2018 Here We Come!

Are you ready for 2018?  Well it is almost here whether or not you are ready!  Sorry I did not post yesterday (Monday....my regular day) but it was Christmas and I was lazy and enjoying Antonio and Paige coming over!

Last week, almost right after I blogged, Darlene and I did our gift exchange and you know how fabulous she is!  She got me Knit Happens pajamas with matching mug, a Fullmosa Apple Watch band, an entire 3 month membership to the Harry Potter sock of the month club from Molly at a homespun house!  She also made me a tote bag with Pigs in mud....OMG, pigs in mud!!! This is the cutest fabric!!!🐖 🐷 Thank you Darlene!

It is funny how we both think so much alike because I got her pj's too, along with some shoes she has been trying to find, a basket, our regular annual dachshund calendars and I made her a sweater......yup, it was super secret knitting that I have not been able to tell you about till now.....but she loved it.  Now, the sweater is meant to be big, but the sweater I made Darlene is Big with a capital B.  I think it is a bit too long, but I couldn't change it and  (thankfully) she loves it......

 

So there is my secret knitting...when I entered the yardage into my knitmeter account, this sweater put me at exactly 12 miles this year....that is one mile per month and it was my silent little goal I had for myself, so I was just thrilled!

 

What else have I been doing?  Well, I worked a little on my Birthday Yarn Crochet Blanket......I am really enjoying working on this with the cooler weather....the last time I crocheted on it, it was around where my finger is in this picture....so I have almost doubled the size...but still have a long way to go!

 



Darlene and I also got a brilliant idea to start a new blanket!!!  We have been talking about "what are we going to do with all our one skeins of fingering yarn?"  Neither of us like one skein shawls, and both of us are a little 'over' shawls because we rarely wear them.....so why not make a huge blanket?  We are going to make Stephen West's Briochevron Blanket.....Darlene is going to use her Hippo yarn on one side and solids on the other.  I am doing oranges on one side and reds/purples on the other.  I am also doing it as a mystery.  I put all yarn in a plastic mailer bag and then put and R or O on it so I can pick a Red or Orange color.

Darlene's Yarn:

 My Yarn:

 Wrapped Yarn:

 Darlene's start:

 My Start:

Picking Up I-cord:

I was able to finish my set up rows.....I think Darlene and I will work on her set up rows at lunch today:

I think the only other thing I worked on this week was a cowl for Paige....she asked me to make this for her back in August......so I need to get this done.

And that ladies and gentlemen......is all I have in the knitting/crocheting world....However, if you want to hear about my Christmas....then keep reading.

First, last Friday I had precious groomed, I got picked up Antonio from Daycare and Paige brought me Jazz so I could watch them Friday and Saturday

Then....the call came....3:30 in the morning Paige called that she had been in an accident.  THANKFULLY, Everyone was okay...but I am not sure if I can say the same for her car, Betty.....we are waiting to hear from insurance to see if they total it out.

She is using my car this week while I borrow a car from Jaime.....so on to Christmas.....

Chris....who is Paige's ex, my son's best friend, and like a son to me....got me an amazing mug for Christmas....he actually went to Yarnivore (a local yarn shop) and picked this up for me....I LOVE IT!!!!!

Jaime gave me some beautiful "I Love Knitting" jewelry and a car decal

On Christmas Eve, it was time for church and seeing the whole family

 Celeste looks just like Paige.....

 

Then it was time for my daddy to open his sweater.......drum roll please:

 It Fits......Yeah!

My dad said it was VERY WARM....I told him it should be, it was 100% wool.  I know he wore it the next morning to walk Bella (the dog) in 40 degree weather and he said he was nice and toasty. 

As we were talking about me knitting the sweater.....my mom pulled out two sweaters she knit for her and my dad (matching) before I was born...I knew my mom knit a little before I was born, but not this much.....she did an amazing job on these sweaters!

Celeste had to model...and if you scroll back up and see Paige with a yellow/mustard hat on, my mom knit that too.

