giant stocking

december 21, 2009

it was busy in the shop last week.  we could barely keep up with restocking the shelves and phoning in last minute orders for more needles, beads, and books.  for the most part, our customers have been positive, patient, and purposeful in their shopping, which makes our job so much easier.  many have come in for help on those last-minute projects -  the living room area almost always had one or two or more waiting for some attention.

thursday i was restocking before my drop-in class when the yarn in my hands called out to me.  it just happened that i was carrying burly spun ( a very bulky yarn) in both red and green and it hit me that this yarn would make a very giant christmas stocking.  i shared the idea with candace and another project was born.  but this one was quick, easy, and accomplished in the shop in between customers.  it was hanging up front on saturday morning.  what do you think?

using 16″ circular size13 needles  i cast on 36 stitches and knit a garter cuff, then went on to work three rounds of each color (carrying the yarn not in use) until i liked the length.  from there i worked a normal heel flap and heel in  green, then continued in the stripe pattern at the gussett, ending with a red toe.  it was fun, quick, and i have enough yarn left over to make another one – although probably smaller.  if you would like a more specific pattern, email the shop and i will get it to you.

 

ready for christmas

december 20, 2009

i’ve been away for a while – not from home but from this blog.  i have really tried to be focused on getting christmas knitting done and gifts mailed to denver and atlanta in time for delivery before christmas.  when that was accomplished there was the new class schedule to prepare for the first quarter of the new year.  all of those deadlines have been met, shopping and wrapping and baking (26 loaves of banana and pumpkin bread) are completed, and now i have almost a whole week to sit back and enjoy the anticipation of christmas.  that’s not to say that i won’t feel the urge to make cookies or fudge but the blessing of it all is that i don’t need to.  this afternoon i even did my grocery shopping for christmas dinner!

it is interesting how celebrating the holidays always brings out our fondest memories of family and home.  and those memories often revolve around food.  as terry and i were discussing what to serve on christmas  day we both agreed to stick with the familiar favorites.  there will be christmas coffee cake in the morning (that is a no-brainer around here), and a simple dinner with ham, baked potatoes, green bean casserole, family jello, and easy peasy cherry cheese cake.  there will only be three or four of us (not sure about my sister yet) – a quiet, relaxing day.  i will miss the busyness of people and children, places to go and things to do.  but i will have time to reflect on the true meaning of the day and ponder the wonder of it all.

in preparation for this week of high anticipation, i pulled out a cherished book – one wintery day by ruth bell graham.  in this simple children’s book she tells the story of christmas from the beginning – God created the earth – and walks the reader through the historical reason for the birth of God’s son.  the story is told by a mountain woman to a young boy in simple and awe-inspiring words and the illustrations are marvelous.  i’ve always thought that if  i had grandkids visiting around christmas time i would take the time to read this book to them over the week or so before the special day.  i think it makes the truth of christmas so much more real.  it ends with the easter story – a full circle from God’s creation, through the fall of man, to the birth of a baby and the death and resurrection of a savior.  a full and complete story of God’s love for each of us.

 

snow still, really???

december 10, 2009

okay, this has gone on long enough.  it snowed on monday and now, on thursday, the snow is still on the ground!  along with lots of ice and slush.  it was a little warmer last night but still, the ice has got to go.  terry had to help an older couple in the grocery store lot push their cart over the icy spots.  this is dangerous, folks!

time for a little knitting content.  i am almost almost almost done with kenna’s gift – hope to have it, along with other things, in the mail by monday.  but i did get distracted and in the last three days have cast on three more projects (just little ones).  there is the hat that is a gift, the cowl for a class next quarter, and just this morning, the january block of the month.

i am starting my fifth afghan (block #49)!  this is the first time i will do all one color (a creamy very light golden color) with pastaza yarn from cascade.  it is a wool/llama blend, a little on the heavy side (4sts=1 inch) and a teeny bit hairy.  i’ve gone up to size 9 needles so the entire afghan, when finished, will be larger than the others.  i am going to try to work on a theme – stitches for each block that represent the month.  for instance, january is snowflake eyelets, february will be something with hearts, etc.  i have most of the patterns picked out and am looking for a few more to match specific ideas.  i love the challenge of finding interesting patterns that will encourage my knitters to try new things while improving their basic skills.

