Knitting and Felting and Combining Yarns and ETSY Pictures have to be more professional!!

BEFORE Felting


I found a great link that merits a review: It talks about using non-wool yarns with wool to get a different effect when felted... These pictures are my before and after - after reading this article:



Combining Yarns

I knit one purse a few months ago that I was calling a Foo Foo purse on my Etsy store, I combined fancy fur and merino wool, held together throughout, I've got pictures of the before and after. I was displaying it at a craft show and some younger women, corrected me, "Don't you mean Froo-Froo?" I mean, I don't think I've been Politically correct for a long time, I cannot keep up with the "lingo." But the Froo-Froo or Foo-Foo was my d-i-l's choice this weekend when it got removed from ETSY and adopted out of my knitting closet.


Anyway, it actually looked nothing like the picture on I had on Etsy, because it doesn't really show the fur effect the froo-froo. But seen in real life - it got snagged..


I have a few new goals for 2008. One is to get published in a knitting magazine. Vogue Knitting preferably, (my son and d-i-l bought me a year's subscription - YEAH I don't have to drag the hubby around trying to find the latest issue!!) There is a contest for designing an item and 1st prize will be published!! It is using Aslan Trends luxury yarns. http://www.aslantrends.com/, so when I get to Phoenix, I'll be looking for Aslan Trends yarn, and I'll be writing patterns for some of my bags.


My son thinks I should also make videos of my items, I'm hoping to set that up in Phoenix also. Today I packed all my yarn, books, needles, and of course my polymer clay for the closures for my bags. I love having a plan for the new year.

Last year's goals were: 1. Learn a totally new skill in knitting and 2. Start an Etsy store with my handmade items... I did it!!

Yep, there's water in the basement. And I remember Christmas as a kid.

Well, the hubby is headed out into the rain to clear the gutters, we have these trees.

We have trees that take turns dumping stuff on our roof. They all wait their turn, and since they all have their own personalities and are so creative, they dump everything from limbs, leaves, seed pods, flowers, blossoms, bird nests, squirrel fodder, you name it. But only one thing at a time...the gutters are also particular, please send one item at a time, once the hubby clears the gutters, then you can drop your next gifting. Anyway, if we don't do our weekly gutter cleaning (forget gutter guards) this stuff just crawls under them and clogs everything anyway. Last night the gutter guards were frozen over!! So, if we don't clean them, water stands up next to the house and starts seeping into our basement. No biggy, but we just completely cleaned the basement, organized it and now water - not much - just a nice Christmas Eve project. Yuk!!

I was just thinking about Christmas time as a kid. My Dad is in surgery right now, and my brother-in-law is hanging in there so far, causes a person to pause.

I only remember a few special Christmas presents, Barbie Dolls came out when I was young, I got a brunette one because my little sister's name is Barb and she and I were both blonde, so she got the blonde one. Hmmm, maybe we have issues. I remember a red and white stripe nightgown, my Mom made 3 of them, we could hear the sewing maching at night after we were in bed. My best memories of Christmas was Santa calling me about one week before Christmas every year, he got my list over the phone, he sounded so much like my Dad's cousing Frank that I was sure they were related. He always promised to leave Chocolate Stars just for me ... Cousing Frank always brought Chocolate Stars Christmas Eve, but I never put the two together.

One thing about the weather that is comical to me. In Indiana the weather changes dramatically every 3 or 4 days. Yet, each prediction is the "perfect storm" that hardly ever hits. When I was little, I remember the adults talking about December rain, "If this was snow, just think how many inches we would be getting." Then the Blizzard of 1978 hit and if it had been rain, we'd still be wondering.

Gotta go cook!!

Knitting under pressure! OK I'm doing one more Christmas gift! What about Christmas Cookies?

I cannot believe I'm picking up my needles to do one more gift. We just assembled a 20 some piece toy for (name withheld), and now I have the perfect yarn for a (item withheld) to match. It is going to be so adorable. The toy is kinda plain, so the handmade item will spruce it up!!

By the way Andrea, don't forget to bring Aven's current babydoll Wednesday night, one of her toys won't work without it!!

I have wrapped just about every gift there is in the guest room, they gotta get under the tree cause the guest room is going to live up to it's name this weekend, so all foreign objects must be removed.

