by Kat | Dec 17, 2007 | General
Hello everyone!
All year long I have been a member of Lynne’s Special Swap and I have enjoyed it immensely. Our themes have been original and creative! I have gotten to know some amazing and wonderful knitter/bloggers.
And, Lynne ended the Special Swap by doing a “Christmas Swap” and my swap partner was an amazing Knitting Blogger, Sue. We had exchanged a few emails as we got to know each other and I had so much fun selecting items to send to her to make her Christmas bright!
This morning, bright and early, the postman rang the bell and delivered a package for me!
It was filled with some incredible treasures just for me!
Sue included some new Santa’s for my ever growing collection! And, there was yarn!! In the Santa mug is some appropriately named Knit Picks Gloss – Cocoa! Won’t this make some “hot” socks? I am seeing something that has a bit of a swirling pattern – like a nice, hot, creamy cup of hot cocoa! Mmmmmmmmmmm, my fingers are itching to complete my Christmas Knitting so I can cast on something for me!!
There is also a skein of Sugar n Cream cotton to knit a Christmas dishcloth! Sue, I think I can get it done before Christmas!!
She included some great chocolates as well – and she included a Santa Stocking and a sock bag for a take along knit! Sue, I am certain that you made these – and they are just gorgeous!!
I love everything in my package!! Sue, thank you so very, very much!!
The weekend fairly flew by – we got some snow!! I tried to get a photo, but my battery died in the camera. I need to get some batteries today and get a picture or two posted for those of you who will not have a White Christmas! It is looking very much like a Currier and Ives card outside right now!
I am also in need of a “Kitty Time Out” room. There was much mayhem last night by Thing One and Thing Two. I am on the look out for the Cat in the Hat…. I fear he is hiding here somewhere urging the kitties on! I am wondering how I can sleep through the Kitty Shenanigans….by the looks of the house, there must be volumes of noise!
Well, I am off to knit on…. have a blessed Monday all!
by Kat | Dec 13, 2007 | General
My Marie Antoinette kit arrived yesterday from Kim! I truly tried to not even look at it.
Really….
Okay, I would not believe that either!
I still have Christmas knitting to do….
So, I said I would just wind the yarn into a cake…. and read through the pattern….
Before I knew it, I was looking for size 1 DPNs and some waste yarn….
Here are 10 repeats of the cuff lace pattern.
I know… beautiful, isn’t it????
So, I can work on this again if I get my mom’s mitts done today.
I gotta go knit… have an awesome day everyone!
by Kat | Dec 12, 2007 | General
And, you wonder how he “sees you when you’re sleeping”…. In our house, Santa is truly everywhere!
I thought that I would share with you all today some of my favorite Santa’s… I have been collecting them for years. And, I truly adore them. If there was a way to keep them out all year, I probably would!
Here is “Gardening Santa” – my kids gave me this for Christmas about 10 years ago. Isn’t he divine? He is sitting on an adorable wooden bench. I love his woolen pants and his denim apron. After all, Santa only works one night out of the year – I figure he must have some amazing gardens!!
Next, here is “Nordic Santa” I got him LONG before I began to knit. And – Ihave to tell you, I love him even more since I have been knitting! The mittens and the “skates” are divine!
In front of Nordic Santa is one of the very first Santa’s I ever got. My ex-MIL gave him to me for one of my first Christmases with them. I have had him over 25 years. He normally has a place of honor on the “Santa Tree” – and since that tree is not happening this year, thanks to Thing One and Thing Two Noel and Maddy, I got him out and put him on the top shelf! I love that he has a shephard’s staff – it seems so fitting for the season.
My absolute best find ever though is a picture I found about 20 years ago in an antique shop. It is from the 40’s, I think, and it is HUGE. Getting a photo of it to share with you all was a bit of a challenge! It is about 5 x 4. I am telling you all -HUGE! There are 10 “Santa Elves” surrounding the “head Santa”. It is my absolute favorite piece. This is hanging in my bedroom – it fits beautifully over a dresser I have.
See, “head Santa” has the letters tacked to the tree, he is talking on the phone, and, I am sure, he is getting the scoop on whether or not you have been naughty or nice!
Here is “Ticker Tape Santa Elf” marking off the information coming in… and “head Santa” has good a handle on this too. See, Santa does not miss much!
Bags of toys are being hauled in – don’t you love the “snowmobile”? Oh… and in case you were wondering… yes there is a “Sheriff Santa”. Who do you think orders the coal shipments????
There is no artists signature on this piece. Someone who loved Christmas as much as I do used their creative genius to create this treasure that now graces my humble home. I have done nothing to this piece – it still has the same rough frame that was nailed on it when I got it.
What are your favorite things about Christmas…
Last night, my daughter’s Christmas concert did a mother proud! The evening ended with my daughter’s Symphony Orchestra (this is the zero hour class she takes – the one that she has to get to school at 6:30AM each day for…. Yeah, this is dedication….) played Sarajevo – ala Trans Siberian Orchestra… Holy cow, gentle reader… I cried. They were soooooo good! The audience sprang to their feet at the end, giving a rousing standing ovation. The evening closed with the choir singing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus with the Symphony accompanying them.
Wow.
It was a spectacular ending to an amazing concert.
Here is to the abundant blessings that family brings and to finding joy in each day as we wend along towards Christmas.
I am off to get some Christmas knitting done. Have a great day everyone!
by Kat | Dec 11, 2007 | General
…and he is watchin’ your every move!!
