12-12-12

We will never see this again will we?  I heard something so cool this morning on the Today Show.  There is a boy in New York who at 12:12 today will have turned 12.  How cool is that?!  Talk about a golden birthday!

12-12-12 - reminds me of that line in a song.  We may never pass this way again.  Don't know what song, but the line is very appropriate for today isn't it.

Seize the Day!

I'll be back in a couple of days to the regular getting ready for Christmas posts...by the way, I'm not ready, but then I don't have to be.  Enough said.

On the 9th Day of Getting Ready For Christmas

This was a day!  We left this morning at 6:30 a.m. to get over to Iowa.  I pooped tonight, but thank goodness I took tomorrow off.  This seems to be the norm for me when we have been in Iowa.  If we go for a day or a weekend, I like having a day to myself and I am going to need one tomorrow.

 Today, was Mona Lisa's Baptism.  She was so good, despite having the cough left from the croup.  Both Mom and Dad were not feeling the greatest either, but it was a great day.

 It has just been a couple of weeks, but she changes constantly.  It was a hoot to watch her today.  Her little hat was made by her Great Grandma out of a hankie that she can use when she gets married.

I knitted on Mona Lisa's first piece for Mona Lisa's closet, the spring frock.  After seeing her, I think I am going to have to rip this out and start again in a 12-18 months.  I don't think the 9-12 is going to give her much of a wearing life on it.

But wait, before we can proceed with Mona Lisa's Closet, I am going to have to do her stocking.  The poor girl does not have one in Iowa for Santa to fill and time is running out.

While we were in Iowa, we discussed our Christmas and when we could all get to celebrate it with.  It looks like not until January 5th over in Iowa.  Which means  I am not going to need a stocking here for Mona Lisa, so I have a whole year for that one.  And it became very clear that both kids over there need a decent stocking so I am going to embark on two for them for next year at their house.

I will want to coordinate theirs with Mona Lisa's so I am going to spend some time tonight looking at possibilities for stockings this year and next.  Continue with Eli's stocking for Mona Lisa this year or something else?

On the 8th Day of Getting Ready for Christmas

It became very clear today while typing this post, that I really meant all along to have titled these posts as getting ready for Christmas, not ...Christmas.  So from here on out, I will try to remember it.

Today, was a very good day.  I feel like I am accomplishing stuff.  Well, at least my friends and the internet are helping we accomplish stuff.  It's no secret, the only kind of real shopping I like to do is one of two ways, on the internet or at a yarn shop.    I accomplished both of those today.

 My good friend Sue and fellow knitter shopped for me last week while she was in Chicago, so I have these little cuties thanks to her!

The non e-book version of Mabel's closet came today in the mail, in this cute little muslin bag.  Inside was the autographed version of the book and a knitbot pin.

While at the yarn shop today, I had the help of knitters Sue, Kendra and Debbie on the colors for Mona Lisa's closet.

 I had an idea what I wanted from the Boden kids clothes website as to where I wanted to go with the ensemble.   And I think we came up with some pretty good matches.

All of her stuff is going to go in this adorable Thirty-One Bag which has her name in black on it, IF I get them done by the end of the year.  I'll have a little time I think, because I don't think we are getting together until between Christmas and New Years.

I really wanted to come home and immediately swatch for them, but I told myself I could not until I have my other orders placed, my bank account balanced and all the catching up on some must do stuff.
Then, and only then can I swatch.

So, as soon as I post this I'm heading over to balance my account, have dinner and then I can sit down and do a little swatting!!

On The 6th and 7th Days of Christmas

Yep, it was two days in one and that is exactly what it seemed like.  Fast forwarding and two days went by without hardly any Christmas knitting.  This is a sad state of affairs.

Yesterday was the Girls Holiday Bash that I coordinate with two of my young co-workers.  Last year if you remember, I and my friend Norma, knitted everyone scarves.  This year, we had a few left over so we gave them as prizes too.

Every year, the other two gals shop for themed center pieces that we do a raffle for.  Normally, I don't participate, but this year, there were a several centerpiece that I really wanted.  And  I won two of them.  One is some gorgeous jewelry in my fave color Caribe Blue and this basket of spa related items.  It is so darn cool and I was totally excited.

