Lost in christmas card making land....

oh where oh where has that crazy knitter gone...
well it's that time of year again...
and well I always buy my cards and then I thought
why don't I try making them this year....
well there's a reason people buy cards...
although I think they are quite gorgeous,
they take absolutely forever, and
there go all my knitting projects
right out the proverbial window...
christmas gift knitting and all...
so normally I would have had lots to post tonight, but
all I have to show is a lot of pretty cards,
so here goes... and yes, a few cards don't take that long
but I am handpainting and adding snow and stuff,
and the inside with photo of children
is as decorated as the outside and
oh have to make about 80...well we'll
see how that goes..........







as for what's on the needles,
I am once again writing yet another
new pattern and here's a hint,
it is straight from a recent
Anthropologie catalogue. so far
so good, and for anyone that thinks
I've annoyed my cats far too much...
I am making them an unbelievably
extravagent gift...something
Crazy Aunt Purl would just purr about...
or at least all her cats...
pending............


as for finished projects...
I did the one skein of yarn
experiment, and thanks to Ravelry once again,
I had one skein of Noro Kereyon,
which I always say and spell wrong,
but the Noro people understand
what I mean...anyway made my first
Calimetry and love it...it is so warm
on cold days and I love the colors...
it won't be my last one, and it did not
take a whole ball of Noro, wondering
if you could get 2 of them out of one skein...
but anyway highly recommend this pattern,
it is from Knitty.com.

Santa Hat for Your Kitty

The Photos:

Pattern for Kitty Santa Hat

Santa Hat Pattern For Your Kitty by Sheepish 1

Used: size 8 needles

Scraps of worsted weight red yarn, most probably Patons wool

White boucle type yarn, guessing it was from Caron, simply soft boucle

Using white boucle type yarn

Cast on 27 stitches.

Row 1. Knit

Row 2. Purl

Row 3-8.Change to red yarn, and knit stockinette stitch, starting with a knit row for 6 rows, ending with a purl row.

Row 9. Decrease Row #1. *K2, K2tog.,K1* Repeat from * to * until last 2 stitches, K2.

Row 10—12. Stockinette stitch 3 rows, starting and ending with a purl row.

Row 13. Decrease Row #2. *K1, K2tog.,K1* Repeat from * to * until last 2 stitches, K2tog.

Row 14-18. Stockinette stitch 5 rows, starting and ending with a purl row.

Row 19. Decrease Row #3. *K1, K2tog.* Repeat from * to * until last stitch, K1.

Row 20-22. Stockinette stitch 3 rows, starting and ending with a purl row.

Row 23. *K1, K2tog.* Repeat from * to * until last stitch, K2. (should be 8 stitches)

Row 24-26. Stockinette stitch 3 rows, starting and ending with a purl row.

Row 27. *K2tog.* across row (should be 4 stitches)

Row 28. Purl

Row 29. *K2tog.* across row (should be 2 stitches)

Attach white boucle yarn. K2tog. (1 stitch).

Knit in front of, back of, and then front of same one stitch on needle. Cut yarn leaving long tail. Draw through remaining stitches on knitting needle with a wide-eyed sewing needle and pull up tight and secure. Sew up side seam.

Please note this is my first ever online pattern, and is not yet second time tested…if any errors, please feel free to email me any questions…comments also welcome…and would love to see any post photos, particularly of hat on your cats.

Happy Thanksgiving to all !

Our furnace recently died.
so started knitting slippers,
and all manner of comfy warm things.
Furnace is all set now,
but the slippers were fun.
the pink and purple slippers are thanks to RAVELRY....
first spotted there
the fuzzy feet pattern actually from Knitty
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/PATTfuzzyfeet.html

Mine are made from scraps alone, leftovers of
Lopi, actually ran right out of the purple
completely at the end. so this is a great
scrap project. only had a partial skein
of each color, hence why I striped them.


same slipper not yet felted...amazing how huge it is



the next slipper I made was from Nicky Epstein's new book
Never Felt Better.



I made this one exactly as they called for
in the pattern using Patons Wool yarn,
which I actually also had in my stash already.
did not get the custom fit I was after,
but liked them overall, would improvise
pattern next time around on this one.





