Cobblestone Pullover Done!

I got this done today and it fits! I did a little happy dance when Hubby tried it on.

it took 12 balls of Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Amber Heather. Knit on size 8 needles. The pattern from Interweave Knits Fall 2007 was very easy to follow. The short rows in the back really make the fit. The neck is a little tight but it works. Yeah me! My first adult sized sweater. Now on to something else...

New wip's

I have started 2 new projects over the last week. Well 3 if you count the spinning. First is a pair of socks for a Knit Along I am doing on Raverly. It is called Hands Off Its Mine! The idea is to knit something for yourself. Fun!

The second is a blanket for MG. I am using the Pi Shawl pattern from EZ's knitters almanac. I am knitting it up in worsted leftovers from stash. I think this might just finish off the bag of odd balls I have. Should be pretty colorful. So far: hot pink, dark purple, natural,black, and red. The pattern is easy only 5 increase rounds in the whole thing. The first 2 rounds were no fun but now that is on the circs it is as mindless as it gets. Should be warm too. MG has been upset lately when ever I leave the house without her, so this will be a warm Mommy blankie.

I am happy to report the Cobblestone is nearly done. I finished the last of the short rows at the neck and just have to finish up the neck and graft the armpits. I have decided I am not a huge fan of garter in the round. I am a slow purler.

The spinning? Well I have spun something that is kind of like yarn. I have a lot to learn. I enjoy it I just need to practice.

New Socks!

Pattern: Thuja from Knitty

Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Heavyweight

Color: Metamorphic

Needle: Size 4 dpn

These knit up so fast! I love them. Soft and warm. I was going to gift these but I think I will keep them for myself. Truth is I put them on to take the picture and just have not taken them off. The pattern is super easy and well written. I like the yarn too. The color is nothing like what their website shows. I like it a lot more now that it is knit up.

Note to self...

Never buy the MK's Moon Sand again ever. The carpet will thank you.

spinning my wheels... not

Well no spinning yet. Hubby had the wheel all in parts and I just the tension right and have just been turning the wheel to get used to the feel.I have not had 10 minutes all in a row to sit with her and thread her up so I will take her to Miss V's tonight and see if I can get her going.
My favorite LYS is having a big sale today. 25% off everything in the store. I'm on a yarn diet but may stop by just to have a peek. I have been so good about knitting from stash, but 25% off is pretty good.

In BunkyBoBo's news I had a Etsy showcase spot yesterday. It resulted in a lot of hits but no sales. I am going to do more advertising this week and see if that helps. Maybe everyone else is on a yarn diet too? After I get my new desk set up I am going to work on some new projects to list. I have some good ideas and a bunch of stuff stashed around the house. I just need the space to work on them that I can keep the MK's out of. I need Hubby to move a big TV first but this should be done this weekend.

The MK's are doing well. MG has been working up a sweet with the Wii and MB likes to make up stories with his books and stuffed animals. It is so cute to watch him. As I type this they are Wii Boxing. At least they are not hitting eachother.

A Very Merry Indeed

The kids are happily playing with the Wii and other new toys. MG is the champ of Wii bowling, MB is reading his new Degio books.

Me? I started a new pair of socks.

The Yarn is Socks That Rock Heavy weight in Metamorphic.

The pattern is Thuja from Knitty. These should be nice and warm.

Here is the current state of the Cobblestone:

Very close to done. He should have it for Valentine's Day.

I have yet to get pictures of the many knitted gifts the MK's got this year cuz they will not stand still. When I get them to calm down we will get some pictures.

I am off to see if I can get my wheel to spin something.

My new friend

Maker: Kromski

Model: Mazurka

Wood: European Alder/Birch

She is pretty. Hubby got her from a lady on E-bay. She has only the one bobbin so I will have to order some. It needs to be tensioned.

I read on line that Kromski Wheels are hand made in Poland by a company that survived 2 World Wars and the Communist party. I can't wait to get started.

I think she needs a name.