After my dad got his sweater and said how warm it was....my sister put it on and LOVED it....as soon as my sister walked out of the room, my brother in law said that my sister would love a sweater like that because she is ALWAYS cold.......so I asked my sister what color and she said red....more of a brick red than a candy apple red.....of course she also said only if she could pay for the yarn and also buy me a present....but I am hoping she forgets that part because I would just love to make her a sweater....so I ordered some Cascade 220 super wash in Red Wine Heather......my sister said to surprise her on the color and Paige picked this color over the Ruby I have.....so it should be on it's way this week.  It will be my project for the first ever Knitter's Gotta Knit KAL.....I will cast on December 31st  :)

So.....that was my amazing Christmas....I hope the picture overload was not too much!  I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and have a wonderful ring in of the New Year (I will be knitting or sleeping).  I will see ya'll in 2018!

Happy Happy Happy Knitting!

Merry Christmas!

Hi everyone....it is one week before Christmas.....are you ready?  I think I can officially say that I am.  I ordered what I think is the absolute last present this morning and it should be here on Wednesday!  I have just about everything wrapped and under the tree.....Darlene and I should be having our gift exchange some time this week and I have the gift exchange with the knitting girls at lunch tomorrow......so I think I can finally take a breath and relax (not that I was not relaxing before....LOL!)!

So what I have I been up to.....well, not much.  I did re-block my dad's cardigan.  I was a little worried that the mid section was going to be a little snug, so I reblocked and I am SOOOOOO glad I did.  I put it on this morning and I think it will fit my dad perfectly!  Thank you to Darlene for putting the buttons on for me!

 

 

I also put heels in on Paige's socks......she loved seeing me working on them this past weekend......sometimes she likes an ankle sock, but lately she likes about a 5" - 6" leg so she can put the socks over skinny jeans or jeggings or leggings or whatever they are calling them these days.....so I guess I have about 5 more inches on each side.  If I do a black cuff, then I might be able to get a 2nd pair of socks out of this yarn.....we will see.

 

Lastly, I started something new....Yeah, I know....I needed to start something new like a need a hole in my head....I guess it was silly really......I had a weird feeling that I wanted to do some lace....and beads (I know....would the real Carrie please stand up).  Well, a friend of mine on ravelry does and advent calendar stole pattern (2016 was her first year).  A couple of my other friends are doing it and I thought, "Carrie, if you don't do it now, you won't do it!"  So, while I know I cannot catch up with all the clues (clues come out every 2 days), I think I can catch up to finish by the end of January......so I started it.....will I finish it?  I hope so, but I am not really sure!  This yarn is yarn I was going to make my Yoga Shawl with, but frogged the Yoga Shawl because I am making the Knotted Chain Poncho....anyway, the most accurate color is the first one....kinda washed out dark grey.

 

That is it....see, I feel like I have a lot less when a lace project is in it....it takes me longer.  I did work on my Portage Cardigan during lunches, but hardly enough progress was made to warrant another picture.

 

I also spent some of my time cooking/baking.  Okay, I did not really cook, but more prepare food for a crock pot.  I found a new crock pot recipe for a pot roast on pinterest and this recipe actually said to cook in crock pot for 9 hours.....I have problems finding recipes that say to stay in the crock pot for so long.  I have an older crock pot and no timer and I am gone all day (over 9 hours) so recipes that would say to cook for 6 hours or 4 hours would always over cook for me.....but this one came out nice...Jaime and I really enjoyed it.

 

I also baked cookies.....okay, get up off the floor....I got a new fidget spinner shaped cookie cutter for Antonio and tried a shortbread cookie recipe....I liked it, but I could not get the cookies thin enough.  I wanted to do a double layer cookie with raspberry preserves in between, but they would have been an inch thick.....lol, so singles they were.

Then I even make some icing and let Antonio paint/decorate some cookies.

 

Well, that is really all I have.....I did capture a couple more great sunrises this past week at my office......

And of course I have to share a cute picture of Antonio with Precious!

 

Have a great week everyone....and Merry Christmas. 

 

I have shared this before, but always seem right to share just before Christmas.

 

http://knitpurlhunter.com/blog/twas-the-knitters-night-before-christmas/

 

https://paradisefoundfiber.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/knitting-twas-the-night-before-chrstmas_122511.pdf

Happy Happy Happy Knitting!