Pink snow princess

My knitting mojo has been missing of late . I think in part due to this hat , I really don't like this yarn , except for the sparkles . Chantal had requested a hat and scarf set for Stella . I fell in love with this pattern and found the yarn used for it at Micheal's . Trouble was that Chantal wanted an ear flap hat because Stella will not keep a hat on her head unless it's tied on . I modified it to knit top down but used the sizes used in the pattern as a guideline . I couldn't quite get gauge no matter how many needles sizes I went down , so I find it a little on the large side . However the hat that Stella is currently using is just about the same size so I think it will do . Stella is already wearing the matching scarf . I couldn't get it away from her when she saw it , like her Omi she was quite taken with the sparkles . Little miss also is a difficult model who will not sit still no matter what , so no photos yet .

There's not much else to show knitting wise .So much has been going on around here , but I 'm hoping that it will all settles down soon . Nothing bad , just super busy with the grandkids and life in general . I never thought retirement would be this hectic . I have to finish the second of a pair of fingerless mitts that I'm knitting for a friend . Using this very same Dewdrops yarn as the pink hat . They should have been done weeks ago , I just couldn't bring myself to work on them . The Smittens are coming along , I have an even dozen finished . There's also a sock on the needles , begun in December , but still not done . So of course I cast on for something new  . It's a secret so more about that later . I DO like this latest knit and would knit it on all the time if the UFOs in the basket weren't making me feel so guilty about not turning them onto FOs .

First Finishes for 2013

 

The first 10 days of 2013 have been very productive . I've got three finished knits to show for my efforts . These are the first two of three planned scarves . These  scarves are all the rage here at the moment . The white one is a thank you gift to a new neighbour for hosting us to a very entertaining evening over the holidays . The second and third are birthday gifts also for a neighbour and her mum . The third is still a work in progress . There's only so many ruffly scarves that you can knit without losing your mind or the will to knit anything ever again . After number 3 it will be a frosty Friday or pigs fly  before I buy more of that stuff . Mind you I had been contemplating selling them at my Wednesday afternoon bowling league to make some cash for the local food bank next Christmas. They are a quick and easy knit , but after these three I think I'm done for awhile !

 

The third finish and the one that I'm most happy with is my Peacock Hat . Unlike Goldilocks it didn't take me three tries before it was just right . Take II is perfect and has been out and about a couple of times this week . I just love it and I love wearing it . I'm so not a hat person, I only wear one when I absolutely have to , so for me to say that is really something .

 

 

What's next you might ask ? Well I've been bitten by the Smitten . The plan over the next 11 months is to knit 48 of these mitts in time to make Advent garlands for Casey and Max .I certainly have enough stash yarn to make that many . I also think that it will be fun for the little ones to get their treats from an Omi made mitten every day till Christmas . So one or two every week till I'm done . I've got a head start on next week ...

Have a wonderful weekend !

New year , fresh start

 We're only a week in to 2013 so I'd like to wish you all a very Happy New Year ! I can't say that I'm too unhappy to see the end of 2012 even if it means I am year older . Last year kicked my butt in more than a few ways , but I'm looking for 2013 to be better . At least I started the new year relatively healthy , without my annual Christmas cold . I'll take that as a good start and hope that the rest will fall into place .

We had  really beautiful holidays , spent with our family and friends . It seems like you 're so busy preparing , cooking cleaning ,wrapping ,celebrating , entertaining etc  and then it all goes by in a flash . I took last week as a post holiday stay cation but this week it's back to normal . Everyone is back to work , the grand kids are back to daycare and it's business as usual for Omi . Today is my day for catching up , updating the blog and downloading  all of the  photos from the camera to the computer . I'm ashamed to say that there are pics from last summer that are included in that . Where did the time go ?

We had a big dump of snow on Dec . 27th and quite  a few more centimetres at time since then . No reason for not putting on the xcountry skis this year ! Mike is getting tired of shovelling it though . Alaska , our snow dog is in his element he could spend hours outdoors if we'd let him .