More Christmas pictures coming. Boy what a mess!

The 24th Day

Have you ever used Santa Tracker? NORAD puts it up every year. It works with Goggle maps and is really cool. My kids love to see where Santa has been and where he is going next. It gives info on different places he has been. This morning we learned all about what Russian kids do for Christmas. There is also a bunch of fun games and stuff on the website. Check it out the kiddos will love it.

In other news I got no knitting time this weekend so the Cobblestone is not done. I am so close.

Last night as I wrapped the gifts Hubby made fudge. Yummy! Alton Brown never steers us wrong! No the trick is to not eat all the fudge in one go!

The 23rd Day

The Christmas cards from family and friends have been arriving for about a week now. I love reading the letters and catching up on what everyone is doing. I suck at getting cards out. I still have the box I bought last year and in the box I found cards I wrote last year and never sent. Who knows why. Up until this year Christmas was my busy season, with dozens of events and things to set up for clients. This year I have no excuse. I had the time to do them I just spent that time doing other things. Things like playing in the snow with the MK's and baking cookies.
So sorry to friends and family who did not get cards from us this year. I really do care about you I just did not get the cards done, Maybe next year.

only 3 more inches of yoke and I can bind off the Cobblestone! It will be good to have this project done.

More from the pot!

So here we have Sunspots. 100% merino wool sock yarn. I am not a fan of yellow but this came out so pretty. I like it a lot.

And needs a name. I haven't named it yet. With the purple dye I use I can get it to crack in the pot so I get areas of blue/pink and purple. It comes out a little different every time. I love this one. It is 440 yards of worsted wool. The color is set so it can be felted.

I got some roving to dye so I'm gonna play with that today.

Hubby's Cobblestone is coming along. I am almost to the decrease rounds. I am not the fastest knitter so I need about 4-5 hours of knitting time and I should have the knitting done. The finishing should be a piece of cake. He may get it unblocked.
There is no way the sock will fit my pal. It is too big. So the way I see it is I can A: rip it out and start over. B: finish it and start a new pair for my pal. (The secret sock will fit someone I know.) C: Finish the pair and send them anyway. I can't do that. Nope she needs a pair that fit and I have plenty of time to knit a new pair. I'll decide the fate of the sock later,

MG is out of school for the next 2 weeks so we will be busy. I am going to take her to a craft class next week at Michales. She is really looking forward to it.

I am off to bake the chocolate crinkles. Yummy!

Aside to Ms. Snark, Thanks for the order. It means a lot to me. I am so happy that Hanks is doing well. I wish I could have been at that slumber party!

The 20th day

The Red Kettle. My kids love the bell ringers at Christmas. I try to have a few coins on hand for the kids to give. This year MG really understands that the money goes to help other people. She is very cute about it. She will tell her brother he has to put his dime in the pot because it is nice to help others. What a great kid. 7 years old and she gets what Christmas is all about, Peace on earth and good will to men. I love that kid.

There is a bell ringer at our local supermarket who is always singing. When you put $$ in his pot he sings his thanks. MB calls him That Singing Guy. He loves to put his coins in and do a little dance with Singing Guy.
With the changes I've made this year I don't have as much to give as I would like, But I can always find pennies for my kids to put in the red kettle. When I think about all the red kettles out there and children putting their pennies in I know my little family has done some good. And I could not be more proud of my kids for knowing it too.

A Note from the FMC

Dear Santa,

I have been such a good dog this year, I really think I deserve some treats. I mean have you met the kids I live with? Boy are they loud. The little one climbs on me and the big one makes me go where ever she goes. But I love them and they are good pals for me. I help Mom too! I lay on her feet to keep them warm and I leave piles of warm fur all over the place. I am loyal and friendly and cute! Please don't forget me this Christmas. I promise not to wake the kids when I hear you come in.

Your Pal,

Winston

New Yarns

So here we have Kate, Puck, and Deep Red.

