Red Yarn and Teal

The Shetland Dye experiment goes forward the red is finished and the teal. The red is 880 yards total. And the teal is 847 yards.

Off to work on the yellow some more.

Happy Sandy Claws

The packages have been opened and the paper thrown away.

Carl put his hat and slippers on! Right out of the wrapping! I have never seen such a thing. And he is still wearing them.

And Christopher put on his robe for me to get a picture of him in it.

I got a power supply for my computer so I may be shortly back on the computer that has enough memory so that I don't have to keep restarting it to keep it from locking up.

And I will be able to have the computer and the laptop running and on line at the same time because I got new cords, to hook up the extra hub. So I won't have to string the cord that Carl uses in the living room across the room and across the desk to hook the laptop into the net.

I also got 3 books. 2 of Mark Twain's writings: Letters to Mary, and The collection of Critical essays, and a Biography of Mark Twain.

See Carl wear his hat, sweater and slipper.

And Christopher being cool.

Finished! Done! Complete!

I have no more presents to finish, and only Christopher's Slippers left to wrap. (They are still damp from the felting). After finishing them this morning, I cast on and knit a hat for Carl. It is now done and wrapped. This evening I can work on my slippers, because as tired as I am of making them, I want some for me. Then I will cast on the socks for Lori, which no matter when they are finished will not be sent until January, because, I do not want them to be considered a Christmas Present.

Then I think I will pull some lace out and work on some of that along with the spinning for the
rest of the year.

There is a superstition/tradition that all of one's bobbins should be empty on New Years Eve when one goes to bed, and since most of my bobbins are empty I plan on accomplishing this in this next week, perhaps I can finish the Shetland, and be able to start the year with new projects, that would be fun, I need to check and see how much of the Shetland is left to spin.

Hope everyone has finished all of the holiday knitting that they wanted to accomplish. I did get a report that Mark opened the sweater and threw a fit hollering "No More Sweaters" which Megan said was really funny to watch. He had a similar reaction at first last year, apparently he decides what is in a box, and is upset when he is wrong. Oh well we will see how he reacts once he calms down.

Rayne on the other hand loves her dress.

A Mind Like a Steel Sieve!

After finishing Christopher's new robe, I brought it down stairs, hung it carefully on a hanger, tied the belt, smoothed it out, and took it off the hanger, and wrapped it. Totally forgetting that I was putting it on the hanger to take a picture of it! Arrggg!

Well here is a picture of his slippers, what? they look just like all of the other slippers? But, no, look back, Chase's are much bigger, Carl's are the same size but have no white stripe, see all very different, and Mom's were Fuchsia, (as are mine) see all different.

Once I finish and felt these, I think I am going to cast on a hat. a plain 2X2 ribbed hat, let's see if I get it finished or die of boredom. Ah the suspense, it's exciting around here I tell you.

I'm going to go take a shower now and yes I will be soaking my head!

And Then They Were Gone

I did not annoy the 6 people behind me in line at the Post Office by taking pictures of the 3 packages leaving my hands, that would just be too dorky for the tiny settlement where my bank and the nearest post office is, so you will have to take my word for the fact that the packages are on their way and will be delivered with several days, (DAYS I tell you, not Hours as is usual) to spare. I don't know quite how to act, should I write and tell the Yarn Harlot?

Any way I have been waffling every evening, wanting to take my day clothes off and put on the nightgown and robe and wanting to keep the wool socks on to keep my feet warm because even with the fuzzy lining the slippers I wear don't keep my feet warm. In fact chilled feet is what usually propels me into clothes in the mornings I don't get called into work. Yesterday I wore the slippers for my Mom for a while to start stretching them out a little, (they were left a slight bit too long in the washer), but drying on the sock blockers and then my wearing them stretched out the smallest to where Mom will be able to wear then and in a day or so they will stretch to comfortable. And guess what Mom is right! She keeps telling me that the slippers are really warm. I knew that they were really warm, but I hadn't realized that they are really warm! As soon as I finish the robe for Christopher, I am making me some warm slippers!

Oh and the first of Carl's Slippers is started, and knitted, and the 2nd is cast on, I finished it last night by oil lamp, because we lost power for about 2 hours, so finished that one, cast on the 2nd.

Today I need to cut out the robe, wash clothes, and finish Carl's slipper.

Have a great day.

4 More Finished Only 2 To Go

Chase's slippers are finished!

Mom's slippers are finished!

Amy's Necklace and Earrings are finished! The purple ones.

Kelly's Necklace and Earings are finished! The Green ones.

3 Slippers

Both of Mom's slippers are finished except for the felting. One of Chase's done. I am loading the i-pod and will be off to finish it and do the felting magic while I put together some jewelry for Amy and Kelly. Then only 2 left! I am gaining on them.

