Scarves For Winter

It's been ages since I posted. I blame the mid-winter blahs and a feeling of being generally worn out. I even skipped out on one of the bi-monthly knitting meetings.

Even though no-one's seen me lately, I've still been busy on the needles.

I started and finished a quick knit scarf out of a hank from the stash, a Handmaiden Yarn, or maybe Fiddlesticks, I can't remember.



The yarn has a fair bit of silk in it, giving it a lovely drape and sheen. I just did a simple all over, yarn-over pattern. I'm very pleased with it.




I also made this kit, from Morehouse Farms. The pattern was fun, and I thought it might be an idea for potential Christmas presents for next year.



This pattern was only sold as a kit and, though I love the colour, I don't care for the yarn at all. It's 100% wool, but feels like acrylic. In fact to be specific, it feels like Phentex, eewww , ick.

I would definitely make this pattern again, but with a softer yarn, maybe a Sirdar worsted weight.

I also started working on one of the two dollhouse kits I got this past Christmas.

I've been working on the exterior paint.



I'm trying to make it look like limestone. For the time being the interior is pale cream.




Next up is the wiring. I've never done anything like this before, so I need to wrap my mind around the entire concept before I start. I'll show more of this project as I get around to tackling different parts.

And in the mail? Well, Jane sent January's button-of-the-month!




These buttons are adorable. Kittens in the snow, the whimsical, cartoonish quality reminds me of Jane. Er, no, wait, I mean it reminds me of the kind of art Jane likes.



Thank you Jane, I love them, don't they make winter look like fun?

Happy Belated Second Christmas

The Amazon order I placed for Nigel finally arrived! Hooray! Ordered at the beginning of December, I've never seen Amazon take so long. No wait, that's not true. Last year Nigel placed an order for my gifts which arrived in late February. Ah well, I suppose they're improving.

I used some last remnants of lime green wrap and taped them together to look like a tree. I feel well and truly finished with Christmas now.

My sister also sent out the Button-of-the-Month for December. She sent it out on the 27Th of December, posting it Express (that's two days and a small fortune), as she didn't want it to arrive after the 31st. It arrived on January 2ND and was very lovely none-the-less.



It's a beautiful, festive, sparkling button in honour of the holiday season. She also made me six very lovely quilted napkin rings,



Jane always surprises me. She doesn't sew very much, but the projects she chooses are always a little ambitious (did you know this Jane?). Machine quilting is challenging enough without doing it on such a small scale, and they're really well done. Thank you Jane!

Another Adventure on the Needles

First things first. My November Button-of-the-Month arrived! If you recall this is a birthday gift from my sister, each month she's sending me a button for my collection.



This month's is a black cat (I love black animals), and another hand-made card:



Here's a closer look at the wee cat:



I love this button, it looks old-fashioned and spooky. Thank you Jane!

As for my adventure on the needles, well. You know, nothing can ever be simple. There was a time in my life when everything was exactly as it should be, when ideas would come to me and projects would be executed lickety split. Those days ended, I don't know when, and now, well, if it takes me a half dozen times starting and stopping a project, it doesn't seem unreasonable. Maybe I'm more indecisive now, or maybe my standards are higher, who knows?

I decided a while back that I would knit a pair of mittens for an old friend who will be turning forty in mid-December. I had made her a pair many years ago (very nice Scandinavian style in pale blue and cream) and while she was in her son's school picking him up for lunch, someone SWIPED THEM from the sled. Terrible. Worse is, I've meant to make her a replacement pair for years and never got around to it. Now, time is at hand (no pun).

I thought the Herringbone Mittens at Elliphantom Knits were particularly nice, so off I went. I bought some Smart yarn in red and cream and knit the first one:



Lovely? Yes, even without the pom pom, which I've yet to make. The only problem is they fit me, in fact they JUST fit me, and she's bigger than me. I had to abandon this half pair (they'll get finished and fit my daughter Elly quite well, so she's going to have to wear them, like it or not). So I started another pair. This time I chose Debbie Bliss Rialto in green and cream, and, you know, this yarn is much nicer than the Smart yarn and I think my friend would prefer this colour combo anyway, so perhaps it's meant to be. I'll show them to you when they're all done, poms and all.



One more item, about my cursed landing, I bought another plant for the same spot. I brought in a lovely pink poinsettia for the season. My thinking was that it only had to last a month anyway. A good idea?



Here it is two days later:



Spooky...