Books for Christmas

These are some of my faves that I would have loved for someone to give me for Christmas.  I own them all so I won't be receiving them, but I wouldn't mind buying them and giving them to my favorite knitter for Christmas.

Very soon I will have this updated version of Knitting Workshop in my hands.  I own all of the EZ/Meg books and wouldn't want to live without any of them.

I have made several blankets out of this book and have a few more that I want to do.  This is truly a wonderful book if you have babies to knit for.

Ah, Coast Knits.  I love this cover sweater and have it on a list to knit in 2014 out of an Alpaca.

A knitter should not live without this tomb.  Many years ago I had my hands on it to buy at knit camp and passed it up.  I was so freaking excited when it finally came out again.

 A great book for new knitters!  I bought it for my niece a couple of years ago.  It has basic info in it along with some great projects for the new knitter.

I have been a fan of Top Down Sweaters forever and Ann Budd.  So, when she came out with a handy book of top-down sweaters I had to have it!

Ah, Knit! Swirl!  There is a lot of knitting on these sweaters, but wow, they are worth it.  And they look good on almost everyone.

One of the first books I ever bought that was knitting related was by Deborah Newton.  When I saw she was coming out with a book on finishing I knew I had to have.  Before, I could buy a dear friend bought it for me.

A new knitter author to me at the time I bought this book, I wasn't sure.  But, it didn't take me long to put this on my fave list.  Not only does it have some great patterns, but Wendy gives some great info on creating your own sweaters.

And my most favorite knitting book of all!!  And not just because I know the author, but because I truly love this book.  I work in an office environment and I have made many of these jackets and wear them to work.  I like this book so much that I own three copies.

One is the original that Cheryl signed and is quite dog eared.  The second is an e-version so I have it on my iPad whenever I need it, and the third I got when a dear friend had to down size and was getting rid of her books.  I just had to snap it up for posterity and for maybe a future knitter down the road.

I love the gift of books giving and getting.  What are your fave knitting books?

Wednesday Website

Keeping with the season

I love the thought of what Cheryl is doing.  It is all about the giving isn't it!

Christmas Gifts for Knitters

Well at least for me!  I want a tall bookcase for all of my knitting books.  I have some on a shorty and some on a shelf in the closet.  I want one that will hold all of them so I don't have to stand on my head to see them.  I've picked one out from Oak Express.

Other things I would love to have under the tree if I was a knitter:
Gift Certificate from the local yarn shop
Interchangeable needle sets from either Knit Picks or Chiagoo (red lace)
Roll up blocking board
Flexible blocking wires from Churchmouse Yarns and Tea
Sock Blockers from Loopy Ewe in wood
Oh Snap bags from Namaste
Better Buddy from Namaste in our favorite color (I bought my own already)
A really nice pair of scissors for  knitting bag
A Vera Bradley Tote Bag for  knitting
Knitting Books - will talk about those tomorrow

Oh, there are so many more things it would be wonderful to receive as a knitter, if you need some more ideas check out Stephanie's recommendations, she is posting them all month long.

Yarn Harlot's Christmas Recommendations

Sunday Start Over

You know what I am NOT doing today?  I am not thinking about Christmas or Christmas knitting.  Because I have given  myself permission to not knit anything more for Christmas gifts.  Today, is all about me and my knitting.

After obsessing over my yarn for all of last night, that I acquired yesterday, I have put it away into the largest of my Willow Yarns bag and am setting it aside for now.

Today, I am concentrating on what I want to knit next as far as a sweater. And what I have decided is that whatever it is to be, it cannot  be the latest fad (although I really want to knit something out of my new book I just got in the mail) or whatever anyone else knitting.

What it has to be is something that is going to look good on me and not just a sweater.  So, out came a couple of my fave books this morning to peruse and to narrow down what I should knit that looks good on me.

Amy Herzog has a couple of things on her plate lately, first the book which has some great info for all body types with patterns that our geared towards those body types.  The only problem for me is that the ones in the book are not really ones that are saying knit me!  The other is a Custom Fit Website where you can create a pattern for yourself using your measurements.  I did a test pattern for myself and this is definitely something I will take a second look at down the road.

She does have a pattern in The Rhinebeck Sweater book that I would love to knit, but I am saving that for early Spring wearing, plus some of that yarn I got yesterday would really work for it.

It seems to be very hard for me to figure out my next project after finishing one.  I should just go into the yarn room and pull one down that is in progress.  Just think of all the time I would save by doing that!

