woolythyme

big, blue, and done...

BIG...

 

BLUE....

 

and DONE! Skyp socks in Berroco Vintage.  Sleep/dorm socks for my son for Christmas.

 

I just returned from a 'girlfriend' trip to Asheville, N. C. with Independence Bank.  What fun!!!  We expected to bring the average age on the bus down by quite a bit (and none of us are spring chickens, believe me!), but it turned out we were all women-of-a-certain-age, with a couple men of the same certain age, and a few darling young couples thrown in.  This was most definitely not the over-the-hill-senior-trip we envisioned.  There was lots of bus knitting (and I have a new knitting friend-- hi, Joyce!).  If you followed the trip with me on Instagram (woolythyme1 on Instagram) you already know all about Biltmore by candlelight, the River Arts district, and the outlet shopping.  (Unfortunately, what you don't know is ....me, the I-hate-to-shop shopper... ended up 'winning' the shopper-of-the-trip award.  I'm not proud of this.)

But, I digress.  Chatting on the phone with my DIL about current sizes while at the Under Armour outlet, I casually asked whether anyone needed sleep/dorm socks.  Lucky me got everyone (all seven of them) at lunch, and all I could hear in the background was...'me'!!  'I need some' 'oooh, me, too!' 'yes, yes, yes', and a little 'I want mine pink!'.  Yep.  That phone call netted me 6 more pairs of socks to make before Christmas.

Lucky? me.

yarnalong...

Christmas knitting.  The annual pair of dorm/sleep socks for my son.  This year, I picked Skyp socks (SKYP=sl 1, k1, yo, pss over the yo and k stitch).  It's a very simple, free pattern (on Ravelry) that creates a subtle texture and provides some interesting knitting.  Heaven knows, I need interest to keep me going on these.  Big guy = big feet.  The dk weight yarn helps, but there is still a whole lot of boring, blue knitting.

 

I've been trying real hard not to jump into new projects. I'm cleaning up a few oldies and Christmas gift knitting.  Wendy Johnson's Leftover cowl, though, has been haunting me for months and months.  I have a huge pile of fingering wt wool left over from a long discarded UFO (a question of good yarn, lousy project) that will be perfect for it.  I've added to it a growing pile of sock leftovers.  I'm ready. I just need to prioritize projects.   I bragged to my weekend knitting friends that I've been so good NOT casting on; I'm showing self-control.  I'm focused.  I have a plan.   

Well, darn.*

 

I'm reading another book that was on Ann Patchett's recommended reading shelf at Parnassas Books.  Mac and Me is about Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh.  (We toured Hill House while in Scotland and passed several of his buildings in Glasgow.)  Lovely little book, well written.

 

*I head to Asheville in the morning on a girl-friend trip.  I'm taking 3 pairs of unfinished socks.  That's is.  No cowl.  Now THAT is self-control.

 

joining Ginny for yarnalong.   

ho ho holiday knitting...

Let the C R A Z Y begin!!!

The best idea of the whole year.....

Closing the stash/project closet for a month.....

 

It officially closed on December 5th when the Christmas tree plopped in front of it.  I rescued a few skeins of yarn for some 'wanna-make-real-badlys', but mostly I dug deep and dragged out some old OLD UFOs and a couple of stalled projects.  It wouldn't reopen again until December 26th.  (I always take down Christmas the day after Christmas except for the Wisemen who hang around the nativity set until Epiphany.)  I had exactly 3 weeks.  21 days. (not even a whole month!)

 

 

Umaro was the one thing I really wanted to finish because I knew it would take me forever.  F-O-R-E-V-E-R!!!!  I had 8 skeins (210 yd each) left to knit in.....but.....the joy of being a math ignoramous!  I must have planned on doubling the yarn when I bought it, but changed my mind when I started it.  Maybe this happened.  Who knows? Maybe I just screwed up my math. (probably) I started it so long ago I have no idea what I had in mind, but to get to a nice lap blanket size took knitting just an additional 1.75 skeins to what was already done, so....TA-DAH!!!!  (I had 6+ skeins I desperately wanted to put IN the stash cupboard but couldn't. I wasn't expecting THAT.)

 

The rest was pure gravy....

I know this looks like a whole lot of knitting, but let me explain...

Next off the needles had to be hubby's Christmas sweater, and at the closet closure it was only needing sleeves.  I had leftover Umaro yarn, so he also got a Windschief hat (since I couldn't put the yarn away, remember?)

There was one skein leftover from his sweater that couldn't get thrown back into the closet, so I made a pair of helmikuu boot toppers for my daughter's stocking (and then forgot to stuff them in...oops; she got them as she was walking out the door on Christmas eve---they had made it to the front table.  Talk about a last minute after-thought gift. Phew. No yarn to put back in the cupboard.)

