Phew!

Today is the last day of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) and I'm happy to say I managed to post every single day of November.  Yeah for me!  Hopefully I've had something of interest to say or show each day.  Although, I do have to say, I've not been getting any comments lately.  Hmmmm.

Today is also the last day for knitting with civilized wool yarn for a while.  I put the braids on the Ear Flap Hat from yesterday and I finished knitting the Ponytail Hat as well.

I'm just auditioning the buttons -- I have a feeling that my co-worker will decide against them, but they're the only ones I have that match and fit correctly right now!  You can see the ponytail opening just above the buttons and to the right.  And here's a close up of the buttons and the lower ribbed band.

It hasn't been blocked yet, but you already knew that!

Now it's back to the 'wretched wool' -- ugh.  Can't get those hats done fast enough.

Back to Nice Wool

Such a relief today to be knitting on soft wool.  After a couple of days of the 'wretched wool' I had nearly forgotten how nice wool could be.

I made the Ear Flap Hat for my coworker's daughter today but I think she wants the braids that can dangle from the ear flap so I'll need to add that tomorrow after I confirm.

This was a very interesting pattern for a number of reasons.  Remember it came from Lucia (see yesterday's post for the link) and it used short rows for the ear flaps and had a headband seam.  It's super warm and I think Ariana will love it.  Here's a close up of the yarn, Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes Bulky.  It used all of one skein and I will have to nab a few yards of a second skein if I need the braided ties.

I also started the second hat, the ponytail hat, with some Araucania Limari multicolor wool from Chile.  I've finished the band and am just about to the point where you make the hole for the ponytail.  Pictures will hopefully be posted tomorrow.  For now, though, here is the yarn.

Both yarns were selected by my coworker to match her daughter's teal winter jacket.  I hope she likes both hats.  You know how particular teenage girls can be.

And finally, I've been driving around my neighborhood for the past few nights and noticing how many folks have decorated their houses for the holidays.  I'll be posting pics of some of the ones I've come across.

They're not necessarily tricked out to the hilt -- I just like what they've done.  Some are simple and some are elaborate.  Either way they dress up the neighborhood and put us all in the proper spirit.

I signed up for 4 bell ringing sessions with the Salvation Army next month.  How about you?  Can you spare a couple of hours to stand outside and ring the bell and make a difference in the lives of people less fortunate than you?  I don't have any money to donate to worthy causes like this one but I do have time and that's what I'm giving.

Tidying Up

Today I spent much of the day putting things back in their places.  Most of my time was spent organizing my wayward knitting patterns back into their proper binders.  For a brief moment Kevin stepped into my craft room and announced that if I knit for 10 hours a day I might be able to knit all my yarn in a year and half, maybe two years.  He's such a man.  I expect it would take the better part of five years at that pace and NO more buying in order to achieve that goal.

He's not my husband but sometimes he sounds just like one.  'When are you going to go back to the gym?'  'You really should cut out drinking pop and using butter.'  'You can't possibly need any more yarn or pattern.'  As long as he's around I don't really need a husband, do I?

I started a new hat, Hand Knit Ear Flap Hat, by a gal named Lucia.  Check out her website:  Lucia's hat calculator  I hope to post some pictures tomorrow.

Not me

I was not one of those early bird shoppers at 3 AM lined up outside of Old Navy.  Nor was I waiting for the doors to open at 4 AM at Kohls.  Not I.  No, I was sound asleep and enjoying every minute of my restful sleep, waking at 7:30 AM, thinking it was time to get up and get knitting.

I putzed around the house, cleaning a bit, ran some laundry, and washed dishes leftover from yesterday's  dinner preparation.  For lunch I treated myself to a delicious corned beef/swiss/rye sandwich from the Onion Roll Deli.  I think it's my favorite place for that sandwich.

I started another hat from the 'wretched wool' assortment.  Again, I can't wait to get them done.  I went over to my friend Kate's house tonight to knit with several friends, including the birthday girl Tanya.  I won't say how old she is but it's more than 39 and less than 41.