There is a lot of prep that goes into the Girls Holiday Bash, and I am the emcee for it.  By the time I got home last night, I was dead on my feet, and the only thing I wanted to do is get into my comfy chair and veg for awhile before heading to be.  Hence, the two days in one post.

 I am still not rested up, so it is an early night tonight, but I did manage to do a little knitting.  I have casted on this sweater for Mona Lisa.  It is really not meant to be a Christmas present, especially as tomorrow is yarn shop day and I am really looking forward to picking out some yarns for my rendition of Mona Lisa's Closet.

This may be my go to knitting for lys Saturdays.  I can knit on something fun AND it is from the shop that I will be knitting at - Knit 4 Together in Dunlap.  Past readers know how I feel about sitting at a shop and making sure I am knitting on there yarns while taking up their space.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's new yarn acquirement.

On the 5th Day of Christmas

I spent way too much time thinking about what yarns I might be able to use for my Mona Lisa Closet knitting.  Unfortunately, there is not enough cohesive color/types of yarn in the Yarn Room to do what I want so I'll have to do a little yarn shopping this weekend.

Dilemma?  Order Quince yarns or do Sublime from lys.  It's a tough one.

On the 4th Day of Christmas

I finally finished the scarf!

I bought a new pattern book that I have been waiting for it to come out.  

Can't wait until tomorrow night to come home and figure out what is first to knit for Mona Lisa.

On the 3rd Day of Christmas

I thought I would be finished with the scarf for my great-niece.  But, not.  I am really hoping for tomorrow.

Today, it was 70 degrees in Central IL.  It would not be unusual for us to have snow and for it to be cold, really cold by now.  But, I am not complaining.  We got to walk at lunch today.

This is day two, of me trying to not eat wheat.  So far it has not been too bad.  If it takes care of some"issues" that I have, I would be real pleased.  Stay tuned.

On The 2nd Day of Christmas

I managed to stay on program for the whole day.  I made a really super delicious Banana Mango Smoothie that I hope to duplicate tomorrow for breakfast.  I made my own scrambled egg this morning and those who know me when see that for the major feat that it is...I don't cook.

I didn't finish the scarf for my niece, but it is half way done.  A couple of other things have been on my mind today, like what I want to knit after all the Christmas knitting is done.  But, I am happy to report that I have not acted upon my thoughts of future knitting projects.  Another major feat for me.

Which came first the book or the yarn?  In my case, it was the yarn.  I found some Pacific at the shop yesterday, knew I wanted to knit an afghan for my niece's new baby to be and in what colors, but did not know what amounts to buy.  In looking at patterns, I pulled this book off of the shelf.  I have the first issue which uses worsted (which reminds me at this blogging, I should maybe look at it) and thought maybe I would find some yardages in the book and then go home and find a pattern.

 It became real evident that this was a book that I needed.  There are so many cute things in the book.   It is geared towards sport weight, but I think I can make it work with Pacific.

This is the blanket pattern I am going to use for the new baby.  I love it in the colors in the book even though they are not the mom-to-be's colors.  I can't wait to start this and see it come to life, but I am going to wait.

The original plan was to do a blanket out of the pink and cream before I knew her colors for the nursery.  I was going to hold a strand of each and do the big bad baby blanket by Debbie Stoller.  But, once I saw the shop had a nice purple and with the help of Nancy and Sue we came up with a combo of the three.

Which led me to this sweater.  Actually, the front is solid with a big stripe and some lollipop flowers, but Sue and I both thought a whole sweater front and back would be a nifty spring sweater for Mona Lisa.

I must have a pink and purple thing going on these days, because I'm using them again for Mona Lisa's sweater.  We added a little rosy as the third color.

I am pretty proud that on the second day I'm staying pretty true to my holiday knitting, even though I really want to be casting on one of these new cuties.

The 24 Days of Christmas

As the real song goes, we all know there are 12 days to Christmas.  But for knitters, there are really 24 +days to Christmas.  The realization set in this morning as I was looking at the ads, that I have some work ahead of me!  And that I should blog about it this year, then maybe look back next year this same time and see how it all worked for me.  One of the things I am sure that I will have learned is that Christmas knitting really needs to start in about September....note to self.

Yesterday was nail day and we are starting a month of festive red nails, I just had to share this one.  It is two coats of red (OPI color, don't know the name) with a coat of sparkly stuff over it (also OPI).  The sparkly has a little gold to it.  Tis the season to be red and it goes with World Aids Day today.

