Down to the Wire

Presents are opened and the wrapping in the bag. Sitting relaxing, well knitting on that one last gift. Almost done with the Penn State hand holding mittens. They should be done by tonight so I won't be finishing on the plane tomorrow. I hope. I'll be glad to go back to leisurely knitting, no real deadlines in sight. Penn State Mittens almost completed

We're having one of the most laid back Christmases I can remember, no heading off to visit, no visitors. Not even a big dinner, well at least not the "usual". It's nice for a change. I'm going to curl up on the couch and finish the mittens and relax. Tomorrow we are off to visit vet2b son's in-laws to be and share in some wedding preparations. I even got invited to go dress shopping, how cool since I have no girls. I'm going to enjoy every minute, especially as I am not mother of the bride. No pressure, just fun. Shopping ( read after Christmas sales!) and girl talk, can it get much better.? Well add in some knitting, oh yeah, did I mention I downloaded some knitting shops in the area?!!

Hope you are all basking in the warmth of the holiday!

Almost Caught Up

Let's see, the shopping is pretty much done but the wrapping remains. The cookies are baked and the fudge made, now to be packed up. I should make some breads for the neighbors but cookies will have to do. The cards are in the mail. Except for the fact that I work the next three days I think I'm in pretty good shape.

The snow has certainly made a statement this year, more than I think we've had in the last few years just in the last few storms. Right now it's very pretty even if it does make things so much more difficult!

Scenes out the back door

K is home, you can tell by the clutter at the front door, the pounding of his feet up and down the stairs and the empty refrigerator, despite going to the grocery store just yesterday. He and Tobah are spending some quality time together!

Boy and dog bonding time

Due to the snow and ice we have a lovely leak in a corner of the house. We haven't seen this happen in years but then again there hasn't been snow and ice like this in, well, years. So hubby is fighting a battle chipping away ice and mopping up the trickle that appears behind the bookcase. Ah, the joys of winter.

I hope you each have a wonderful holiday however you celebrate. I doubt there will be blogging what with the rest of the chores to finish, work and the holiday. I hope it's warm and happy. Enjoy!

A Quickie

Here is some of the completed Christmas knitting. I even finished the scarf (no picture yet)! So I'm down to just the two pairs of hand holding mittens left and they won't be gifted until after
Christmas. Whew, not bad!







Top: Hand Holding Mittens from Lion Brand; Hats from The Yarn Girls Guide to Kids Knits; Fingerless Gloves and Christmas Stockings from Ann Norling


At my Monday night group I was able to finish my Quant from Knitty and during the few snowy days of last week I finished the Fidget. Sometimes little projects make my day.

The week is flying by, tomorrow we pick up K from college. I've already warned Tobah that he will have to share the bed, he's not thrilled. But K can't complain, Tobah keeps him very warm. K is ready for semester break. He should be working plenty of hours at Trader Joe's to fill up his coffers.

Well I'm off to wrap and knit and maybe bake, we'll see how far I can get. There is still shopping to do and cards to get out and... and....oh boy!

Uh Oh...

Yikes, where did the time go? Wasn't it just Thanksgiving? I can't believe Chritmas is just 10 days away. Ready? Not me.

My holiday knitting that had to be sent out is done. That's a first for me. It doesn't mean that there won't be knitting on gifts up until Christmas, oh there will be, but at least those gifts that have to fly the friendly skies have taken wing.

Hmm, well apparently Blogger doesn't want me to post pictures of those finished objects, I guess that will come later. So, I finished the stockings for the newlyweds (and no bleeding of the red yarn this time), hats and scarves for the nephews, fingerless mitts for my mom, hand holding mittens for the newlyweds (and I have two more pair of those to do but they go quick), socks for B's future MIL, and a scarf for my job share partner. Not too bad.

I've needed to sneak in a few other projects for me even though I said I would knit only on the gifts. But since I'm just about done I thought it would be ok. I'm working on a Fidget(www.onesheephill.com) and Quant from Knitty(www.knitty.com) in Sheep Shop Yarn color G43. Both quick knits and maybe future gifts for next year, but these are for me, just me!

The tree is up along with a few decorations but I'm just not feeling it this year. I haven't baked, wrapping still to do, not to mention the shopping that still awaits. It gets harder as everyone is older. Maybe I can convince everybody that we don't need to do gifts anymore until new little ones arrive on the scene. I mean it really takes the spirit out of it when you have to ask for and shop from a list. No suprises. Lets just make it about the food(yum) and the people we love. Yeah, that sounds good!

I'll try and post later(promise) pictures of the finished objects. Now it's time to prepare for the big nor'easter coming our way.
Stay tuned and stay warm.

