Happy 2026

 Hi Dear Blog Readers,

Happy New Year!  My wish this year is all of the best for all of my readers.

While I was off I knit up the Piccina Scarf.  It's a cute quick project.  

I opened my Rhinebeck yarn drawer and grabbed the first one I came to. Tidal Yarn. Fingering 450 yards.  There is enough to make two or more probably.  It's been in my stash for a very long time. Long before covid.  What was I saving it for?  Who knows!  It's not blocked yet. Once that is done, I think the i-cords will stretch a little longer and I can make a bow.  I just realized the scarf is on backwards on top...it should be worn outward...

Mason was over on Friday and asked if I could make him a scarf.  Sure what color. Rainbow. Martha had given me an advent box of yarn last year so I let him pick his colors.  He added 3 or 4 more after this picture.  We are adding each color with gray (so it goes faster!!).  He approved the first royal blue color.  

I did end up making my brother a hat before Christmas.  Very very simple. He liked it.  It looks like two purl bumps in the ribbing but its where the yarn was bigger.   I think its Greenland or Greenfield  yarn. No ball band. I can take you to their spot at Rhinebeck.  Softest yarn around.

 

Everyone seemed to like the presents I made them. Mason loved his slippers.  Jayce does not keep much on his feet but smiled. LOL.  Tiffany teared up when I gave her the shawl I made while we all sat with dad in the hospital his final weeks. Vicky my SIL liked her socks.  I haven't had time to make her any in the last couple of years so she was due. I gave Joe a ceramic cup I made which he uses every day that it's clean.

 Ruth is working on the sleeves of her Rolling Rock sweater. So pretty. This color will look great on her.

 Martha finished up her green Stick and Stone  sweater!  Beautiful!  Lovely buttons!

Now she is working on a sock, and swatching for another green sweater from Green Mt Spinnery.

She didn't have enough yarn from Rhinebeck she decided. Drove to Green Mt  Spinnery and got more yarn in same die lot!  Pattern will be Netherwood.

 In between she started a fun colored sock!

In other news:

We had a wonderful Christmas.  Went away for a couple of days and came back to relax for a couple of days.  Ended up watching Joey's kids overnight Fri and Sat because Casey had a little flu and Joey will be   in a wheelchair for a while. They are darling.  Age 1 and 2.  

Tomorrow I go back to work. I can hardly believe it's happening already  Sigh.

This was Christmas evening. 

Christmas day

Have a good week dear blog readers.  I'm going to work on Mason's scarf while I watch the Buffalo Bills game.

 

 

Twas the Sunday Before Christmas....

 Hi Dear Blog Readers! 

Merry (early) Christmas! I have most everything done for "the" day.  Our house is so pretty this year..I am thoroughly enjoying the decorations.

I finished up the first Christmas sock.  The lighting is not too good...the light color is more white.  

Finished up Jayce's slippers this week.

I hope the boys like their slippers...

I am going to try and whip up a hat for my brother by Wednesday evening.

I like to start something new on Christmas Eve but not sure if I will or not. Does a 2nd sock count?

Ruth is obsessed with knitting tiny sweaters this week...and I am obsessed with seeing them.  So cute!

Pattern is The Tiny Collection by Karen Borrel.
 

Martha finished up the body of her beautiful sweater and will start on the sleeves. The pattern says to do the button band now, but she is going to wait till it's blocked and then do it. Smart!

In other news:

We saw the grand darlings a lot this week but no pictures. Our son broke his ankle - a very bad break and needed surgery to install pins and plates.  It will be a very very long recovery.  We went to help a couple of times...just changing diapers for the two littles is a big help. So, because of that,  they will not be coming here this Christmas.  We will go there in the morning and I will come home and cook a Christmas ham dinner for my brother and Tiffany.  It will be different for them not to be here....  This is just for this year so we will make the best of it.  The main thing is seeing each other.   

There will be NO blog post next week. Joe and I will be away.  

Merry Christmas....we will chat in the New Year! 

 

Ho Ho Hooooo

 Ho Ho Ho...Almost Merry Christmas!!!

This was oh what a week at work and home.  I planned a big holiday party at work and it was successful...I haven't woken up at 3:00am since its been over. LOL

Our son Joey broke his ankle and tore a ligament in his ankle. Just stepping out of his truck at work. Be careful folks. He has surgery on Wed to install pins and plates.  

There was a little knitting. Mason's felted slippers are done as of today.

After the felting was done...I whip stitched around the top and then picked up stitches with a size 2 needle, and transferred to a size 7. It was very tight but it worked.  The pattern said to knit a big swatch, and then attach it to the slipper.  Ummmmm nope!  This method worked great.  I'm going to make myself a pair after Christmas.  Now I can start on Jayce's. His are much smaller.  Cross your fingers these fit! 

 Ruth finished up her beautiful scarf for her niece.  Pattern is Strand of Pearls. Natalie Servant. Yarn is Holst Garn Coast. Petrol colorway. Wool and cotton.  Emma will LOVE it!

 Martha worked on her sweater all week!  She has about 3 inches of bottom band left. So pretty!! 

 

In other news:

I saw all four grands  this weekend..yea! No pictures of little Charlotte..darn!

Joe's family had their Christmas party this weekend. So much fun as always.

 

Joe with two of his sisters. Donna on the left is the eldest, and Mindy is youngest.  Jeanine lives in S.C. and unable to attend.