So, the Santa’s are all out – for the most part. I am sad that there will be no “Santa Tree” this year, but the cats are altogether too interested in the tree that I use… I fear for my Santa’s well-being! And, I am afraid if we have “Santacide” that there will be no visit from that Jolly Old Elf – except from the coal truck!!
So, I have my step-back cupboard filled with my Santa’s and there are a few others standing as sentinels in my family room!
Yes, Santa is watching us, with a multitude of eyes!
Some of my “Tree Santa’s” are watching from the shelves here… I am not sure they like it as much, but it works!
I started my Christmas shopping yesterday. I got all of one present crossed off my list. I am certainly glad that my Christmas knitting is having greater success! I guess I just need to head downtown for a day and get everything crossed off my list – and hang the sales. What I pay in extra for the items I have, I believe I will save in gas driving from one store to another to find the items advertised.
Here is some retailer brilliance – they must have ONE object in stock per store from the sale flyers. There is a way to endear your customers to you. Phoey on all of them, I say! Downtown Holland will benefit from my frustration yesterday. Fortunately, I have only a few items on my list that I need to get.
I have been enjoying our tree this year a tremendous amount! How pleasant it is to sit and knit, listening to Christmas music. The hours of knitting have certainly been a blessing. Decorating the tree this weekend was also a very nice thing to do. It was a good reminder to me of how much my teenagers savor the season as well. I heard some interesting comments from their mouths as they remembered ornaments they made for me. I was sad to hear that the ornaments they made for their dad that were sent with him do not grace the tree at his house. I cannot imagine a tree without these tiny treasures. They warm my heart!
I am off to get a wee hair cut… be blessed in your day today! Tonight I have Heidi’s Christmas Concert…check here for the review tomorrow!
by Kat | Dec 9, 2007 | General
Or, what happens when you spend the day with Obi Wan and Yoda Rob and Matt!
So, bright and early the two Jedi’s in training yarn dyer wanna-be’s headed over to a galaxy far, far away Lansing! There was little traffic in the galaxy on the highway and we traveled at warp speed, oops – we are Jedi’s not Treker’s!, made excellent time! Upon arrival, we were rushed back to class to find our Jedi Master, Obi Wan Rob, had already begun class! With quick work we quickly prepared the tables for dying and with some amazing explanation from our Master – we all had cold, wet, yarn in our eager hands!
Our first explanation was for dying a multi-colored skein of yarn. We each picked out our colors and like devoted Jedi’s dyer wanna-be’s we attacked our skeins.
Okay, gentle readers – here is my first attempt – I present to you “Indian Corn”
The weather was not so cooperative today here in West Michigan – overcast and not much good natural light, but this is a very good representation of the colors in the skein. (Rob, what do you think of the brown – I think I like the Logwood “au-natural”….)
A bit of a close up. Not bad, huh? I am feeling the “force” and it’s aura surrounding me.
We continued on with the amazing help from our Jedi Master Rob and here is my second skein….
Sea-spray, gentle readers.
The Jedi in training Dyer Wanna-be is gaining confidence.
For our last task in training – we talked a bit about runs of color – there was some amazing knowledge imparted from our Master and as a good student, I listened closely and allowed the force to “be with me” as I did my third skein….
I present to you …. Chocolate Covered Blueberries, gentle reader. There is no way to describe this color, and while this is close, it is no where near the vibrancy of the true shades. This is truly gorgeous yarn!
And, lastly, I brought my BFL that I had spun to see about dying it…. and I had time to dye. And, I did….
Indigo Dreams was born….
It was a truly amazing, inspiring day. I truly wish I had a camera to share with you all the picture of all of the Jedi Knights Dyer Wanna-be’s finished products! When Yoda Matt came in to look at all of them, even he was impressed with our ability to connect with the force!! We all could have dyed all afternoon and on into the evening (and maybe even the next day!!!) My fellow knights dyers created even lovlier fiber than I did!!!! A truly creative group of women!
To top that all off -my tree is decorated and is looking just lovely. A perfect tree. As for the artificial tree downstairs – hmmm, not so well. It seems that Thing One and Thing Two the cats cannot leave it alone!! The live tree they don’t care about – but the tree with removable branches – hmmmm, a much different story! I picked it up for the last time this morning. It is back in storage… no Santa Tree here this year. But, we do have a plethora of Santa’s to take it’s place… stay tuned for pictures.
Have a great evening all! Blessings!
by Kat | Dec 7, 2007 | General
Hello and Happy Friday Everyone!
I have photos of my completed tam!! Oh – I am so in love with this little hat! I want, I want, I want!
So, without further adieu…
My little pile of ends.
Inside -I did a good job of weaving in the ends, huh? I love the standing…. I am just smitten!
I am truly in shock that this turned out so beautifully! I would neve have classified myself as a “good knitter” – never. People – this is some good knitting! I am so in love!!! And… my little fingers are just itching to cast on some more Fair Isle! Just itching, I am telling you!
Self-portrait – and this is when I truly fell in love with this little tam. I am not a hat-wearer, gentle reader, but this hat is just perfect! I cannot tell you how happy I am that I have enough yarn left over to knit another! There are more photos here if you are interested.
And with that I will leave you with this little bit of Holiday Cheer from the Turtle Creek Chorale. If you need a chuckle, this will more than provide it.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D09DCZryG2U]
Have a most blessed weekend everyone! I will be back on Monday with details from my Dyeing Class at Threadbear!!
