Two Christmas Sweaters

Here are the two sweaters that I finished a day late for our Late Christmas Celebration. I'd have had them done on time, BUT the pattern called for a 12" zipper for all sizes and I needed a 14" zipper for the smaller sweater and a 16" one for the larger one. Either it's a misprint, or the sweaters turned out larger for me. But they turned out the right sizes for the girls, so I'm not complaining.

At the Shaeffer Meadows Fiber Fest.

Annette's wooden buttons on display

Poster showing Annette's alpaca babies

Annette's sweater with antler buttons and Barb's troll

This is the Keeping Fairy by Char-Lee of Raymond, WA. I was absoluteyly SMITTEN with this doll on Friday, but I am trying to tame my impulsive Inner Child, so I forced myself to wait until Sunday to buy her. I reasoned that if I was not MEANT to have her, she would not be there when I arrived to work. BUT SHE WAS THERE!! And so she is mine. Who can say why a person falls in love with a doll any more than you can explain why a certain person falls in love with another person?!

Here are the Keeping Fairy's hands, holding a key for me. In her pocket is a grocery list and some buttons on a string. She doesn't know it, but she's going on a trip tomorrow with me!

This a little pumpkin guy I bought for a friend, also made by Char-Lee. My friend likes pumpkin head dolls and this one was about as cute a one as I've ever seen!

Some of my own stuff at the Fiber Fest

One side of our booth. I deserve no credit for this lovely booth. Annette and Marcy did all the work!!

Another look at his great booth

One of Jerri Schrader's lovely painted chairs. Jerri's business is called Sleeping Bear Studios, and she's in Ocean Shores, WA. I'd like her to paint my daucshunds on chairs.

Four Knitted Clothespin Santas

I am getting faster at making these, now being able to make two in an evening instead of one. It's hard to put a price on them, though. These four are going to the On Track Art Festival in Hoquiam tomorrow. We'll see if there are any "early bird" Christmas shoppers out there.

Knitted Clothespin Santa

He's cute, huh? Took me an entire evening to knit from a purchased pattern. I am going to reformat the pattern so it is row by row, rather in narrative style the way it arrived. I had a terrible time telling where I was. But I like him. Not sure what to charge for them though. Any ideas would be welcomed.

Back of Reindeer Sweater Finished

As you can see, I have perservered and finished the back of the reindeer sweater. I have also bought some yarn to make a second larger one. Not sure my grandgirls will like them or not, but Grandma likes them a LOT!!

Annette's Alpaca Hat with Felted Flowers

Annette gave me this hat (knit in alpaca yarn she spun herself) to embelish with needle felting so long ago, she probably thought I'd lost it! But I finally got my felting supplies out and put these flowers on her hat tonight. I know I have more colors of roving somewhere, but I still have to round up those. I am pretty new at this felting thing, and so my flowers are a bit more "lumpy" than I'd like, but I will improve, I know, if I do more of it and get more practice.

Nevertheless, I like the look of these flowers on this soft hat.

Kim's Socks, Knit on a Sock Loom

I'd never even SEEN a sock loom, although I knew from her FaceBook posts, that Kim was knitting socks on some sort of loom. Here are her socks, her fourth pair. And here is the loom:

This loom was purchased at JoAnns, and it's full price is $29--use your half-price coupon and pay half that.  It is adjustable, so you can knit any size sock, from infants' to socks for men. It works just like any other spool-type knitter, and there is a book available with several sock patterns.

So cute Cupcake Hat Patterns

http://www.chasingcheerios.com/2009/07/knit-cupcake-hat-pattern.html

http://chileconyarne.com/freebies/cupcake-hat

This is the cupcake hat at KnitPicks.

February Lady's Sweater

Isn't this a lovely sweater?! Buffy in CA knitted it for her (lucky) friend. She says it's a free pattern on Ravelry:  "The pattern is free on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/february-lady-sweater, or on the creators blog - http://www.flintknits.com/blog/?page_id=3. There are several groups on Ravelry for people who have questions on making the sweater."  Thanks for sharing this with us, Buffy.
   Unfortunately, my own knitting is sorely neglected. I have spent way too much time in hospitals the last three months; my husband had open heart surgery on May 25, and was also hospitalized in March, too. Luckily, he is now healing and I'm hoping not to see the inside of a hospital for a looooong time!!!!! I'd rather knit with my group!!!