 

Jayce riding a horse....

Joe's niece, Jackie, age 9, free form drew faces on those of us that wanted them.  Jayce and I chose snowmen.

Mason chose a Santa face with a reindeer on his cheek. He is happy he is just sitting still so it dries. LOL

I did not wash mine off last night so I could show Charlotte today.

Baby jack stayed over on Friday. He is such a darling boy.

 

Have a good week dear blog readers...I hope you are enjoying all of the things of the season, however you celebrate.
 

 

  

Thinking about all the things

 Hi Dear Blog Readers...

This week I have been  thinking about all of the things. Christmas and knitting. I'm determined that after the last two years when my life was in chaos, I will have a good Christmas season. To me it's not the day, that is a big letdown. It's the season.  Music turned up loud....cookies....Christmas trees....seeing family...food.   And of course knitting. I want to knit all of the things in the winter months.

I have finished both pairs of felted slippers. They knit up fast. Now, I have to pick up stitches all around and knit a collar in ribbing to keep them on.  I have to search for yarn.  

Knit in LettiLopi Yarn.

Mason size 10.5 needles, double stranded

Jayce size 9 needles single stranded.

 I had time to work on the Christmas yarn socks.  Doing a German short row heel. You do it twice..the 2nd time around I used the red. Much faster than a traditional heel...but....when done with traditional heel you have already worked on some of the foot.  With this heel you are just starting the foot when it's done.  Loving the colors. Maybe because are different than the gray sweater I've worked on for months. 

 Ruth is away this week and did not send new pictures of her knitting. 

Martha sent me this note yesterday and I laughed out loud.

" A murder took place here regarding the sweater.  I was ready to Bind off the body and finally got into the sweater and it was huge. H.U.G.E!  So i ripped back to the arms and looked carefully at the final finished size.  There’s no schematics for the sweater which I rely on heavily for sizing, fit etc.  I think I’m going to make the next smaller size but I have to rethink it for mistakes, and I want to recheck my gauge too.  I did the first ripping and thinking in the evening when I’m prone to mistakes so I don’t trust my thinking.  I’m going to tackle that this afternoon"

 Here is her restart.

I was reading a blog this week and they mentioned the Bindle Hat pattern.  You use 4 (yes 4) strands of fingering weight yarn to get a cool marled effect. Knitters said working with that many strands was kind of a nightmare but loved the look when done.  It's intent is to use up leftover sock yarn.

 

 I subscribe to Feedspot today (the free version), and get some cool ideas there.  Its a snippet of different blog posts each day.

In other news:

 I made matching hats for Jayce, Mason and Tiffany last year in green. I also made an ear flap hat for the boys before. I put an I-cord knot on the top of the blue hat. And Jayce kept saying he wanted a "tail" for the green hat.  I could not find green yarn, so he and Joe decided a blue tail would look good.  He loves it.

 

 

 

He is the cutest  little guy. Talks up a storm now. 

We went tree shopping with Tiffany and boys. It was cold. Jayce was too little to appreciate it I think.

But fun. We both got nice trees. 

I am going to decorate ours this morning. I am also making peanut butter cookies today.  I stopped at the store to get two bags of hershey kisses to put on top of the cookies. There was a woman near me and had the same in her cart.  She looked at me and said baking?  I said yep?  You making peanut butter cookies too? She said yep!  LOL

 

Holiday Happenings

 Hi Dear Blog Readers!

It's been a busy week here.  I hosted Thanksgiving and still haven't quite recovered.  It was very fun though.

I managed to finish up the 2nd sock. I'm very happy with how they turned out and how the colors match! Sheer luck!

My favorite plain pattern.

Row 1  K3, slip 1

Row 2 Knit 

I made Jayce felted slippers, but they are Mason's size.  LOL. I even got gauge! Felting is a crap shoot for sure. These need to be a little smaller yet.  

LetiLopi yarn doubled.  I'm trying again with single strand for Jayce.

I have a long hair appt this week so I started a pair of Christmas socks. Yarn is from Rhinebeck this year.  I have no illusions of getting them done for this Christmas!  I just needed something I can pick up here and there. I think I will do the K3, slip 1 pattern again.

Ruth has knit a lot on her Rolling  Rock sweater this week.  It's sooo beautiful. 

Martha has knit a lot on her's as well.  Stick and Stone cardigan is the pattern. She is driving to Boston today so sent a pic from her car. The colors is beyond beautiful.

Have a wonderful week dear blog readers.

Tomorrow is December 1st..how did that happen!
 

Sweater Sunday

 Hi Dear Blog Readers.

Some sweater updates on a Sunday:

I bound off the bottom of the sweater. I'm going to put it down for a bit now and make a couple of quick Christmas presents before I carry on. 

Ruth is moving ahead with her sweater.  Sooo pretty.
 

 

Martha is working on her beautiful green sweater. 

 In other news:

I had the pleasure of watching Jayce on Friday morning.We made cupcakes.  Why add one decoration when you can add 6 to each one!

They were here for a bit yesterday.

Charlotte's 2nd birthday was yesterday! What a cute Minnie Mouse princess she is.

Jack's first birthday is next week so celebrated both at once.

My 4 grands at the birthday

What a wonderful time was had by all.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving dear blog readers...Knit on!