2009 Wrap Up

Every December 31st, I like to look back and see what I accomplished in knitting for the past year. This year it surprised me again:

11 Scarves
7 Sweaters
3 Baby Sweaters
2 Washrags
2 Stockings
1 Purse

And the word for 2010 is FOCUS! When I focus on one thing, I accomplish much.

It's Snowin Again!

But, I am content, here in my chair, drinking coffee, knitting, reading and just enjoying the heck out of not having to go out to work. I don't have to go out until New Year's Day. I was going to Dunlap yesterday, but slept in and just stayed in and enjoyed the day. Today, I was going to have lunch with Sue, but with it snowing again, I feel like being a slug and continuing the routine.

I do think I might hop on the treadmill to change it up a bit.
That and the fact that this picture taken a couple of days ago hit really home, that it is time to get back on the Weight Watchers Wagon and the Couch to 5K program. Why wait until the New Year to start?!

The other piece to this picture was my great nephew helping me with dishes. For a two year old, he is unbelievable.....his words not mine "We're a TEAM Auntie Pen"...simply amazing.

Tomorrow --New Year's Knitting

Isn't She Sweet?

This Pure and Simple Bolero was so fun to knit. She won't be wearing it long, but it was fun to see it on her for awhile.

Now, back to knitting for me.

Come On!

Enough....if it cannot snow for Christmas, why now?
And with the temps we are suppose to have this week, it looks like it will be around for awhile. This is now a pain.

Unconventional Christmas Dinner

I've been bloggin all along that this would be a different Christmas and it has been. I am not complaining. Christmas Day was just the Tall Guy, Baby Boy B and me.

And if one cannot be in Mexico at Christmas, and if one's family is missing a few people, it is okay to change it up a bit.

The Tall Guy made homemade pizza. I had a Corona or two. Baby Boy B who was driving and the Tall Guy had soda.

I ate too much, but it was good! Time to get back to Weight Watchin. The jeans are getting a little snug.

Good thing I am not going to Mexico this next year.

Oh We're Not Done Yet

Christmas might have been yesterday, but like birthdays around here that we celebrate on and on, that's what we're doing with Christmas this year. We celebrated on Christmas Eve at the in-laws with some of the family.

On Christmas Day, we got together with Baby B for pizza here at the house. He set up my new wireless printer and then laid on the couch hamming it up while I used my new webbie cam on him.

This gift was a total surprise for me. The Tall Guy was thinkin I could use it on the blog....cannot wait to give it a whirl.

Late tonight, Baby Boy A and his wife will be in from Memphis for a couple of days. We'll get together with my nieces and their parents on Sunday here at the house for another meal....we are going to get 15 of us around the new table...just need to shop for some folding chairs later today so they will all have a seat.


In the meantime, I finished the topdown Bolero from Encore for my great niece. This sweater is just too darn cute!

Cannot wait to see it on her. The turtle neck that I bought to go with is just too off from the pink in the sweater so it is just going to be the sweater for her, but I am happy with the outcome.

If I had just another week or two, I would have made a matching one for my niece. Wouldn't that have been too cute!

Isn't that what we all say about Christmas knitting? If only! Time to start planning for next Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Pressies

I am blessed with some great friends.





From work, the best of both worlds, Snoopy and Cardinal baseball. When you lift his head, he plays take me out to the ball game and gives you a Pez.--Thanks Barb and Kristy





From some really "old" friends. Just goes to show if you talk about something long enough, they give up and buy you something you said you would not buy yourself. Thanks Paula, Terri and our really "old" friend.




And last but definitely not least from the Radical Knitters, what fun we have and I am truly blessed to know you all. Thank you Norma, Jo, Linda, Char, Karen and Jean.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Still Knitting

I took a short diversion from the Christmas knitting to do a couple of dishcloths. People love these, heck I love them.

I'm feelin good today. I'm off until the 4th of January....have a nail appointment mid day so I am working toward that. Have dusted and still have on my list before then the bathroom and a little of the kitchen.

Stayed up really late knitting on the bolero jacket for my great niece. It is so cute and I anticipate finishing it tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest. Before or after the nail appointment, I have some errands to run. Need some buttons for it and am thinking Morton might have something there. While I am out, I have a couple of short errands to run, Kohls for something to go under the bolero for her and jeans for me. Grocery store for flour and kisses (thought I might make some cookies, okay, I don't bake, so maybe that is why it is going to rain major amounts).

Which brings me to the question? Why when I take a day for myself does it always seem to RAIN majorally? Same thing happened earlier this Fall? But, I won't melt. And it could be worse, it could be snow or ice!

Phase I Complete and Delivered

Finally, all of the scarves that I knitted for the ladies I work with are done and around most of their necks. Now, I just need to finish a couple of little sweaters for the 27th.



For Gracita


For Judy M.


