Knitting Gifts!

I have been blessed with a cousin who has also become a best friend over the past several years, as we shared an obsession with rubber stamping at first, and now with knitting. She lives just a block or so from me, and we get together frequently over coffee to discuss our hobby and families, jobs and life. She is a great friend, and one of the highlights of my holiday is always our gift exchange, because I know that she will gift me with things that my family doesn't - when I was stamping it was stamping goodies, and now that we are both knitting, we exchange knitting gifts. This year was no different! Look at the fabulous stitch markers she made! She says she made these from things in her stamping stash. She is just about the most creative person I
know! Aren't they adorable?














I also received this wonderful Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn in the Indian Summer colorway. (Click the photos to enlarge it . The color is amazing.) She and her husband had gone to Duluth on an anniversary trip and she told me that he actually picked this out for me and it is his contribution to my gift this year. Isn't that sweet? Her husband is such a thoughtful man, I continue to be astounded. Can you believe he will go to her place of work and move her car up by her building in the evening so she doesn't have to clear all the snow and walk in the cold? This was his own idea, and he just started doing it one day unannounced. Unbelievable! Anyway, the color is wonderful, and I'll be anxious to knit it up.














She also put together (in the white box) an Angel Kit for me. The angel is an ornament made of mohair and roving and oddments. She made the head (multi-talented) out of polymer clay and included everything I need, including the pattern, to make myself an ornament. Our local fiber guild had made these ornaments and although I had wanted to participate, I didn't make it, and so it was such a fun thing to find this in my gift from her this year. In this picture you also see the sock blockers from Fiber Trends. I don't have sock blockers yet, and really had been wanting a pair in the worst way, so this was also a delight to find in my gift assortment.














And there was more! Some mohair in black, the Fiber Trends Hedgehog pattern, a knitting journal to keep track of my projects with photos and yarn labels, and details. And if all of this was not enough, it was all in a beautiful sage green collapsible knitting tote that has a plum lining and wooden handles. The tote is the perfect colors for my living room, and I love it. I will use and enjoy everything, and was so excited to receive it.

Mourning my Knitting

It has been over a month since I posted here, but knitting has been slow at best since my hand surgery in early November. Christmas has come and gone, and we are on the Eve of a New Year. I thought my hand would be so much better by now, but unfortunately I've had some complications with swelling and pain, and haven't made a whole lot of progress in the activity department. That being the case, I am mourning my knitting, as it has become my therapy I think. It's amazing how much "think time" knitting allows, and what do you do in front of the TV if not knit? I didn't even watch TV until I took up knitting! I mean they went hand in hand for me, so I have been rather lost. I had a brief addiction to my daughter's Nintendo DS Brain Age game last week, but think holding it was aggravating my hand, so had to relinquish that as well. hehehe I gave her the game and the charger yesterday and told her to take it to her room. She had taken it one day last week to use it herself, and I was so desperate I had gone down to her room and searched for it, but now that I've realized it may be bothering my hand, I will leave it alone and see if things improve again. What a sorry story that is huh?? (grin)

I was able to finish a fun fur scarf for a new black coat I bought this year. I think these scarves are fun and add a touch of color around the face, and my thinking is I will eventually have a whole scarf wardrobe. It isn't finished in the photo, but it is done now and I just haven't taken another photo. It is funny, we did Secret Santas at work and I had noted purple as my favorite color and I got gloves that are a perfect match for the purple in this scarf. As a side note, I can't wear the lovely coat because the elastic in the sleeve is too tight to go over the brace on my hand. Grrrr.














I also started a Feather and Fan scarf out of Patons Soy Wool Silk I got for Christmas last year. This yarn is beautiful color-wise, but I'm not sure how it will feel against the neck. We'll see when it is finished and washed. It is knitting up OK, but is probably not something I would purchase again myself, unless the drape and feel of it changes when washed. This pattern is taken from Scarf Style although it is just a basic Feather & Fan pattern which can be found on the internet.













Finally, I am working on another pair of felted clogs using the Fiber Trends pattern. These are a bit trickier to work on because of the manuevering required with needles. I did make a little more progress on them last night, up to putting the color on the cuff. I'm a bit afraid of trying the next step, getting two needles involved and meshing all that together - I just don't have the dexterity and it hurts, so these may have to wait for a bit for more healing to take place.













So, some knitting is better than none, and I'm sure the next few weeks will bring much improvement. I'll post again soon. I got some fun knitting goodies for Christmas and want to tell all about it!

1-12-08 ETA: The Feather & Fan Scarf has been frogged

Berroco Sweater Done

My great nephew's first birthday was today, and the sweater was gifted as planned. It fit him nicely, and I am happy with how it turned out. I put the cord stopper and the button on this morning before heading out to the party, and forgot to take photos, so these were done at my niece's house in a hurry, but there they are. I don't know if you can see the button up close (click the pictures to make them bigger) but it is a cute little dalmation dog.

I finished the sweater about two weeks ago, the night before I went in for surgery on my left thumb. I have arthritis in the base of both thumbs, but the left had gotten so painful on a daily basis and hurt to do things as simple as washing the dishes and even washing my hands, so it was time to take care of it. The surgery involved removing some bone and putting ligaments in its place, and I will be splinted for about ten weeks. The doc tells me I will be able to knit "as tolerated" before then, and I look forward to that. I feel lost without my knitting now - not sure what to do with myself. I can't really clean house (like that's appealing anyway), too much computer time is hard on my neck, and I have never been one to spend much time in front of the TV, except of course, with my knitting. In trying to solve this dilemma last week I found myself in Barnes and Noble buying buying one of Oprah's latest book selections, "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. I used to read all the time, but have gotten away from it as my handcrafts took over more and more of my time. I am enjoying this book very much, and every time I DO read a good book I vow to spend more time reading. Maybe I will have to put it on my list of resolutions for the new year. I know there is a stand alone "sequel" to this book and I am certain I'll want to pick it up.

Even though I am not actively knitting right now, I am surfing blogs and Ravelry and impatiently waiting for healing to progress so I can get back into action. I bought the book Scarf Style a few months ago and have fallen in love with Lady Eleanor's stole. I was THIS CLOSE to ordering the Noro Silk Garden last night. I had the number of skeins punched in and the credit card poised on my keyboard. Why did I stop?? I am not sure. I think it would make a fabulous Santa gift for me under the tree though, don't ya think?? Maybe later this week I'll follow-through and place the order.