Mom, If You are Reading This Don't Look!

My mom sometimes reads my blog so I'm hoping she isn't reading lately...I started this Firefly scarf for her in August using some old Debbie Bliss Cathay I had leftover. It's a light summery yarn which is perfect for her life in Florida. I'll be seeing her in 2 weeks and I figured I'd finish it up so I could give it to her in person.

Now, on to the next project...hmmmm...what will it be?

Was Yesterday Christmas???

Yesterday I went to Jennifer's for her usual Wednesday knitting group and I felt like it was Christmas morning. She presented me with this wonderful Knit Picks ornament kit. I've been eyeing it on their website and she knew I was on an ormament kick and got it for me! Thank you Jennifer - I can't wait to get started - I think I'll begin with the mini lights. Funny story - Major Knitter's son saw the lights you could knit and mused why she just doesn't use real lights...
















Then Jennifer said she had been cleaning out her basement and she had this wonderful kit of fleece for needle felting - I can't wait to use it on some felted mittens! What a lovely rainbow.














And if that wasn't enough, I was the only PC user in the group (I know one day Mac is in our future...) and she had this software - wow! Was yesterday Christmas or what???

I managed to finish my mom's scarf which I can give her when I see her in a few weeks. I hope she likes it - here it is in blocking stages.

Another One

The addiction continues....tomorrow I have knitting group so I'll be working on something easier than these mini-stockings.

I was listening to The Knitmore Girls podcast and they were trying not to use the phrase "mindless knitting" as it makes what we do as a craft isn't as clever as it really is. They proposed "cruise control" or "auto-pilot" knitting - I'm game for renaming it "cruise control" knitting...that's what I'll be doing tomorrow. BTW more on podcasts later.

My Latest Addiction

I ordered 3 skeins of Knit Picks Palette - the green is a little dark but I like it...I'm currently on my 5th one of these mini-stockings. They are knit flat and then you mattress stitch up the back - I decided to just seam them normally up the back and it is much easier. The first 3 are mattress and the one on the far right is seamed.

Okay, I've just finished the 5th one...

When in doubt...

Make mini-sweater ornaments out of leftover yarn! These are fun to do and knit up quickly. I was inspired by the Berrocco Minutia '08 and have started making my own designs ever since. I've given them as gifts and I've used them to decorate our Christmas tree and wreath. I put them up on a group in Ravelry and wondered where I could find mini-hangers. Low and behold someone posted where to find them so I've ordered 3 dozen!

P.S.
Someone asked if I used a pattern for these - no I don't. I basically knit the body in one piece and bind of 5-6 stitches at the neck and then cast on the same number and go down the back. I cast on an appropriate number of stitches based on the yarn weight (I compared this years batch to previous years and they getting bigger I've noticed...hmmm). I originally used the Berroco Minutia patterns to start and then just invented my own after that.

Using up Odds and Ends

Remember when I made this for Miss America years ago? She wore it a lot and loved it and I've since passed it on as a hand-me-down.















Well, here is the rest of the yarn in a fun stripey scarf for my niece. I have a few more little odds and end and I'm whipping up one more sweater ornament with what is left. I'm trying to use yarns that I have used to make sweaters for my ornaments...that way after the sweaters are long gone I have an ornament to remember them by.

Knitting Mojo

Today I had a lovely time knitting with Jennifer and a bunch of other lovely knitterly ladies at Panera. I brought with me a last minute scarf I threw on the needles this morning so I'd have some mindless knitting. When asked what I was making I explained I am not in a good place with my knitting right now - I feel like I've lost my mojo. So I took some old leftover yarn and am making a lengthwise scarf in stripes for my niece whose birthday is coming up.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have these 1500 yards of Cascade 220 sitting around taunting me...I don't know what to make and even swatched for the Monday Morning Cardigan. I'm not feeling the love. Then I thought a fun cardigan I designed with a colorful yoke pattern would be nice but nothing in my stash made for a good yoke. So the yarn sits there...taunting me.

Then I saw this lovely sweater on Anthropologie aptly named Knitting Needle Cardigan which is Haunting me...I want to make it...I know I could figure it out and try...however I don't have enough yarn in the Cascade 220...I think this would need more.

So as you can see, my knitting mojo is totally out of whack. It got even further pushed down today when I heard that a dear, dear woman who was like a second mother to me when we lived in Virginia lost her battle with cancer last night. She always had a kind word, made you feel like you were the most important person when she spoke with you and her heart was big and full of love.

So, I'm taunted, haunted and heavy hearted and will find a way to get my mojo back somehow...in the meantime, mindless silly knitting will have to do.

Makes My Heart Sing

They fit and he loves them - enough to make my heart sing!