Saturday, November 24, 2012

First Snow of the Year

Thanksgiving weekend and we've finally gotten our first snow of the season!  Just a dusting, but it is blustery and cold!  It's mitten weather!

I've been uncharacteristically firm this year and have not given the kids their Christmas presents as soon as they were off the knitting needles.  Since they're all receiving mittens, that means they will have cold hands for a few more weeks!  Poor dears!

I'm working on Theresa's mittens right now, but I thought I'd show you Rebekah's.  They are alpaca and amazingly soft and snugly!


Mittens in Ultra Alpaca Light


Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Virtual Retreat

This week I am on virtual retreat.  What does that mean?  Well, it means that I'm doing what I normally do when life gets rough.  I'm knitting and spending time on Ravelry.  Actually, this week I'm retreating with the Stash Knit Down group.  The Black Sheep Virtual Retreat is for all of us who wish to avoid holiday shopping madness this week by relaxing at home with our knitting.  Black Friday/Black Sheep.  Cute, eh?


Looks comfy and snugly  right?  Um... knitting in bed is fine for about a half an hour, then the part of me that does the sitting gets very uncomfortable and I have to get up!

I'm knitting a Christmas stocking for Spencer this week.  He's the last of the kids to get one.  This is partially due to the fact that last year when I was making most of them, he requested a stocking knit with Barcelona colors.  I decided to wait till that phase was over!


After three days, it still doesn't look like much, but it's getting there!  I dyed the green and the gold yarns and they came out just right.  Hooray!  The capital S looks weird because I hadn't finished the top and bottom.  I used duplicate stitch on those bits later so I wouldn't have to strand the white all the way around the stocking on those rows.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Delicate Beauty

Well, it's nearly that time of year again!  Shopping? Decorating? Baking?  No, silly!  Knitting the Advent Calendar Scarf!  It's more fun, and the calm and quiet is better suited to the spiritually reflective aspect of Advent!

The designer's name is Kristin Benecken and this is the third year that she has designed a scarf and organized a knit-along group.  The group has people from all over the world and the excitement and anticipation are tremendous!  I hear you non-knitters laughing, but it's true!  

Motivated by the coming knit-along, I finally finished my 2010 Advent scarf.  I started it last November while waiting for the 2011 knit-along to begin.  Well, here she is and she takes my breath away!


Delicate Beauty: The 2010 Advent Calendar Scarf knit in Alpaca With a Twist Fino


This week I'll be knitting Christmas presents like mad to be ready to start the 2012 scarf. I have my yarn and beads all ready!
Madelinetosh Prairie yarn in colorway Tart.  The beads are Miyuki 8/0 Opaque Black Delicas.