my other big project right now is the class list for the coming quarter.  it is a  challenge to come up with new ideas that will meet the needs of our customers while repeating old favorites that teach basic skills.  i have come up with two lace projects, a beginner and an advanced, fingerless mitts with a cable, and the usual socks, baby cardigan, and basic hat.  i want to incorporate a “design your own” class for hats or scarves, and maybe repeat the “knit to fit” vest that i did last quarter.  then maybe an entrelac hat and something with intarsia?  the sweater with the dog on front was popular before and both william and reuben would like that one, i’m sure!  so many ideas, so little time – not just to schedule but also to knit up the samples!  that will be my main focus tonight when i get home from work.

oh no!  just heard the weather report.  more snow predicted for the foothills (meaning us) tonight.  URGHHHHH!

 

baking weather

december 9, 2009

i baked pumpkin bread all day yesterday.  can you smell it?  fifteen loaves later i am still trying to figure out where to store it all until i give it away.  when i bake i make a mess so i like to just keep going until i have all i need – one mess and one massive clean-up.  well, that’s what i prefer.  but yesterday there were two clean-ups because i really goofed.

the baking started early in the morning as a diversion.  it gave me something to do (that needed to be done) while i waited for terry to put the train under the tree – i needed to have the train up before i could put out my christmas dolls and animals.  i was thinking that some fifteen bean soup sounded really good, so while the first batch of bread was baking i put the beans on to boil/soak.  then i ran out of time and needed to head out the door for the slow drive to the shop (10-15 mph on very icy slick roads).

candace and i were meeting with a yarn rep and waiting on customers – it was a busy morning – when terry called.  he wanted to know what i wanted done with the soup that was cooking on the stove.  oops!  i forgot all about it.  what a mess.  when i got home the pot had boiled over, the stove top was gooey and the beans were burnt onto the bottom of the pan.  after much soaking and scrubbing and repeating the process the pan is clean, the stove top looks good again, and i do not have bean soup in the frig!

last night was to have been our staff holiday dinner but it was canceled due to the icy road conditions.  on my drive home, around 2:30 in the afternoon, the main road leading into our housing area was sill very icy in spots.  a van in front of me spun out and we were only going about 15 mph at the time.  the thought of driving that curvy two-lane road after dark was not a pleasant one.  i am glad i was home, safe and warm, even though the evening would have been fun.  i hope we are able to reschedule in the near future.

even though it is colder than usual here and things are so slippery and icy i know i have no reason to complain.  the kids in colorado are really experiencing COLD.  their projected high for today (17) is one degree lower that our low.  i pray they get some relief from the frigid weather soon.  it can’t be pleasant to have that kind of cold for weeks on end.  i am looking forward to rain this weekend and a tiny warming trend – just enough to get rid of the ice!

 

decorating in the snow

december 7, 2009

we woke up to a snowy world this morning – perfect!  we planned to spend the day getting Christmas decorations up so the weather was an added bonus.  even when we lost power about 9:30 (it stayed off until after 2:00 sometime) we didn’t complain.  we went from this outside:and this inside:

to this:

and this:and this:thank you, God, for a truly awesome day.  terry and i are so blessed to have one another, a warm and  safe home, a loving family, and time to enjoy just being.  This has been a special day to remember – preparing for the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus while soaking up the natural beauty of a snowy day and listening to christmas music.  i am content!

 

december 6, 2009

my theme for the month of december is “go, tell.”  i want to practice everyday, telling others about my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the true reason (the only reason) for this season.  this is what i will be sharing with the kids in church this morning.  we will  learn about others that told – the angels who told mary first and then the  shepherds, and the shepherds who told everyone they saw, about the birth of the Messiah.  and then later, the wisemen, who did not tell because they were warned by God in a dream to keep their discovery silent.  this advent season, as we wait for the day, let us all remember that it is not about getting and giving gifts, the man in the red suit, or favorite movies or carols.  these all add to our enjoyment, to our anticipation, our wonderment, but they are meaningless without the birth of Jesus.  today, i challenge you, i challenge myself, to go, tell, share the good news.

