Christmas Greetings

Since I was in college, I've been making my Christmas cards each year. When I started doing this, I was designing and making my own linoleum block prints (wish I still had those blocks). Through the years, my family and friends look forward to getting my handmade cards and the list has grown to almost 100 cards. Making that many cards is a daunting task, but made easier because I create several different designs to mail out each year. Some are religious, some fun, some classy, some vintage... a little bit of a mix and each person on my list gets not only a handmade card, but handpicked especially for them as well. Here are 3 of the 6 designs for 2008.

Knitty on the Tree

My Ravelry knitting group held it's weekly knitting soiree here at the house Monday night. We also did a knit ornament exchange where everyone made a tree ornament in such great patterns of sweaters, stockings, and ball ornaments. I made a little green tree with beads and sequins for added bling plus a little extra something for everyone. Knitting bags with balls of yarn and knitting needles... aren't they the cutest?

....And another one done.

I'm just whipping through these Christmas gifts... yeah right. I must one of the slowest knitters evah.... not really, but it sometimes seems that way. This gift was a pair of tweed socks and I'm real proud of these. Loved the pattern, loved the yarn so much so that I hated to give them away, but I know I can make myself another pair. Don't they look comfy???



The recipient of the socks received the gift in a bag I crafted from a 12x12 sheet of paper.



Now I can back to the big project... an alpaca sweater vest for Bob. It seems it's been on needles forever, but it got put aside to work on other things.

Knit Wit

So okay, I've jumped into knitting this time around with gale force strength.... accumulating a nice stash, collection patterns and attending workshops to help me further this addiction. Last Saturday I drove all the way to Lansing to Threadbear to be one of a number of women in a workshop hosted by designer Jillian Moreno who co-authored the popular knitting/pattern books for plus size women titled, 'Big Girl Knits'. The class was designed to aid women in determining what garment shape was best for their body type and how to alter a pattern according to your 'real time' measurements. Yes, I did get a lot out of the class, even though there was a lot of math and calculators involved... and apparently that side of my brain stayed home that day. After the hour and half long drive home in not to pleasant weather I was tired.... yet eager to start my next sweater project. This is the very informative and funny Jillian.




Another finished Christmas project.. slipper socks for a friend...

Cropping along

I've been to a number of crops lately.... 3 day weekend long crops up north. Very fun and very tiring. I did manage to get a lot done in the Alaska album, didn't finish it, but came real close. The best part was being with friends laughing, talking, drinking, singing, and sharing. I can't wait for the next one in the spring. Here is the bunch of us singing the 'shoop shoop' song using our scrapping stuff as microphones..... and holding up our iPhones and iTouches with a cigarette lighter ala concert style. Yes we are a bunch of nuts..... but a fun loving bunch of nuts.

I've been tagged.... oh goodie.

I've read so many other's and somehow have escaped the tagging.... Coggie of Ravelry and my knitting group tagged me for the 6 quirky yet boring and/or unspectacular details about myself game. Don't get bored now.

1. I can be quite shy and quiet.
2. I don't like being in small spaces that's why I drive a big car.
3. I have a sensitivity to scents and can't walk down the laundry aisle at the supermarket.
4. I'm a coffee fanatic and must grind my own beans each morning.
5. I want to be buried in my jeans and my Birks (don't care about the top).
6. I get regular massages... just because it feels good.

There... are you happy?

I'm tagging... Amy B., Robin, Dawn, Jeanne.

Another Gift Done.......




This is the Cowl Neck Scarf for my son's girlfriend. It's my first lace project and I love it so much, I'm creating one for myself (after the gifts are all done). It went fairly quickly and a nice pattern to memorize. I'm now working on a some slipper socks for a friend. Maybe I will get all my projects done.

A Month for Cropping

One of my favorite message boards, Moments To Remember, held a weekend online crop. 3 Days of games, and challenges to motivate and create. It was so much fun, but a little tiring being at the computer for that long. I did get some challenges done and are posted below. The board was so busy and so chatty, that it went down on Monday for lack of bandwidth. Imagine that... we ran out of room. The board is back up and running smoothly.

Here are some of the scrapbook pages I did this weekend......






This weekend, my friend and I are venturing up to Gaylord, a good 3 hour drive from here to attend a weekend crop. It starts around 6 on Friday, but we'll arrive much earlier to check into our room and get our stuff unloaded and set up at our cropping tables. We are planning on stopping to do a little scrap shopping along the way..... how could we not?? I plan on working on some Disneyland pictures from 2005 when my cousin Adam came to visit from Hungary and I took him out to California to visit my sister. I also hope to get a lot done on our Alaska trip that we took this past May. We shall see how many pages I get done.

One Down!

Christmas project that is.... I finished this braided wrap for my sister and started on the next one which is a sweater vest for Bob from a luscious alpaca fiber. I've got about 4 more knitty things to go.... think I can do it?

