Bittersweet victory

Wings of a Dream is complete. I am so very happy to be finished with it - my daughter is really pleased, and that means the world to me. Next comes the soaking and blocking. Well, after some major surgery and repair work. Read on.....

It began in January 2008, with many trials and tribulations. The yarn is like thread, even if it is super soft to work with. Finding the right needles was a problem, but finally it came together. Then we came home one day to find that the dog had gotten into it and ruined one of the skeins of alpaca. I thought I had gotten away with it, I could have sworn I had. I checked the stole over very carefully. Not quite carefully enough:



The holes will have to be repaired.

But that's not the part that is really devastating. When I laid it out to take a pre-blocked finished photo, my heart missed a beat, my stomach flipped, and I couldn't believe my eyes.

Can you see the problem?



Yep, that's right. I got the second wing on backwards. Backwards!!!! Argh. My hubby, bless his heart, asked how much I would have to rip back to fix that. I couldn't help it, maniacal laughter erupted from me. Rip back? It would have been the entire second wing. I'll have to just put it aside for a day or so, think about how to detach the wing, flip it over, and reattach it. I'll post over at Ravelry for hints and suggestions.

My daughter laughed and said she would fly in circles the way it is now. She made me feel okay after that. I'm still going to fix it, but I'll do it with a smile on my face.

Happy New Year!

Albeit a tiny bit after the fact. I'm really hoping that 2010 treats the country better than 2009 did. I don't make resolutions, but I do try to make each day count, and to set myself goals that aren't outrageous, goals that I have a chance of achieving. I try to remember to hold friends and family close and to cherish their presence in my life.

Hubby, Daughter, and I were invited to a New Year's Eve party. (Son is in town on college break, but didn't want to get out and about; we left him at home.) The last few years we have holed up in the house, not going out, and have really enjoyed a lower key celebration. But this year, we decided to enjoy the evening with friends. We had a good time at the party, good food, good drink, and good company. We did go home shortly before midnight so we could toast in the new year with our Son, and that was very nice.

Our weather has broken more records. Not only did we have our very first blizzard warning and it snowed on Christmas, but these last few days have brought us some of the coldest temps we've had since 1998. School was cancelled yesterday and today because officials were worried about the kids who had to wait outside for buses or who walk to school: frostbite is a real danger with the below zero wind chills we're getting.

I'm only 7, yes, SEVEN, pattern rows away from being finished with my daughter's Wings of a Dream stole. If I just knit one or two rows (plus the returning wrong side purl rows) a night, I'll be finished before the end of this month. Yay! It's turning out gorgeous, I'm very happy with it. It's certainly been a labor of love. It's something that I hope she keeps forever to remind her of me after I've gone to the great LYS in the sky. Something that she might be able to pass on to her daughter.

2009's last finished object

I finished the most current Bus Sock project, and this pair is probably the last thing I'll get finished in good old 2009. I've got a few other things still on the needles, but they won't be completed this calendar year.



I love the way the self-striping worked out -- sah-weet!!!



And this will be the next Bus Sock project:



2009 - you've been rough in lots of ways, but on the knitting front you've been pretty cool. I'm looking forward to 2010.

Merry Christmas!

Another Christmas over, another round of gifts bought and given, another Christmas lunch enjoyed (pork roast with crackling, roast potatoes and parsnips, gravy and the trimmings), another chance to be thankful for having family home safe and sound. I can't think of anything more wonderful than a day like I've had today. My family and I are blessed.

My Hubby got me a Knitzi (displaying my current bus socks):



It's made of Yellow Heart, a hardwood native to Brazil. It's really like its name: a beautiful "mellow yellow", with a shine so deep you could get lost in it.

This is the 6" length.

My son gave me a spa set of aromatherapies from Bath and Body:

There is lotion, sugar scrub, body wash/foaming bubbles, and hand soap. I'm pretty sure you'll be able to find me luxuriating in the tub tonight, surrounded by the scrumptious scent of orange ginger bubbles. I love the way using these products make my skin feel.

I asked my daughter for a new pair of slippers with hard soles, which I got:

They're super soft and toasty warm. I've got happy feet!!

What I didn't know was that my daughter had seen a piece of sterling silver jewelry at her work, JC Penney, and she snagged it for me as a surprise gift.

"Mom, Because of You...."

"I know kindness", "I dream bigger", "I feel inspired", "I still believe in miracles", "Life is fun", "I can do anything", and more phrases, are etched into the bangle. It's so beautiful. What a gorgeous gift.

I love all my presents and I hope they all liked what I got them, too. The whole shebang of shopping, wrapping, and gift giving is so much fun for me.

We had a white Christmas! We don't get those very often, but Christmas Eve a large storm system moved into the area and dumped as many as 6 inches of snow by Friday morning. It looks beautiful, all velvety soft on the ground. It's caused some traffic problems, though, as we Tulsans don't really drive on this stuff all that well.

Skully love

I made this for a dear friend to help keep his head warm during the winter. (Well, yeah -- what else are hats for?) It got given away without me taking any pictures of it, but all worked out fine because now the pics have his head under the cap.



The ultimate in skull hats, We Call Them Pirates by Adrian Bizilia, knitted with KnitPicks Telemark sport weight. I didn't follow the pattern completely (left off some skullys) but love the finished look.

Can you believe it?

Yes! It's knitting! There's actually been a bit of progress to show all over the place. These socks have been finished for quite awhile.



My newest Bus Socks project.



My daughter's stole, Wings of a Dream; getting closer to the last chart, almost there...



Classic Lines Cardigan KAL. Well, it's over for most intents and purposes, everyone else is finished, but here I am, still plugging along on it.



And finally, some of my Christmas knitting. I'm using KnitPicks undyed organic Simply Cotton worsted yarn to make lace faceclothes. Then I'll match up each facecloth with a hand poured all vegetable base glycerine soap containing unique oil blends. Found the soaps on Etsy at a store called AmethystSoap.



(top left) Christmas Lace Dishcloth
(top right) Tulip Lace
(bottom) Little Lace Kitchen Cloth

They still need to have the ends woven in and put through the laundry to plump up the fibers. A few more to knit, and I should be done!

Happy 19th Birthday!

19 years ago today our darling daughter was born. She's grown into a lovely young woman, strong-minded, funny, smart, beautiful, and such fun to be around. Happy birthday, my dear, we love you!!

(As for knitting, there's been lots of it lately, I just need to get the camera out and take some pics.)