Emptyknitster

Because this blog is read by some of my Christmas gift recipients I was unable to show many of my December projects. I loved making these hats and cowls to go with the tee shirts: Cowl Pattern: Incognito by Mercedes Tarasovich Hat Pattern: Rib-A-Roni by Jane Tanner Yarn: Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn! Solids, Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn Stripes Colorway: Dark Olive, Green Camo, Black, Gray Mist Needle size: US Size 7 I also knit the girls scarves and mittens:   Scarf Pattern: Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf by Karen Baumer Mitten Pattern: Warmest Mittens by Kris Percival Yarn: Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn Stripes and Solids Colorway: Autumn Stripe, Dark Olive, Elements Flower, Gray Mist Needles: US Size 5 Kate's cowl was slightly altered from the original pattern. I cast on 300 stitches with bigger needles and then doubled the pattern rows in the middle of the cowl until there was just enough yarn to finish a regular pattern sequence and cast off. Pattern...

This year I signed up to participate in a Christmas card exchange with some virtual knitting friends. I was excited to be paired up with Silja from Denmark. We exchanged addresses and I quickly sent my card with a small knit Christmas ornament and Christmas stitch markers. On the 26th, Christmas Number Two for us this year,  I received my card in the mail and was tickled to death to get an original work of art from Silja!  It is now framed and I'll bring out this "Happy Christmas" memory for years to come!

It took two attempts but all the boys finally got tickets to Star Wars and off they went while the girls decorated cookies and made their Great-Great-Grandmother Sadie's Peanut Butter Fudge, And the Moms put their feet up and enjoyed a few hours of quiet!

The Chick had been planning a ski trip for the grandkiddos since before Thanksgiving. The NorDak Kiddos were especially excited to go. There are few hills, let alone mountains for them to ski in their home state and this was to be their first skiing experience. By the time the first lesson was over, Sadie was told her next lesson should be a skills lesson. It took Isaac a little longer to catch on but thanks to Auntie Bri, The Tiger soon thought he could ski all night if the slope only would have only stayed open!

The families came one at a time this year and so we had what became known as Christmas Number One on the 25th with The Chick and The NorDak Family followed by Christmas Number Two on the 26th with the additional California Dreamin' Family. On Christmas Number One we spent a lot of time sledding in the gully in front of our house. At some point during the day, we heard this Christmas had a full moon for the first time in thirty nine years and there wouldn't be another full moon Christmas for another nineteen years. So what should a family do but mark this special occasion  with a nighttime sledding party!  I didn't know this was on my bucket list until I checked it off! I also challenged the family to celebrate Christmas 2034 in the same manner! The next day it was on to Christmas Number Two! We had a wonderful relaxed morning with brunch and opening packages. Then it was off to the sledding hill once again, manmade sled jumps and all! ...

This is the 38th pair of socks I've knit this year. WOW! For someone who thought knitting socks was crazy, I've really gone off the deep end! I now have a new philosophy, SOCKS ROCK!! 1) I still maintain socks take almost as long to knit as a sweater but even with the $30 a skein yarn they are much more economical to knit. 2) I can try unusual patterns and colorways. I'm enthusiastic about dyeing yarn for my socks but would hesitate to dye a sweater's worth of yarn. 3) Even if the recipient doesn't love the color or pattern knit into the socks they will wear the pair because they can easily be covered by boots and pants. Knitting and knitted socks are the best! I dyed this sock blank with blue and dotted stripes going horizontally. The next pair I dye I want to put the solid colors out either edge vertically with the dots of color in the center. I think it will produce narrower stripes. Pattern: Pin Striped Socks by Julia Swart Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Bla...

It has taken longer than I thought to get the new siding up. Many months of waiting to get started and two months of the process, but finally we have our house back in one piece! The siding is just a bit darker than the original and there is a new coat of paint on the front door: The garage is now a three car garage. We took out a window and  when installing the new doors the one on the right became a two car garage. It is NOW finally big enough to house Hubby's truck! In the spring we'll add the Juliet balcony at the side of the house and call it good. It will be fun to see what the family thinks!