Major Knitter

2012 - The Year of the Big and the Little

At year's end, I like to review my knitting accomplishments for the past twelve months and see what I've done.  A quick look at my Ravelry 2012 project page reveals a lot of FOs - 188 to be exact.  Of course when one knits more than a project a week, that implies a lot of quick knits.  I was actually on four different tears this year (surprise!  surprise!) followed by some very, very large projects:

• 23 hats - mostly baby hats for charity
• 12 Let It Snowmen! ornaments
• 12 Owls, owl ornaments and owl hats
• 6 Chichester the Pigs
• 4 Cross Stitch Santa Christmas ornaments
• 66 drawstring gift bags
• 1 eternity scarf
• 31 miniature Boy Scout vintage sock oranaments
• 5 mini cashmere socks
• 3 pairs of BF's cashmere socks
• 7 miniature chickens
• 4 pairs of socks
• 2 mini Wallabys
• 1 Wonderful Wallaby
• 2 pairs of fingerless mitts
• 3 baby blankets for charity
• 1 hand woven scarf
• 4 full size sampler blankets
• 1 epic Faery Ring jacket

Whew!  I'm tired just thinking about that.  My favorite projects of the year, other than the mini projects, of course, are:

The Faery Ring sweater

The four different Sampler Blankets (especially the two that were friendship blankets done as a group)

And finally, Grace's Wonderful Wallaby and wee Wallaby - because you know I just love knitting this sweater!

So there you have it - my year in review.  2012 was a very productive and fun year for knitting.  Here's hoping that 2013 will bring lots of joy and happiness to you in all your knitting (and other crafty) endeavors, too!

 

Pig in a Blanket

Yeah!  Another FO.  I finished another sampler blanket.  

Last January when I bought the yarn for Lisa's Friendship Blanket, I bought TWICE the amount I needed.  I'm always so afraid that I'll run out of yarn that I inevitably end up buying way too much.  Fortunately, I had just enough leftover to make an entire blanket.  I finished joining the strips and the edging last night.  It's not quite finished in that I need to soak it and block it today.  It will take about 2-3 days to dry.  Fortunately, I have a rarely used pool table with a plastic cover in the basement which will be the perfect spot for blocking and drying.

When it's completely blocked and dried, I'll post another picture to show you the details (and some errors and my fixes).  For now you get a picture of the pig in a blanket.  Enjoy!

The Princess and the Pea

I tell you often that Wilma is a diva.  She's the star of the show.  It's all about her.  But even Wilma has taken things a little too far.

She's officially moved to the self-imposed title of Princess... and the Pea.

Finishing Friday

Since the Christmas knitting frenzy is over, I'm using this quiet time to finish some projects that have been lingering for awhile.  Last night while watching White Collar, I finished a pair of Don't Even Pair Attention Socks (e.g. stockinette socks that are perfect for paying attention to a lecture, a meeting or anything other than the actual knitting).

• 1 skein Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Multi in the Jeans Colorway
• 2 pairs of Turbo Addi's 40" long US Size 1 needles for Magic Loop (going concurrently - but NOT on the same needle)
• Basic top down sock pattern - that's in my head.  I cast on 60 sts and use a K2 P2 cuff and a basic heal flap

 

In my quest to get an interesting sock picture, I solicited Wilma's help.  I'm a little surprised she didn't like having my foot in her face.  I thought she would LOVE it.  Ha!

Are you finishing up some knitting, too?

Knitting Gifts I Received

At Christmas, I always receive some knitting gifts as well as giving them.  This year I received some wonderful surprises.  

My Scouting friend Kathy found this book and immediately thought of me.  No Idle Hands by Anne L. Macdonald is about the social history of American knitting.  I'm quite interested in learning more.  I love it!

My good friend James made me these adorable mini Christmas stockings filled with chocolates from New Zealand.  Oops!  We ate the chocolate before we could take the picture!  Thanks James.  He's always so good about getting his gifts in the mail early in December.  My gifts are going out this week as New Year's gifts.  Sigh.  

My friend Julie sent me the Lorna's Laces Sportsmate in the Christmas at Downton Abbey colorway for the Downton Abbey Mystery KAL.  This will be my first Mystery KAL and I'm looking forward to it!  Thanks Julie!

My final knitting related gift of the year is lot with all the new colors from Knit Picks Palette.  Remember how BF bought me the entire palette a few years ago?  I just love it and it brightens my Knit Nook and makes me very happy.  It's always fun to have all the colors for projects - especially all my mini knits!  