Half Done Slippers for Mom

Next year would someone who has not totally lost their memory remind me that slipper really go fast. I forget and then am surprised that they go so fast.

Not only fast but using up leftovers from Am Kamin and some fuchsia Mohair I had lying around.

One down and one to go.

It's snowing, but you will have to take my word for it, because I am not going out to get a picture.

2 Down 6 To Go

Bob's socks are finished.

And Caleb's sweater is finished except for weaving in the ends so I will be turning on a video in a few minutes and doing that.

I have filled and practically emptied the gift basket twice, with Megan's family's gifts, which were then wrapped and mailed, and Dwayne's Birthday and Christmas gifts which were then wrapped and delivered. Amy's books have been in there since the beginning and are still there. So now Bob's socks and Caleb's sweater are going into the basket, and hopefully will be joined by jewelry for Kelly and slippers for Mom, which will be wrapped, packed up and mailed on Monday. Then the only things left will be stuff for Carl and the boys, which will not need to be done until Christmas eve.

So far so good.

Socks Not Faces

I forgot to take the extra yarn with me this morning so while I got the tongue and ears sewn onto the head (pocket) I did not get the duplicate stitch done or the pocket sewn onto the sweater but either tonight or tomorrow will see it finished.

I did get a fair amount done on Bob's socks, so I should finish them tonight or tomorrow also. (Probably one of them tonight and the other tomorrow.)

The other thing I accomplished today was to have my grandson summoned to my room during homeroom and gave him the socks for his birthday (Sunday) and the book for Christmas (we won't be seeing him). So here is my oldest grandson with his socks and book, from me, and the MP-3 player from his Mom.

Guess which one he likes most.

Gaining Face

Sweater knitted, washed and drying. Head, tongue, and ears are knitted, and pinned into place. Eyes and nose will be added today, and Caleb's dog faced hoodie will be complete. I like this sweater, I think it is cute and it is not too much of a hassle to knit. I did find another typo in the pattern, but since I have not made anything out of this book yet that did not have one, I wasn't totally shocked. A real shame because the sweaters in it are so cute, and an experienced knitter will be able to work around the mistakes, but I would not be able to recommend it to a beginner.

Bob's socks are started, the yarn is Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino and is very, very soft. I am not at all worried about how this will wear since he is not going to be here long enough to wear them out, so soft it is.

I am wondering if, in addition to deaf, I am going blind, or at least I had been wondering that. I knew that I had gotten some fuchsia and teal superwash merino to spin for socks at Greencastle, but I could not find it. Looked and looked, the other day I picked up a bag of fiber and wondered what it was read the label and guess what... superwash merino, here it is right out in plain sight. The problem? I remembered that it was fuchsia and teal, so I was looking for a variegated roving, what I had gotten was a bag of fuchsia and a bag of teal. Oops!
I really miss my mind, hope it comes back soon.

Girly Girl Dresses

Rayne wanted a girly girl dress for Christmas so here it is finished and it will be wrapped tonight and packed into a box for mailing to Megan tomorrow or Tuesday. I haven't made one of these for several years, since I made some for Sierra and when I went to get the patterns out I was able to use the largest of the patterns I made for Megan when she was in her girly girl stage. The dress is a peach print, with solid peach collar, sash, and bottom ruffle. lace and Ruffles very girly girl.

I have picked up around the neck of Caleb's sweater and am working up the hood about 3-3.5 inches to go to the 3-needle bindoff. I did not get any Jewelry done today so hopefully I will get some time to do that later this week.

I need to go wrap presents, for Megan's family, and get them packed into a box. And then cast on the toe of the socks for Bob and the Fuzzy Feet for Mom.

I have a horrible case of startitis. Feeling bored with every thing I am working on and wanting to start several new projects, but that is mostly because I feel the need to finish these last few gifts, it is always thus this time of year. once I get the last of the gifts finished I will be fine because then I can work on sweaters for me or start something new without feeling any guilt.

I suspect that there will be some lace worked on once the presents are finished.

Let's see who is left? Mom and Bob, Kelly and Amy, Carl, Chris and Chase. And 14 days left to manage it so a gift finished every 2 days and all is good.

Off to wrap presents. Good Night!

A Snow Leopard

If you go to the Golden Compass Movie site there is a quiz to find you Daemon. Mine is a Snow Leopard. Now I am going to bed.

One Down Several To Go

Mike's socks are finished. So getting Rayne's dress finished this weekend will have Megan's box ready to go on Monday.

And I am down to the ribbing on the bottom of the sweater for Caleb, so that is ahead of schedule. Now I need to get the ribbing finished, the hood and top rib and the pocket, knit and attached.

