Silver Scarf

Silver Scarf, originally uploaded by ImagineKnit.

Once in a while a project comes along and just speaks to you. This was one of them. I saw the pattern on Ravelry and instantly thought, Brita!

My middle sister has had a rough couple of years but this last year has I think been one of her best, she got married to a great guy finished school and worked in Alaska for the Forest Service.

The pattern is Drifted Pearls and you can find it on Ravelry. I thought the pattern was pretty well written but I did need to go down many needle sizes to get the look I wanted and it stated you needed 2 sizes of needles but not when to switch to the other size ( just used one size). Other than that not bad. I love the yarn I used which was British Mohair, Mohair Silk in granite. I got it from DBNY.com which if you don't want your stash to grow huge do NOT get on their mailing list!

I think Brita loved it, she wore it all day after I gave it to her:)

Hope you had a Happy Holiday!

XOXO
Senja

Late Post of the Holiday Break

Our Holidays were a mix of work (me), driving to see family, lazy days at home, quiet family time and fun.

I had to work Christmas this year which means we spend our holiday home with our kids then go to see B's family after. Our home celebration is very quiet even with 3 kids. I need to think up some more traditions for us that works into me being gone part of the time.

The kids spent their time off of school playing outside in the snow. I heard that we have gotten a record amount of snow for this time of year here.

Miss M helping Noley.

KD sitting in a nest of snow.

Of course when home and bored with everything there is the requisite fort building out of couch cushions. Miss M took this pic of the boys.

I have been doing some yarn dyeing and knitting. There are lots of new yarns in the shop. I updated it yesterday. I am knitting a sweater out of a Rebecca magazine I think it is the fall 2005 issue. It will be a long jacket like sweater. I really like how it is turning out and it feels like it is going really fast. Bulky yarn will do that to a person.

So I am back on the blogging, sorry it took so long to get this posted. I must have been enjoying my holiday break too much:)

A Handmade Christmas

This is the pile of stuff my son had packed to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Do you see what I see? We had a great Holiday weekend with Thanksgiving on Thursday, Christmas on Friday and a Birthday party on Saturday. I am with my little sister when she suggested we do Christmas in January next time we are together on Thanksgiving only.

My sister loved her new hat. See this posting about it. .


My dad's vest is finally done! It fits and he loved it.

When I look at these pictures the song, "I'm too Sexy" runs through my head:)

In case you want details here they are: Pattern is mine made up as I went. Yarn is Cascade 220 in Midnight heather used I think about 4 skeins, needles sixe 7 US circular. Size about 36 inch chest.


I made most of the gifts this year, these aprons were for my nieces. They also got baking related items. Cookie mix, cake mix, wooden spoons, you get the picture.
These 2 are for my nephews W and T:)

My little sis also made a bunch of stuff. Noley got a "guy". He has been sleeping with it which is always the true gauge of whether a kid likes something or not. If they can't go the night without it near them they love it.
T got one of these for his birthday because it is so darn cute! I got an order from my nieces for one each once they saw this:)
The Birthday party was for the 2 boys who are 3 weeks apart. We went the easy way out with a DQ cake and a pool party. Here they are with their helicopters from Auntie B.

Noley is a little fish and loved the water.


T is a daredevil and went down this slide over and over again face first then backwards. No Fear!

All in all it was a good time if a little hectic. Looking forward to a quieter Christmas at home and a visit to the other Grandma and Grandpa right after.

In case you need a last minute gift for a fellow knitter or someone just learning, I have these knitting kits in my shop. Maybe some of you would like to check them out.

Here is hoping you all had the best holiday weekend too! And a low stress, happy, fun Christmas to come.

What I did on my Christmas vacation

The craziness of the holidays are past and the new year has begun. Time to update the blogging world of my past few weeks. Has it really been since Dec. 18th? Of course there were trips to Grandma and Grandpa's house (both of them). Gifts were given and received. Some how I missed getting a picture of the SIL hat on the recipient. The niece and nephew enjoyed the slippers and hopefully will use them.

Every year my dad added to his list of things he would like us to knit for him. He was hinting not so subtly about what he might like and specifying the kind of fiber to use. We have to laugh at least he will wear what we (my sisters and I) make. I made him a scarf that he lost but that was years ago. Oh and a pair of wool socks in a bulky yarn a couple of years ago too. I don't count that in my sock making list because they were so bulky and seemed like cheating compared to "real" sock yarn.

Speaking of socks, my first Embossed Leaf sock is done! Here is the sock in progress.
Here is one finished sock. It fits perfectly. I was afraid it would be too small because of my size 10 shoe, but it is perfect.


So I need to cast on the other one to avoid the second sock syndrome. I don't think it will be a problem as I can't wait to wear these!

I made Noley a felted hat from a Fiber Trends pattern on my break. The name of the pattern is Felt Winter Hats. I plan to make one for KD too.
Below is the before felting and after felting picture.

I think it is so funny that it fits me before going in the wash. It turned out pretty cute don't you think. It might be the wearer though he is pretty cute:)

So what Christmas gifts what did you get that were really great? I was happy with everything I got. Even BDiddy did well and he often manages to wreck the surprise for me. I got a new polar fleece jacket and a nice undershirt for cross country skiing from him.

My mom and sister got me this and this! I love them! Ok the link for the ball winder may not be the exact one I got but you get the idea.

Last but not least KD and Miss M got me these for Christmas at the school gift shop. The frog is from KD. I don't know what it is for but I think it is to hold rings or maybe a candle holder? The glass tea light is from Miss M it is shaped like a mushroom I think. They were so proud that they picked them out themselves.

Hope you all had a good holiday and big plans for the New Year!