Get A Move On

Thanksgiving has come and gone and before we know it Christmas will be here. This will be the year of actually scaling down. There really aren't any little kids (well with K around sometimes it feels like there is a little kid in the house!) in the house so no need to run out for all the newest items. The plan is to pick gifts that are really needed or wanted within reason. We'll see how that goes, we've said it before but for some reason I think we'll be better at sticking to it this year.

On the knitting front the gifts are moving along, hopefully fast enough for everything to be accomplished. I have one hat for the nephews done, one set of the hand holding mittens completed(they are cute if I say so myself) and I'm almost done with the second of the Christmas stockings. I'll try and post some pictures this weekend. I have to get moving to try and get it all finished up.

K and my husband scored Patriots tickets for tomorrow. K wants to run up to NH to get his Patriot's jersey to wear to the game, come back home, then out to Foxboro for the game. I think not! He's obsessed with having something Patriot's to wear to the game. I'm obsessed with them staying warm as the cold air has settled in. They are off to the store today for some warm mittens and liners as well as some warm packs for hands and feet. You've got to be dedicated to sit out in the cold to watch grown men running around and into each other. Me, I'm staying home where it's warm. I think I'll work on those projects, maybe run over to my LYS to check out the Dream in Color yarn (if there is any left), eat in front of the tv, and check in on the game now and then. They'll be home late and have to get up early to get K back up to college for his first class. It's all worth it he says!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Early Morning

The sun was pretty in the sky as I walked the dog this morning. I have been fascinated lately with the way light plays at different times of the day. Yesterday coming out of a store there was such a contrast of the dark grey sky and the houses and trees that were lit up by the sunlight piercing the opening in the clouds. But no camera so no picture. It's in my mind though!

This morning I watched as the sun came up between the trees. What is left of the leaves were highlighted in that morning light.

The colors this year were rather blah but in the right light they look rather pretty! The air is getting nippy and the talk of...snow...is becoming more prevalent. It's just a matter of time. I've got to find those hats and scarves I made last year.

This guy reminds me to get to my food shopping list and once that is done back to the Christmas knitting. One hat to be finished tonight, a pair of the hand holding mittens up next, there has to be some variety. Knit on!

Trying Not To Get Ahead Of Myself

Christmas is coming in case you hadn't notice. However I think you must live in a hole if you haven't been bombarded with music, songs, ads and decorations in the stores. It seems to get earlier and earlier that this happens every year. The kids were barely in from the Halloween candy dash and suddenly the ads on tv started to appear. I think there should be a law that all the hoopla can't start until after Thanksgiving.

Now because of all the push towards Christmas I'm starting the knitting gift panic. I said this year would be the year I keep it all in control. But I'm losing control. My mind is queuing up those projects left and right. I will say there are few things finished. I did the fingerless gloves for my mom and the socks for son's fiance's mother(I know). But for everything I finish something appears at the end of the list. I have to finish a scarf for my job share other half. I have two hats for the nephews. Hand-holding mittens for the newly weds and the engaged son/fiancee as well as a friend and his wife. My "need to finish" project bag is getting bigger and bigger. I'm hoping that's it but I'm afraid that this year will be no different than the years past.

Yarn Haul....I mean crawl

Today was a perfect day, good friend, beautiful weather and yarn shopping. What more could anyone ask for? Every so often friends and I like to go off for the day usually exploring new yarn shops. It's so much fun to fondle yarn in new environments. Today was no exception.

We started the day at Seed Stitch Fine Yarns(http://www.seedstitchfineyarn.com/) in Salem. What a pretty and comfy shop. Welcoming with inviting chairs and bright space. We were told to fondle to our hearts content and being the best at following directions we did! There were walls of beautiful fiber of all colors and weights. Books nicely arranged with chairs to settle into as you looked through the books and patterns. Nice buttons and displays that made you want to buy "one of each"! It was hard to keep the impules at bay but I only bought a few things, see...

A skein of Louet Euroflax in the colorway Aqua for a window covering from Mason Dixon Knitting. We just finished painting the tv room in "Shallow Tide" so I'm hoping it will go well. The other skein is a new yarn for me. It's Sheep Shop Yarn (#3 ) for a pair of socks. Really really pretty, silk and wool.

Our next stop was at Cranberry Fiber Arts (http://www.cranberryfiberarts.com/) in South Hamilton. This used to be primarily a quilting shop, now yarn is the focus. And pretty yarn it is. Lots of pretty yarn. My favorite is the wall of Malabrigo, I could just fondle that all day. There is yarn for just about any project. They even had some Madeline Tosh sock yarn but I'm waiting for the shipment at Butterfly yarns to come in. Patiently, I'm waiting patiently. No yarn bought here.

