Christmas is Over!!

The long awaited finale to Christmas 2007! I kept postponing posting this because some new photo issues/new computer things have been happening, and indeed, today when I went to download the pictures, the computer suddenly downloaded ALL the photos on the card....over 500 pictures, most of which had already been downloaded. Then, I had to go find WHERE the computer put them! FOr some reason, the computer has been making a new folder in Lucy's 5th Birthday folder, and importing all new pictures there (a new folder each time we try to download). So I decided I might as well sort those folders out right now while I'm here and not too distracted, LOL.
This is the Spring Blossoms Shawl by Fibertrends. Make with 5 skeins (1000 yds!) of Peace Fleece in Antarctica White. By the end, each skein was only knitting up about 15 rows, and the repeat is 16 rows. But the yarn is fairly economical, has a great story, and washes up beautifully. I used 6mm needles, and had to borrow some from a Freecycle friend--in the end, I think I had 4 sets of circular needles in use! In progress, spread out on the mini-trampoline. I was hoping it would only need 4 skeins and I could do other things with the 5th one, but no.....I was basing this on the Hemlock Ring afghan that's so popular. I was going to make it, but I'm just not a fan of Feather and Fan, and it just didn't seem 'right' for the receiver or the yarn.

It also took alot longer than the 30-40 hours reported for the Hemlock Ring!
Lucy's artistic shot while I was trying ot decide if it would block out big enough, LOL.

This is it spread out on my bed just before I blocked it

Rob cut up my styrofoam blocking board when we moved (May 06), so I bought these squares at Wal-Mart. They were supposed to be grey on the other side, but they're not. If they were joined together, it would be 4ft sq. So, I estimate the blanket to be about 51 inches. Is that big enough for an afghan, for someone who's not too tall?

A close up of the pattern. It really didn't stretch out too much when I blocked it; I could have used 6.5mm or 7mm needles, but also, it's not going to lose it's shape as easily either by being knit too loose. It's been done for over a week now, sitting in a box, waiting to be mailed.....I keep procrastinating so much with this blanket!! But now everything for Christmas 2007 is finished!! Is it too late to start on Christmas 2008? LOL.

Don't Let the Green Fool You!

Being that I'm totally not Irish, how am I celebrating St. Patrick's Day? Well, Huey's middle name is Patrick, and after a week and a bit off for March Break, he went back to school today! Yeah! Lucy is there now, and Meg is napping! I'd put some Bailey's in my coffee, but I have none. Bailey's, that is. You'd think I'd actually run out of hot, caffinated beverage items? I keep a 'back up' instant/flavoured-milk already in powdered mix type thing for those days we run out of milk :)

So, still some Christmas items, but some details and pictures!

Remember I talked about making clogs for the family Christmas gift exchange game, and they came out too small? My neice Ally (who is NOT an adult, LOL, I think her mom actually won) is the recipient of custom made clogs. She asked for purple and orange. I was having a hard time dealing with that, LOL, this was about as orange as I was comfortable with. Two strands Headwaters Wool and 8mm needles, size....crap, I've forgotten already! Not the lady's large, but the next size down. The gals have big feet in my family :)


I was concerned that I wasn't joining the soles on right. Because the inside sole, the bumper, and the outside sole are different colours, it's easy to see in pictures. This is ......picking up the sts for the bumper? Why is the working yarn on the left needle? LOL. I think I'm showing it from the 'other side'.


Here's the bumper (orange), with the light purple inner sole showing along the picked up sts. I thought after I did the pair before Christmas, that next time, I'd do the last row of the inside sole in the same colour as the bumper, but it actually doesn't show much once felted. And, sometimes I don't know until the end what colour all the different parts will be :)
Here's the same spot after felting; I had to pry it apart and open to show this much.

That's a handcrafted diaper cover :)
I had these done in early February, and I kept procastinating about mailing them. Then we suddenly decided to go to Oshawa for Family Day, so I got to actually drop them off :) I hear she likes them, but it'd be nice to hear it from her :)

I think there is only one more Christmas item to show! It's not quite finished though ;)

Happy Moment

I found the 'other' pink mitten of Megan's! They are safely rolled up together and in the mitten box. She refuses to wear them, preferring the dollar store red teddy bear ones instead! Rob and Lucy asked at Sobey's and looked in the lost and found, but my mitts are still missing.

Three Little Kittens

What is it with mittens this year? First I lose the tipless gloves that I loved. At least they were spotted in the slush of the Wal-Mart parking lot. Then I lost the plum/orangey/pink striped mitts I made just before New Year's. I think they might be at Sobey's, but I don't get there very often and I doubt Rob would remember to check for me. And now, it's Megan's turn. I made her a pair of little mitts in Patons Classic Merino in bright pink. Oh so cute! Then one went missing! I was just about to knit a new one, when I found the missing one in the back of the truck. I brought it in the house with the groceries....and now there is one pink mitts on the stairs and I can't find the other one. Is the one on the stairs the missing one, or the non-missing one? How long do I look for this time? I KNOW if I knit another one, I'll find the missing one, and then have three.....but do you know how confused that will make me? Especially since these are left/right mitts and I'll have two of one, but of course, will ever be able to only find the two that are the same.