Mona Lisa needs a stocking or maybe two.  I think I have decided to cast on this one.  I, also have cast on Eli's stocking from Schoolhouse Press, but am thinking it may be a little ambitious of a knit for me.  You know, like maybe that is one that should have been started in September OR for someone who has nothing else to knit???

I have the yarn for it.  I just love these Lamb's Pride colors, such true Christmas colors.

My real hope for today is to finish this scarf for my great niece...this is the other yarn that was in the bag she gave me to knit for her.  Surprisingly, in the rib pattern the Red Heart yarn is softening up a bit.  If there is any left, I have a new pattern from Susan B. Anderson for mittens that I wouldn't mind trying out for her.

Wow, that seems like a lot for the first day of Christmas.  Why oh why didn't I start in September??

We May Never Pass This Way Again

Last weekend, I had to clean the yarn room up for Mona Lisa.  I had a huge chair and stool in there that the Tall Guy took out for me.  I added a rocking chair that was my mom's to the room for Mona Lisa's mom to rock her in.

What girl wouldn't love sleeping here looking at all of these wonderful colors and textures, not to mention, yarn is a great insulator!

I could not believe how much room was in the room, once I put some bags into the closet, tookout the chair and stool.

Take a good look because who knows how long it will stay like this!

Wednesday Website

http://www.neatorama.com/2007/12/03/worlds-most-unusual-christmas-trees/

There are some really cool ideas for Christmas trees on this website.  Scroll down a bit to see the knitted one.

Finished

One afghan finished.  I hope she likes it.  I am glad to be done with this one.  I still have four  skeins of a variegated Red Heart that she gave me.  I just need to figure out what to do with it.  Should I just do a long Dr. Who scarf or should I add something to it.

What I really need to do is get busy on Mona Lisa's Christmas stocking and sweater.  But, first I need to finish this committment. 

Surprise! Episode 1

Show Notes:
Other video casts I watch: Knitabulls and Round the Twist
What Am I Knitting: Kid Cozy by Andra Asars
Knitting Books: Finishing School by Deborah Newton

It's Over

I know the weekend is not totally over, and for me I tagged a day onto by taking Monday off for a just for me day, but the holiday is over for us really and truly.  We had a great semi-quiet Thanksgiving with a small group of family on Thursday. 

Friday was spent cleaning up the yarn room, making room for Mona Lisa to have a place to sleep and her mama to nurse her.  The kids got home Friday night and we had a nice visit with them.

Today, we had my aunt over this morning to see her.  Then at lunch Mona Lisa's great aunt and great uncle and great grandma were here and we had a great afternoon just sitting around visiting and cooing over her.

It's been a great holiday, but with everyone gone and no excuse to get together, it basically is over. Kind of a little let down, but it is really time to get busy on the Christmas knitting done, it will be her before we know it!

 Tonight, late Baby Boy B will be home for China.  He has a one day lay over (for mom to do his laundry) and then he is off to DC for work.  I've taken lots of pictures for him, he is going to be so surprised as to how big Miss Mona Lisa has gotten.  I can hardly believe it myself.  She is so active now and babblin, it is just too darn cute!!

 What a great holiday!  Here's to the next one.

Sometimes

I enjoy family at holidays.  And going into this Thanksgiving, I was a tad mopey.  Baby Boy A was unsure if he would make it home this weekend.  Baby Boy B is in China.  My niece and her family went to South Dakota.  My other niece was staying home with her kids and fiancee.  There were only going to be 8 of us at my sister-in-law's house ( a relative low number for us).

After we got there, my third niece was sick so her husband stopped to pick up some food for the two of them at left.  My other nephew (always late) showed up after we were all done eating almost.  A different Thanksgiving and one that both the Tall Guy and I contemplated before we even got there of leaving earlier.

But you know what, surprise surprise, it was a great Thanksgiving.  No drama, sat around enjoyed each other company, no kids crying, no parents stressing out.  We ate, talked, borrowed a pack n play and a swing (Baby Boy A and family are coming home tonight for a quick overnight trip), ate pie, watched the Blind Side and just had a great peaceful Thanksgiving.

It wasn't bad at all.  We talked to the niece and family who is out of town for Thanksgiving, had a quick call to China and here we are. 

