MhEaRpRpYy CbHiRrItShTdMaAyS!!

That title? It's Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday blended together, kind of like my gift!

That's one of the advantages to having a birthday that is really close to Christmas. Sometimes if you are willing to blend the two celebrations together you can convince a loved one to splurge on a single more-awesome-than-you-otherwise-would-get present.

This is my most recent knitting "tool", a comfy swivel/glider/recliner and matching ottoman in leather that matches our other living room furniture. My old cloth covered one was getting rather worn and tattered looking. I can't bear to part with it either, it has served me well and is still comfortable, but it now resides in the less public family room.

Altered Hat

Back in the fall of 2004 I made a felted, brimmed hat. When it was first made I was very pleased with it, but over time the brim began to droop. The crown of the hat was still in great shape so a few days ago I made the decision to do radical surgery on it. I hacked the brim off, knit a separate brim from handspun kid mohair, and then sewed the new brim on.

I'm pleased with the result. It makes a very warm, perfectly fitting hat.

This may become one of my submissions for a guild art show to be held this coming March.

Snowflake Portrait 2009

My favourite Christmas ornaments are the ones that hold portraits of our children when they were little and now similar ones of our grandchildren.

This is the addition for Christmas 2009. Two and half year old Kaylen and her 8 month old sister Kenzie.

The free crochet pattern for this snowflake/portrait ornament can be found here.

Vest Project Revisited

Way back in May I started on a vest using Kauni 8/2 Effektgarn in stranded colourwork. I wasn't happy with the method I was using to add the burgundy coloured stitch. Inattention was causing a lot of mistakes.

I made the decision to rip back to the ribbing and start over with a simpler check pattern. It will be so much easier to use duplicate stitch and put in that burgundy fleck AFTER the vest is complete and blocked.

Work is now progressing much quicker but there have still been a couple of minor frogging episodes. There is something about nearly mindless knitting that gets me every time! I must zone out and allow my hands to continue on without the active participation of my brain. Like a classroom full of unruly teenage students, turns out my hands need supervision.

Playing At Working Out

I haven't made one of these in decades!

About 20 years ago we moved from Prince George, where there is plenty of cold and enough snow to keep the snowman population plentiful, to Chilliwack, where snow is infrequent and rarely of a quality that makes good snowmen.

We got a bit of the heavy, wet stuff last night. Avoiding potentially hazardous roads I stayed home from the gym this morning. Later, returning from an afternoon walk with the dog, I realized what my workouts have been missing these last few years. . . . . . FRESH AIR! I enjoyed myself so much that I shovelled the driveway then made a snowman.

Despite the temporary snow, that's GREEN grass under the snow, and nice green bushes in the background. And it's raining now. We'll be back to "normal" in a day or two.

Pecan Carmel Turtles

My eldest daughter, Lisa, was happy to help out in the kitchen today. She prepared this simple treat for the family.

Pecan Carmel Turtles

6 rolls of Rollo candy (60 pieces)
60 small pretzels
60 pecan halves

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line baking pan with foil. (Oops, forgot the foil, no wonder they stuck.)

Arrange the pretzels on the foil covered baking sheet. Place a Rolo candy on each pretzel and bake for 5 minutes until candy is soft.

Squish a pecan down on the warm candy. Refrigerate for 10 minutes, then cool for another 30 minutes before peeling from the foil.

Yummmm!

New Garland

A crocheted, beaded garland, new to the tree this year.

Pattern by Lee Mathewson available here.

Cardifession Debut

Cardifession, (my version of "Juliet"), is done! I'm quite pleased with it. All my modifications worked and the fit is good.






If you are interested in my custom changes they are as listed below:

I had to adjust all the stitch counts because I knit the pattern from worsted weight rather than bulky yarn.

I wanted the neckline to be narrower and higher than shown in the pattern so I started the neckline with the stitch count for a small and then kept increasing at the raglan shaping until I had the stitch count for a large. When complete I folded the front opening edges down to create a V-neck with “lapels” look.

Before starting the lace I increased evenly in the last row of garter stitch rather than in groups as stated in the pattern. I also increased way fewer stitches so it amounted to only a 10 to 15% increase.

I made the front garter edging 4 stitches and knit 6 rows of garter stitch for the bottom edging.

To prevent the sweater from hanging directly from the bust I stabilized and pulled in the under bust area by hand stitching a grosgrain ribbon inside just above the beginning of the lace.

For the button loops I used 3 strands of the yarn twisted together into a cord rather than the crocheted chain suggested in the pattern.

Lights!

Apron In Action

Remember that apron I made a while back? Kaylen wore it for the first time today. We made S'mores and brownies.

The pattern is Simplicity # 3949 and comes in both children's and adult's sizes. I made Kaylen the child's medium.