Annette's Little Baby Sweater

Lfe Gets in the Way, Twice

All the lines going into him morning after surgery.

Couple days after surgery, very happy to be alive.

My husband LaMont had emergency open heart surgery on Weds, May 25 at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle. And yes, he got yet another ride in a helicopter.  We are wondering if he's set a record with two rides in ten weeks.  He had a HUGE aortic aneurysm with no symptoms;  if he had not had a routine echocardiogram that day, it probably would have most likely killed him before it was  discovered. I may be able to post a picture next week, as the thorasic surgeon's PA snapped a picture with her cell phone when they got his chest open. I saw it and it was unbelievable. My youngest (but grown) son wouldn't let me look until he looked first, but it was not yucky, just scary-big.
    DH is actually recovering from this surgery faster than he did the organ failure two months ago, as he was healthy when he went into surgery, except for the little fact of that aneurysm lurking there.
    We are hoping Life will resume its rather humdrum quality around here now, and that further drama will not intrude. That said, we feel extremely lucky that this could be fixed, and supremely thankful to the skillful surgeons who did the work, and the many nurses who cared for him afterward. How do you adequately thank someone who literally saved your life?!

Crocheting an Afghan for Hitty

I'm splitting sock yarn and using a size seven steel hook. At least I won't need a lot of blocks--Hitty is only 6.25" tall.

Another Finished Project from Annette

This little pullover sweater and hat set is made from alpaca yarn from Alpaca Creations. It is SO soft!!

Feb 3, 2011, at Knitting Group

Jerri's idea for recycling a wipes container to become a yarn holder. She's going to knit it a cover with a handle next.

This is a hat Annette knit with alpaca yarn she spun herself.

Lynn modeling the roll brim hat she made for her mother.

Lynn's alapca/silk blend yarn; it's SO soft!!

Buffy's Cowl

Easy Slippers

http://blog.craftzine.com/craftprojects/easy_house_slippers/

A Tiny Crocheted Sock Monkey for Hitty

Actually, I'll forgive you for thinking he doesn't look much like a sock monkey yet, but stay tuned. I also know this first one (I'm working w/o a pattern here) will not be as nice as I want it to be. But that's called "practice."

One Hundred Knitted Dolls

http://picasaweb.google.com/trestor/100KnittedDolls
Not mine, but they are wonderful, and I will try one soon....I hope.

Tiny Sweater to Knit for Hitty or Riley

http://www.miniknittingstuff.com/newfreepatt.pdf

Really Cute Baby Sweater Pattern

http://www.classiceliteyarns.com/WebLetter/33/Issue33.php

Oops!!! Another "learning experience!"

I neglected to note a color change after the bottom row of snowflakes on the little deer sweater. The color "switches" so the deer are of the dark yarn on a band of the light color. I was so fixated on following the design that I didn't even notice. I thought about not fixing my mistake, but then realized that I would run out of the green yarn  if I left it that way. So I undid it. By bedtime, I'll be back where I ended last night. I'm wondering if people think this sweater is strictly for boys, or if little girls can wear it, too, even if it isn't pink?

Kids' Deer Sweater Started

This is the back of what I call "The Deer Sweater." (I named the book and author in a previous post.) It's knit with chunky yarn on size 7 needles, so it goes pretty fast. I wish I could say I did this much without having to take out any rows, but alas, I can't. It's been awhile since I followed a grid pattern, so I had to shake off the rust. I was hoping the "forest green" yarn I ordered would be darker than what it turned out to be, but that's the downside of ordering yarn online.

My Fave Bootie Pattern

This is my favorite bootie pattern. The reason I like it so much is that the sole is knitted in. Once you make these, you can adapt the way you knit the sole in to other bootie patterns that have you knit a separate sole and sew it in.  To print this off, just click on it and choose "copy." Enjoy.

Baby Hat and Mittens Pattern