Sometimes half the fun of knitting is dreaming about the new project.

Yarn Over

I spent a super fantastic afternoon with fellow knitters at our first Yarn Over.  Vicki was the hostess with food and drink and a view to die for.  Her decorations for the holiday are unbelievable in every room.  She has a beautiful home and she is such a beautiful woman on the inside and the out.

All of the attendees were asked to bring a dozen cookies to share.  And any yarns, fiber, needles, books  or bags you might want to part with.  They were all laid out on tables downstairs.  Once we had a bit of lunch, we were set loose to take whatever we wanted.  It was quite controlled given some of the cool yarns that were there.

I am most pleased with my score!

Madelinetosh Pashmina Worsted - 4 1/2 skeins

Eco Duo - 5 skeins.  I have used this colorway a couple of times for a headband, mittens and scarf and was pleased to score some more.

Sunseeker in red.  I have some skeins in blue and had to have this red.  I am surprised that someone let loose of this one.

Lornas Shepherd Worsted, almost 6 skeins.  Friend Martha had started a sweater so the start was included still on the needles.

I almost bought this book several times so I was most pleased to scarf it up

I own Scarf Style also by Pam Allen and Ann Budd.  This new find has some great wraps in it.

Shetland Lace Knitting charts.  I mean really this one jumped into my hand before I knew what was happening.

And finally, I won a door prize.  I love Sally Goldenbaum's book and am quite pleased to get her holiday book.  I didn't realize that she had wrote for the season.

It was a wonderful afternoon with knitting, food and friends.  Vicki says it will be an annual thing, which is great because we all will have more yarn to part with next year.  Oh, and the cool thing, whatever is left in the yarn department, she will take to the Hospice House so they can make prayer shawls out of.

Now, I just have to decide what to do with all my goodies!

Finally Finished Friday

This Purl Ridge Scarf started out to be a Christmas present for a lady I work with.

Then, it became obvious after a conversation, that she doesn't really like these things that fit around her neck.

So, I have decided to keep it for myself.  It goes really well with my shirt doesn't it?

And now that I have this off of my list for Christmas giving, it is time for serious knitting just for ME!  Are you knitting for gifts this year?  What are they?

Holiday Movies

There is nothing better when it is chilly outside to sit inside in my fave chair with my knitting and watching some Holiday movies.  I am sure in the coming weeks, I will have plenty of time to do just that, maybe this weekend even.

It is interesting how many of these are not the real current movies that are out, but some that were actually around way before I was born.

I remember my Mom and I taking the boys to see The Muppet Christmas Carol in the theater.  It was probably the first time they had been to one.  As I recalled, they were not too impressed with it, but I loved.  Light the light, not the tail is one of my fave lines from it.

Whats not to love about  A Charlie Brown Christmas?!  Every time it comes on, I watch it.

I totally love the original A Christmas Carol.  Very rarely, do you ever see this one on anymore.  I remember when the kids were fairly young, we would come home from the Tall Guy's family Christmas on Christmas Eve and put the kids to bed.  He would go off to bed, and I would stay up and watch this.  I may have to actually seek out my own copy of this one.

Another fave that I actually own is the Holiday.  It is just a nice light hearted movie where the guy gets the gal twice.

Holiday Inn, what can I say.  Bing and Fred.  And nope, I don't have this one either, but I love it when it is on.

Another from my collection, what can I say, I am a sucker for feel good movies with happy endings.

My fave book as a kid turned into a movie.  I like the old version and have NEVER watched nor will I watch the new version.   I have this one, but whenever it is on regular t.v., I watch it then too.

And last but not least, White Christmas.  Yep, I own this but on tape.  I love love it.

These are my faves, what about you?

Wednesday Website

A Tree That Won't Drop Any Needles

Be sure and click on the slide show to watch the upclose pictures of this knitted Christmas tree.

Oh Christmas Tree!

I always thought that I would one day have a huge house and I could do a Christmas tree in every room.  I would have my Snoopy tree in the family room, each of the boys would have their own tree in their bedrooms with their ornaments that grandmas had given them every year, in our living room would be a tree with my ornaments and in the Yarn Room, I would have my tree with all my handmade  ornaments.

But as we have scaled down, I just put up this one little tree now with some of my craft related ornaments.

Some of them I have had for quite a few years and would be easy to duplicate.  This was probably my first foray into an ornament.  Very rudimentary to say the least.  I cut apart the plastic holders that six pack of soda bottles come in.  Took my handy dandy crochet hook and green yarn and single crocheted all around it.  Then, wove the yarn in and out and created this goofy little bow.  This one has to be at least 35 years old.