Kate is a nice mix of rose/peach/orange. I like it. The superwash is so soft. The blue/green is Puck. I love this one! It turned out just as I had hoped. This one is a superwash wool/nylon blend sock yarn. The deep red I will never be able to do again. It started life as an oops in the dye pot, a big dose of red over dye and I got this. 100% merino wool sock yarn a one of a kind.

Kate is up in the shop already. The others will follow soon.

Update

Here is the yarn form my SITM2 pal. it is much brighter than the picture. So pretty! I may pair it with something from stash and make some mittens.

In knitting news I have joined up the Cobblestone and finished the first short rows. Hubby is taking the MK's to see Alvin and the chipmunks today (isn't he great?) so I can get the gifts wrapped and make sure we have everything. After that is done I will plant myself in the chair with the sweater. Looks like it will be a good day to sit under a big pile of wool.

The socks I am working on are going to be for my sock pal. I think she will love them and I think they will fit her. I have smallish feet and these are a little big for me. This means that I can't post them for a while...sorry.

The great 2007 bake off is in full swing here. MG had a bake sale at school so I made 4 dozen cookies for that. There have also been new cookies this year. I tried Scottish Shortbread the other day and it is melt in your mouth yummy. I sent some off to Moms. Last night I made Mint Chocolate Brownies. I really just switched the chips to the mint kind. Yummy! I only find the ch mint chips around holiday time so I always stock up. Today I will make Hubby's favorite, Andees mint/toffee. I got some Heath Bars to smash up.(This is the fun part!) These are the cookies people ask me for every year. Hubby went out and got the candy bars when I couldn't find the chips. He wants his cookies! I'll post these soon.

Grand Lake

There is a place in the Rockies called Grand Lake. The color there is amazing. Deep blue waters, Bright blue skies and snow on the peaks. This went up in the shop yesterday. I sent this same colorway to the Mobtown Review . I also sent Christmas Past.

In other news all gifts have been shipped and the Cobblestone has 2 sleeves. I am just waiting for a quite moment to put it together. The sock is moving along. I am worried it will be too big(as always). We are stuck inside today with a big pile of snow. The kids were out playing in it today. Mommy was shoveling it.

The 15th Day

We woke up this morning to a blanket of fresh snow. A new layer of white to cover the now dirty snow from last week. I love snow until about January 2nd, then I'm done with it. After the holidays are over I just don't see the need for it any longer, I can deal with the cold. I think this is because we are all in love with the idea of a White Christmas. I blame Bing and Danny.
So today I will reinforce the White Christmas love with the movie. How can you not love this movie? Rosemary Coolney is to die for. I still get a chill when she sings "You Done Me Wrong".
And Vera Ellen with the dance numbers! I bet very few of today's starlets could dance some of those numbers.(Let alone fit into her outfits) I love the "Blessings" song too:
If you're worried and you can't sleep, Just count your blessings instead of sheep...

Here's to a White Christmas!

Sock it to me!

My sock pal sent me a Christmas gift yesterday. I would show you but blogger hates me just now so pictures will have to come later. Sock Pal sent a sock blocker key chain with a pattern for a little sock for it, super cute. Some yummy smelling candles. A bar of Blacks Chocolate Mint. I have never tried Blacks before but I love it! Very yummy. Lucky for me the MK's don't like mint so it is all mine! There is also a dpn holder that is just so darn clever and yarn. Oh the yarn Claudia Hand Painted in the Lipstick colorway. It is so bright and fun. I am going to save it and knit it up some dark winter weekend when I need some color. Thank you sock pal! Happy Christmas!

The 12th Day

We have a little Advent Calendar that hangs in our kitchen. Starting December 1 the kids take turns pulling out a little Christmas ornament out of one of the pockets and counting the days left to Christmas. I love this little tradition. The kids love it too. They like to see what each new one is and count how many there are, it builds the excitement for them.

If your a knitter like me you will like this. Lime & Violet have an Advent Calendar for knitters going on the Daily Chum. Just click once a day until Christmas. Enjoy.

