Merry Christmas plus My Year of Socks!

Hi Everyone......Merry Christmas.  By the time I next post, Christmas will have passed and I want to say to all of you to have a Merry, Merry Christmas.

Are you ready for Christmas?  I am just about ready......I have one last present to do and I am going to take a page out of the Darlene (aka Awesomegrannie) playbook....I will start this item tonight (the 19th) and need it done by the 24th before Church at 3:00 pm.  I am going to make a Crocheted blanket for Paige's Boyfriend, Chris....yes, I am crazy, but I think I can do it.

So to jump right in to what I have been up to this past week since it ties into me making a blanket for Chris.  See, Darlene started one for her future SIL and I helped a little during this week, and while I was helping, I decided that Chris would really like one of these.  Here is the one for Darlene's future SIL that I helped with...it just needs one more gray stripe at the top :)

I also finished my December socks......

So that means that I finished the whole year of socks..I tried to put them all like a clock (January at the 1 o'clock hour, February at two o'clock....etc), but it did not really work out......

I am also entering them all into the Box 'o Sox KAL.....so I took a picture of them all in a box.

First only self striping

Then with the one pair of worsted socks I made.

I wanted to make 16 pairs for 2015....but realized I only made 15.....bu then realized I gave one pair to my mom.....so I really did knit 16 pairs in 2016.....but I am not sure I can keep up with 17 in 2017 and 18 in 2018....but hey, I did it for 2016 :)

The only other thing I worked on was Paige's sweater.....I have a good chunk of the front panels done....but it is really hard to photograph.....now, this project will be a in a different project bag later tonight, but more on that later,

I have a few stash enhancements.....I got my last shipment from the Miss Babs Knitting Tour 2016.....I have not done any of the projects this year, so I really want to do this one.  Here is my skein....but I saw other member's skeins and some had more gray....so I ordered an extra that has more gray and it is coming....I will probably make the shawl with the more gray one.  We are going to Toronto, Canada....and I did already sign up for next year's tour!

I ordered some sport weight black yarn....I bought it to do a certain KAL that starts January 1st, but I am not 100% sure I am still going to do it....I have to see.  I got some Merino and some that is Cotton and Viscose......both are by Drop by Garnstudio (I have never tried any of their yarn).

Now, for a stash enhancement that was a gift.....the GREATEST GIFT EVER.  Darlene and I did our Christmas Present swap this morning and she made me a QUILT.....a big, beautiful, fabulous, wonderful quilt.....I cannot believe it....I JUST LOVE IT and it is soooooooo GORGEOUS  These pictures do not do it justice.

She also gave me a tote bag set in the awesome black skulls...this is going to be my new 'sweater' bag (hence the reason that Paige's sweater is going into this bag tonight)!  She also got me a skein of yarn from Leading Men Fiber Arts that matches my bag set....that was a complete accident....she got it because the name of the yarn is Acid Trip.....I just love that name.  She saw a podcast where someone was knitting socks with it and it came out so nice....I cannot wait to cast on something with this yarn!  

Thank you so much Darlene.....you are the greatest friend ever, and I am blessed to be able to call you my Best Friend!!  Thank you for my fabulous gifts!!

Just a few extra things from the week.......

I also got a pretty great box from Hello Fresh this past week....there was an awesome steak and potatoes dish (I did not get a picture of) and a creamy mushroom porkchop plate that was really good.....Jaime really enjoyed them both.

And I had Antonio.....I always love having him.....here he is coloring.

We went to go see a performance by Cataleya...she is such a cutie pa-tootie!

That is all I have....Merry Christmas!

Happy Happy Happy Knitting!

Happy Football and Grandparent's Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know that not many knitters out there are also football fans...but I am a football fan and I am SOOOOO happy that Football season is back.  I watched lots of games this past weekend and got lots of knitting time in.  My boys did not do so well, but that is okay....I got to knit while I watched them loose.....It was also GRANDPARENT'S DAY....did you have a good Grandparent's day?  I did!!!!!

I got to knit on lots of things this weekend......first up is Paige's Sweater

It may not look a lot different from last week, but I did add a few inches to it.

I had SNB at my house this past Saturday and it was a blast....Darlene even came over and we meet up with Jennifer who was a blast to knit with...and Darlene finally got to meet Bobbie of Bobbie Sox Yarns.  Carol and Evelyn were there too and we just had a blast.  I think it was one of the best SNB's ever......Well, Evelyn was working on her Lazy Girl....she tried to start hers in March of last year but she had this mental block....and then she taught herself continental knitting and in like one week, she was more than 1/2 way done with the shawl....it was amazing...and enough to get me and Darlene inspired to pull ours out and do some knitting on ours too.  I started this in March of 2013...it had about 10 repeats on it and now it has about 20 repeats.....I do love this pattern!

Darlene was a dear and blocked my clapotis for me because she has this awesome quilting wall that I told her would be awesome to block on...and so she and her granddaughter, Peyton, blocked it for me....it is super long!  Thank you Darlene and Peyton!

I am not sure if I have mentioned it...but I signed up to do one of Susanna IC's Mystery KAL's.  I met Susanna a few years ago at a local knitting group, and then got to know her better at a Fiber Retreat earlier this year.  I am going to do this pattern with some of my Black Pearl Yarn.  Not the exclusive kit I won a couple of years ago, but some lace weight I got a few Yarn Crawl's ago.  I did a swatch on size 7's but I thought the knitting looked loose and sloppy.....

This pattern also calls for beads, and I prefer size 6 beads over size 8, so I did another swatch on size 4 needles and I added beads and I think this looks much better.  So I am all set and the first clue comes out this coming Saturday.

Remember I told you last week I was going to do some socks for my niece?  Well, I got them started and I love them!!!!!!!