One year, the Tall Guy's cousin sent us this granny square she had crocheted, folded in half diagonally and sewn shut, voila a stocking!

In between crochet and knitting, I spent a few years smocking.  I did not have girls to smock for so I decided to pursue other things that could be smocked.  I particularly liked smocking fabric that did not require too much finishing like this strip of scalloped edge lace.

Once I learned how to make these really cool pin bows on the ends to cover the top and bottoms of the stryofoam ball, I went wild.  I think most people in my family got smocked ornaments one year.

When I ventured back into knitting again, after my stint in smocking, one of local yarn shop was big into machine knitting.  The owner did a lot of knitting for a major mail order company and on the side she made these super cute ornaments on her machine.  I just had to have some for my tree.

Of course, I had to have this one form my tree, just because it looked like Snoopy.

A friend a few years ago gifted me this sweater ornament for my tree.  This would be so easy to duplicate for your tree or packages.

  Two years ago, I was telling one of the shop owners how I love the ornaments she had hanging from her light and how I secretly coveted one.  When I got home that day, there in my sack was an ornament all wrapped up in tissue.  How cool and thoughtful was that?!

I just love scoping out ornaments that relate to my knitting, always on the lookout for more.  Someday, it is my dream to have a knitting shop and at Christmas, place a larger tree with all my knitting related ornaments on, add some knitted garland, a knitted tree skirt with all kinds of knitted gifts.

Hey, I can dream, thats what the season is all about!

Looking At the Calendar

We all knew last week that this would happen.  We knew that when next we looked at the calendar, it would be December.  One of the things I really noticed is that if you are knitting for friends or co-workers, you really only have about 18 days until you need to have them finished wrapped and gifted to them.

I have pared down my gift giving at work the last few years.  At one time I knitted fishermen scarves for those in my area.  I think that was about 14 or 15 of them.

Then the next year, I knit little Santa boot like covers for everyone and put candy in them.

A year later I decided to knit just for the ladies.  I knitted them all Christmas colored washcloths and wrapped pretty molded soaps inside them.

This year I am just down to two gifts for the ladies that I supervise.  I have not knitted anything for them in a few years, but decided this year to knit them both a Purl Ridge Scarf by Stephen West out of some fairly fine yarn.  Even with just two of them to do, I am starting to sweat having them done before the 20th of December!

Before we  leave the subject of the calendar, I want to share a website with you.  Every year, Drops does a advent calendar where every day you click on a picture and there is a free holiday pattern.  Yesterdays pattern was a super cute stocking which so goes with yesterdays blog post.

I love this site.  Drops Advent Calendar

It is so much fun to unwrap each days pattern, enjoy!

First Of All Stockings

Make sure you knit that stocking first, you gotta have something for Santa to put those goodies in don't you?!


I have probably blogged about this before, if I have and it sounds familiar, skip over it, if not, read on.

I have twin sons.  When they were first born,  I was cross stitching a lot.  Baby Boy B got a really elaborate cross stitched stocking.  Baby Boy A (because I ran out of time) got an appliqued one with glued on sequins.  Bad Mom.  But, hey, I made up for it last year by knitting his daughter a fairly nice stocking for her first Christmas.

There are so many cool stockings out there that you can knit for fun, for grand children, for decorations or for holding silverware.  I love this idea for a nice table decor and when dinner is over, everyone can take one home, the stocking, not the silverware.

One of my fave patterns that I have the yarn for (which was originally slated for Mona Lisa, but did not get done and frankly I am saving it for myself) is Eli's Stocking from Schoolhouse Press.

I am also totally loving these from Churchmouse Yarns and Tea too.  Very simple but very homey too.

In future December posts, I'll probably more than once show you some of my faves from Churchmouse.  If you haven't visited their website, I would encourage you to do so.  They have some really super fantastic stuff for holiday gift giving.

I have had this book for several years.  I always thought that if I was a shop owner, it would make a neat class for Christmas in July. You know, making stockings in July so you have them ready to put up when the first of December sneaks up on you.  It has a stocking for everyone, even for man's best friend.

And sneaking in behind the above book is Knitting Pure and Simple's Easy Christmas Stocking pattern.      Love that one because, well frankly, it is so darn pure and simple and adaptable to any color or adding a motif of your own.

There a tons of cool stockings and ideas over on Ravelry and I would encourage you to go over and check them out, but don't take too much time deciding, Christmas is only 24 days away.