Let's Get Cheesy!

Last year (February to be exact) I was driven to make this beautiful blanket after seeing Vicki's at Knitorious. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and I had to have one.

I whipped out my squares right away and they were lots of fun to make. Then I started on my striped stripes and I petered out. The stripes weren't very portable because I was changing colors every 6 rows and so the basket containing all those luscious skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool got pushed farther and farther away from my knitting chair.

But 2012 is the year!!!  I figure if the world is going to end I am taking this blanket with me!

First thing I did is decide it's too small. We are all pushing 6' in this house and no one wants their toes sticking out.  I added space on my striped strip for two more log cabin squares. I have one strip done and have started on one of the squares.

Luckily Shasta is on duty to make sure I don't muck it up....

Freedom…

…is that moment when you admit to yourself you will not get those knitted slippers done in time for Christmas.


Ahhhhhhhh…..



They will keep his feet just as toasty warm for New Years.

25 Days of Christmas

It is finally December and that means CHRISTMAS!!!!  My very favorite time of year is right now. I have been listening to holiday music for a month already. I have my grocery lists ready so we can start making all of our delicious treats and I have even got some shopping done!

We have had some sort of advent calendar since our teenager was just a baby. We started with one of those cardboard ones that you opened a little door and saw a little picture each day. We had the same one for years and she was just as excited to open that little door as if she hadn't seen it the year before.

Then my Martha Stewart kicked in and I made twenty five little felt mittens that were numbered and we hung one on a tiny tree every morning, another big hit that we used for years.

About two years ago we made a tiny matchbook tower with numbered drawers and put a tiny little gift in each box to be opened every morning. While she loved this one, I found it hard to find things that would fit in the small boxes.  No reason to add this kind of stress to the holidays.

This year I decided to knit twenty five mittens and hang them on a garland. I finished the 23rd mitten last night and had to admit to myself that I couldn't do them all before the first of December. So I concentrated on the ones I had and two will just be a little late to the party!

She woke up this morning and was thrilled, of course that might be because we can fit bigger presents in the mittens, but I like to think it's because she realizes all of the love her mother knit into each one. 

Yeah, it's the bigger gifts....

Chevron Scarf

This is primarily a knitting blog and I am primarily a knitter, with all other domestic duties falling to the way side. So, I thought it was about time I talk about some knitting!  While I still had sunshine I wanted to get some pictures of this beautiful scarf.  It is my two favorite things, Noro and chevron stitch.

It came out beautifully, just as I had hoped and I was thrilled to find a use for some of my kuryeon that seems to multiply on my shelves.

We have had a very lazy day here waiting for our great hunter to return. The apple crisp is out of the oven and the beef and barley soup is in the crock pot. I think a nap may be in order.

I'm In The Guild

guild also gild (gld) n.
1. a. An association of persons of the same trade or pursuits, formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards. b. A similar association, as of merchants or artisans, in medieval times.

Kelly over at Knitn' Green started a Fiber Guild and was kind enough to send me an invite! I don't usually do well in groups, I am kind of a loner, but I decided to put on my big girl pants and do it!

I am a big fan of pj's and my chair on a Sunday night (or any night) so I wasn't sure I would be all that excited to go out. Molly told me about her experiment to experience more of the "real world" instead of just the world wide web. I thought this was a good chance to test it out.

We had a great time! The guild was cool, lots of ladies with their knitting, crocheting and quilting. A delicious pumpkin latte and I met a few new people, definitely a good decision.

We meet again next month and I am already looking forwrd to it!

the grind...

My extra long weekend is over and it’s back to work today. I managed to do very little with my 4 solid days of laziness, except work on Parcheesi.

I did do a little sweeping, some laundry did get washed, I even managed to go to the grocery store and make a few good dinners. I spent time snuggling my loves and reading too.

All in all...a very good few days.

Mystery Diagnosis

When it comes to strange disease and parasites living in secret corners of our bodies I am so IN to it!!!  I am sure I have every disease they investigate on this show! The kid and I love to watch and guess what the poor people have.

