Gifts for me and tying up loose ends.

Look what I got in the mail! A prize I won in a drawing at togbean's place.

It's a Christmas Chicken! It's so sweet, but I feel like it belongs in a Pear Tree, don't you? Just as elegant as the Partridge and it'll have a special place in my tree next year. Sara made it herself. Actually she made a whole flock. She's really talented with the needle. knitting. sewing. embroidery.

And of course I have to show off the quilt my friend, Sammie sent from Georgia. It's a Calendar quilt ... notice the sheep in the top right hand corner for March? In like a Lion and out like a Lamb. I just LOVE, Sammie's quilts. And there's always room for more.


BTW, I got the mittens done! Yippee. But I noticed that no one else had any doubts that I would finish them before the end of December. Actually, your encouragement does help keep me from giving up. I like these mittens. They were easy to do. I used yarn left over from the fingerless mitts. Which is why they are stripey ... I used every bit I could too. And I like the red thumb, LOL. The basic pattern came from the book in the picture, Hats Gloves Scarves. Good basic patterns in this book. I highly recommend it. Especially for a beginner knitter. The knits are classic and an experienced knitter can build on them also. I'll be knitting more from this book. In fact, I have the Red Scarf Project coming up for January IAP at M.I.T. ... more on that later.

But right now ... this very weekend ... I'm knitting up Fingerless gloves. WHAT? Oh yah, they're for a my sister, Shelly's birthday on January 21st. I figure if I get them done now, they'll go off in the mail ... on time for a change! [I'm awful when it comes to birthdays.] And I wanted to try this new pattern from The Giving Flower.

But for those moments of mindless knitting ... you know when people are talking or the TV is on or I just need to meditate ... I'm working on this ... a luscious scarf ... knit with Rowan Kidsilk Haze. Got the yarn with a gift certificate the DH gave me for Christmas to use at the Seed Stitch Fine Yarn store. It was burning a hole in my wallet don't you know, so I used it for this beautiful yarn I've had my eye on for WEEKS. Just cast on 120 stitches on size 8 circulars 20 inch and knit, knit, knit until all your yarn is gone. 4 skeins. Heather says it's addictive and should be called "Cracksilk Haze". That's how additive it is to knit with Mohair ... but I think it's THIS yarn, Rowan Kidsilk Haze that's additive, LOL.


And then there's Starsky ... here's a peek of my progress so far. I anticipate this being "missing-in-action" for awhile because I have a lot of other knitting to get done first. So stay tuned for Starsky.

Looks like another month of Happy Knitting!

What now?

Thank goodness the Christmas gift knitting frenzy is over. Now I can go on to other things.

I took stock in what was on my knitting list on Christmas Eve and started Starsky. But I really had to put that aside for two reasons. One is my deadline for a contest design I've entered with Angela's blog, Bestrickende from Germany. I signed up in October, but you know how those fingerless mitts took over my life!

The object is to design and knit something which can't be considered clothing. It could be anything - such as a potholder, a purse, a table runner, a spectacle case - you name it ... But to make it even harder we got a bag with 150g of yarn which we had to use for our design.

I got some nice yarn which totaled 150g. And was told that I could add some material of my choice but my finished object could not exceed the weight of 200g. So I did. In January they will have voting for the best design. I'll post a link once I get mine sent in and the voting starts. JUST in case you'd like to go and check it out ... And maybe even vote. I'm not sure how my design will do ... but I hope it gets a good [or at least decent] showing. There's already some nice things sent in, so come on back here to get the link on January 2, 2007 ...

What kind of an idea did I get and what am I working with? Here's a peek! But remember I've added one more color. Won't tell you what it is tho ... until the FO is posted next Tuesday.

And what's my 2nd reason? Well ... I've got to knit & post some mittens on Knittin' Mittens before midnight December 30th if I want to even have a chance to win anything there!

Where does the time go?

A very merry Christmas was had by all ...

Spent Christmas Day at my SIL's and almost the whole family was there. Lot's of food, a Yankee gift swap and the wine and laughter flowed.

But even before that on Saturday was another Christmas party with two more grandsons and my two step-daughters, Veronica & Laura with their husbands.

I had a fun time of course. And ...

More Fingerless Mitts handknit by you-know-who, were put on display.


Not to forget to mention that a knitting kit went to Nicholas (age 13) so he can do something he's been wanting to do for a long time now ... Learn to KNIT. I was so busy with the teaching that I forgot to take a picture of him knitting before they left. But I understand he knit all the way home (a two hour drive).