John 3:16  for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

 

fair isle hats

december 4, 2009

today i am off to teach a fair isle hat class.  this is the one i made for william while in atlanta:

it fits him but is a little dense, i think.  i used mission falls 1824 wool (which i love) and size 7 needles because i forgot to bring size 8, which would have been better.  i designed the pattern as i knit, knowing i wanted it to be masculine and also that the yarn has short yardage and i didn’t want to run out of the navy.  as it was i had only about 6 yards left over.  i used the rest of the red and gold to knit a silly-looking pixie hat which i will donate to the hat and mitten drive we are sponsoring at the shop come january.

for the class this morning i started a sample using malabrigo.  i decided to go with a roll brim just to show the ladies in the class another option.  i probably should be doing one for reuben but don’t have the time to hunt down the perfect yarn for him right now.  my first job this morning is to pack a box to send to denver, straighten up the house for company (we are having a weekend guest), and then leave for work, with stops at the post office and bank along the way.  wonder if i will actually have time to fit all of that in?

(later, after dinner):  i had high hopes of accomplishing a great deal this morning but they were quickly dashed when i realized while in line at the bank that i left the patterns for the hat class at home.  so, quick dash home and to the shop just in time for class.  the box is packed for denver but not mailed and i did not get to the second bank or the pharmacy.

the hat class was fun – lots of positive feedback and a good time was had by all.  three of the nine ladies were new to me.  the afternoon shift on the floor was busy but not overwhelming – just a steady stream of small sales.  now i am home and ready to fall into bed and rest up for another day.  when am i ever going to make the time to finish christmas knitting?

 

pics from atlanta

december 3, 2009

we are home, i am tired and fighting jet lag, but we had a wonderful time.  for now, here are pictures.  words may or may not come later.  kenna, wearing the vest i made for her last christmas:

william in his chirstmas vest, playing with grandpa at the mall:

the whole family, complete with new baby bump.  the next little boy clark is due in april.

 

post thanksgiving

november 28, 2009

we are enjoying a lovely, sunny all day north of atlanta.  it has been fun to get reacquainted with william and experience how much he has grown.  he is a little shy with strangers but very polite.  we have learned that “no Q” is short for “no thank you,”  which he says every time he doesn’t want to do something.  it has been my priviledge to get him up in the morning, get him dressed and eat breakfast with him.  when i first enter the room we talk for a while before he will let me help him out of the crib and from then on things are fine.  last night was the first time he let me put him to bed.  he read “five little monkeys” and “goodnight moon” to me  – so sweet!

i have been getting some knitting done.  i finished a sock on the trip out, finished william’s hooded tunic out of rowan handknit cotton yesterday, and knit a fair isle “design-as-you-go” hat last night and today.  my current project is elleigh’s cabled heart sweater that i started in september and then put down for quite a little while.  back and sleeves are done and i’m halfway up the front. when that is completed i will only have socks to knit on – the second one to match the one i did on the trip and another pair that is still a mystery as to what/who it is.  maybe i will have to find a yarn shop on monday.

speaking of monday, i am looking forward to a shopping day at the great mall of georgia, only a few minutes from here.  there are some christmas gifts i want to buy but mostly i just want to look.  it has been a good long time since i have been in a mall and while they are not my favorite places, every once in a while it is fun to stroll through and see what’s new.  i do hope to find jeans for elleigh, a chirstmas gift for william (to leave here), and maybe even something for terry.

we head home tuesday afternoon with a very late arrival at sfo.  here’s hoping both flights are on time and we don’t land any later than planned.  i will be back in the shop for my drop-in class wednesday night and then it is back to the usual routine – except that it will be december and there are extra things to get done – like decorating and baking and a little entertaining – i look forward to the busyness of it all.  but mostly i look forward to the nativity sets and other symbols of the season that remind me why we are really celebrating.  nothing is more important than taking time to ponder the incredible gift of Jesus.

 

from atlanta

november 25, 2009

happy thanksgiving to all.  i am thankful for a God that loves me and never gives up on me, the freedom we have in our country to worship and speak our minds, my healthy family, and new life.  we were able to be present at the ultasound today when our son and daughter-in-law found out the baby they are expecting in april is a boy, is healthy, and very active.  thank you , God, for your many blessings.  as we prepare a feast for tomorrow we remember those who are not so fortunate and pray God will watch over them and keep them in their time of need.  the God of the universe is our ever present and only hope.  thank you, God.