Next was my Favorite things scarf, and once I cut out the offending bulge, I only had about 3 motifs to knit before it was long enough to call it quits.  This took almost a year to the day to finish.....with at least 10 months of it stuck in time-out because I couldn't bring myself to fix a mistake.  Lesson learned.  (which I'll probably promptly forget.)

The little leaf and twig fingerless mitts is a repeat knit...love this little pattern.  It takes exactly one 25 gram skein of Spindrift and I was inches away from finishing them when the doors shut, so almost shouldn't count them.  But they were finished on the 6th.   

One of the flower mitts was finished except for the thumb (what?  a thumb takes about 10 rounds of knitting; why is this a big deal to me???), so it didn't take long to finish this up.  I think I would love these in a different yarn.  I just like them the way they turned out.

So, if you've sort of followed through the photos, you see that I really only made two hats that took any amount of time at all.  The Mrs Jekyll and little hyde got two pictures---because it's reversible.  First time I did this and it was fun, fun, fun.  You knit the band ribbing, double the stitches, then divide them as if you are going to do double-knitting, and basically knit two hats separately. The lacey side is still warm because of the 'lining', the lining side is just happy colored.  I love this hat, which made finishing-----

Myrten not quite as much fun.  From the get-go I was afraid I didn't choose yarns with enough contrast, and surprisingly enough, the contrast looks better in the photo than it does in real life.  It's still blocking.   My fair isle hasn't improved much (that was a last-new-year-resolution.....which obviously is going to make the list again this year), so I'll leave the final verdict until it's dry and on my head.  It's fair isle, so it'll be warm, anyway.

 

IF I had been able to get in that closet.....I would have finished hubby's sweater,  the mrs. jekyll hat.....

 

and had a whole bunch of new things started......which I get to start NOW!  (I'm planning to close the closet again sometime in June!!)

a (desperate) letter to Sandy Claws

 

Dearest, most darling, favorite, loving, compassionate, understanding Sandy Claws,

Here it is, less than a week from the 'BIG DAY' and I have just a couple concerns that I must share with you.

You know that 'list' I keep hearing about?  The Naughty and Nice one? That wasn't the big, long piece of paper that I shredded last week, was it?  I thought I was just ripping up some more yarn ball bands....I hardly even get yelled at when I munch on those any more; mommy knows it's totally her fault if she leaves them within my reach.  And anyway....I have a disease.  I can't help myself.  'Paper-chewing-syndrome' is REAL and you can't get mad angry when someone is suffering from a sickness, can you?   So, IF that was your 'Naughty and Nice' list that I ate, please be assured that my name was on the 'Nice' side.  Trust me on this one, OK?

 

Next concern....my stocking.  In this household, stockings are sort of hung all over the place, and throughout the whole month, things secretly get stuffed in them.  I'm quite aware that this is the work of your elves, but I figure you have a direct link to them and you can let them know that THEY HAVE MISSED MY STOCKING!!!  It's hanging next to my food dish in the laundry room.  I'm sure this has been an oversight (even though my stocking is rather huge---it IS hard to miss; it's the one that has just a little teeny bite out of the toe), but I'm worried none-the-less.  So worried that I've been checking it at least 138 times a day and so far....na-da.  Nothing.  (Even Dick the Dumb Goldfish has something in his stocking.)

 

Speaking of elves, that brings me to my next concern.  We don't have a resident Elf.  Just about everyone else I know (Jaybob and the CandyMan to name everyone else I know) has this cute little guy who appears in different places everyday and reports on whether they've been naughty or nice.  On second thought, maybe you don't need to send one over.

 

Instead, let me just TELL you how exceptionally good I've been.

This year we have a really beautiful real outdoor-smelly tree--INSIDE!  And I have not pee-peed on it even once.  It's covered with stuff, and I haven't removed even one thing.  Well, maybe one.  Or two. And it totally was not my fault that they broke.  And that tinsel just somehow gets on myself, but I think it looks beautiful draped all over the house.  

I have NOT eaten any wise men this year.  The two remaining ones are safely put out of my reach (so mommy thinks), but if I really wanted to get them I could.  Just like I managed to climb on the dining room table last night for the chocolate candy that someone (not mentioning any names lest she find herself on the naughty list, and we all know that I love my mom beyond life itself!!! and don't want her in trouble) refused to share with me.  (Man can she move FAST when she wants to!!!!)  

I've also left baby Jesus alone.  (I don't think we reported his rediscovery....he's been AWOL the past two Christmases.)  I was NOT responsible for his disappearance.

I have been a helper around the kitchen.  (I'm always a helper around the kitchen.)  I make sure that anything falling to the floor is immediately slurped up, and when no one is looking, I can make myself very very very tall to sample a cookie cooling.  Someone has to make sure they are good enough for everyone else to eat.  

I could go on and on about how good I've been, but you get the idea, right?  

