Major Knitter

Good-Bye Old, Hello New

Another year has come and gone.  It was a very good year.

 

I love this youtube video of Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.  Aren't they adorable?

I hope you all have wonderful plans for New Year's Eve -- however you define wonderful plans. BF and I prefer to stay at home and spend it together.  We take stock of the past year and look forward to the new.  We make plans for the new year and try to come up with something exciting to do in the new year.  Remember the year of the Caper?  Remember the year of trying to eat at all the eateries in town?  I think 2012 is going to be the Year of the Walk.  I'll probably have to create a log to see how far we walk on a weekly, monthly and annual basis.  

How about you?  What will 2012 bring for you?

 

I Managed to Knit on the Sly

I did it!  I finally did it!

I managed to knit BF's Christmas cashmere socks on the sly when he was traveling earlier this month.  He never saw me knitting these.  Usually, I'm knitting away on the sofa right next to him while we're watching football.  This year I was stealth.  I even managed to hold off this post until after Christmas.  This is a good thing.  Everyone in my family knows I can't keep a surprise secret.  I get too excited and usually blurt it out.  Maybe I'm growing up?

Here are the details:

• 2 skeins Jade Sapphire 6-ply Cashmere
• US Size 5 needles
• I cast on 48 sts for this sock.  I think next time I should cast on 50 or 52.

The only bad part is that I also gave BF a pair of fleece socks.  I think he might have actually liked them more than his handknit socks.  Hmmmmm.  

Stockpile

Today was our big stockpile day.  BF and I went out to Jo-Anns and Wal-Mart.  We stocked up on DMC floss for more Santa ornaments (but unfortunately, only about half the colors were in stock!); and then we headed over to Wal-Mart to stock up on all our paper supplies for the year.  

I am going to repeat a lot of the Santa ornaments from years past... and also create some of my own.  The hardest part was finding the plain white 14 mesh plastic canvas.  Fortunately, Jo-Ann's had some, so I bought 6 sheets - which is enough for 36 ornaments.  I think I'm set for the next several years.

Unfortunately, I was only able to cross off about half my required DMC floss colors for both the Santa ornaments and some new heirloom Christmas stockings.  I think I'll have to make another trip to Milford and check out the Michael's (oddly enough, right across the street from Jo-Ann's) and see if they have any floss in stock.

I'll spare you pictures of the newly acquired stash of toilet paper, kleenex, garbage bags, etc.  But suffice it to say that I LOVE being stocked up on non-perishable supplies.  How about you - what do you buy in bulk (aside from yarn)?

Wilma on Wednesday

And Christmas for this year is a wrap.

Wilma had a ball.  How about you?

As for me, it's time for the post-Christmas eat-healthy-and-exercise-plan.  

Mets Baseball Ornaments

We have a few themes on our Christmas tree.  Baseball and the New York Mets make up a part of our tree.

Mr. Met

My first hand knit Mets sock ornament.

One of BF's baseball cards.  It's not a Met, but it's a pretty funny baseball card!

A classic Mets glass ball ornament.

A Mets jersey - #45

45 is Pedro Martinez' jersey.

The 2011 striped Mets hand knit socks.

Hmmmm.  I'll have to start looking early for some new baseball ornaments for 2012.  Have any ideas?  Will you keep on the lookout for me?

 

The Magic of Mitts

What's so magical about fingerless mitts?

They knit up in a blink of an eye.

Cookies Galore

We have a funny holiday tradition.  Everybody gets to select two items for the holiday meal.  We let the boys start (since it's usually dessert and cookies and more sugar) and then BF and I round out the menu with things that resemble actual food.  This year's menu included:

• Churrasquinhos (little beef and bacon shish kebabs)
• Grilled chicken
• Roasted sweet potatoes and parsnips
• Kale
• Garden salad
• Homemade mac & cheese
• chocolate mousse
• Holiday cookies:  sugar cookies; chocolate crinkle cookies; peanut butter blossoms and green & red M&M cookies
• Fresh mixed berries

 

What? A Gift for Me?

Wilma loves Christmas more than the rest of us.

She even instinctively knows which gift is hers.

She even tries to get into the holiday spirit - albeit unwillingly.

And she is like a child who can't wait to play with her new toys.

She picked the monkey as her favorite toy.

And she played and played until she was all tuckered out - just like any child on Christmas day.  

Here's hoping your Christmas was filled with joy, love, happiness and lots of doggone fun!

Toys for Tots

Most people are familiar with Toys for Tots.  Afterall, what could be better than providing a child with toys at Christmas?  What many people don't realize is that Toys for Tots is the official program of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.  You can read more about its origins and timeline here.

So on Christmas Eve morning, at zero-dark-thirty, I was on the road to my reserve unit in Brooklyn, to volunteer half a day to help sort and bag gifts for distribution.  It was such a wonderful experience, I only wish everyone could help!

The Marines assigned to the Toys for Tots campaign have been working since mid-September.  It's amazing to see how much they accomplished.  Saturday morning, there were Marines driving out to the various collection points across NYC to pick up toys and bring them back to the warehouse in Brooklyn to be sorted and bagged by more Marines and their families and then distributed to organizations for the children.  There were bicycles; Hess trucks; NY Yankee bats; arts & crafts; baby-toddler toys; board games; books; trucks; cars; action figures; dolls; Barbies; Build-a-Bear stuffed animals; and so much more!

I wish everyone could help and know how many children in the NYC area had a Merry Christmas because of your generosity and the hard work of the U.S. Marines.  

If you want to help, go to the official Toys for Tots Foundation page and select your state and then local area to keep your donation local.  What a fabulous way to help!

Wilma hopes you'll help make some child's Christmas a little brighter!

Merry Christmas from the Past

Here's my family Christmas photo circa 1977.  That's me in the middle next to my mother.

I'm the youngest of the Jackson five.  I just love this picture.  No other family picture was ever as good.  Don't you just love the Farrah Fawcett hair do's?

Here's wishing you a very Merry Christmas with your family, friends and loved ones.