I'm still knitting a sister purse, I'm actually working two projects --- something I never allowed myself to do in the past. Wow, what's gotten into me.

Well, we're iced in again, good thing we did the grocery list yesterday, and got all that last minute stuff. We have about 5 items on a last last minute list for tomorrow when it's supposed to rain and thaw. The pumpkin rolls are in the refrigerator and the pork loins go into the slow cooker tonight, our son and his main squeeze from Denver arrive tomorrow, and tomorrow afternoon our other son and his awesome family, wife, 4 sons and daughter come over for Christmas Eve. We'll try to eat a little before diving into packages, but the wait gets shorter every year, no one under 12 is hungry, and the littles are about to outnumber the grown-ups. We've found it takes one grown-up per child to remove twist ties, staples, screws for battery compartments, heat molded plastic package wrap and whatever the heck the manufacturers come up with to keep us from stealing little parts out of boxes of toys for our wonderful grandkids. I wanna buy gifts that a child can open and immediately play with, toy manufacturers must not have kids. I did read recently that AMAZON is approaching toy manufacturers with a new concept in packaging...hmm hope that goes over.

ABOUT CHRISTMAS TREE BAKING:

Several years ago our grandson, Chase, asked me if I would be having the Christmas tree cookies again, and try as I may, at that moment, I couldn't remember an occasion where he and I had made Christmas tree cookies, so I pretended to remember, and told him, "Of course."

When they arrived Christmas Eve I had all the decorating supplies laid out and pre-made sugar cookie dough ready to roll and cut and decorate. I asked if he was ready to help me make Christmas Tree cookies and he said, "not really."

I was puzzled. I said, "You asked me about Christmas Tree Cookies and I got all the stuff, you want me to just make them, I don't mind?" He said, "Sure."

He walked out of the kitchen and passing by the centerpiece I had on the dining room table, he said, "Look Mom she does have the Christmas Tree Cookies." He was pointing at my Christmas Tree shape server standing there full of cookies and candies.

A mainstay in our home at Christmas time: Yep, it's on the table, and by tomorrow afternoon it will be full of cookies!!

I just went through all my yarn, and am about to start another project.

My sister in Arkansas put in a special request about a month ago, and I've had a mental block on beginning to knit it. Now that my Christmas knitting is done, I'm ready.

Dedicated to Karen, this bag's for you - I love you.

OK Christmas Knitting is Done and thoughts on Death and Dying

Really can't talk about the last two items I just completed knitting, but they are adorable!!

I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't do last minute gifts in my knitting, because I don't like extra pressure around the holidays. So Christmas is one week away and I QUIT!!

I know everyone dies, but when someone is sick and dying of anything but old age, it's always hard to take. I also know many people who have survived the loss of a loved one, that's why I know we'll be fine, my sister will be fine, their kids and grandkids will be fine, but ...

My brother-in-law has now been told that he may have 2 months to live, and in surgery the other day they didn't do the procedure they planned to do because the cancer has spread to many locations. We're hoping he and my sister can celebrate their 43rd anniversary the day after Christmas. They've had an amazing marriage. They set a high standard for all of us who are watching.

I really struggle with how to deal with this upcoming loss. My mind wants to hang on to hope that a miracle will happen, while my gut tells me to get myself ready for a loss. I hate the battle between my mind and gut. I know life goes on, I know God is sufficient His grace and comfort will carry my sister, she loves the Lord and trusts Him, it's just that the day-to-day pain of loss is slamming her.

Today I just stay busy with packing my office, knitting supplies, and the hubby's tools into the camper for our journey West after the holidays. We're so blessed to be two people who can rearrange our schedule when we're needed in another part of the country.

Even though we know a loss is coming, we also are preparing for a wonderful holiday with our kids and grandkids. What a joy they bring to our lives, and we cherish every second.

My brother-in-law, Norman, has a little 3 year old granddaughter who thinks the Sun rises and sets in Norman, her little mommy is very worried about how Noelle will react to the loss ... she is so precious and just hooked on Norman. We all get through these things, but surely do not choose them as a part of OUR plan for OUR future. God has a bigger picture to fulfill.

Sorry, if this is rambling or uninformative, but it's what is on my heavy heart today.

Gotta go see if the ice is off of the drive-way so we can go get a few more g-kid Christmas gifts...gotta get stuff under the tree!!