Gifts Given and Received

I finally have pictures to show you of gifts I gave and received on Hanukkah, we had on Christmas Eve and Christmas presents given.

This is the Dolores Park Cowl I gave my mom. I used Berroco Air (ravelry link) that I had in my stash. It is a discontinued yarn. It was a quick knit that I found when reading FluffyKnitterDeb. This was made following the directions to a t. It took just a bit from the 2nd skein so I figured to make another but it is about 2" smaller. Still works as a neck warmer and can be pulled up to cover your head. mom thought it was great. The only place she goes out is to the mailbox so this works out great for the walk.
This is the scarf from the pattern "A Touch of Lace" scarfs. I love it!!!! The yarn I used I brought at Tuesday Morning. Went to two stores near my home and brought up every skein. It is Laines Du Nord Cashsilk, 67 yrs, I used 4 Skeins until I ran out.Great for a beginner lace person, like me. Working with this weight of yarn help so much. It is just the softest thing to wear. The color is more like a combo of light mauve/peachy. Try this one you will like it. It was my gift to my BFF of 39 yrs. I also gave her a huge bag hair products from our Upscale salons. Prive and too many to remember. Also included was hair brushes. I made smaller bags for her two Daughters.

Detail Plus the fingerless gloves to match

Remember this hat? I made it for Hannah. My BFF, oldest Grand-Daughter. She is 10. With left over yarn from the hat plus another skein I was able to fine I also made her a neck warmer. No pattern and it is sort of loose but she LOVED them. The fingerless gloves were the biggest hit, all the rage now, ya know.
My BFF, gave me THIS! A Dooney & Bourke hand bag. I look at these and Coach but they are out of my confort price limit. It will put away for special occasions
Here is the bag shown with my wallet. That is all that would fit into it.

She also gave me this book, that was on my wish list. Knitting from Cuff to Cuff.

This scarf is going to my Sister in New York. I started with elsebeth lavold Silky Cashmere Color Wine (another Tuesday Morning find, brought up all those too!) It is actually on the list as the 2nd thing I made for 2009

I received gift cards for Traders Joe, Barnes and Noble. L daughter #two gave me this calendar that I keep at work. I have to say I've had this calendar for 2007 & last year and was very disappointed with 2008 because they would include a pattern that would take three days. I want one for each day. This is the last year I am getting this calendar. I would look at the Stitch of Day or even the Yarn Harlot's new and 1st one.

I am leaving to day for the Knitting Retreat at the Lake. I'll be back Sunday and post more next week.

What a difference a week makes!

These pictures were taken last weekend 11/8. Here is what my Burning bush looked like a week after I took the pictures of my scarf & new yarn.

This is what it looks like today.
My Crape Myrtles were beautiful on 11/8

and today!Here is my latest knitting project. I saw the pattern on Rachel's site. This is only my third cable project the others were simple baby caps. It is taking me forever to do these because I am doing a lot of start and stops. Sometimes just too tired in the evenings.

The next two pictures show the true color. Notice the funky thumb. For the life of me I could not wrap my brain around the increases. I think it had something to do with a pattern that was translated. They are simply called Fingerless Gloves-Stulpen Rav link.

See how terrible it is? I increased too many stitches at one time. The directions read: Approximately half way through the chart start with the thumb gusset increases, for that increase eight times in every third round one st after st 58 and before st 1. Knit all the thumb sts in stockinette st. 3 rds after last increase put the thumb sts on a stitch holder and cast on two new sts. Duh! I have done thumbs before but this sure got me confused.
On the electronic front my DVD player lived it's life programed at the factory. So I ordered a new one here. I was delivered Friday just as I was leaving. Well, I hooked it up today. Pretty easy. Set the clock, the FM radio & have sound coming out when I put a DVD in but no picture. It is a pretty simple hook up so I have no idea why I'm not getting a picture. I have been watching all the shows I had recorded on my cable box DVR all weekend but took a break to see if I could set the DVD up. As I was doing this I noticed that my cable channels were not coming up. So called for tech help, unplugged to re-boot yada yada. Now I have nothing on the HDTV cable box. The one in the bedroom works (not high def) and the Internet works, so now I have no tv to watch. As I was straighting up my coffee table I found my portable dvd. I only got it to watch knitting videos, like Lucy Neatby two socks vids and the BSJ. Once I finish this post I am going to watch a movie and work on the other glove. Lets give a thumbs up if I get the darn thing correct this time.

A day off

This is the view I had at 7:30 this morning while making coffee (My date stamp was wrong! I thought I slept through a day) . I did a double take. Picked up my camera and went outside for another shot. This is the moon setting.

then I heard someone meowing and low and behold Big Boy was back. It was a short visit but breakfast was served.

