Another Fun Holiday Knit

Here is a really fun knit that will make a great gift for anyone who loves to take a bottle of wine to gatherings. The pattern came to me from Red Heart and is their Jolly Holiday e-book that you can download for free at this link.

It has something for both knitters and crocheters. The best part is most of the pattterns are really fast to create. I had two of these bottle sweaters done in a couple of days. The second one, not pictured here, I added a closed bottom to. It feels more secure to carry it.

The green one, pictured, is knit out of I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby, in the Sparkle style. I am going to add some embellishments to these, maybe using large jingle bells. I hope everyone is finding new ways to celebrate the Season~!

A Table Full of Fun

My latest project is to design cute thank you gifts for my stitch of the month club members. Most of them have hung in with me for the first year and we have learned a lot.

I want them to know how much I appreciate their interest and sharing this love of knitting. We are gathering for a final meeting in 2011 and will be celebrating our successful learning.

It is fun to have like minded folks share the fun~!

30 Days to Go

More is always better, at least when it comes to knitting projects to keep me productive and focused.

I lucked into a commission job to knit gifts for office mates for one of my neighbor/friends.

We braved Joann's for Doorbuster coupons today and came away with enough for seven gifts and a couple stray skeins for another projects I had on the list. What fun was that! It was so crazy in the store that there was even a line to get a cart.

So I am working on this pile as well as the things I have on my list for family gifts.

Happy gift knitting to all~!

No Black Friday for Me

I have made great inroads to completing my gift list this year with the knitwear for all motto.

There are still things on the needles that I have to finish, some yet to start and those that have to be mailed are ready to go before the USPS deadlines. I am very pleased with the progress.

The only shopping I am planning is for tomorrow to gather some more supplies - yes, yarn, more - but for gift specific items. That is allowed in a yarn diet, I am sure of that.

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and successful shopping~!

Happy Turkey Day!

What are you thankful for?

Me? I am thankful for family, friends, faithful blog readers, like-minded enthusiasts, home and hearth, good food, a warm pussycat who always likes seeing me come home, opportunities, change in routine, and the amazing world we live in.

I hope everyone has the chance to express who and what they are thankful for this year~!

(and pie)

Ducks, Ducks and More Ducks

My Evil Elf brother knows my affinity for rubber ducks so he sent me some foreign exchange ducks from Greece.

Seen here, they are happily adjusting to life in the USA, sitting in my bathroom sink soap dish. Aren't they the cutest? Let's hear a round of OPA in their honor.

Another Cowl

My mother's birthday came and went this year. So I am doing a fast knit with her favorite colors and a new yarn I discovered for a belated gift.

This yarn is one from the new Red Heart Boutique line called Midnight. It is in the colorway Shadow and is in pinks and greys. It has a little hint of glitter to it. The ball band says that it is a worsted ((4)) weight however it calls for size 10US needles.

So, I decided that it was destined to be a Cowl'd and Frosty cowl. I knit it just like the pattern calls for and it is turning out beautifully.

This will be gifted on Turkey Day, only a week late. Whew!

Shadow: Learning a New Technique

Shadow knitting aka illusion knitting seems more like magic than actual work. I started a shop sample and discovered I cannot put it down. All I want is to see more of the image emerge from my needles. I started with a very simple piece to be a washcloth.

The book I am using is by Vivian Hoxbro called Shadow Knitting. It has some lovely wearables in it and I want to do the rainbow jacket on page 88. Until then I will just learn the basics and hope to be able to photograph it to show here on the blog later in the month.

I hope everyone is finding a new technique they want to get excited about~!

Holiday Knitting

What's on your needles for holiday knitting?

I have lots of things that are secrets, however I can share that felted clogs make awesome gifts for those that live in colder climes.

Other great ideas are cowls or scarves, hats and mittens. My other favorite thing to knit is fingerless handwarmers. They can worn over those little magic gloves you find at dollar stores and indoors if you work in a cool office and have to be able to type and try to keep warm.

Most of the above ideas are a one-size fits most which makes it a lot easier on the gift knitters. I hope everyone has fun, secret projects they are working on. And, don't forget to knit something for yourself~!

Casting On: The Fourth Quarter Challenge for Loopy Ewe

I have wound the yarn and found the needles for the Dew Drop Cowl. This is my fourth quarter challenge for Loopy Ewe. It involves knitting a full skein or more of a Madelinetosh Yarn. I chose the sport weight option in the Alizann colorway. It is in a red-purple tonal.

I have to have this finished, blocked and photo'd by January 1st so I can get it posted to the gallery for challenge-met credit. I hope the pattern is as easy as it looks.

I will be casting on today and using it as travel knitting for next week. I have other secret knits on other needles that have to be done at home because they are too bulky to go with me.

I hope everyone has taken a little time to knit something for themselves~!

Another HP Hat

I am doing a fast knit on another Harry Potter House colors hat for the family in Germany. The other sets were received in mid-October and everyone loved them. One hat was not a good fit, The Evil ELf aka my brother, said the beanie design makes him look like he is wearing the Pope's hat.

So I foound the leftover Gryfffindor colors last night and found a pattern to make a better fitting beanie without the odd decrease indicated in the pattern from Charmed Knits.

The pattern I am using is Quick and Easy Knit Picks Beanie by Toni Carr. I cast on the number of stitches from the large size in the HP Beanie and am doing the ribbing as indicated in the Knit Picks pattern. I will be adding one stripe of gold at about the three-inch mark, the rest is done in the maroon.

I hope to have it in the mail to him by the next week so he can be wearing it for family outings.

It's the Little Things - A Stash-Buster Idea

While I have been playing with the beehive look, I discovered a very fun thing to do with the leftovers from the Red Heart Shimmer skein which I used for the red set, shown previously.

I knit cuffs, using the same technique, that can be used when indoors and you just need some warmth with a little glitz. Then I found a pair of the Magic Gloves, that are found this time of year for a little price and stretch to fit most hands, with a red beadazzled heart on them. The cuff is not attached to the gloves, just placed over the cuff of the glove, and then you can pull the glove off and leave the cuff on if you like.

This set is seriously cute. I am really pleased with the outcome. The pattern for the entire set will be available soon through Ravelry. I will be making that announcement here on the blog when it is ready to go.

Sign of the Times

Pedro says that is starting to get a little cool in the house and momma says no heat until Thanksgiving. He is snuggling on the bed with his M&M buddies. Notice how Orange is hugging him.

Time Change and the Ultimate Use of I-Cord

The time has fallen back and my happy lights are purple for this month. I will be adding white lights to the mix this week and maybe change to multis in December. This way I am happier about coming home from work in the dark. It will only be 54 or so days that the days are this long, then we start the other direction.

In knitting news, I am working on a cowl that is created by knitting i-cords out of bulky yarn on bigger needles then stacked and sewn together. It is a Vogue pattern and a very fun idea. The one I am doing is out of Lion Brand Wool Ease Chunky in purple.

I hope everyone has a fun project to great the shorter days~!

Picture from pattern at the Vogue free pattern site.