Sometimes, a small number is not so bad.  Just don't want to do it too often! 

Wednesday Website

http://www.stitchdiva.com/blog/wash-and-block-your-swatches/

Generally I don't, but I kind of like this idea for washing/blocking my future swatches.

Knitter Gone Wild!

Before I went in to take my shower this morning, I put a post together.  In between the paragraphs I put thoughts in between arrows as to what pics should go where.  When I came out and pulled up the draft, the arrows were gone and my thoughts to pics with it. So, I started pulling things out for pictures.  Oy, there seemed to be a lot of them and frankly it started to become real overwhelming.  That and my little camera is with Baby Boy B in China and so I hauled out the biggy.  I was not into the biggy this morning, it is making me think too much and really what I wanted to do is just take the pictures and finish the post.

I went outside to take a pic in shaded light with the biggy camera.  What I found was that it was nice out there, my swing hasn't been put away and the birds were just singing.  My ah ha moment for today!  I went in, got my coffee and my sunglasses and sat out in my swing, drinking coffee on this perfect sunny, blue sky Sunday listening to the birds and let the cares of knitting float away.  It was awesome.

The moral of the story, knitting is supposed to be fun.  I am not feeling so overwhelmed in my knitting now after my little morning rest outside and I am going to take it one project at a time, well maybe five at a time, but either way, I feel so much better for going out and enjoying a little of this beautiful day,  Ahhh, I feel better.  Below is the original post with a few pictures, by all means not all of them, but this Knitter Gone Wild feels so much better about them.


There are so many knitting thoughts swirlin in my head, you would not believe it!  Or rather a normal person would not believe it.  I think that happens sometimes to knitters when they "have" to knit something.  Well, maybe not "have" to, we always have a choice as to what to knit unless of course it is for money, something I probably would never do.  There is just too much pressure for me if I had to knit for money.

My great niece's afghan is coming along.  The Radicals were right.  This is something I knit on while watching t.v.  It's quite boring and lets me keep tabs on my program and get moving on it.  I think it may be more than half way done.  I may need to make a trip down to Fiber Universe for some black to finish out the orange at the very end.  I'll be glad when this one is done!  It is eating into my serious knitting!

Christmas is coming, like you all don't know that! I have a couple of projects that I kind of sort of have deadlines on.  One of them is that afghan above.  Now, granted none of these are set in stone, it would just be nice to have them done and out of my head.

Mona Lisa's stocking.  I started Eli's stocking for her, but am still wondering if that is what I want to do for her.  This brings back a story from when her dad was a baby, but I'll save that for another post before Christmas. I may opt for my first choice, but that is not one that I am real worried about for now.  We are not real sure she will even be here around Christmas so she may not need her stocking for this Christmas.

I have a couple of little outfits that are for her that are in the prerequisite Christmas Red on the needles and in the brain.  Tell me someone, when did Christmas start coming on so fast.  Seriously, next year, I have got to be working on this stuff in the Summer OR not work on an afghan too!

At the same time, when I am working on "have tos", all kinds of great projects are rising to the surface that I really want to be knitting on.  My Swirl sits there waiting, but seriously after today, it is going back to the yarn room to wait until the new year, there is just no way that this one is going to get anything done on it til 2013. 

And then, there is the next self imposed deadline.  My niece is having a baby girl early in March, if she goes that long.  I'll have a shower for her in late January which means there are a whole log of baby girl knits that are somewhat expected as giftees at the shower or at birth.

The peapod is so dang cute and are normally so quick to knit so I thought this may be a cute little something to give her on Thanksgiving.  Only thing is this chenille yarn does not whip around on the needles like other yarns so it is not as super quick as say a slicker yarn might be.

And then there is the KAL that we are starting next week.  It is a good time to get together with friends, and knit something from my stash.

You get the idea of how wild and crazy the knitting is around here...priorties and focus is the name of the game AND most of all always be knitting something!

Yes, indeed this knitter has gone wild!  Tis the season.

Interweave Knits

The new issue is out and I have mine!  There are a couple of things I wouldn't mind knitting out of this one, but I am afraid I already have too many want tos on my plate, so they are going to have to wait until 2013 for me to be serious about them.

Tomorrow's post - Knitter Gone Wild!