I've started some new  knits , just a couple of scarves and a hat for Mason to wear with his new snowsuit . There 's also the first of a pair of socks in progress and a ski hat for me . When I last updated my ravelry page it was evident that I really hadn't completed as many projects as the year before .That  could be a result of the fact that I'm reading a lot more , as evidenced my my Goodreads page . I'd read a whopping (for me ) 31 books . My knitting focus / goals this year will be to do more charity knitting as well as more knits for the grand kids  . There are always socks on the needles but I hope to branch out to knitting more mittens . I 'd like to expand my cabling skills and small projects are like hats and mittens are ideal . I kind of fell off the yarn diet toward the end of 2012 , but I really have to work down the stash this year .


Ummm , good !

Two of my boys



Omi's sweetie

 

I haven't been able to get a photo of Jessey wearing his skull hat but it was a definite hit , especially because it came with a pirate backpack and a sword and an eyeglass . He's now a fully equipped pirate . This is one of my favourite photos of him , taken at our local Christmas festival put on by the town. It was a cold and snowy day but he really enjoyed that hot chocolate .

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day !

Rolling along

That's December for you , rolling , rolling rolling along sort of like a wave in the ocean and I'm kind of tumbling along with it .  It hit me today that there's just 14 days left till Christmas . I was feeling kind of happy with how my holiday preparations were going , after all the shopping is done , most of the knitted gifts are coming off the needles , the lights are up outside , some of the decorations are up inside. BUT and that's a really big but  , I haven't even started the holiday baking and planned the meal for Christmas Eve which is when my family celebrates Christmas . Then there's still the cleaning and wrapping of the presents , cards to be mailed out and probably a bunch of other stuff I 've forgotten about . I WILL not panic YET !

Yesterday I decided to start on the baking and attempted to make some spritz cookies . I've always thought that spritz cookies look so pretty and festive and I wanted to add something new to my repertoire . I'd never realized that using a cookie press is more tricky than it seems . Let's just say ,after a couple or twelve attempts that it didn't work out as planned and that darn cookie press will be finding a new home .Then I thought I'll just start on my absolutely- must-have- it- wouldn't- be- Christmas- without -them vanilla kiferl . Apparently grinding hazelnuts for the dough was a challenge also . I always buy them already ground but this year I couldn't find them anywhere . After trying to grind them in a variety of my small appliances , they weren't really fit to use in the recipe .I could possibly salvage them by using ground almonds instead and then adding a bit of the hazelnuts but that's for another day . I need to recover my disastrous day of baking first .

The BIG news , at least knitting wise  , is that I did finish Masons' sweater in time for his birthday . Here he is sporting it after opening his gifts last Saturday . I wish that I had knit a bigger size  (4 to 5 ) but at least he'll wear it this winter and spring . He's growing so fast ! I'm fairly happy with it , my finishing skills are improving but seaming is still my least favourite part of a project .

 

 

Some  nice things to write about are two bits of mail that I received recently . The first was from Dee which included a pattern for some socks that I had admired on her blog and she included the little sleigh cross stitch ornament that she'd recently finished . This was really wonderful unexpected act of kindness and I was so touched that she would send them . the ornament will have pride of place on our tree . Thank you so much Dee !



Wandering Cat Yarns - Day Dream & Night Wish

This was my second bit of nice mail . Aren't they gorgeous , the photo doesn't do them justice ! I was so happy with my last purchase at Valeries etsy shop that I snapped these two up as soon as I saw them . I told Mike that he was buying them for me as an early birthday gift  ;-)) .  No plans for them yet , I 'm just enjoying them as is for now .

So that just about wraps up December for now . I have a couple of finished knits to show but will save them for another post . In the meantime have a wonderful day and week  ! Wish me luck with my baking ....

A good week

It feels like forever since I've been able to say that .After waiting for a while I got to see an ob/gyn and she's sending me for a pelvic ultrasound  . I've got an appointment for that on Saturday Dec. 1st . Going the private clinic route for that because the wait in the public system is a long one . We have insurance so we might as well use it . At least it's put my mind at ease that things are moving . Now I just need to be patient for the results .

Simple Textured blanket and a Peacock hat

 

Things are almost back to normal with my back . Naproxyn is amazing , it worked wonders ! I put my week off  , so to speak , to good use and finished up one project that had been in hibernation in the UFO pile and Jessey's blanket . I love this hat ! It was intended to be a ski hat for me , but about half way through the knitting I realized it was going to be too small . So into the UFO pile it went . It was a shame to leave it for so long , but I finished it this weekend and found a recipient . It fits my DIL Stefanie perfectly and it matches one of her jackets . One down ! I have  yarn in my stash to knit another one for me .

