Friday, December 30, 2005

Christmas #2

Here for their debut are the Christmas socks:

On the left is M and on the right is Q. How fun is it that their socks turned out slightly different? M thought his looked like a candycane. These were so fun to knit and because the yarn was an unexpected gift from my knitting buddy, they were a reminder of the many blessings I have in my life.
Here are Q's socks modeled by me (with the 3rd skein before it was knitted into M's socks):

Details: Lorna's Laces - Country Christmas yarn, size 1 needles. 64 stitches Q's socks and 52 stitches for M's socks. Knit toe-up, magic-loop style.
And to show you our 'country Christmas', here we are at our Christmas dinner:

My sister and her family couldn't make it this year and they were very much missed. You also can't see my Dad who was the man behind the camera.

Thursday, December 29, 2005

Christmas #1

It's hard to believe Christmas is already over. It was a fun, memory-making couple of days. Due to my computer having issues, I'm still trying to download all my pictures. So Christmas pictures will be in installments.
Installment #1:

M and Z with a custom puzzle my brother and Z gave M. It's a picture of M at their wedding, where he was using his creativity during the ceremony and found his reflection in his shiny shoe to entertain himself.

Q received the guitar he has been wishing for. Here my brother is showing him how to play. (with my little brother and Z looking on).
And a knitted item:

Z loves the poncho I made her. (made from Homespun yarn and a pattern from Vogue Knitting).

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Christmas fun begins

The countdown is getting so close and the fun is beginning. Presents are being wrapped and given:

Teacher washcloths tucked in with lots of hugs & kisses. (Rudolph made by M). Both of my boys have incredibly great teachers this year and I am sooo thankful. They are made with Reynolds Saucy; pattern from Knitters Stash. (And Maureen - the big skein made both of these..hehe).
My boys had the privilege of being shepherds in Opa's Christmas play:

M, Q, and friend waiting to make their entrance.
After the play we went to visit residents (some who are friends) who couldn't make it to the big play. And what did we find?

A chocolate fountain! (Why didn't I put this on my Christmas list?). The shepherds (one who lost his robe, cause 'it's itchy') loved it.
And then the Shepard took his little shepherds

and brought the real baby lambs back home. (How cute are they all?).

Monday, December 19, 2005

My Saturday night of fun

It was a Saturday night in the midst of a busy season. There was so much do to and time just seemed to be slipping away. The list was slowly being checked off, yet temptations were everywhere. Perhaps it was the undeniable tiredness that was in the air, or the many games of Scrabble that seemed to cause my brain to get off track, but when this called my name:

I found myself caving. A night of indulgences seemed to be well deserved. Soon I found my fingers rolling the yarn into a ball, the vibrant colors lighting up the night:

My crochet hook found its way to the scrap yarn:

and the start of the process seemed to just appear:

The yarn magically starting forming the toe:

until it's shape could no longer be denied:

The stitches knew their purpose, playing along just right:

growing by the minute:

the truth was evident:

On this most perfect night, my son had once again beaten me at Scrabble.
(Many thanks to Jack the cat and M's fingers for their help in this story)

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Nice is what it's all about

Upon returning home from work on Monday, I found my 'bottle' waiting for me. I left the groceries in the car and raced inside for the glorious moment of opening up my treats:

Debra sent me some amazing things. Some pink yarn that will become a scarf; a chocolate calendar (every day next year there will be chocolate!!); some Sockotta yarn in whites and pinks; 2 skeins of Steinbach wolle which is made in Austria (where I spent a good chunk of my childhood); a cute little knitting book; a yummy banana-muffin candle; some of my favorite little stitchmarkers; and one of the new Chibi's I've been really wanting. She also included a set of yummy lotion, body scrub, and body wash that is already in my bathroom and a really cute ornament that is already being used as well. I love it all. Thank you so much Debra!
Just like everyone else's, life is busy around here. I did my last Christmas shopping yesterday and am now going to avoid the stores. I hate how people seem to forget to be nice around this time of year.
Thankfully my brother and father are incredibly sweet men who spend the better part of yesterday giving me more insulation in my attic:

Little brother and all the fun floating stuff in the air. (Can I still call him little even though he is 25? hehe).
And even though I told my Dad to make a 'normal' face, he has apparently been around my kids too much:

Do you see all that stuff all over him? My kids had fun vacuuming it up all over the house. The best part was going to bed and realizing we were actually really, really warm. In the middle of a winter snow warning. After I had already turned down the heat lower than it's been all fall.

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Early Christmas gifts

So much knitting going on, yet so little I can show you! I did finally finish my cowl:

It remains unblocked, because it is cold and I've been wearing it. I also came to the conclusion that messy hair is worth the warmth this provides.
Pattern: Beaded Smoke Ring. I did not add the beads and did not do the pattern on top. I didn't like how I couldn't get the yarn-overs to match.
Yarn: It's the Target yarn! I loved the color and once they went clearance I caved in and bought some. The total cost to make this? $2.10.
I also received 2 early Christmas gifts. The first one is my early Christmas gift from God:

A loveseat that is identical to the couch I used to own and loved. The couch and loveseat I have now is not that comfy and on the many days that my muscles are hurting me, they are impossible for me to sit on. I just happened upon this loveseat, being given away for free. It seems to be a gift from my heavenly Father, allowing me to once again be comfy in my living room. My sons are excited because we now have a couch and 2 loveseats, leaving a spot for each of us...hehe.
My other early gift came from my knitting buddy:

It's a knitting bag and yarn. I had been really wanting some fun sock yarn and she seemed to read my mind. And I love the bag! I think the girl looks like me too: with her hair-bun, the pink knit in her hand, and the coffee. Thank you so much Maureen. I can't wait to see how you will like your gift.

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Oma's Birthday

Exactly 4 days after my father was born, my mother was born. They now get to celebrate their birthdays together, often disappearing to some Bed & Breakfast. They are the incurable romantics.
My mother is now my best friend. We talk daily on the phone and think very much alike. We both strive to live the simple life, believing God & family are what's important in life. We have the same crazy laugh that leaves us unable to talk as tears roll down our cheeks. And we share a love for coffee and chocolate. Why is all this significant? Because it took me way too long in life to realize how lucky I was to have her as my mother. And then I realized that luckily I am becoming more and more like her every day. I just hope that some day I'll finally manage to make meatloaf that tastes like hers!
Here is the birthday girl going down the slide while on a swimming trip with her grandsons and me:

Doesn't it look like everyone stopped just to watch the beautiful lady go down the slide?
Happy Birthday Mom! My boys and I are way too spoiled by having you in our lives. Thank you for all the pies you bake and the hours you spend listening to me. Wir lieben Dich!!

Saturday, December 03, 2005

Happy Socks

The happy socks are done:

It's hard to see the stitch pattern in this picture, isn't it? I love how these turned out. My bottle buddies feet are smaller than mine, so I couldn't try them on. (I asked Q to try them on for me and he was absolutely mortified that I would even suggest he put anything with pink on). I named them the happy socks because the yarn is Lorna's Laces Childs Play and the stitch pattern is St. John's Wort. (knit on size 1 needles with 60 stitches).
I plan on mailing them together with other happy things. So I've been pondering what happy things are, and am wondering what would you put in a happy box? Or what would you like to receive in a happy box? A movie? Candy? Yarn?