For Nan


For Margie, Kristy, Kathy T.,Misha, Marie, Barb S., Linda A.(for Baby Boy B's Secret Santa gift, and Maria

Did I Miss Something?

I wasn't expecting this yesterday weather. I spent most of the afternoon, surfing the net and doing laundry. Drinking Cinnamon and Spice Dunkin Donuts Coffee, Mystic Tea and Lemon Zinger. Nice day to stay in.

Long about 5 o'clock, I realized that I did not knit a bit and still had a scarf that needed to be done today. I made it! Pictures tomorrow.

It's not as bad as out East, so what I am I complaining about?
They tell us it won't be here long. Ice and Rain coming just in time for Christmas Eve.

Okay, I have had enough of Winter, bring Spring quickly.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Today, the Tall Guy, Baby Boy B and my brother swapped my old table with my mom's table. There is a couple of stories about this table.

The first is that when I was a child it was in our basement and used for holiday parties. It was painted yellow. Dad stripped it years ago and it has been in a couple of mom's houses since then.

It has four leaves(two are in it now) so when fully opened it will sit a gazillion. Problem, none of us have a house that sit a gazillion. But, we always make do. Mom just left it as a round table in her kitchen since she stopped doing Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners at her house.

At Thanksgiving when Baby Boy A was home we had family down for dinner at our house. We were sitting people everywhere. So, now Christmas comes, and I am the recepient of the table. Plants and coffee table went back up with Baby Boy B until the new year. Some of our furniture (extra end tables) will go to the yarn room and we will throw a couple of leaves in the table and all 12-13 of us will be able to sit around the table together. Cozy it will be, and the first of a new memory.

Norma, remember when you gave me this tablecloth for my lia sophia endeavor? Well, look how nicely it can be converted to my new table. I was thinking about going out and buying a new one for it, but I think even with two extra leaves in it, I can use it. Thank you again!

When Mom was alive and doing Christmas and Thanksgiving Dinners with two leaves in the table, she would throw a fitted sheet over the table as a tablecloth.....what fond memories this table has for me. A friend at work told me just on Friday, it's the little things that will trigger it for you, she was right!

And from my niece and sister-in-law, who gave our family an ornament this year. Thank goodness they gave it to me in private..it reads



Merry Christmas From Heaven
I love you all dearly,
Now don't shed a tear,
I'm spending my Christmas
With Jesus this year..

Okay, enough~back to regularly scheduled blogging.

Today I'm Glad

I live in Central IL and not out East. Just enough to give some atmosphere for the holiday, but not enough to keep me from the yarn shop.

We had a pleasent morning at Knit 4 Together, drinking tea and knitting. Quite a few were in this morning, shopping for yarn and gift certificates.

Then I went out to Walmart and Grand Prairie. Walmart to finish the shopping. Grand Prairie for ME! I was tempted by some Ugg boots, but they did not have them in my size so I decided they were not meant to be!

Finding parking spaces at both places was un real, but I persevered and made it home safely.....I am now done with my Christmas shopping! Still knitting on two things, one scarf has to got be completed for Monday gift giving AND a little sweater for the 27th. I hope to knock it off quickly so I can start knitting for ME!

I'm A Calendar Girl

I could not figure out what I was getting in the mail when my calendar from Knit Camp came yesterday. I had really put the calendar back in the recesses of my mind.

This was a nice surprise. Very well done and I would think alot of work.

I am going to enjoy it all year long.

Good job, Kim and Betts.

An Unexpected Gift

When I got to work yesterday, I had these beauties wrapped up on my desk.

The card read "hand picked, hand made out of cherry". They are so smooth and I can't wait to cast on with them.

When I met up with the gift giver, she told me she bought them at a nearby craft show. How did I miss these gems?

Kinda Cool

I put all my Wool Gatherings into my new binder from Schoolhouse Press. When I ordered the big pack of sleeves, I never figured I'd be using so many.

I guess I have been getting it for quite a while.

Jump On Over




http://www.garnstudio.com/julekalender.php?lang=us

And check out the Drops calendar every day as they reveal a new knit or crochet pattern every day. There are a couple of really cute things over there.

Maybe for next Christmas gift giving.

Happy Hanukkah!

After A Bear Of A Day

I prescribe ordering yarn for the Green Sweater.

Char gave me permission to buy my favorite color. Thank you Char.

This sweater is going to be my treat to me for completing my scarves for Christmas presents. When I complete them.

It's Here!

The new/old Green Sweater pattern finally arrived. I can't start it until I get all my scarves/Christmas presents done.

I think I am going to try using some brown alpaca with a twist that I have, as I did not get in on the original yarn order from Schoolhouse Press.

I am chompin at the bit to start, but I won't.....maybe I 'll start it on Christmas Eve? If I have my other Christmas all ready.

