Holiday Get-Togethers

Everyone should be so lucky as to spend time together with aunts, uncles, cousins....the whole gang!....over the holidays. You learn things about who you are, what it means to be a part of a family and something bigger than yourself, and the world in general.

Happy Holidays and may 2008 turn out to be great!

Goodies

I'm woefully behind in my holiday prep. I've not actually baked one thing although I do have this to share with you today.



I got these a month ago (or better) from a local cookie baker who makes fabulous treats. I had to shoot a photo to go along with the baking article in the December issue of Fort Dodge Today. They're long gone.

The good news is: two of us are eating once more. Amanda was released from her 30-day liquid diet. It seems to have done the trick with getting her Crohn's into remission. So there will be Christmas feasting at our house. *yeah!*

If only I had some things prepared.

Ah well, there's still a week!

Happy Knitting & Shooting!

2 FO's

I'm plugging away at my usual stack of December projects. The "big giveaway" items for all ladies in the family are done. (Not posting photos as some of the ladies look at this blog. Sorry sis!!)

I have finished a sweater I plan to give for Christmas to someone in the family who wears a size 12 months. I am making a "matching" one in the same yarn, only purple, for the big sister who shall be nameless at this point. Here's the small, boy version:



I knit this using TLC's "Wiggles" yarn which was on sale at Hobby Lobby. Yes, I used acrylic. It's for a baby. It needs to be easy to wash for a mommy who is busy raising two kids and going to college at the same time. Shoot me. The pattern is from Knitting Pure and Simple.

In the meantime I also have two seperate socks started: the third for my "Neopolitan" trio (I started this one last week when I was teaching friends at knitting how to do short rows for toe-up socks.......more on that another time) and one from KnitPicks Memories on size 00 or 000 needles. They are feeling scrumptious!

In the meantime, I knit these:



My friend Joanne was eager to do a pair, so we cast on this week and took off despite other pending Christmas knitting. They were fun to do and I like the thumb gusset staying in ribbing while the rest of the mitten switched to stockinette stich. Very clever. Very simple. Will make more of these for sure!! I used Lambs Pride washable from Nebraska. Good stuff. A little light for the pattern which called for worsted. This was more like a DK weight. But they are nice. I can tell they will be warm, even when wet....which is a HUGE benefit to wool where I live! (It's currently snowing. We are supposed to get 4-6 inches by morning. Did I mention it's not even actually winter yet according to the calendar?????????)

Happy Knitting....and stay warm!