It’s a Birthday Day

Our lovely daughter turns 16 today – and no, I am not going to embarrass her with naked baby pics, or teenager pics, but I will say that it has been an amazing thing to watch her grow into the young woman she is today.  Who knew it would be so much fun??

I have been busy with hand work, of course, and have these to show for my efforts:

Hands of Blue by Lucy Hague – a fun knit that I ended up doing 3 times for 2 fingerless mitts!  My fault, not the pattern!  Knit with Paton’s Classic Wool in denim.

And this little mitten ornament is from Dickens Mittens by The Cross Eyed Cricket.  I added some back stitching around the chains and used the #4 braid that I had on hand, but I think it captures Marley’s Ghost quite well.

And these are the first socks of 2015 – Tomar Cable Socks by Impeccable Knits in Cascade Yarns Sporty Stripes.  This was a test knit for Luise – look for the pattern to be published later this year.

And now I must go bake a birthday cake – Blackout Chocolate Cake is on the menu today!

Do you have

any of these charts that I am searching for?  I would love to purchase or trade for these items:

  Dimples Designs Wee Beasties 12

Dimples Designs Secret Life of Snow 6

Dimples Designs Young Professor Fizzby

  Dimples Designs Mini-Ladybugs 1 and 2

Dimples Designs Mini- Jewel Scarab, Mini-Scarab Duet, Mini Ladybug Duet, Yellow Ladybug Duet, and Red Ladybug Duet

The Prairie School Christmas Trees book 82

Heritage Crafts The Gatekeepers by Sue Hills

The Primitive Needle Salem Remembered

The Primitive Needle Witches Hollow

 

Leave a comment if you can help!

 

The Last Update for 2014!

and that is, of course, the christmas ornaments that I paint each year for my kids, and a few special others:

These wood pieces jumped up, clamoring – pick us, pick us!  And if you notice, the holly leaves are in the shape and place of a bow tie, because……. bow ties are cool!

And this removable heart snowman was for my brother and SIL – who receive a painted wood piece each christmas.  Yes, they do have quite the collection now 🙂

And that ends the crafty update for 2014!  How do you measure your year?

Stitching 2014

I must admit that there was not much stitching going on this past year.  I started out with a little set of hedgehog ornaments, and then fizzled out during the summer months.  But things picked up in the fall when I started Dimples Designs Shall We Dance – I have wanted to stitch this piece forever, and am so glad that I finally picked it up!  I subbed beads for the stitched ‘fairy dust’ that swirls around the fairy and hummer, as the stitches did not show against the colored fabric.  I am delighted with how it turned out – my first finish of 2015, done Jan. 2nd.

 

I was lucky enough to borrow a chart in the fall – this one is from BH&G Holiday Crafts Fall 1998 – and so made short work of stitching Cats and Moon – on black cashel, no less!

The pattern called for the word BOO to be written up both sides – I think I will design a spooky grey tree instead.  So this one is done, but not yet done as we go into 2015.

I rushed to get a few more ornaments done for my own collection and for the kids before Christmas arrived, and here are the results:

And that is the total of stitching for 2014.  My goal for the coming year is to stitch a bit every day – so far, so good!

Hats and Mittens and Everything Else!

Most of the hats and mittens pictured were for the Charity Hat/Mitten/Scarf tree I mentioned earlier, altho a few were special requests from family and friends. The baby and toddler items were just too adorable to resist, and are tucked away for a time when they are needed.  And that sums up the 2014 knitting!

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Did Someone Ask About Socks?

why yes, of course I was busy knitting socks this past year!  I have worn my own handknit socks for the past 3 winters, so my sock drawer needs to be full.  And yes, some of these went to special people as well, and the Wee Little Elf Socks at the end of the pics were for the Christmas tree 🙂

Let’s Begin with a Knitting Update

according to my KnitMeter, I have knit 10.5 miles in 2014!  Which means there was lots and lots of wooly goodness 🙂  Here are the shawls, wraps, scarves, cowls and a lovely cabled blanket.  Many of these became gifts for special friends or family members, while others were for the Charity Mitten/Hat/Scarf tree at the local Library branch that hosts the Saturday Knitting group.