Birthday Loot

Theron and Nolan's Birthday cake from last weekend. We had a joint party for them since they are only 3 weeks apart in age.

The 2 year old's eating cake, it was hard to get them in focus because they were so intent on getting to the cake. Nolan had blown out his candles before we even sang.

Me blowing out my candles. Jess made my cake. See the knitting needles? Its supposed to look like a ball of yarn with needles stuck into it. It was cute and super yummy. (The picture is blurry on purpose)
This is my loot:) My present from Brent and the kids is awesome! I can't wait to get this figured out and working.

The picture on the screen is real. Its better than my TV picture at home. I can't imagine how Christmas presents could get better than this.

Well unless it was all knitting related:)

In the last 10 days

I have been busy and not feeling much like blogging (obviously). Here's a little of what I have been up to.


We dug ourselves out of some more snow.
I tried to get a good picture of the kids for a Christmas Picture.




These are not the one good picture I got.

Helped get this monster tree in the house. (BDiddy picked it out not me.) When he brought it home the conversation went something like this.
Me: What were you thinking that is Huge!
BDiddy: I didn't think it was that big.
Me: It's like 4 feet taller than you are.
BDiddy: It'll be fine.

I won't even tell you what we had to do to get it in the house. Seriously, why do we need such a big tree?

Helped the kids decorate it.




Finally got my Embossed Leaves Socks started the way I like them. I'm using some needles that my grandma gave me. I think they're steel size 1 (2.0mm) DPN's.

Finished My So Called Scarf.
Went to the local Christmas light extravaganza. Check it out here.
Saw Santa. Noley didn't like him up close.
Miss M didn't mind telling him just what she wanted. A Barbie makeover kit.

Working, planning a Birthday party for Noley, shopping for the rest of the gifts I needed and drowning myself in the craziness that is the Christmas season.

Oh and I won Kristin's blog contest so I have yummy new yarn coming my way!

Thanks Kristin! Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season.

Winter is here! (and finished objects)

This morning I was greeted with this gorgeous sunrise from my kitchen windows.
Here's a good shot of how much snow we got this weekend. The play center is covered with snow but I bet when the kiddos get home today they will be all over this.

I decided to post my SIL's hat because I think she doesn't lurk here. Hopefully not otherwise surprise Andrea! I used Patons Soy Wool Stripes for this in Nature Garden. The colors are not great in this picture, I could not get a good picture of the real colors for the life of me. I used a hat pattern out of Rebecca Fall 2005 which I picked up on clearance at a LYS in the Twin Cities.

This is a little better picture of the true colors. It also shows the decreases I used to change the top of this hat.

I caved and gave this to BDiddy when it got cold. I really like how this turned out and the manly colors were nice too. This is in Noro Kureyon, I forgot which colorway though. Lost the tag. Used the same pattern as the SIL hat, but could not figure out the bind off in the pattern so this is improvised. I think it is close to what I was supposed to do.
Last but not least my selfish post Christmas knitting. The Bee Fields Triangle Shawl from Knitspot.

The yarn is from White Willow on Etsy. I think I'm gonna love it!

Snow Day!

We have a big snow storm coming our way today. They are predicting 8-16 inches of snow here before the weekend is over. The perfect kind of day to stay home, make brownies, coffee and knit on some lace. I started the Bee Fields Shawl last night. I'm excited. It is so nice to be working on something that has no deadline and is just for me. Selfish isn't it? Sometimes you need to be a little selfish to keep your sanity right? Here's to a little selfishness this holiday to keep the sanity at your house:)


BDiddy took the camera to take pictures of the kids ice fishing so I'll have to post pictures later. I have all my Christmas knitted gifts done! But sadly not all my other gifts bought. Next week I will have to brave the stores for the rest.

We went out to the kids school for a breakfast with Santa and then the kids could go shop with "elves" to get gifts on their own. It is a really cool idea and they loved going and getting their own gifts without our help. They even wrap them so no chance of seeing it accidently, but you have to tell the kids not to give it away. The other nice thing is most of the gifts were around 2-3 dollars and nothing was over $10.

In January Jess and I are going to start sweaters for ourselves. We have been talking about it for at least 2 years and decided once the holidays are over we'll get going on that. Anyone care to join us? I should think up some name for it and we could have a KAL. No certian pattern just one you like for yourself. Comment if you're in!

Fall activities

I went to a Stitch N Bitch to meet some of the Northern MN Ravelry knitters this week. There were only 3 of us there but it was fun to meet someone new. We'll have to try to do it again and see if more people can make it. This was my coffee drink. Doesn't it look yummy? It was! I think it was called a Cara Miel Cardamom. MMMMM! The coffee shop closed early so then Jess and I went to a different place and had tea.
I took the kids to the gravel pit to look for agates the other day. KD had been bugging me to take him. We were there about 30-45 mins and this is our loot.
They're not huge but the kids really liked to look for them it was like finding treasure.

Halloween pictures: Noley as a chicken.
KD as a Lego guy (a guard for a castle, his idea), Miss M as a bat princess:)

OK obligatory costume pics out of the way, on to the knitting!

I have made progress on the felted children's slippers. One pair is done but needs to be felted. I started BDiddy's gift and I really like how it looks. Sadly I can't show you it or it won't be a surprise. I may use the pattern for the other Christmas gift though it is really cute and would look good for a guy or a girl. One more pair of slippers to knit and then I may add to the Christmas list. The slippers went way faster than I remember.

I have a butt load of cleaning to do today as my Aunt and Uncle are coming for a visit this weekend and I have to plan a meal for Saturday night that is a bit fancier than our usual taco's. So probably won't have a bunch of time to get much knitting done this weekend.

Oh and I am loving Ravelry! If you haven't signed up you should get on the waiting list! Knit on!