Today I was scheduled to be at work but was lucky to ask for and get the day off. This extra time is really helping my knee get better. It also keeps me at home so I don't need to drive the jeep or spend money. I am more than lucky that my best friend's husband has this jeep that I could borrow. My car will probably not be ready till the end of the week. A month without my PT Cruiser. I so miss the ease of driving it as well as the CD player to listen to my books. Trying to get in & out of the jeep is like fitting in a sardine can. Even if my knee was OK I'd still have trouble. I'm not a small woman and it is comical to see how I need to get out.

The fingerless gloves were a hit with my boss.I think I can make another glove (I have 5 total completed) from this yarn but I have moved on to another sock. I decided to do the 9 to 5 pattern from Nicole. Yarn is Cherry Tree Hill-Sockittome- Colorway: African Grey. I started last Monday night on size 0 Addi 40" doing magic loop for the first time on socks. On Tuesday I went to the doctors for my knee follow-up, a 1:00 p.m. appointment. He did not see me until 2:30! I sure wish we could bill them for time lost. Anyhoo, I'm sitting there working on the cuff, purl 2 k4 with about 1" knitted & pulled the wrong needle! So now I'm trying to put the stitches back on the needle. I could hardly see the stitches and after about 4 tries I just ripped it all out. By the time I got in to see the doc I was back where I started when I arrived. I continued working the rest of the week and by Friday night was ready to start the leg pattern. When I started back up on Saturday I decided that the size 0 was making the pattern too small. So I once again ripped it out (I've got this part of knitting down pat!) This is where I am today

and once I finish this post I am tinking back because the heel flap is facing out the wrong way! Look closely near the needle. This is a learning curve I need to master.
Here is a picture of Pia in one of her favorite spots. I think she is like me, feeling like the young slim girl I used to be until you look in the mirror! So I present to you her picture when I adopted her in January of 2006.

I've spent some time on Raverly. Have you ever gone to Forums? Click on the radar tab. You can eavesdrop! How cool is that.

Enjoy you Christmas

Tossing Kitty and FO

as I sit here Sissy just tossed her dinner, she does this quite a bit. I read that Nicole has given her kitty Pepcid AC. I am going to try this. Just have to figure out the best way to get it into her.

I stayed home today to keep the knee up. While getting lunch I literally stuck to the floor at the cafe in our building and had a nano second of the most excruciating pain. It got worse as the afternoon went on. So today I propped the leg up on two pillows, plus a third to keep my butt from sliding down, with the heating pad to the back of my knee and the ice pack strapped to the front. Tried knitting for awhile but the best thing to do in this position is to sleep. So I did. Knee feels much better.

Here is what I have been able to get accomplished in the last 6 days. One and a half completed. Try as I might I could not get the pictures to show the true colors, which are very muted.

Yarn: Mountain Colors-Mountain Goat, 55% Mohair, 45% wool, 230 yards per skein, 100 grams, Hand-dyed Color way: Ewelea (I think) I could not find it in my web search. This yarn is mushy and glides off the needles. I love it. Finally broke my yarn diet and went to Uniqities

Needles: Susan Bates 31" circular size 7, using the Magic Loop method

How time fly's-- Part 1

when you work, your computer crashes, try to sleep, go to doctors to help you sleep and join Raverly. So I'll catch you up in reverse order.
Raverly...got my finished projects entered. Looks like the only thing I knit all year are socks! But not so, I have 15 bags felted and waiting for linings and final details. That is the part I hate. Then onto the stash. Got some up and took pictures of others. That is when I realized that so many were only 1 or two skeins. Most of these I purchased with the intent to add into my felted bags. You see, because I love the process of knitting I decided that all I would ever make were bags. That was before I knit a pair of socks. That was before...you get the idea.
So now I'm looking at all these toofers and realize that the holidays are approaching way too fast. Hanukkah starts early this year 12/5!!

So I searched through all my knitting books to find quick projects that would only need one skein. The first one started out as the the convertible mittens using the "Knit this" kit I picked up for $15.00 at Tuesday Morning. Finished one "under mitten". OK so far. Only one way I can say this but the yarn they supply while pretty in color is real crap. I tossed all the yarn. I have never done this before but it was the only place for it. But the pattern was easy. So I started another pair using a skein of Uruguay DK in color 09, Maroon. Thanks to finding a this correction I was able to make the pair in one night.I purchased both skeins in a grab bag from In Stitches, my LYS. I paid $12.50 for 5 skeins of yarn. I could never pay $24.00 for 110 yds. That just couldn't be correct. All I need to do now is add some decorations to both pair. I am setting aside the 4 day Thanksgiving weekend to finish up projects.
Next I did some scarfs using a skein of LB Thick & Quick in moss stitch and two skeins of Araucania Nature Wool one in basketweave and the other using crisscross stitch. All are great for idiot proof knitting. All took 1 or two evenings to knit. See a pattern here. I have 5 gifts almost completed.
OK, part 1 done. Now to clean the house for a few hours.