 

Whats on my needles now are my self-striping picot edge socks from the last post . I'm almost done with the first one , but then I got distracted again with this . A hat for Jessey , who is very much into pirates at the moment . I found the pattern on ravelry but am modifying it to fit a 4 year old . I had so much fun doing the braid on my Peacock hat that I've incorporated the technique into this one . As for Mason's sweater , don't ask ...

Thanks for stopping by , have a wonderful day !

Knitting , yarn and a new dessert

My back has been acting up again lately which means that I have had lots more time to knit . I've finished a little vest for Stella and am just about 3/4 of the way through with a blanket for Jessey . I'd promised him one last winter , bought the yarn and then it kind of got lost in all the projects on the needles . Well , though we've had an nice fall , winter can't be too far off so it is in progress now . The vest for Stella just need buttons and then she'll have her show and tell . Don't ask about Mason's sweater ... I guess I'm waiting for the deadline of Dec .
8th  (his birthday ) before I get cracking on seaming it together .

There's a new pair of socks on the go right now too . I was browsing online shops and came across some absolutely gorgeous yarn that I  HAD to have ,  to heck with the yarn diet . It was at Wandering Cat Yarns etsy shop . It was a simply fabulous grey/pink self-striping colourway called Steel Magnolias. Those  are my favourite colours lately . That colourway is all sold out but Valerie's got lots more beautiful yarns where that came from , so go look her up . The yarn arrived and I just had to cast on  . the picture doesn't do it justice , it's a much deeper pink , almost wine . I love it !

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day , mild and sunny , not like our typical gray November days . Despite the back pain I decided a walk , sunshine and fresh air would do me a world of good . After I came back , I felt like doing a little baking . I'd come across this yummy recipe for a crustless cranberry pie recently .  I modified the recipe slightly , as per other peoples recommendatios , using only a 1/4 tsp of almond extract and adding 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract . I also used sliced almonds instead of walnuts because that's what I had on hand . It's such a quick and easy recipe and the finished dessert is delcious ! Mike couldn't wait for it to cool down and had a piece almost straight from the oven . A big hit and one recipe I'll definitely do again .

That's it for me for today . Have a good day and a good week ...

October come and gone

I'm still here , but my blogging  mojo has disappeared lately  . With my father's six week stay and all the other family obligations I just can't seem to get back on track . I'm either too tired or just don't have the time , by the time I do have the time , there's not much to say . I have been doing some knitting but my spare time lately has been to escape into the pages of a book .

Health wise ,it's been one step forward and two steps back  lately . Step forward , the results of a second mammogram showed that there was nothing to worry about . Step back , I have some other health concerns and am waiting for  yet more results from  tests . I've been trying to see an ob/gyn but can't get an appointment till the middle of December . My own doctor is off for personal reasons . If I told the secretary that I was pregnant I'm sure that I could get in to see another doctor in a week or so .Somehow I don't think she's going to buy that so in the meanwhile I'm  trying to be patient and optimistic and hope for a cancellation .



Stella's hat and almost finished socks

My knitting step forward , this week I've been trying to finish my socks for the sock a month KAL . I just have the toe to finish off on the second sock . AND I finished  a pair of socks for Mike . The step back  , that hat for Stella which needs to be ripped back yet again and then lengthened yet again because Chantal thinks it should be a bit longer . I had Stella try it on before I sewed on the tassel and everything was fine , but this week it needs a do over . Grrrrrr ! I've modified this pattern to fit a two year old . I fell in love with it after seeing this one. Anyway I just have to bite the bullet and get it done , I just hope I have enough yarn left because the tassel and braids for the ties used up a ton of yarn .  Mason's sweater is all knitted up but the ribbing on the v- neck collar needs a do over . I don't think he'll be able to put it over his head as it is now . Then just sew in the sleeves and it 's done .Why I just can't get that finished is beyond me , but it's been sitting around for weeks already . I wish I had a little genie that would come in while I'm sleeping and voila ! DONE !



Bernat Sashay scarf

 Last but not least is this scarf for Linde , dad's wife . And she likes it ! It's not a yarn  that I'd knit with normally , but I liked the sparkles . A girl needs some sparkles once in awhile , especially this month ...

Onward to November ! Hope it's better than October ....