I have my own mystery disease going on right here at home:

• I think about it all the time, even when I should be sleeping or paying attention to what my husband is telling me.
• I work on it all the time. I pick it up whenever I can. At red lights or between loads of laundry.
• I wonder how I can get more of it and crawl through web sites looking for more, more, more.

Just like on the show I have exhausted all possibilities and come to this conclusion...

  

I am addicted to my log cabin squares. I am so in love with my Parcheesi I feel sick. Thanks Vicki, for infecting me. I guess you didn’t realize you were contagious.

I am going to need 12 steps to get over this one, for sure.

Send help...and more Silky Wool...

Bunny Lust

Source

I have done everything in my power to win this bunny. I have tweeted, blogged, facebooked and begged. It’s in the hands of the random numbers generator now…

Dragon Girl Cowl

Stayed home yesterday with a sick headache and a bad case of the squirts. Nothing like a day of rest, two Dragon Girl movies and knitting to make you feel better.

I finished up this cowl which I started a few weeks ago while watching The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Yesterday I finished the series with, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked a Hornet’s Nest. That is a whole lot of Swedish and sub-titles, but it is so worth it.

I can’t say enough good things about this series, the books & movies are just fantastic. It’s almost a shame that the US is remaking them, they can’t possible be better.

If you haven’t read them or watched them, do it now!

Ida’s Kitchen

Over the weekend I finally succumbed to the desire to knit this hat. I first saw this at Through the Loops after the holidays and I was sure I would make it. Kirsten is such a talented designer, beauty is in her simplicity.

I got the pattern and then I was waiting to buy yarn for it, but suddenly I remembered...I have a shit load of yarn!!!

So I went stash diving and came up with plenty of sport weight yarn to make this gorgeous hat. I started on Friday night and was done by Sunday afternoon.

I love it! It was a simple pattern to memorize and the color changes kept it fun. I would make another in a heartbeat!

I got to wear it for the rest of the day and then Monday morning my 13 year old wore it to school…goodbye kitchen...

just keep swimming...

Things to tell myself today when I feel lazy and unaccomplished…

So far this year I have;

1. Cleaned out my closet and my husbands, donating most of the too small clothes in both.

2. Cleaned and organized my office and yarn supply (the magnitude of this feat is lost on the internet)

3. Started and finished 3 knitting projects, 1 for me, 1 for the husband and 1 for the child.

4. Cleaned my fridge, with soap and water, not paper towels and Windex. I even removed the drawers and washed them.

I will repeat this to myself like a mantra while I go through my Netflix queue...

Who doesn’t love leftovers?

I started my first big knitting project of 2011 and I am really excited about it! I am even more excited that I am knitting it for me!!!

I have spent the last two months knitting a lot of things, very few of them have been very exciting and absolutely none of them were for me.

I got a fantastic book for Christmas this year…

I opened it up and fell instantly in love with this

The Leftover Yarn Knitting Bag!!!

I am so excited to make this. There is something about bags that just gets me every time. I never like the way they come out, but I can’t stop knitting them.

My aunt had already given me a huge basket of Elsa Williams 100% wool tapestry yarn this summer. It has ten different colors and an average of 8 to 10 skeins of each color. It will be perfect for this project.

I started this afternoon and I am already hooked! This is going to be the one that works!!!

Christmas Knitting

I was extremely productive this holiday. I knit several gifts and managed to get them done wrapped and delivered!

My favorite was the Soft Baskets I made for my sister. I also loved the Snow Cowl I made for my beautiful niece Jessica.

I managed nine other knitted items (really 11 because I made three sets of Peek-a-boo Mitts)

All given away...

I am ready to do some just for me knitting!

Christmas Workshop

I have been a knitting fool this last month! I have cranked out five gifts, a hat for my daughter and a pair of mittens for my god-daughter. I still have two gifts to knit, but I feel confident that I will do it. Even though I have no idea what one will be and I have no interest in making the other, Christmas is about miracles right?