And another knitter is born!

I need to give myself a treat!

I'm down to the last pair of fingerless mitts. Wrapped up the pair I finished yesterday already, but one more pair for a grandson I'll see this Saturday. Already knit a pair for his brother. Since I won't take the time to take a picture when I complete these ... here's a picture of the ones I knit for MYSELF this Monday. Yup, I took some time to treat myself to a new pair knit from Terra yarn by the Fibre Company. Yummy hand dyed:

Terra 60% merino wool, 20% baby alpaca, 20% silk

And I'm going to leave you until after Christmas with some more pictures of our Holiday party with the New Hampshire grandchildren. First the kids on a 60 degree December day in our crazy New England weather, building a "fort" as they called it. And then there's the two teenagers, Brandi and Catelyn acting silly for my camera most of the time. [when they weren't knitting.] My lovely daughter with me in what might have been 10 tries to get a good picture. [the DH isn't use to my camera ... or is it because the subjects kept messing up, LOL]












And last, but not least, a Daddy and his little girl.

Now tell me that isn't a happy little girl! I think it was something I said, LOL.

New knitters in the making ...

Soon ... Knitters will take over and there will be Knitting World Peace everywhere!

Showing Happy Faces ....

No time to write ...
But here are some happy faces from over the weekend. Even me and the infamous DH!

And is that a happy baby face at the end in that last picture? With teeth? LOL, she was so cute!
(I'll have her sweater picture later.)




Special Note: My daughter just wrote to say that everyone's been knitting like crazy since I left. Maybe I started something? Hope so.

The fires are burning ...

And Shelley might be right by saying that I'm "smoking". I think it's from the rubbing together of knitting needles I guess. You all know I love to use Bamboo, right? In fact, Mafia asked me at our MIT SnB meeting yesterday what the count was up to. So I added it up and I get 21 pair made so far. So before I go up in flames ... here are the final 3 pairs fingerless mitts for this weekend.

And the two off-white are SOLD! And then believe it or not, I have only one gift pair left to make ... That's right ... Yup, I want to knit another pair for myself. Okay that leaves two more pair of fingerless mitts to knit by this girl.

Speaking of this weekend ...

We're headed up to New Hampshire for Christmas with the Kids!

And to give you an idea of what some of the gifts are and for who ... follow the knitty items below
For my daughter, Heidi She's learning to knit whether she knows it or not, hehe.

I've included a little more in her knitting bag but each of the others will contain: clear bag with folding scissors, waste cotton yarn, embroider needle, stitch markers, tape measure, crochet hook, pencil & little note pad. Yarn from my stash. Needle & stitch gauge. Pair of knitting needles size 7. And of course their fingerless mitts. Think I remembered everything ... Oh ya, a pack of HOT COCOA.
Granddaughter Brandi Does that look like a "Sweet 16" smile? LOL.


Granddaughter Catelynn Look at those beautiful eyes!

Granddaughter Samantha And she really is a sweetie!
Granddaughter Ashlee Another blonde cutie!


Granddaughter Mersadees Just as sweet as she looks!

And for the only boy in the bunch ... He gets a brief case instead of a knitty bag & leggos instead of fingerless mitts. (I'll make him a pair later if he wants)
My Grandson Cody If I can get him away from the videos that is ...

Well he did say he wanted to learn to knit. Hope it wasn't just because the girls were all telling me they wanted to learn. Catelyn says she does know how (taught to her by a step-mom) so I'm going to ask her to be my Assistant in teaching the others. Samantha has already learned the knit & purl stitch, but I felt the book would help her get beyond the single square she's done so far. It's going to be a scarf she says, but she's told me she had to "frog" it a couple of times now. Well I'll have my work cut out for me ... and I'll try to get pictures of everyone knitting.

So before I go, in case you were wondering ... yes
The Munchkin, Jayden will be there also ........... pictures of her in the sweater I knit to come!

Did ya think I was done with fingerless mitts yet?

The list may never end ...

Look ... here's two more pair with an orange scarf.
The orange pair is for my daughter's mother in-law who happens to hunt deer (my daughter does also) and she asked two weeks ago if I would knit her an orange scarf. I said that I was afraid that I was just too, too, too busy, but maybe next year.

I know what you're thinking ... of COURSE I would knit her a scarf!!

Well the fingerless mitts are down to two more pair I think. But add two more pair to those, because I was asked to sell a couple. More than happy too ... it pays for the yarn I used for my gift mitts so far, LOL.

Well back to knitting those elusive never ending mitts ...