Hopefully, I will be able to get Mom's slippers and Bob's socks started this weekend so that I can work on them while I am working next week.

If I can get Rayne's dress finished before too late on Sunday, Maybe I can get some jewelry done then for Amy and Kelly.

So off to bed and to work tomorrow.

Off of Sleeve Island

I love children's sweaters, one escapes from sleeve island so much faster than when one is knitting, oh say an Aran for one of the boys with the 20 inch to the underarm sleeves. Just saying...

So then I worked on Mike's socks and got both of the feet finished. Went up a needle size for the tops, so they won't hurt so much and will go faster.

I have caught up on all of the TV shows I had taped, and have resorted to listening to books on tape to keep myself sitting and knitting, but even so I jumped up and down enough to clean the stove yesterday, not that it needed it or anything.

My procrastination may get the bathroom clean today, or not.

Off to knit...deadlines looming.

Back on Sleeve Island

I am back on Sleeve Island again. I have been switching off, since Caleb's sweater is cotton (Cotton Ease actually) , and Mike's socks are tightly knit both hurt my hands after a while, so I am switching off, knit on one for a while and then knit on the other for a while.

Last winter when I was swatching for Beadwork, I had a skein of this yarn out on a table along with some others and Caleb kept going over and picking this one up and petting it, so when it came time to pick a yarn for his sweater it was an easy choice. I am almost finished the first sleeve.

I really like the way the colors are working on Mike's socks, real hunting socks orange and everything.

I have been looking at the Black diamond socks and I don't not think I am going to finish them for Amy. Instead I have an idea for a necklace and earrings set for her. We shall see.

Back to it.

Finished the Last Birthday Present for the Year!

Dwayne's socks are finished.

I was thinking that the 3rd was Tuesday, when I said I wanted to finish Mike's socks by then, because I was thinking that I could go to the dentist and then to Odd Tuesday, and have several hours knitting time, but while I will get some, I won't get as much today because I will go to the dentist and then come home but I might get some knitting done tonight after I get home.

I have started Mike's sock, I have both toes done and am starting up the foot, I really like how the Orange Opal and the multi color Socka are blending into a very autumn sock. Pictures next time, since they are packed into the back pack to go with me and I am too lazy to dig them out for a photo.

Here are the 2 yarns that I am using, individually, I need to look up the length required for Mike because that is not in the planner, yet. and then I am good to go.

I am leaving a little early, to go by the bank, and Hobby lobby, before I go in to the dentist, and I need to stop by the grocery store on the way home. Busy day.

Surprise

I sat down to knit Dwayne's sock, and look who arrived: Caleb, came to visit, and his Mom had put his last sweater on him too. Isn't that just Mister Cool, at 4 years old.

While here he very graciously modeled Mark's sweater for me.

Kelly let me copy the memory card in her camera and the 2 CD's of the wedding so it was almost like I was there, except for the heat.

We have had a good visit and Caleb has watched the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, and is now engrossed in Beauty and the Beast. We also watched TheLion King. So I have had my Cartoon fix for the year.

It is nice that we still have the children's movies left from when the kids were little.

This a picture of Kelly's dress, yes it is gold, and very pretty.

About 5:00 Caleb went upstairs and found his Uncle Christopher and told him to get up, it was lots of fun watching them play together until dinner, after which, as usual, Christopher took off to go play RP games. We will see him tomorrow morning.

December First EEEEKKK!

So where am I?

Finished: Mark's sweater. Megan's socks. Sierra gets more of the Circle of Magic series, Purchased. Dwayne's Birthday socks, get heel today, Christmas book: Bridge to Teribithia, purchased.

Caleb's sweater OTN. Amy socks OTN.

Yet to do:

Dress for Rayne, socks for Mike, Slippers for Mom, socks for Bob, socks for Lori.

Mike's and Raynes need to be finished first so they can be mailed.
Then Calebs, Mom's and Bob's.

If I get Dwayne's finished today, (socks and book will be delivered to school on Friday the 14th, along with the present from Megan.)

Mike's done by wed the 4th, and Raynes done by Sun the 8th. They can be mailed on the 10th.

Calebs by the 13th, for mail by the 14th, and Mom and Bob's by the 16th for mail by the 17th.

Then socks for Amy if not finished by then.

Then either robe or socks for Christopher and socks or shirt for Carl.

Socks for Lori need to go out the first part of January. And socks or shirt for Carl for birthday in January.

Book (already here) for Mark, and socks for Mike for Feb Birthdays. Then take a breather until April.

Sounds like a plan, and not too much of a rush. Let's see how it plays out.
Off to knit.