So.....

do you think you could do something about that empty stocking?  And maybe throw in a couple presents while you're at it?

The clock is ticking.

 

Your loving, lovable, friendly, furry friend,

Freddy.

 

The countdown is on....

without my advent garland.

I didn't even come close.

 

I was distracted.

Black Friday backlash....the weekend

:: making cookies with my daughter  (you cannot substitute cocoa mix for cocoa powder....hee hee.  Guess how we know?)  This was round #2 of our favorite chocolate cookie recipe

 

 

 

:: decking the halls...

(with a helper)

 

:: and, knitting....of course.

 

with a helper who really wasn't a help.

 

Did anyone else manage to avoid the crazy Black Friday shopping frenzy?  Or do you thrive in that madhouse atmosphere?

 

Black Friday backlash*.....the advent calendar garland

I love handmade Christmas decorations!  I still have some that my children made in grade school....their children's art work has been added to the mix.  (My son's cub scout pretzel reindeer ornament got eaten by mice years ago; I still miss it.)

Does anyone remember a few years ago, Garnet Hill catalog had a knit  advent garland?

A new Christmas decoration idea!  I thought the idea was very cute but I didn't like the hats hanging upside down (I didn't much like their shape, either); I had a much cuter pattern for mitts--but you put your HANDS in mitts, not advent goodies.  I thought the whole thing would look much better with just bitty Christmas stockings--they're intended to hold stuff anyway, right?

This was three or four years ago.  My daughter decided to do one---and I made mitts for hers.  (She didn't have the same hand-in-the-mitt issue I had....and remember her knitting philosophy of.....  ?!What-ever!?---she was glad to have a little knitting help.  Hers was done last year.  And it's very cute.)

I made a few mini-stockings last year, pretty promptly got bored with the whole idea, and ended up tying them on holiday packages.  SO, now I'm back to page one.  

I still think it's a cute idea!  

 

 

 

I'll never get 21 more made in 9 days.  I keep getting distracted...

 EEEEEEK!  Stay away from my ornaments!

 

 

*Black Friday backlash is an opportunity to share ways that you are sharing the holiday spirit in a more personal, heartfelt way than simply handing over $$$$ to big-box stores and malls.  There were some wonderful ideas shared last week.  I'd love it if you would share even more this week.  And next week.  And the week after that!!!!  

It certainly doesn't matter if the idea doesn't quite actually 'happen'....like my advent garland.  It will someday.

 

Tiny Christmas stockings and Mouse pattern are found here.

Black Friday backlash.....

You are stepping on MY holiday, oh you consumer-driven big-box-stores...the names of which will never darken the pages of this blog.  Not only have you been inching up with earlier and earlier opening hours, but you've now encroached on what was the one 'non-consumer/pro-family-and-friends' holiday of the entire year by opening on THANKSGIVING!!!  For this...I do not, and will never, give thanks.

 

And what makes it even worse....you are starting to tell us all about it weeks before it happens.  Enough.

I came across this post by Beverly Williams.  I'm in.  I'm seriously making my holiday lists and purposely avoiding the 'big-boxes' this year. (This is not much of a sacrifice for me; I've avoided them pretty much for the past ... oh, dozen or so years!  It's nice to have a soapbox to climb on, though.)

In Black Friday Backlash, though, I thought you might like to join me in sharing ways you are making this season more personal and heartfelt.  It might be a pile of yarn destined to become a handcrafted gift; it might be a mound of crafting goodies that will turn into something special;  perhaps some foodie ideas...or how about plans to share the gift of time...quality time with special friends instead of consumer 'gifts'.  I'd love to hear your ideas....(hee, hee---there is still time to incorporate some of them into my ideas!!)

Here's my start...

last year's amaryllis

 and a holiday knit....

are going to be this year's Christmas cards.

 

Care to join me?   If I was the least bit techie I'd have one of those cute little linky-things, but I had a hard enough time figuring out how to make the cards.   Just comment below and add your link there.  

'Til next Friday.   

yarnalong...

The boring Christmas knitting continues with another pair of dorm socks/sleep socks on the needles.  The good thing is....they go really really really fast, and I can read while I knit them.  The first pair went so fast that they were finished before my last Agatha Christie (The Mysterious Affair at Styles) was. I've figured out how to read a book and knit at the same time, but I'm not nearly as good at knitting and reading from my Ipad. Go figure.  (That last Agatha Christie was a free download from www.gutenberg.org)   I'm sort of done with Agatha for awhile....and am moving on to Georges Simenon.  

Maigret's Boyhood Friend.  Same genre, Simenon was a contemporary of Agatha Christie, so I might just be swapping Detective Jules Maigret for Hercule Poirot.  That's OK.  Goodreads gave it 4 stars.  Can't be all that bad.

With any luck, the book and socks will end about the same time and I can get back to...

this.  These cables run all over the place.  This is a seriously FUN knit!