Christmas 2007

I have not been in a very festive mood this Christmas time. We don't even have our tree up. I bought a small potted fir from a grocery store, and put some little decorations on it. The tree does not have any lights on it, and it's just as well.

The kids are coming for dinner tomorrow afternoon. We will have turkey and the trimmings, just as if it was still Christmas. I still have to wrap the presents, but don't have too much paper, because I thought I had leftovers from last year, but didn't. So, we have to go to the store in the morning just to get the dang paper, and then wrap whatever I have for the kids. Kids= DS, DIL, DGD, DGS.

I've cleared my work area from my knitting clutter, and hope that when I need something I'll remember where everything is. This will not happen, I know from experience. You see, I do my crafts at the dining table and little by little more and more stuff is brought in to work with, so sometimes there is hardly any room to move around the table.

I worked like a madwoman to get my hubby's vest done, before Christmas. I finished it on the 23rd. I had plans to go and visit my friends at Purple Purl, but I was glued to my chair, and knitting needles.

Then was time for cooking and baking. Baking? I have not done too much baking in recent years, but this time I got inspired because a friend of mine was telling how she was going to make this and that, cookies, cakes and coffee bread. Of course I had to make some too, because I was thinking of the nice smell in our home when something was baking in the oven.
I also finished my granddaughter's pullover and sweater. Pullover needed finishing the seams, and the sweater needed buttons.


Granddaughter has a favorite doll, and I made a mattress and a blanket for a basket that I had bought just for the doll.

Well, now my fingers are sore, and tingling, but I finished almost everything I wanted to finish. Except socks for Ravelry November mystery, but I still have until the 31st to get them done. I am almost finished with socks for my hubby, but he was so happy with his new vest that he said he could wait for the socks. He has to. I am not knitting those this week. I'll finish the mystery socks first.

Snow

Standing at the door, taking pictures. Foolish...

Sometimes it works and Sometimes it doesn't

I took my mystery sock project, and decided to finish the socks off, since I had done the heel on both socks, and was ready for the foot part. Just a little side remark here: I have not knitted even one pair of socks yet, without frogging at least some of the work. Well, this time was not
different. The design just didn't look right, I had started the heel flap in the wrong place, thus creating an uneven pattern design. If these socks weren't for a gift, I would have just continued, and kept them for myself, but no, I had decided to give them as a Christmas gift.

So I frogged, and frogged, and started the heel flap again, this time at the right place. The pattern design shifts from one chart set to another. I had to set the needles up to the right position to get the pattern line up properly. I think I got it now. And this time math was not involved, just my arrogant, know-it-all attitude didn't allow me to stop and think what should be done.

It's snowing now, and snowing tomorrow, which means that I'll be knitting all day tomorrow.

I almost forgot to mention that I went to Purple Purl this morning, just to say hello to my friends. All they way there I was singing: "no yarn today, no yarn today, I am not going to buy yarn today, lalalaaaa".

I left the store with one ball of Tofutsie yarn, and one hank of Indigo Moon (green)yarn, as well as a book byJane Ellison, "The Mirasol Collection, 2007".

It does not pay to sing songs when one goes to a yarn store.

Some Knitting done

Finished socks for my son, finished a scarf for someone, and started a CPH (Central Park Hoodie).

I had some problem with the yarn. I had 10 skeins of Bernat Wool Blend in "sand and slate", but realized that it just was not enough. Hubby went to our locker room, and got trillions of boxes fallen on top of him, when he was trying to find a box that had brown yarn. I wanted brown. While he was doing that, I had called some Wal-Marts to find out if any of them had the yarn. Sure enough, some of them yes, but far away from me. My co-worker went to get the yarn for me, on her way home. Such a sweet girl. Now I have tons of Wool Blend yarn; however, hubby brought, from the locker room, delicious green yarns. Those yarns are from way back when? the 1990's, oh, phleeez,

well, to be honest, I have older yarn than that. But let's not go there. I have a slight problem with being yarnieholic. I can't use "stashaholic" because my friend has that name already. Anyway, I have yarn, and crochet thread, everywhere, but not so much that I could not buy more. That is a reasonable argument, isn't it.

The socks in the picture are done with Bernat's Wool Blend, Taupe. If I make another pair of socks with that yarn, I will use size 3 mm needles, instead of 3.75 mm. Fortunately those socks are meant for indoor use only, not to be worn with fancy shoes or boots. The socks are quite thick, after all the yarn is worsted weight.

The CPH is going to be made with one yarn from EATON'S. The store closed doors in 2002, but I had bought the yarn way before that. The other yarn is from Lewiscraft. That store closed doors in 2005, and again, the yarn was bought way before that.

The scarf. Interesting yarn, but I have no idea what is the name. I bought it at Lewiscraft, when they had the closing out sales. The yarn was in Glad sandwich bags (they are great for single skeins), and no name on the yarn. (I wonder if Loblaws had anything to do with that yarn...Loblaws is a grocery store here that sell n0-name brands, as well as name brands, etc.)