One more gift

Here is the last of the gift knits for this Holiday. I have amended my plan and am not knitting as many gifts this year.

So the scarf is based on Brooklyn Tweeds Scholar Collar. I didn't really even look at the pattern. The Yarn is leftover from the Tomten, Jo Sharp Silkroad Tweed DK. Cast on 32 knit garter till I like the length, make 2 button holes, knit 8 more inches of garter and voila!. The yarn is the star here, a wool cashmere blend. The tweediness of this little scarf makes me happy. It will be a warm toasty hug for the wearer. I do hope he likes it. I almost made this person a hat but just can't knit another hat for a while.

In other knitting the Cobblestone has a 2nd sleeve that is 3/4 done. I may get this finished. I have also started a new sock for travel knitting. I started with the Jaywalker pattern but just didn't like the way it fit so I frogged most of the first sock and have started on a new idea. We will see if it pans out. I have never really knit socks without a pattern before but I think it will work out. If not I can always frog.

The 9th Day

On the 9th day of Christmas (4 years ago) I had my son.

Happy Birthday Monster Boy!!!

You are 4 years old today!

The day you were born it snowed all day. I remember sitting in the Hospital bed and watching the snow pile up outside the window. We brought you home on a cold December day and our lives were never the same. Your little face makes the dull days of winter brighter and your laughter fills the house. Now if I could just bottle that energy of yours!

I am so proud to be your Mommy I love you Monster Boy! Have a great birthday!

The 8th Day

One of our favorite Holiday cd's is the Barenaked for the Holidays Album(2004). The cd features many holiday standards as well as some newer songs that crack me up. My favorite track is The Elfs Lament. This track features Michael Buble.



"A full indentured servitude can reflect on one's attitude

But that silly red hat just makes the fat man look outrageous

Absurd though it may seem, you know, I've heard there's even been illegal doping

And though we're coping, I just hope it's not contagious

You try to start a movement, and you think you see improvement

But when thrown into the moment, we just don't seem so courageous



I make toys, but I've got aspirations

Make some noise Use your imagination

Girls and boys, before you wish for what you wish for

There's a list for who's been Naughty or nice, but consider the price to an elf"



Other fun tracks include:
Snowman Lyrics

Do They Know It's Christmas? Lyrics

Hanukkah O Hanukkah Lyrics

God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman / We Three Kings Lyrics

Footprints Lyrics

Deck The Stills Lyrics

This last one is pretty funny. I think I spit pop out my nose the first time I heard it.
Enjoy!

Thanks to the Knitters

After the horror of the mall shooting here in town I have received e-mails from all over the world checking in to make sure that we were not there when it happened. I am so thankful for this. It is amazing to me how small the world really is. Knitters rock! Who else would think about someone they have never met in real life but love that last pair of socks you knit? Simone's boyfriend is a cop btw. And so far it seems like the was very little they could have done. Is seems to me they did a good job getting people out and making sure the had the guy. This is a tight knit community and everyone is banding together. We see too much of this on the news, it has been a surreal experience to have it in our own back yard. Lucky for us we kept the news away from the kids and they seem ok. They know something bad happened but don't really get that it happened in a place we go all the time.
We were lucky we did not know anyone involved and our hearts go out to those family's. We will hold ours a little closer this year and celebrate being together.

p.s. Hubby got a spinning wheel. Don't know what kind yet, he says he got a good deal.

p.p.s. Got some BFL and Merino roving from Miss V the other day. Can I just roll around in the BFL? So soft!

p.p.p.s. Almost done with last knitted gift that needs to be shipped. Then its all Cobblestone all the time till it is done.

That is all.

