Addie's First Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving we had something new to add to our list of things that we are thankful for.  Her name is Addison - and we are so blessed to have her in our lives.  Every day I wonder what we did without her.  She brings a smile to my face every day.  

 So Happy 1st Thanksgiving Addison - we love you more than we could ever imagine!

 

Another Christmas gift checked off!

My daughter-in-law Diana requested a seasonal wall hanging for Christmas that she can switch out for the different seasons of the year.  Last Christmas I made her seasonal tablerunners and she loves them and uses them all the time.  So I bought this beautiful star hanger that has a rod where you can change out the wall hangings easily.  I actually bought one for Jen and Meagan as well but I decided to wait with Meagans until next Christmas because then her and Ryan will be married and have a joint household.  This year they are still homeowners of two townhomes and don't need any  more stuff to worry about moving when they do sell.  and Jen just got her Advent Calendar for this year so unless more time miraculously appears in my day, I don't know if I will get hers done.  But she knows I'm good for it!

So here is the first installment for Diana - a Christmas hanging.  I will also get one made to match her house that can be hung up in between holidays.  I will also try to get one done for Easter, Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Again, not sure how many will be wrapped for Christmas, but I will do my best!   I need longer weekends!!!!!

Smokin' Embroidery Machine

I finished the trim on the bath towels last week but hadn't gotten to the embroidery part of the project.  I needed to embroider the names on the backs of the towels.  Since I had my embroidery machine going strong to finish the advent calendar I decided to keep it going and get the rest of our project list completed.  So tonight I finished Audrey, Brennan and Nia's bath towels that Jen is giving them for Christmas.  Nia will be having a baby brother join her early next year so for this Christmas, until he is named, he will get a towel minus his name.  I still have that one to finish.  They turned out so cute.  I used a font called Child's Play, which seemed appropriate for baby bath towels.  

Jen's Advent Calendar

Well, I decided to sew all weekend instead of knit and I completed Jen's Advent Calendar.  She wanted to have one for Addison's First Christmas so that she can use it for years to come with Addison and any brothers or sisters she may have!!!  It's all about starting family traditions.  Now that Jen and Eric have started their own family, it's time for them to start creating memories.  

This all started when Jen and I looked at Advent Calendars at several places.  They were either too expensive, too big or poorly made.  Of course, I jumped right on that one!  Too expensive?  Well, by the time you buy everything and the time it takes, I guess the price wasn't that bad after all.  Too big?  After you put 25 pockets on and make them a size that is usable, well, it's hard to keep it small.  Too poorly made?  Now that's one I can beat them on.  I am an over-achiever when I sew.  It MUST be perfect or I am not happy.  I even critiqued this project and noticed how many numbers I sewed on a bit crooked.   But one thing Addison can say when she looks at this every Christmas is "My grammy made this for me."   Aaawwwww!!!

 

Always switching gears!

With Christmas getting close, a million gift ideas race through my head.  And did I tell you that ideas race through Jen's as well?  Well, being the Mom that I am, I always volunteer to help with her ideas as well.  Part of my problem is that I look at the price that stores charge for things that I can make....and the quality is usually poor.  It all started when Jen wanted an advent calendar.  We actually went to see them in person and they were not good for the price - at least to my standards.  So first volunteer project.  We bought fabric and I plan to have it done before December 1.  Second project - making hoodie bathtowels for all of Jen's nieces and nephews.  Pottery Barn charges an arm and a leg....so second volunteer project.  I can sew ribbon on towels and use my embroidery machine to embroider their names on them.  So tonight I sewed ribbon on 4 towels.  The embroidery will come later.  But they did turn out so cute.  And nothing is nicer than a handmade gift.  They sewed up so quickly that it's hard for me to imagine a store charging $30 each!!!  I already made two for Addie and they are so big and warm and wrap around her so much nicer than the little baby ones.  Because, after all she is getting to be a big girl already!  

So I will continue sewing and knitting until the final hours prior to Christmas in hopes of getting everything done that I want or would like to have done!  Wish me luck!

Mystery Beret - Clue #2

Well, I caught up and have finished clue #2 of the mystery beret.  I love it so far.  Next clue will be the decrease rows and then the blocking.  Can't wait to see the finished product.  This was a fast, enjoyable knit.  I'm still not sure how it will look on me as I am not a hat person but I am anxious to finish it anyway.  Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.  Clue #3 is supposed to come out on Thursday so hopefully I will finish it over the weekend and be ready to block it.  Yeah - then the final test.  Who will it look good on?  Hopefully me! 

Time for a Mystery!

Anyone who does read my blog knows that I always have a ton of projects going at once.  So why wouldn't I jump on the chance to do a Mystery Beret?  A hat designer on Ravelry called Woolly Wormhead has started a mystery beret group.  When you join anything that has the word "mystery" in the title, you know that you won't know what it will look like until you are done...no picture ahead of time, just clues.  So Clue #1 was the 2" k1p1 rib.  Done!  The second clue is the actually pattern of the beret, which is a very pretty lace pattern...Started!  I am not a hat person at all so you might wonder why I would be making this?  I don't have the right hair for hats - once they come off I can't go anywhere but home!  But the idea of making a beret sounded appealing.  And fun.  So off I went - digging through my stash since I refused to buy any new yarn for a hat that might not even look good on me.  I know the hat will be beautiful as all of Woolly Wormhead's hats are very cool.  I have 3 girls in my family so if this doesn't work for me, then I have other heads to try it on!

How it all began

For some reason the beginning of Fall brings out the organizer/cleaner person in me.  I have spent this entire weekend like a mad woman - cleaning out drawers and cabinets, putting new shelf paper down, organizing a bathroom closet AND organizing my craft, scrapbook, sewing, knitting, and crocheting room!  I decided it was time to organize all of my patterns...those in the form of books, magazines and printed off the internet.  I am amazed by what I have!  I could knit 24 hours a day for two lifetimes and never come close to making all the patterns I have.  But a couple things caught my eye.  I found my first two books I ever got on how to learn to knit and crochet.  I always tell my kids that I was somewhat different than alot of little kids my age.  They would want to be out playing (which don't get me wrong, I did alot of) but I always wanted to be sitting with my Mom and her many sisters at the dining room table watching them knit, crochet and tat.  They made exquisite things - beautiful tablecloths with the smallest crochet hook you ever saw, with tons of small beads crocheted in.  Unbelievable.  I wanted to learn as I watched them.  I remember my one aunt worked at a tiny store that sold everything you could think of.  One day her and my Mom took me there to get my first book on how to learn to knit and crochet.  I couldn't believe that my Mom had saved it for me all these years.  The copyright in my "Learn How Book" was 1959.  I was 5 years old!!!  My name is printed on the inside in this very cute, large printing - MY large printing!!  It was MY book, my very own book!   It cost 29 cents!  From that point on I was hooked so to speak.  Oh, I've gone in and out of knitting and crocheting over the years but have always been in love with anything done by hand.  I've quilted, made my kids their clothes and halloween costumes, covered their beds in quilts, etc.  and now I have a beautiful granddaughter Addison that has sparked a new love affair with knitting!  I can't wait until Addison is watching me knit and says to me in her little squeaky voice "Grammy can you show me how to do that?"  I sure will Addie!!!