Our final stop (after a yummy lunch at the Wenham Tea House of course) was at Yarns in the Farms (http://www.yarnsinthefarms.com/) in Beverly. A little shop we almost drove right by. But I'm glad we didn't! What a cute funky place. It oozes charm and character. It's little but packed with wonderful yarns, buttons, books, and a cute little pooch. My hands had a hard time staying out of the cubbies, everything asked to be touched, in fact, at times some of the yarn jumped out at me begging to be fondled.

No, your eyes are not playing tricks. You do see more Brown Sheep Shop yarn, and yes, same colorway. But this is heavier weight yarn for a scarf and a hat. I just love this yarn and it's even better across the different weights. I know I'll be looking for more of this in the future. The other is a skein of KidSilk Spray in a pink/grey hue that is pretty. I'm not a lace knitter but some of my Monday Night group have inspired me so I'm going to give it a try, probably after the holidays. It's soo very soft. You might also spy a new ladybug tape measure, yup. I was enabled, thanks Mary!

I did get pictures from my son's (vet2b) friend for whom I knit a sweater. It got to him just in time as the snow was flying briefly out in Minnesota. He's been wearing it alot and IT FITS! I was worried, I've never met him and well, I was worried. But all is well.

A good day, a very good day!

My Pal

Am I not cute??

This is my guy Tobah. As the boys were moving on to college and independence I had the sudden desire to find something or someone who might need me. Enter Tobah. He's a Shiba Inu and just the best guy after all my two footed males to enter my life. He keeps me company, makes me go out for walks at least once a day, usually twice(my husband gets the other walks), makes me laugh and, well, he needs me. We had a dog when the kids were little but that did not go so well. At that time too many people needed me and it just wasn't a good fit. Unfortunately illness struck and our dog died. I said never again but I didn't realize how much I would need a dog later on down the road. I first saw a Shiba when my vet2b son was at Tufts Vet school for a camp. I didn't know what kind of dog I had seen and neither did my son but the picture stayed in my mind. I saw a few others as time went by and found out what breed it was. I had learned that they were like big cats, a bit shy, didn't always like other dogs. As I decided that we needed a dog I started looking at breeders. My son suggested http://www.petfinders.com and low and behold we found our guy. He lived with a family who loved him but due to changing circumstances they could no longer keep him. After phone calls and home checks Tobah came to us by way of NY. His real name is Octobah (October with a NY accent!) but we call him Tobah. He's been a great dog and I can't imagine our life without him. Now that the boys are pretty much on their own he has taken over one of their rooms for his. When anyone comes home and sleeps in the bed he is a bit perturbed, wondering who is taking his spot. He has quite the personality. We did have to teach him to be a Red Sox fan after living in NY but with two championships under our belts he is now a true blue Sox fan! He does shed enormously in the spring, I'm thinking we could build another dog with all the fur. Maybe I could have it spun and knit it.....

Pattern: Football from Itty Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson

Yarn: Karabella 8 (Blue) and Sirdar 4 ply for trim (Taupe)

Needle: size 7 KnitPicks: Magic Loop

Modifications: I didn't add the "sprout" on the top

This was a quick and satisfying little knitting project. I think it will be well received once the little guy is born. I'm looking forward to making some of the other cute hats from this book.

In other knitting news, the yarn for the new Christmas stockings is dry and wound and I'm almost done the first one. I hope all the excess dye was rinsed out. I'm a little afraid to block it but block it I must. Stayed tuned for the results. My scarf is moving along and the blanket is taking a back seat as it won't be needed for a bit. Not sure what other Christmas gifts I'll be making, there are always some at the last minute.

Tomorrow it's a yarn crawl with a knitting buddy. Should be lots of fun. Report to follow!

Red Sky at Night

Red Sky at Night

This was the sky tonight from my front steps. I was going around shutting the shades and happened to catch this beautiful sunset. They say this will preceed a nor'easter here on the East coast tomorrow. We were headed up to see my son in college but figure it he can wait a day. Instead we'll run around doing a few errands early in the morning then hunker down with some football and knitting. I'm addicted to the boy's college games, not that they ever played. But for some reason I like college football. So hopefully Penn State, Purdue, and UNH will be playing and we'll be watching. I have my varied projects to work on although the yarn for the stockings still isn't dry but I am almost halfway done with the little football hat (pretty appropriate) and a scarf I am knitting for a Christmas gift is sitting patiently waiting for me to pick it up.