The 7th Day

With the Holiday season in full swing now and the weather turned cold Hubby and I are always looking for things to do with the kiddos. One our favorite things to do is pile everyone in the truck(doggy too) and go look at the lights. One of our local radio stations puts together a map of the best decorated houses in the area. Hubby maps out our route and I put on the Christmas cd's and off we go. The kids love seeing the houses all lit up and singing along with the Christmas music. When we get home I make hot chocolate for everyone and Hubby reads the Kids a Christmas book. All in all a nice family evening with no tv. The nice thing about this kind of evening is we can do this more than once . Hubby just picks a new part of town and off we go. We our planing our first such trip for tonight. I have my Muppet Christmas and Bear Naked Ladies cd's all ready to go.
We have a nice layer of snow now. Everything looks so pretty covered in snow, at least for a day or two anyway.
I hope you can all get out and enjoy an evening of sight seeing this Holiday season. After all spending time with family is what Christmas is about, and when they are all trapped in a moving car they pretty much have to get along.(or you could just leave them on the side of the road! hehehe)

Scary

No Christmas post today. Yesterday afternoon a young man walked into the Von Maur store at our local mall and shot and killed 8 people 5 more wounded, then he shot himself. I was not at the mall for any of this. MB and I were out and saw lots of cop cars headed that way but I did not think much of it till Hubby called me to find out where I was. Scary. So far it seems we did not know any of the people involved, Thank God! What they did not say on CNN is right outside that store is where Santa is set up. Right outside the first floor entrance! If it had been Sunday afternoon we would have been right there. as a side note MG's school was on alert but not locked down. Police knew pretty early on they had the shooter. The school is 2 exits down the expressway from the mall. Gonna be hard to find a reason to go to the mall for a while.

This kid had a SK assault rifle. Who in there right mind would sell a kid a gun like that? I would say maybe now people will think again about gun control, but they won't. Not here in red state USA.

Back Friday with Happy stuff.

The 5th day

I should call this one the power of Santa. Around this time every year the kids start to get very excited about Santa. They know they have to be good or Mommy will tell Santa and there will be no gifts. I love that they still believe. MG keeps telling MB if he is naughty Santa will leave him rocks. When he and I were in the mall last week he saw a bin of shiny rocks. "Is this where Santa gets his rocks Mommy?" The sales person looks confused. So I tell MB "Santa brings a lump of coal if you are naughty"
"oh," says MB "these are pretty! I like pretty rocks."

So this may seem like a bit of a cop out but, I love that at Christmas time some grown ups will do anything to keep Santa real for the kids. At Holiday time we all get to be kids. I tell the MK's that Santa is real as long as we all believe in him.
On Christmas Eve The MK's will leave cookies For Santa as well as some fruit and veg for the reindeer. MG says that if the big man gets a snack the reindeer need one too! Last Christmas Santa left her a nice Thank You note.
On Sunday we will go visit the Big Man for MB's birthday. We do this every year and he loves it. When he is older he may wish his birthday was not so close to Christmas but for now MB thinks it is the coolest thing to Visit Santa for his birthday.
So this Christmas remember to believe in the Magic of the Season and it will be yours. Life is what we make it so at least once a year we can make it special.

I wonder if Peace on Earth would break out if we all just believe in it?

Elf hat pattern

So to make the Peppermint elf hat you need about 200 yard worsted weight. 3 colors(I used wool but you could use anything.) A size 8 circ needle ( or whatever you like)

Cast on 84 Stitches in MC. Place marker and join in round careful not to twist. Knit 4 rounds.
Purl one round
Knit 2 rounds
Purl one round
Knit 2 rounds

Now the stripe part
Knit about 25 rows in whatever stripe pattern you like.
Knit 2 rounds of MC.
Next round K21 place marker repeat to end or round.
Decrease round: Knit to 2 sts before marker k2tog repeat to end of round (4sts decreased)
Knit one round
Repeat these 2 rounds until 1 stitch remains between markers.
Knit a short I cord on the last 4 stitches. Bind off. Add bell to end of I-cord and weave in ends. Block lightly
For a longer hat you can use 3 decrease points instead of 4 or knit more rounds between the decreases.