Christmas Cake Recipe

Christmas Cake

Use bundt cake pan, or a loaf pan, grease with butter and sprinkle bread crumbs on top of butter.

You need 3 eggs, yolks and whites beaten separately, and then added according to recipe instructions.

BEAT to a soft mix:


1 cup sugar
1 cup butter


Add beaten egg yolks



Set the above mix aside and:

MIX:

2 cups flour
2 cups raisins, cherries, citropeels (they come in small containers all mixed already)
2 tbsp crushed almonds

ADD above mixture to sugar/butter/egg yolk mix

ADD:

1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp Cognac (optional....my aunt's recipe) (I use brandy)

1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup milk, with 1/2 tsp baking soda mixed to milk
3 beaten egg whites

Bake in 350 degrees until done.

Free Baby hat pattern

Hi, all,

Here is a baby hat I made today.

You will need:

Straight needles, in size to match your yarn. I used worstedt weight yarn and size 4 mm needles.

Tapestry needle, scissors, crochet hook in size 4 mm.

Cast on 64 stitches and knit garter stitch for about 6 inches, then knit stockinette stitch for about another 6 inches.

Next row, slp 1, k2tg, to end

Next row, purl all stitches

Next row, slp 1, k2tog to end, if there is 1 left, knit it

Next row, Purl all stitches

Next row, slp 1, k2tog to end

Next row, purl all stitches

Cut the yarn, leave long enough tail to sew the seams (about 20 inches),but do not cast off,

Feed the tapestry needle with the yarn and pull the yarn thru the last stitches on your knitting needles, drop the needle and pull yarn tightly to close the hole.

Sew the sides together and hide yarn ends.

Tassel: Make a chain of 21, leaving a tail of 5-6 inches long, slp stitch to the first chain stitch, chain 20, slip thru the same first stitch as before, make another 20 chain, and repeat this until you have at least 10 chain stitch loops, or more, depending how big you want the tassel be.

Cut yarn and leave a tail about 5 inches long. With the tapestry needle pull the tail of thread thru the middle part of the hat to the wrong side of the hat, and the other tail end thru the same area, leaving a few stitches between the hanging yarns. Tie the yarns into a few knots and then weave in ends.

Turn the garter stitch part up half way and Voila! Your hat is done!

Small elf outfit pattern

This is what I made last night, when I didn't feel like knitting. The hat it made this way:

I crocheted a chain, not really worrying how big the hat is going to be, and then I just did some hdc, puff stitches, hdc with white. then changed to red and made a few rows sc, until I decided to decrease. I did about 8 sc, then decrease (two stitches together), and continued to the end. I didn't worry if my stitch count didn't match. I had 34 stitches. Then again a few rows just sc, and then 5 sc, decrease, 5 sc, decrease, and this to the end. Actually, I didn't join the rows, I just had a tail of thread as a marker. Then was another row without decreasing. and then continuing decreasing every second row, until I got to the tip and then I crocheted a chain, long enough to hang around for the little ball at the end. The little ball is crocheted, but you could use the craft ones that are sold in dollar stores or craft stores.

The dress was more complicated, but after finding suitable doll for the hat, I took the dress off the doll and used it as a guide.

There are 50 chain stitches to begin, then one row of hdc, puff stitch, hdc, until all ch sts are done. Change to red, ch 1, turn, crochet sc to the end, ch 1, turn

next row: sc to the end, ch 1, turn

next row: 5 sc, decrease (two sc tog.), 5 sc, dec, repeat to end., ch 1, turn

next row: sc all the way, ch 1, turn

next row: sc to each sts, ch 3, turn

next row: hdc to second sc, ch 1, skip one sc, hdc in next, ch 1, skp sc, hdc in next sc, ch 1, skp sc, hdc in next, and continue this way until row is finished. Don't worry if your stitches don't match at the end. the extra stitch is hidden under the "belt". Ch. 1, and turn

Next row: 2 sc in each 1 ch space until the end. , ch 1, turn

next 3 rows: sc in each sc,

next row: 4 sc, chain 6, skp 2 sc, make sc stitches until you have 6 stitches left at the end, ch 6, skp 2 and then sc to the last 4 stitches. Ch 1, turn

next row: sc in each sc, 6 sc in chain loop, sc in each sc. to the next loop, 6 sc in the chain loop., sc to the end.

Finish the yarn, hide the ends.

Change to white and make a white edging to the neck part of the dress.

Make a chain of about 50 ch and weave the chain into the loop holes you made on the dress.

tie the dress in the back, and find a little doll or bear to fit the dress, or make one. But that is another story.

I used thread ends to tie the dress from the neck. I forgot to do a button loop.

If you don't understand my explanation, please ask and I will make another dress, and we will work on it together.

For a bigger dress you will definitely need either thicker thread or more stitches, but I don't have that done. I used size 10 crochet thread. The doll I have is 3 1/2 " tall.