World Card Making Day

What? A day for making cards? Why not? We have days for everything else. Why not take a day to make a couple of cards and send them to someone you care about. We all get caught up with text messages and emails and forget how nice it is to get something in the mail that isn't a bill. In the spirit of the day.. I made some cards... 15 to be exact and here are a few.

Road Trip

Saturday was a day for being on the road. A last minute yarn and crochet workshop in Lansing at Threadbear, a store I've been meaning to get to but always put it on the back burner. Coggie, a member from my knitting group was going and posted that she had room for passengers and even though I was tempted, I hesitated because it was my scrapbooking group's day to get together and crop. Unfortunately no one could make it, so I emailed Coggie and went along.

The classes were more about crochet than knitting, but held valuable information. The first class was held by the editor of interweave Crochet magazine. She brought all the crochet garments that are being featured in the fall issue of the magazine and it was nice to see these works in person and feel and the yarn and see the stitches up close. The second class was done by the person who does Knitting Daily TV... a show on PBS that talks about knit and crochet. Her focus was on how to alter patterns according to your own personal measurements.

There was time for shopping and I did give it my best to make a purchase, but without a project in mind, it was a bit mind boggling just to go through bin after bin of yarn after yarn not knowing what to get or how much to buy. Besides.... I've got more than enough yarn in my stash at home and more than enough projects to get on the needles.

On the needles.......

A couple of projects going on now.. first... a sweater for me using Noro Silk Garden. The bottom is done on circulars with cabling all the way around and then the top will be done in pieces and attached. I love the colors of the Silk Garden, and the pattern I'm using, but not sure if it will be too heavy. Have put this on hold for a while though as I start to work on Christmas projects.





Second..... with the new Therapi yarn, making a braided wrap for my sister. The yarn is very pretty, has a nice hand and a nice sheen, but it's not the best to work with as it splits easily and with each skein I use the yarn has been cut and knotted back together. The pattern called for dividing up the stitches onto holders and knitting each section separately before braiding, but I found it easier to add yarn and knit the hold thing at once, that way I know they will be the same length.




Third.... just off the needles, or rather crochet hook is a square for a baby blanket. My knitting group is putting this together for a fellow member. Each square is 12x12 and will be assembled afterward... color and style are our own and I added flowers to make it pretty.

Last weekend we took a road trip to Toronto and not wanting to take a big project to work on, but something that didn't take a lot of thought or complex patterning, so I grabbed some ribbon yarn I've had in my stash for a while and a couple of size 15 needles and worked and finished this scarf in the car and hotel room over 3 days. It was first experience using a drop stitch and I made the pattern up as I went along. I did stop to write it down just in case I wanted to do this again. Once home, I added some beads on the fringe... I think it needs more though. This may become a gift, or it may stay in my closet... I'm not sure, but I like it.

As far as other projects.... I'm still working on my sweater with the Noro Silk Garden, and a pair baby socks to go with the baby sweater. I also picked up some more yarn during our trip to Milwaukee this weekend for some potential Christmas gifts.

Cat and Socks




Yesterday I had the privilege of taking a workshop with the famous knitting diva and designer, Cat Bordhi. The day long class was held at City Knitting in Grand Rapids and was based on Cat's book, 'New Pathways for Sock Knitters'. Now only having knit 2 pair of socks EVER.... I was open to looking at this skill with new eyes. Knitting from the toe up is new for me and I love the fact there are no heel gussets to make. A few more practice baby socks and I'll have this down pat and ready to explore other patterns. My practice baby socks was in a soft pink yarn, the same I made the baby sweater with and when I make the pair, I can send the baby gift on.


All the socks that were made in the class were posted on the wall to get photographed. See my baby pink sock at the top left?



I only found out about this workshop by reading the City Knitting website last week and on the spur of the moment called and took the last available spot. I enjoyed the class and this self-taught knitter enjoyed learning from a professional. I will keep my eyes on other classes that will come up here and at LYS in Holland.

Comfy Kimono

A friend on one of my message boards is expecting a new granddaughter, her first, and I wanted to make something special for her. I found the pattern for the baby Comfy Kimono on the Lion Brand website and thought it would be a perfect sweater for a Texas winter. I added a hat and some crochet flowers for both. I think it turned out pretty cute. I hope she likes it.

I can't really believe that it's been 7 months that I've visited this blog. I almost forgot that I had it. I've been posting semi-regularly on the blog that my DS set up for me. Go see it at: http://margo.koroknaypalicz.com. Yes, I'm my own dot com.

I really should just post the same thing on both blogs or turn one into a scrapbooking or knitting blog. I've been asked about a knitting blog as so many in my knitting group have one, but i knit so slowly, it's almost not worth it.

I created this fringed christmas tree and this card holder made from a cereal box as altered challenges for the 'Moments 2 Remember' site. That's my latest work. I really really need to get started on the Alaska cruise album. Maybe this weekend..