It Started Small

I was just going to get the Weekender. Then, I thought a small tote. And I thought I'd try a different kind of bigger tote. That was it.

Then, I really needed a casual purse. And they had free shipping, so I had to get more than a purse, so I added another knitting tote (I don't need another knitting tote!)

Now, I have a collection. Am I done? I think I have to be.

Never Say Never

It used to be I would say we would never have an artificial tree. Then I said I would never have a table top tree, at least not as the only tree. Okay, so sometimes, I have to eat my words.

A couple of years ago the Tall Guy's parents moved from the big house to a small apartment and we acquired a lot of their furniture which we really could use. And then last May after Mom passed away I acquired a couple of her items as well. It's always been tight here when it comes to Christmas as to where the tree(s) would go. Last year some of the pieces had to be stowed in Baby Boy B's room, downstairs and in the garage to make way for the tree and tables that had to come out of the Yarn Room for our overnight guests.

When the boys were younger, I would have a tree in the living room with all of their ornaments on it. That was the live tree. In the dining room, I would have an artificial tree with all of my Snoopy ornaments and lights. When they grew up and wouldn't help me decorate the tree, I started just putting up the Snoopy tree.

Which brings me to this year. The Yarn Room has an extra chair in it already and there just isn't any room for anything else in it. Baby Boy B is living in my Mom's house til it sells and his room is now the room for overnight guests at Christmas time so I can't fill it up with spare furniture. Besides, when we get together with the whole family, we need all the available seating we can get, left where it is.

This years tree is a 4 foot table top tree. I pulled another collection out to put on it...the knitting/handmade ornaments collection. This is a tree years ago I used downstairs on my sewing table (when I was sewing alot) and when I was going through the phase of wanting a tree in every room.

I outgrew that, thank goodness, since I barely had the patience to put the lights on this 4 footer!

Congratulations!

To Baby Boy A's Wife, the Half Marathon Runner today in Memphis for St Jude.

Atta Girl!

My Feet Hurt!


Last night was our Girls Annual Holiday Bash that I co-plan with two others. For the last two nights I have been on my feet in boots and I can say my feet hurt more than I have ever had them hurt. Ended up last night getting a foot rub from the Tall Guy. He really didn't want to do it, but I whined enough that he relented. It finally took a nice warm bath, two ibuprofen and a cup of tea. It put me to sleep in the chair and here we are.

We always have a different theme each year and this year was Naughty or Nice. We switched the colors to hot pink, black and animal prints to change it up. We had a great time and I think everyone else did too. Since we did it at the College this year, there was no alcohol, but we had a bartender who did Mocktails. The ladies enjoyed that as well, I think.

Which brings me to next years theme, I've committed to knitting at least 45 scarves for it, so my lunchtime project will be scarves all year long.

Get used to seeing lots of scarves. At the moment though, I am knitting on new scarves for my co-workers. Once those are done, I can get back to knitting for me...well after I do a sweater for the great niece for Christmas.

Then it is back to me.

When Will I Learn?

I have told myself time and time again, I will not buy a book sight unseen. So, what did I do? I bought another book without seeing what was in it.

I didn't need to buy it right now. I could have waited. But, no, I saw it on Amazon and added it to my cart without a thought. Yes, there are a few things in there that I might knit down the road, but I did not need to add it to my book collection yet. It could have waited.

Oy...today has been a booger of a day. It started out really good, but long about 9:00 am, it started to go downhill fast. I managed to take about two steps back all day long, so now I've got to fire up the remote access and do some work from home.

And Christmas is now 23 days away.

I'd Like To Report

That I got a whole lot of knitting done this past weekend, but I can't. I did not manage to finish anything and now I am getting a little worried. The weekend was a mixture of ups and downs, goings and comings, but still a great Thanksgiving from my point of view.

When did it become December 1st? So much to do. And if I want to complete my tasks for this year, I need to stop playing Bejeweled Blitz over on Facebook. The just 5 minutes turns into a couple of hours.

I did get caught up on my sleep last night. I can say for sure that after I got home last night from work, I was asleep more than awake. If I wasn't sleeping in the chair, well lets face it I was sleeping in the chair. The cup of tea I fixed myself was still sitting there next to me untouched, when I woke up in the chair.

Okay, back to the knitting not Facebook.

Give Me My Sock!

Baby Boy B and the grand dog. Thank goodness, this is not a hand knitted sock.

It was quiet yesterday afternoon and evening around here. Very quiet. Bummer. But, soon enough Christmas will be here and I expect to have them all back again right after. Until then, I have knitting to do, lots of knitting.

Something I Don't Say Often

I'm Pooped! We have had a great couple of days with family since Thursday. Baby Boy A, his wife and our grand dog got in late Thursday night. After we spent a Thanksgiving different then we were normally used to in the last 30+ years. But, still it was a good Thanksgiving.