Isn't it great?  I have the best friends ever.  They know me so well.  Thank you everyone.  Now I have to start knitting!  Here's hoping you got some wonderful gifts for knitting, too.

Christmas Gifts I Knit

I always like to make gifts.  Generally, I do not knit a lot of holiday gifts because I hate the pressure of deadline knitting.  Knitting is something I enjoy.  Everything else in my life has deadlines and pressure.  I don't want that for my knitting.  But this year, I made some handknit gifts.  Here are just a few.  I modeled these pictures for Ravelry.  

First up is the eternity Beaded Rib Scarf I made to go with Kayla's hat.

I knit BF a pair of festive green cashmere socks for Christmas.

A miniature cashmere sock ornament with the same yarn. 

A couple of my kitschy little chickens for my step-MIL whose kitchen is decorated in chickens.  

I also gifted some of my 2012 handknit Christmas ornaments - Let It Snowmen!

The Piece de Resistance was the denim blue Sampler Blanket I made for Kayla.  Here's a picture before I put it under the tree.  I finished it on Dec 23rd... but didn't have time to block it, so I made a blocking/washing lesson be part of the gift.  It's currently down on the pool table drying.  It looks great and so warm.  

That's the most I've ever gifted for handmade gifts for Christmas.  How about you?

 

Christmas Brunch with a Chanukkah Theme

I like all sorts of great food.  This year we chose to open gifts on Christmas morning, so instead of our traditional dinner, we had brunch.  I decided to mix a couple of favorites into one meal - so we had a bit of Christmas and a bit of Chanukkah all wrapped in one.

Here's out table set for brunch.

We had Baked Challah French Toast by RV Goddess, which was a huge hit!  Cheese Pit (think of a cheese souffle meets Midwest casserole); bacon (OK, so this part wasn't kosher), dried fruit, fresh fruit tray and Potato Parsnip Latkes with homemade apple-pear sauce and sour cream.  Give all these recipes a try.  They're all a homerun!

My friend Sharon taught me how to make these festive pineapple fruit trays.  They're always delicious, healthy and a showstopper.  I added miniature apples, strawberries and blackberries to round out the treats.

 

BF and I really enjoy latkes and our friend Angel introduced us to these delicious Potato Parsnip Latkes.  I made them for the first time (usually Angel makes them).  I was quite pleased with how they turned out.  We served them with sour cream and my homemade apple-pear sauce - still warm.  Mmmmm.

For dessert we had my Grandma Grace's family tradition of Krumkakes.  No we're not Norwegian.  Grandma was Irish... but her friend introduced her to these delicious waffle-like cookies and she made them every year.  Such delicious memories.  The final treat was meringue cookies - some with and some without chocolate chips.  I forgot to take a picture, but you can see the recipe HERE.

So that was our Christmas brunch fare.  It was quite delicious and relatively easy.  I think next time I'll make the latkes in advance and just pop them in the oven to reheat.  That way everything will be ready the day before and will just require baking and serving.  Easy peasy!  

What are some of your favorite holiday recipes?

Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular

Ever since I moved to the New York City area, I've tried to go to the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular.  It's been 18 years and I've seen the show probably nine times.  It really makes me happy and I love how festive it is.  

We went to the 9:00 a.m. show and beat the crazy holiday foot traffic.

The theatre lobby is a treat by itself.

The Rockettes tin soldiers are always a favorite.

The Santas!  Santas!  Santas!  always bring a smile to my face.  They're so very holly jolly.

The showstopper is always the grand finale with a living Nativity complete with sheep, a donkey and a camel.  People who work near Radio City Music Hall might get a sneak of the trainers taking them out for their early morning walks!  While that's fun (hey!  It's not every day you see someone walking a camel in NYC!) the living Nativity is fabulous and really puts me in the holiday spirit.

So here I am wishing you a very blessed Christmas.

I'm Mr. White Christmas

It's only fair to show you both sides of the coin.  Here's the complementary song from The Year Without Santa Claus

 

OK - everybody sing along!  

Holiday Traditions

I love to watch all the holiday classic movies from my childhood during December as I'm busy making gifts and baking goodies.  Today while I'm desperately trying to finish up an epic project to put under the tree, I'm watching The Year Without Santa Claus with my favorite song of all

 

What's your favorite holiday movie?