My cat actually tried them on,
but not only were they too large,
but he felt they just didn't match.
smart cat!

His favorite, as you can see are the fuzzy feet,
looks like he's letting you know
exactly what he thinks. the little add on
embellishment is felt cutout and buttons.

Camera on the fritz

It's time to post yet again,
and lots of fun things to share...however,
camera is not up to snuff, so will post
some previous photos, and hope I get the
problem resolved before my next posting:

First up, a friend for Alan Dart's
snowman pattern, Mr. Melty





a felted pointsetta from Nicky Epstein's patterns:





and 2 lovely cat photos:

My entry for the Holiday Kal-Cal

Yarn Thing and friends started yet another awesome Kal-Cal http://holidaykalcal.blogspot.com/
and this time I actually made it into
the sign up. Finally just finished crocheted
and felted bag and was able to post it.

actually working now on a new bag,
next one will be a winter theme.
Hmmm...I think I see a pattern
developing here...anyway, this is my entry:






It's appliqued with wool, some which I had to dye to get the right colors, and hand sewn...

and what's on my needles,
as usual the list is long
and varies considerably
from project to project...but one thing
I am having lots of fun with is the following:



Stay tuned, whole lot of fun things in the works.

Rhinebeck the final chapter for 2007-the goods

RHINEBECK Part II....the goods, or some of them. Yes, unfortunately this is just a snapshot as there was even more not photo'd but gives you an idea.







Wild West Plum Colored Yarn



Actual bison, buffalo yarn so soft...
hoping to knit some gloves



Zephyr pink shawl weight yarn



some of the assorted
roving I picked up



Country Classics Dye-a brand
I haven't tried yet...hmm..



and finally since we couldn't
bring home any live animals,
I brought this guy home,
made of natural fibers




and did I Mention JCA Reynolds had their once only a year, we will open the warehouse to customers sale......no I really did not need to go....but I did......
I so need to go on a yarn diet...I have no self control when it comes to buying yarn these days.. oh well...must knit faster........................don't look for anymore today...............I am off knitting really really fast................

Goodies from across the Pond and further than the Pond

Have to take the time to sneak in a midweek posting, as I have to thank my lovely friend over across the Pond in the UK for such a lovely package. Many people know how sheep obsessed I am, and you should see all the sheepish things she managed to put together and send me. I love everything. what a surprise! what a treat! thank you, thank you, thank you.



If you can't tell from the photos, there are adorable tiny sheep stitch markers, so sweet, yet another sheep photo, which I bet she took herself, and need to frame that, sorry for poor photo (of the photo), and a Shaun the Sheep comic book with special Shaun goodies on front. Wow!


Also wanted to share with everyone my latest selection of tea I got through Swapbot, which was sent to me from a fellow tea lover all the way from FINLAND. Wow.


Feeling guilty about not posting any knitting, so will pop up my new snowman from Alan Dart's newest pattern released November 2007 British magazine. Plan to knit some more. and Arianne, if you are reading this I did use that yarn you mailed me for the snowman, wow was that lucky.



Stay tuned, as I have just taken photos of all the goodies I bought at Rhinebeck, which I am anxious to post and let everyone see.

Rhinebeck...the aftermath

isn't he a cutie...the one thing we could not bring
back were any live animals....sigh...

Our YARN SAFARI bus, Locomotion, photo of folks laden with goodies, returning to drop off and then return to rebuy yet more.

Entrance Gate to Rhinebeck, New York Sheep & Wool Festival 2007

Everywhere there were sheep, llama's and many rabbits:


some sheep were even predyed?? guess when you spin this wool there's
no need for further dying. Hmmm.




There were needle felted items everywhere..........
the wall mural was all hand felted - unbelievable



More random shots:















And finally a shot of the Highly Revered Fried Artichoke Stand, where the lines were as long as some of the most popular yarn booths all day.




Remember this is just a brief glimpse only of just one great day.
there were many other things to do and see, and I only had so much
disposable camera film and a whole lot of shopping
and yarn fondling to do. Afterall, a knitter has her priorties