I've had my hands in more dishwater the last couple of days than with knitting needles it seems. And the eyeballs are a little gritty, the face is sore from grinning and definitely, the belly has way too much put into it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Got Plans?

Yep, starting today. I took the day off to do some errands and last minute stuff. Normally, Thanksgiving weekend is my weekend for knitting and sitting around. Things will be a little different this weekend as we have family in from Memphis and Chicago area. We are pleased that we will be together although a couple will be missing. That is going to be a little, shall I say tough, but we'll deal with that as it comes.

But, I digress from the real reason for the post today. I really have to get a handle on my Holiday Gift Knitting, mostly scarves and I have designated this weekend for that. So, wherever I go, I'll have my little bag of gift knitting along.

Have a safe Thanksgiving all!

I Have Been A Slug

When it comes to bloggin, this week, just did not have either the time anything great to blog about.

Yesterday was a beautiful day. As I usually do, I spent a great morning at Knit 4 Together. I got buttons for the top down purple sweater and a book that has been out for quite awhile, but did not really give it a second look until both Sue and Claudia used it. Then I took a second look and decided it would be a great reference to just tuck in the knitting bag...the knitting bag is getting heavy now.

Then bopped over to Grand Prairie to return some pants. I picked up a couple of trashy romance books for next weekend reading at Borders and of course had to check the knitting books out, but there wasn't anything I needed to get. It felt so good out, that I parked the car at one end, walked to Borders at the other end and then walked to Dick's where I did a little Christmas shopping and then back to the car.

Lordy, if felt good to be outside in the fresh air and semi sun. Hope, we get some more this week.

New Yarn

I am really trying to not buy new yarn. I am really trying to knit up what I have...re the top down purple sweater.

But, I could not resist this scarf kit a couple of weeks ago. It is really more than a scarf, it is more of a small wrap. Which will be perfect for outside a coat or wrapped around me at work. Easily tossed off when a little power surge happens.

I've been having those every once in awhile...guess we know what that means!

On a weather note, here in Central IL, we are smacked dab in the middle of major rain. Day 2 and I have those errands to run today after the dentist. UGH!

I Think I'm Done

Celebrating birthdays, I mean. My friends Barb and Kristy bought me plates and cups for my birthmas. Tomorrow, after my dentist appointment and before I have to be home for the phone guy, I am going to run out to Grand Prairie and see about buying the dessert plates and look at the mugs.

They bought me 8 bowls and 8 plates....I might buy 4 more plates and bowls instead. That way I will have plenty should our family grow one day.

Another friend, Kathy, whom I help sometimes with her knitting bought me this new Kate Jacobs book. It is #3 in the Friday Night Knitting Club Series.

I started to read it, and realized that I, somehow, missed #2, Knit Two. So, after Grand Prairie and before I have to be home for the phone guy, I have on my list to stop at Barnes and Noble and look for it so I can read them in sequence.

I have quite the list for tomorrow. It started out I was going to the dentist early and then knit at Dunlap before the eye doctor late in the afternoon. Then, the phone company thingy cropped up and my plans have been shot to heck.

Sometimes, this working thing interferes with what I want to do.

Check Out My New Running Shoes
Just to prove that I am still quite happy with my caribe blue, I had to show them. I am anxious to get them on and do a little test run. But, today it is raining here in Central Illinois,(and I am not getting them wet their first time out), so the tread mill will have to be it.
Then, since it is Sunday and Sunday has been the start of my week or rather my startover day, I am going to try and knit when the kitchen calls me to eat when I am not hungry! Just imagine how much I could accomplish if I was knitting?!

On another similar note, I need to spend less time over on Facebook playing Bejeweled Blitz....and more knitting. Hmmmmmmmmm.

Paris, We Have A Problem

What to do with a very long scarf or a scarf for a very tall person? Solution? Cut it apart and make two. That was the collective advice of the Radical Knitters on Thursday.

Fellow Radical Knitter thought the scarf she was knitting needed to be longer than her 40 inch needle...so she added some extra stitches.

And we all know how hard it is to really know how long a scarf it would be with all of those stitches bunched up, right? And a scarf is a scarf and sometimes it is what it is.

But, how was Jo to know until she bound off the stitches and bound off the stitches....you get the drift.

So, the solutions were kicked around a couple of different ways. Rip it all out (but she had already buried alot of ends in), machine stitch it and cut it in half and then somehow hide the raw edges, like sucking it up with a tassle, or adding fringe.

Or the final decision, put in two life lines about 2 inches in from the center.

Then, take the scissors and cut the very long scarf in half. Then, unravel both ends back enough to get long yarns.

Bury the yarns in the scarf. Eat birthday cake in the absence of alcohol.....


And voila, you get two scarves. One to wear as the Parisians do.


And a second as les Americaines do.


Good Save Jo!