Christmas 2013 – Page 2

Seven Days

Published on December 18, 2013March 11, 2019 by Jen7 Comments

Seven days left to make things.

Leafy green is finished !

As is the sea critter . . .

As is the mint-licorice . . .

and also the sherpa hat ! ! !

A dandy one indeed. Wool shell & cotton ‘lined’. I will have to show you sometime how I accomplish this.

Until then I’ll keep you all guessing.

Okay , but that’s not the whole list. There is one more thing I must make, and I will not post until Christmas morning. In the mean time, I will show you the progress of my first lace project . . .

Yes , my first, oh the glorious fun I am having ! And it’s no surprise to me that lace work is so doable while walking the ridge! As this progresses, is blocked out, you will see the lace pattern so much better. Until then, oh the suspense is a little nice. Well, I appear to be ahead of the game and can relax and do some gift wrapping now ! I hope all of you Elves out there are blissfully making.

* All project details on Ravelry HERE .

Eleven Days

Published on December 14, 2013March 11, 2019 by Jen6 Comments

There is something so pure and beautiful and full of quiet wonder when winding off a fresh skein of yarn.

I feel a strong sense of personal obligation to my creativity,

and the yarn, and the potential it has to ‘become’.

And this project is going to take everything I can muster to ‘get it right’… because it will involve (hopefully) my first attempt at simple lace stitches. I figure there will be no surprises or mysteries with this project, and that I will post my tentative steps along the way.

Progress of Things Handmade :

Something fuzzy and very leafy green is in the bag . . .

It incorporates alpaca yarn & mohair/silk yarn alternately.

I love, love, love same-color mixed-texures knitting !

Next, something ruffly, also alpaca, and resembling some kind of a sea creature . . .

Lastly, something mysterious,

hanging from a lamp to dry . . .

There is the progress report for now at eleven days left to Make before Christmas.

How are your Christmas Creations coming along?

Fourteen Days . . .

Published on December 11, 2013March 27, 2019 by Jen19 Comments

I am sharing all that I am ‘making’ through the holidays (and other noteworthy things going on). Fourteen days left, and three hand-made gifts finished, with several more to go. A scarf much like ‘ribbon candy’ in wintergreen and licorice, made from some old yarn I can’t even remember what it is. Here, a quite roomy felted satchel made of stashed tweed wool o’ the Andes, and which has two thick 5-stitch icord straps. The very artful steel cut & welded ‘coat’ hanger my brother made. It is a daffodil bulb, and is mounted right at the doorway.

Now, the Lovers Of Wildlife out there , you absolutely *must* see this ~~~ the pair of ravens which perch often right near our house, these are photos taken from upstairs bedroom window, literally 30 feet away from where I stood in the house (I zoomed in). First you see Mr. Raven lone on a branch surveying his domaine, then his mate busying herself ripping some dead bark off of a dead oak branch, then she flew to him and they cuddled a while while they prattled loudly to each other, it was amazing to see such big handsome birds be so affectionate. (click first image in mosaic to go to slideshow).

They didn’t seem to mind me at all standing there photographing & admiring them. I am so grateful & lucky to live here in these woods with the ravens!

Red & Green

Published on December 9, 2013March 11, 2019 by Jen12 Comments

I woke this morning, and wrapped a bunch of little presents to send off in the post to Jeff’s sister’s family in Vancouver & his dad’s too. Lots of little things, and I found as I had plenty of wrapping paper, I was totally unprepared in the festive colors ribbon department. No worries… with a huge stash of every color yarn, and a spinning wheel… a spool o’ Christmas twine is not but a few turns on the wheel away !

See how whimsical & cheerful a little pom pom is to finish it with?

I was only lying to myself.

I can’t not make more gifts.

This my friends, is the shift I was hoping for, into high gear making , and I will do my best to post finished things here. Starting with this one, my secret recipe shortbread, for the Scottish host of the Christmas party I attended on the weekend ~~~ and it was a particularly delicious batch!

It got all wrapped and tied with plaid ribbon and everything, and it was so smart looking. Oh, also, I wore my Vineyard Rows Tam (California Highlands Bonnet) and had so many lovely compliments from the folks at the party about it, it has inspired me to make a little game with myself, which is this :

I vow not go out into town for the rest of the winter without wearing something I’ve hand knit. Today I went grocery shopping wearing for the first time my Red Cardigan ~~ I can’t believe that was the first time I wore it out, it was wonderful indeed! I felt extremely lovely in it. Well, here’s to the holiday spirit, and all things hand-made !

Kitty

Published on November 16, 2013December 2, 2022 by Jen5 Comments

This *possibly may be* the only gift I plan on knitting for the holidays this year. I started with a Louisa Harding pattern, a very simple pattern indeed, thinking for a first-time toy knitting, I couldn’t go wrong. Ah, but I couldn’t help myself from changing it all around… so this is a very modified version. I used up some left over pima cotton boucle yarn from her baby blanket I made almost 3 years ago, and stuffed it with a bit of wool fleece I had in my loft closet…not bad for a first toy , eh? Kitty is purring and ready to go to Nora for Christmas!

I was up against a decision just before Nora’s kitty was finished: 1. Spend from now until xmas knitting gifts, or 2. Design fun new things! Though in recent years not my first choice, but gifts can always be bought , so I am choosing to work on new ideas through the holidays instead. ::sigh of relief:: ((however, this doesn’t prevent me from giving away my prototypes…lol)

Coming up: Another something to add to the ” Vineyard Rows” ensemble, as well as another thing from a ways back… in blue !