Hope you enjoy it. If you have questions please let me know. I have never really written a pattern before.

Elf Hats

So I made this silly elf hat Saturday. Just sort of made it up as I went along. I kinda like it. The stripes are BunkyBoBos Hand dyed and the red is something from stash. Patons classic merino I think. That's a gold bell on the end. Adds to the silly. The color in the flat picture is really good. I like it. Sort of fun in a campy Christmas sort of way. This is going to a friend who I did not knit a campy Christmas hat for last year. I hope she thinks it funny.

Elf hat #2 is the Peppermint elf hat. Same red as before with hot pink and white Wool of the Andes from Knit Picks. Green bell this time. I love this one. I can write up the pattern if anyone wants it.

The 3rd day

As part of my holidays I am allowed to eat whatever sweets I want. I watch what I eat the rest of the year, I give myself December off.
I use real butter in all my baking too. None of that low fat good for you junk for me thank you very much! Bring on the fudge! the cookies! and Party mix! The cakes! the breads! and candies!
I know, I know its bad for me. But all the extra Holiday running around and the chasing of Monsters helps keep the poundage down and it is only once a year.
So my wish for my friends on this 3rd day of Christmas is this. Is for everyone to put the scale away and Enjoy the goodies of the season, forget your diet and treat yourself. We will all spend January worrying about what we ate over the holidays anyway so have that piece of fudge, and enjoy it. You'll burn it off in the parking lot at the mall in no time. Guilt free snacking for all!
What is your favorite holiday treat? Stay tuned for my favorite cookie recipe!

The 2nd day

I am short on time today so this is a quick one.
The family and I were trapped in our home most of yesterday due to the weather so we had movie time. I love my holiday movies. There will be more on the list but today's movie is A Christmas Story. How can you not love Ralphie and his pals? And that lamp? I have been looking for one for 10 years now! I have a burning desire to knit Flick's stocking cap. (I am in fact working on this design as we speak) If you have never seen this movie go see it. Today, you won't be sorry.(Unless you hate Christmas then I would suggest not seeing it) If you have seen it it is time to pull it out again. My kids love it and it still makes Hubby and I laugh out loud. He and I can do nearly every scene. We are a hit in the living room.
Its funny how my kids love this movie so much. This is one that came out when I was still a kid. It really is timeless. Favorite Holiday Movie anyone?

The first day of Christmas

Today begins the 25 days of Christmas series.

One of the things I love about the Holidays is putting up all of our decorations. Each year we pull out the boxes and enjoy rediscovering each item. The last thing to go up every year is our Stockings.

The group of 4 belong to my little family. These were Knit for us by my GAH. She has knit hundreds of these over the years. I know quite a few families who hold GAH stockings as their dearest Christmas treasures. Each one is a little different. I love these stockings. I have never even considered getting others. These stockings were made with all the love that Christmas time brings. For the Knitters out there. GAH has a large notebook of patterns for these. Most are made with Red Heart Sport yarn. Santa's beard there is some kind of soft fuzzy yarn. They are knit flat to the heel then foot is knit in the round. I'm not sure if she ever made 2 alike. The MK's each have a Gingerbread boy(or girl). The design possibilities are endless. I have never seen another like mine.

The 2 stockings in the other picture belong to my Grandparents. They passed away before my kids were born but having the stockings up at Christmas time makes me think of them and I feel like a little part of them is here to have Christmas with their Great Grand kids. I know they would have loved being great grandparents.

Maybe in the future if I am very lucky and do enough things right, My stocking will hang in my great grand kids house to remind them at Christmas Time...

What is your most precious Christmas Treasure?

Ah to be almost 4

Standing in line at Wal Mart yesterday MB stands up in the cart and says" Mom Look at that huge butt!" He was talking about the women before us in line and yes she heard him. Anybody got a hole I can crawl in? The woman just laughed at him, Then MB made faces for her baby. Baby cooed and the Mom smiled, they went on their way. Ah the joys of parenting!