Year of Hope and Joy

Happy New Year!
Instead of making resolutions, I have chosen a theme for the year:
Hope!  Be Not Afraid!
I do resolve to be more faithful to my daily prayer time.
Well, the holidays were crazy, but good.  Lots of time with the people I love.  I did finish my first Advent Scarf and I did finish knitting the Christmas stockings.  Let's see if I can find a decent picture.  Santa brought me lots of goodies, but no camera.  So we're using an old hand-me-down camera.  Seriously fuzzy photos!

This is Christopher's Stocking when it was about half done. 

First Advent Scarf on the blocking board.  You really can't see anything of the patterns and the color is completely off, but you can tell that I knit a long lacy scarf! ♥

Many New Year Blessings to you all!

Christopher's Stocking

Well, a little over a week until the Christmas stockings need to be finished.  I'm still feeling optimistic.  Christopher's cuff is done and I'm moving on to the leg.  The darker color is showing through more than I like, but I am hoping that with a gentle washing the white will "bloom" and hold its own. ♥

The Cuff of Christopher's Stocking knit with Rauma Gammelserie

Sorry about the fuzzy photo!

Decorating Cookies

Despite the fact that we have had no snow and are not likely to have a white Christmas, which is a source of painful regret to my children, it is shaping-up to be a pleasant Advent/pre-Christmas season.
My two children who are living with their Dad this year went to the Penance Service at their Church last night, making this mother's heart proud and happy!
Yesterday we made Christmas cut-out cookies.  Today. we're eating them.  I don't have pictures of the latter event, but I do of the former:

Making Christmas Cookies

Now, I'm listening to Christmas music on Pandora Radio and knitting Christmas gifts like crazy!

More than Knitting

So, the kids and I have been reading an advent reflection each evening at dinner time ( Five Minutes with the Word by the Word Among Us).  Every year I say that we will do this but this is the first year that we've actually made it through the first 3 days.  Sad, I know.  But, so far so good.  This is as much for their benefit as for mine, since I am in danger of seeing Advent as merely my "Christmas Knitting Time."

Speaking of Christmas Knitting:

Ginny's Aran Pillow

FYI: It's very weird to knit an Aran weight project at the same time as a lace project. 

Have a great day!

2011 Advent Scarf

The 2011 Advent Scarf Knitalong started on December 1st!  So, along with my other Christmas knitting, as well as the other Advent Scarf, I'm knitting this beautiful lace project with over 2000 other knitters from all over the world!  The knitting is going well so far and the chatting on the Ravelry group page is lively and entertaining.
Each day of the scarf is a different type of lace stitch and each day's instructions are given the evening before. Like opening a door on an Advent calender each day before Christmas!

I dyed a small cone of Jaggerspun lace weight yarn with my Pro Chemical and Dye Spearmint and Mallard dyes.  Lovely!  And I bought Toho beads to match.

Here's What we've done through Day 3.  And the kids and I still managed to put up the tree and throw some decorations around, too!

Have a blessed day, everyone!

Advent Scarf

Hi!  I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!
This year, I am participating in an Advent Scarf knit-along.  The designer will post a section of the lace scarf pattern each day of December.  Each day's section is different, like a lace sampler.  There are almost 2,000 people from all over the world participating through Ravelry.  I am so excited!  I can't wait to start!
I didn't participate last year, but the pattern is still available.  Some of us who are terribly impatient for December 1st have started knitting the 2010 Scarf while we are waiting.  Here's what I have so far:

2010 Advent Scarf

Here's the yarn: Alpaca with a Twist Fino

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello, my friends!
Today is Thanksgiving and I spent the morning preparing my yearly contribution to the feast: Rolls.

Making Rolls.

From the looks of my cookie sheet, my family and I have consumed a bit of Teflon over the years.

Brushing the rolls with egg wash.

Unfortunately, I forgot that I threw away my pastry brush.  It was looking as bad as my cookie sheet.  So I had to brush the egg wash on with a new paintbrush.  Tedious.  Very tedious.

Best rolls in the world.  Not because I made them, but because they are made from the Challah dough recipe in Secrets of a Jewish Baker by George Greenstein.  Heavenly!!!

I haven't knit yet today, but I will!  I am planning to finish Spencer's Christmas present:

Ear Flap Hat for Spencer

Happy Thanksgiving!

11-11-11

Hello!  It's 11-11-11 but nothing much exciting has happened today.  I suppose that could be good thing!  I am working on a Christmas stocking for Rebekah right now, so no pictures of that yet.  I do have a picture of another nice cable/bobble mitten.  It's mate won't be knitted until I am done with Christmas knitting.

Aran Felted Mitts #132 in Cascade 220 Heathers

Blessings to you!

Pictures of Stockings

I have pictures of stockings!  Sarah's is finished and Tim's is half-done.  Merry, merry!

November, already?

Is it already November?  It has been weeks since I have written!  I have been knitting a blue streak, whatever that means.  Remember last year when I said I'd knit a stocking for each of my kids by this Christmas?  Well, it is going to happen this year!  I just finished Sarah's and I am working on Tim's now.
Blogger is being weird and won't let me insert pictures.  Sigh!