My hands ache from that nasty yarn so I'm popping a couple Motrins and calling it a night.  Tomorrow I'll knit another hat from different yarn for a different customer.  I deserve a break!

Happy Thanksgiving Day

I hope everyone has had a memorable day visiting with family and friends today.  I trust you all were well fed and had plenty of treats.  It's good to get together and remember to be grateful for all that we have.

I'm grateful for:

1. My children
2. My Mom
3. My sisters and their families
4. My friends
5. My job
6. My home
   
7. My dog
8. The changing seasons
9. My love of crafts
10. A good night's sleep

There are so many things to be grateful for in life.  All too often, though, I get fixated on what isn't going well.  Like when my washing machine broke -- at least I had a washing machine TO fix and the money to make it happen.  While things are not going too well at work, at least I still have a job and benefits.

It's just about time for me to sign up to be a bell ringer for the Salvation Army's red kettle drive.  I've done it for the last 3 years and it's really rewarding.  How many other times in life do you have people thank you for doing a charitable act or say 'God Bless You'?  Most of the times I have done this it's been miserably cold.  Perhaps that leads to getting more people donating when I look pitiful.  This year I've got plenty of pocket warmers so I'll be packing them to help keep me from turning into an icicle. 

I finished the first of the four Republic hats I need to knit for my customer in Dryden.  I want to get the other three done plus the pair of fingerless mitts for my friend Eddie.  Then I need to finish Holly & Mike's rug.  I'll be glad when the 'have to do' items are checked off my list of things to do and I can go back to knitting things for me.

Bleh Yarn

Sunday I picked up four skeins of handspun wool yarn from a customer to make four of my Republic hats for her.  She had seen my hats at the Mt. Bruce show but wanted to use her own yarns.  She had two skeins spun by a friend and a couple of others that were purchased from a fiber show of some sort.

I wound each of the four hanks into a center pull ball and grumbled at the roughness as I did so.  I normally use a bulky yarn and size 10 needles to knit those hats but it was quickly apparent that I would have to drop down in needle size.  I began with 8s, which left the gauge too loose.  Next it was size 7s, same problem.  I gave up on that yarn and completely unraveled that hat at about the half way point and set it in the time out corner.  I picked out another of the yarn balls and after trying size 7s, frogged that one too, and switched to size 6s.  I really dislike working with the yarn -- it's way too rough and there's not enough lanolin left in it to compensate.  I'll be glad when these hats are done.  Here are a couple of shots of the yarn and the hat so far......

 

Working with yarns like these make me appreciate the better yarns that I'm used to using.  This hat was worked with Rowan Country wool -- so much softer and easier to knit with ~~

Kind of a man-ly color, a bit more denim-y than the photo shows.

Can't wait to get back to knitting with my regularly scheduled yarns...

Preparation

Every Thanksgiving it seems like there's so much preparation.  This year my sister Carol is hosting our family dinner in her new home.  It will be good to be in a different place.  Some place other than my Mom & Dad's apartment.  I don't look forward to going to the apartment anymore.  I really wish Mom would get a new place.  Maybe that will happen in March when her current lease is up.

Today after work I went to my favorite Italian market.  I love buying their cannoli and enjoyed eating one on the way home, nuts and sugar falling all over me in the car.  Their bread is to die for -- freshly baked onsite, 24 hours a day.  I could only think about getting home and slathering some soft butter on the still-warm slices.  I picked up a nice chunk of Grana Padana to take for dinner Thursday and pondered for quite a while in the wine aisle, picking up a half dozen bottles for future consumption.

After knitting with the ladies at Panera I headed to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for my dishes for Thanksgiving.  I didn't want to wait until tomorrow when the crowds will be large, cranky, and hurried.  I bought the fixings for the appetizers I'm bringing along with all the necessities for the famous green bean casserole.  That's one of Holly's favorites and one that usually goes over well at family gatherings although I do remember that Dad didn't care for it.  He liked just about everything else about Thanksgiving dinner and usually ate more than he should have(don't we all??) -- I think it was his favorite holiday.  I know he will  be missed at the table Thursday.