I'm also going to make a chicken pot pie and apple crisp to take up to the college boy, two of his favorites. Our house will tantalize us with yummy smells but the food will be off limits. I'll have to come up with some comfort food for us , it won't be fair for all those smell wafting through the house if none of it is for us. I love it when the weather turns crisper and cooking is more of a pleasure.

Off to make sure everything that might fly away in the storm is put away and make a list for the groceries for tomorrow. Everybody stay dry!

Odds and Ends

A working weekend, not much knitting and obviously no posting. So today will be a day for odds and ends.

I joined the Knitters Tea Swap 4 in October, my first swap. I figured yarn, tea, it had to be good. I was matched with someone from Australia (hi Nikki) and we started our emails. It was neat to chat with someone you've never met and figure out what goodness to send them You had to send yarn that would complete a project, tea and goodies to go with the tea, and then anything else you wanted. Something you sent had to be from your local area. Nikki did a great job sending me some green tea and some Jasmine tea along with some Australian Macadamias and TimTams. There was a 2008 calendar of New South Wales (I so want to go visit). And yarn goodness with two balls of Hot Socks yarn, one in a pretty fall colorway and the other in some beautiful blues and pinks. It looks like the yarn is made in Turkey and when I tell you it is soft, it is soo soft. I can't wait to knit up some socks with it. Nikki even sent the cool bag from the yarn store, the Wool Inn. I'm a sucker for bags! It was a great swap, one I'll join again. I hope Nikki likes what I sent her.

My loot

I'm trying to work on finishing up projects and getting a few Christmas presents done. I finished a pair of fingerless mitts for my mom. I did finish a really pretty Christmas stocking, one of two, for my newly married son and his wife. I really was thrilled with it. However, when I blocked it the beautiful red color from the stocking bled right into the pristine white of the snowflake and now, well now, I have a pink snowflake! That will teach me. I figured they would not be washed so I didn't think there was a chance of the red and white actually meeting. Needless to say I was back getting more yarn today and it has been washed and rinsed a few times over now. I think, I hope, I've taken care of that problem. Hopefully the yarn will dry soon so I can get them done before Christmas is over. My husband has yet to figure out what the "weird" smell is yet!

Other projects include a baby blanket for an upcoming baby girl made from some new Crystal Palace yarn called Puffin. It is made from strips of polar fleece like material and it's another softie. I can just imagine how wonderful it will feel all made up. I couldn't resist it today and I know the mom will love it. It's white with flecks of pink and well of course, orange. I'm dying to start but need to finish a few things before it can see a needle. I also got some yarn for the little football hat in Itty- Bitty Hats. It's for a client of mine due soon with her fourth boy. I made hats for her two little premie guys I worked with so this guy will get a hat too.

I guess that's all for now, since I have so many projects I best get going on them. I'll be back soon.

(PS I suprised myself by getting pictures in here, not bad if I do say so myself!)

Something New

I know this is old to so many people but for me, it's a new venture. I'm a mom whose boys are pretty much all out of the house, I'm a wife, I'm a nurse, and I'm a Lactation Consultant. Oh yeah, and I'm a knitter. In fact, knitting is the one constant through every one of the other things I do. It's how I cope with things (along with eating, that's a bad, bad habit!), my therapy as so many people say.



I started knitting as a teenager and made all those mistakes as I learned. The first project I remember was a pair of baby booties for my aunt's baby. Picked the pattern and yarn. No one told me anything about gauge, I picked yarn that was pretty and bought needles that the pattern said I needed, not what the yarn required. I knit away and had lovely booties. They looked like the picture. I had no idea of scale and needless to say they were HUGE! But I didn't see that, all I saw was the gift I had made for my aunt's new baby. When I brought them over she ooohed and awwed. But I kept looking at the baby's feet and back to the booties. I knew they would never fit her (well maybe now and she is 40) but my aunt just complimented me. I've come a long way from that first project. I know how to pick yarn and needles, how to read a pattern. But it's been a journey with many ups and downs, sort of like my life. I'm still learning about both!



Since the boys have grown older and essentially moved out I have really gotten back into knitting full force. Around the same time I started knitting with a wonderful group of women who have expanded my world in so many ways. I have met such great people and gone to wonderful places, all because I started knitting again. I don't think I could live without it anymore. I know sometimes I go to bed thinking about what I put down before I went to bed and other times I dream about knitting. Sometimes I pace my day by when I can get in a few minutes of knitting or a new yarn purchase or fiber field trip. I guess that's called an obsession, for me a healthy one.



So now I'll write about knitting and life and see how it goes. You're welcome to come along and see where this goes. Your guess is as good as mine!