Oh....and while I was watching the Longhorns game, I had some friends come by....they have a little girl (I think she is about 9 years old...but I am not sure exactly)....and their daughter, Kimmy, saw me knitting....so I pulled out a hat that I had the ribbing started on (to teach someone else) and I taught her the knit stitch....she caught on super fast...and I told her to take it home and bring it back when she has about 5-6 inches done.....Next I am going to try to teach Darlene's granddaughter, Peyton (pictured above) to knit...she is 6 so a little younger, but I am sure she will do great!  Here is Kimmy knitting:

Lastly, it would not be like me to not mention my grandson, Antonio.  He starts a new daycare today and I cannot wait to see how is day went.  I baby sat him a little last week and he wanted me to make him a bed on the floor so he could sit with my dog, Precious.....so I did (using my Bed Lounger):

But then he decides that the bed is really much more comfortable than the floor (smart kid)!

Well, that is all I have....I feel like I did get quite a bit of knitting done.  Jaime was gone on his semi annual motorcycle ride with 'the guys' (where he forgot to pack the socks I made him).....and I had a very lazy weekend of knitting and football....it was awesome.  I wish I could do it every day....but, reality is that I am:

So remember:

Happy Happy Happy knitting everyone!!!!

Hoppy Belated Easter!

I hope everyone had a fabulous Easter!  I was looking forward to doing an Easter Egg hunt with Antonio, but his dad had him this past weekend so I just got to give him his Easter basket and clean his mouth and hands of chocolate.....ha, ha!

The good news is that it made for some great knitting time!  Last week, I ordered some yarn from a friend.  I think you have heard me talk about Stacie from MustStash podcast and she owns MustStashSop.  She has some Perfect Sock yarn (and I do mean it is perfect) in a colorway called Anna & Elsa from the new Disney movie called "Frozen".  Well, Celeste is obsessed with this movie and loves all the songs and everything.  So I got some of this yarn and I wanted to make Celeste and her mother a matching pair of socks.

This yarn is my new favorite sock yarn....it is so scrumptious to knit with...I love it!  I ordered the yarn on Tuesday and had it Wednesday (Thank you Stacie!!!!).  I cast on that night and I finished the first sock on Saturday evening.  I was even knitting on them during bike night....Jaime spoils me and lets me take my knitting and a chair to events like this......I was going to do them two at a time, but I could not bear to break this perfect yarn....So I started the second one in pretty much the same spot of the yarn!.  And Stacie put in a snowflake stitch marker with a lobster claw that is too cute.  I put the first sock on a size small sock blocker so you can see it stretched out...but it is just a kids's size sock with an almost 3" leg.  I really think Celeste will love these.  I hope to finish the second sock this week.

I also finished my Hiya Hiya Diamondoid socks....in the Mochren (orange) colorway in wollmeise twin sock yarn.  I love them.

I plugged away a little on the Silver Fern Scarf for the first leg of the Miss Babs Knitting tour....I only have 24 more repeats and I will be done.....which is a good thing because I need it done before the end of April......the new craziness in my life is another shawl.....yup, you heard me right.  Darlene was on facebook one night and found this pattern and tagged me and then a few others commented to make it an official KAL for our SNB group so who am I to say no?  So I said Yes!  The pattern is called Spire and it is by Leila Raabbe.  I am using a skein of Wollmeise lace in the Confident Colorway....Darlene and I started during lunch today.  It is a bit fidly to start.  Mine is not even the size of a quarter yet.  You have to do a circular cast on and then you start off with only 8 stitches...but I am determined to get this baby going!

I know it sounds like I always blame these bright ideas on Darlene.  While this shawl was her fault, sometimes it is me and she goes along willingly....this time, not only did she go along willingly....she made us each special project bags to put this project in.....and, she is offering up a set of these project bags to one lucky winner of the KAL.  The bags are soooooooo cute and have matching zipper pulls!  There was one lady that really wanted to make the Leaves of Grass Shawl instead so we made the KAL to include pretty much any pattern from the Brooklyn Tweed LOFT Collection.....so if any of you out there want to win these two cute bags or just want to be crazy like me and start another shawl.....please feel free to join us!!!!  You can always make a hat or gloves, but try to challenge yourself and make something from the collection that is challenging for you!

These Bags by AwesomeGrannie are the best ever....and remember, there should be an announcement about Darlene, aka AwesomeGrannie, really soon!

Oh....and I have a stash enhancement......I heard about a lady name Cate that teaches Tibetan woman in China's Qinghai Province how to hand spin in China.  She has lots of hand spun yarn at reasonable prices.  I ended up getting some Helix, and while this is a mill spun, the dying is just beautiful.  The color is called Autumnal and it is no secret that it is the color of yarn that was calling my name....perfect pops of burnt orange all around.  The shop is called Infinite Twist....it is interesting to read about and see the pictures of the women spinning the yarn.....

Oh, and the last yarn related item of the week....do you remember going to the library and having to go to the catalog to find the book you wanted and where it was located?  And they had all those cards in those drawers......well, if anyone knows where all the libraries disposed of those card cabinets or a carpenter that can make me one....here is the best use ever for them.....I wish I had one!

I also have to brag just a bit.....remember I told you Paige was going to Barber College?  Well, she graduated back in February....but she was just recently able to take her practical exam (the March class was full) and she passed.....she has applied for her license (they really just want you to send them money) and she should have her license this week......I am soooooo proud of her.  I took her out to eat at her favorite restaurant last Tuesday.....She posted her test and a shout out to me on her Instagram.....I love this girl so much!!!!

Well, I think that is pretty much all I have for this week......I leave you with Aunty Acid......

Happy Happy Happy Knitting everyone.......