Go - Winter Olympics

I received the yarn today to make a fair isle cowl during the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC. This is Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light in steel cut oats, redwood mix and fern. Looks fabulous.

I joined the Team Sasquatch group over on Ravelry and have my needles poised. I've never done colorwork so this will be a challenge for me, but I have a good knitting friend to help, and also ordered a Alice Starmore book for assistance. This is what the Christmas In The Country cowl looks like. It's a free pattern.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas. We went to the daughter's, watched the kids open presents, had a wonderful ham dinner and all in all was a great day!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Count-down Time

Can't believe there's only a couple of days left. I did finally get out the last of my Christmas cards today and got the local grandkids gifts wrapped. Mailed off a package last week to the Eastern Washington kids. Now I jut have to get DH out of the house long enough to wrap his.

I just received in today's mail a skein of NHKnittingMama's Durham 100% merino in the colorway PSYCH. It's a beautiful shade of light peach, tan and a little light pink. I'm going to make the Marmee Lace Cowl - probably starting next week.
Speaking of NHKnittingMama - she's having a contest over on her blog and you can click in the blog to go to her shop. What beautiful hand-dyed yarns. If you order yarn between now and the New Year - shipping is free. If you enter this contest, please mention you heard about it here on my blog. Thanks.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Several FO's

Finished this beautiful cowl - Leafprints by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee "Yarn Harlot". The first time I knit it with a size 6 needle and the cowl was too large and didn't lay right, so I re-knit it with a size 5, and it came out perfect. Still don't know if this is for me or a daughter. The yarn, Knitpicks Andean Treasure 100% baby alpaca is very soft and scrumptious.


Also pictured below are the four scarves I did for the grandkids for Christmas. These are the One Row Handspun Scarf (rav link) by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee "Yarn Harlot". So easy to knit and look complicated. I used Caron Simply Soft for these.
One-Row - all 4

Just 10 Days Away (Soon to be 9)

Time to start panicking, stressing, cursing (gently) and all that other stuff, and more activities keep "coming up".
1. Trying to finish up one last scarf for a grandchild so I can get it sent off in the mail this week.
2. Several women from our church visited the Dollar Store today and purchased stocking stuffer items for 19 childen, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who will be attending church this Sunday. The bags turned out pretty cute!
3. Friday night we participate in a community feed for the homeless, so I have to make a macroni & shrimp salad and a meatloaf. We do this every other month and it does humble one, and thank God for our many blessings.
Above: Graham knitting meet-up group!
4. Saturday morning there is a brunch at the clubhouse in our community and my regular knit meet-up group (both starting at 10:00am). Husband wants to go to the brunch, but is not interested in going without me - so guess I'll go to the brunch, eat fast and take off to the knitting meetup! What we won't do for our loved ones. Then that evening we're playing Couples Bunco, for which I have to bring appetizers.
5. Got my photo Christmas cards from Costco, but have to put a message on the back yet, as well as do the cards for friends who aren't getting the photo cards. Way behind on this project.
6. Need to go to Fred Meyer and purchase three giftcards for persons in our church who are struggling this Christmas. I'm the treasurer for our women's group who are doing this, so since I have the checkbook, I get to do the purchasing.
7. Okay - I need to get off this computer and get to work!!!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

NAMASTE BAG GIVE-A-WAY


Follow this link over to Knit Purl Gurl for a Namaste bag give-away, but hurry - it ends at midnight EST tonight.

Saturday, December 5, 2009


I've really been behind in the blogging department of late, so am showing some pictures here of what I've been doing, both knit-wise and other-wise. First of all, got my Christmas tree up and decorated yesterday and it's looking beautiful.

Following are scarves I've been making for Christmas for the grandkids:



And this is a Leaf Print cowl - Anne Hanson design, and loving the KnitPicks 100% baby alpaca, sooooo soft around the neck and face.

We've gone from a beautiful fall to WINTER. The highs this next week at least, aren't going to get out of the 30 degree range, and down into the teens at night. Definitely time to be wearing sweaters, mitts, cowls, etc.

Today at our Graham meet-up we exchanged skeins of yarn in a little Christmas party game. Was fun and I got a skein of the Knitpicks City Tweed with a pattern to make some fingerless mitts. Have wanted to make some for a while - now I have no excuses. We'll see.