Socks and Scraps

We're back from a lovely vacation to the Panama Canal.. (pictures on my Picturetrail album.. http://www.picturetrail.com/margokp ) and who but me thinks of what to knit when going on vacation... because there just isn't enough to do on a cruise. I grabbed some wonderful Caribbean blue yarn and a sock pattern and started a new pair of socks. I got the first one done and most of the way on the second. Not only do I love the yarn, the color, the pattern... these will always remind me of our vacation.



Shortly after we got back, I dove into some scrapbooking again by cropping with my peeps and actually finished the Alaska album.... and then got involved with an online crop. I really am not a big fan of online crops because I crop in the basement and my computer is in the office and whole floor and opposite sides of the house in distance. Turns out I actually won the big prize from The Shaker Box (Thank You) and a gift certificate to shop in their store.

Here is my favorite layout from the weekend.

uncle.... uncLE..... UNCLE....

alright already.... I give up... giving up any hopes of doing lace while on vacation. I knitted up swatches of 4 different patterns and none of them look like lace... they look more like a cobweb in a hurricane.. just a bunch of holes in no pattern whosoever. I know to stretch out the swatch to get a better idea and I know it will look better once blocked, but I couldn't tell if I missed a stitch or read the pattern wrong and I'm not going to spend my time on the ocean and in the sun being upset and frustrated.. I may tend to drink more.... and so you ask???

I'll stick to socks and I'll stick to working on my sweater.....

Knitting on vacation

We're going to be leaving on vacation real soon and I'm contemplating what knitting project to take with me. It won't be the sweater as it's too bulky... might be the Dragonfly socks to finish up, a new pair to start for the son, and maybe, just maybe, a new lace wrap. I have enough of the brown tweed alpaca left from Bob's vest and I'm thinking it would make a perfect all around wrap, but here's the dilemma... I've not done lace before. Should I start a new project, learn a new technique when I'm far from friends and internet for help? I thought I had narrowed down my search for an easy lace pattern to four, until CoggieTM (Rav name) came to knit night and brought a lace book with too many beautiful choices. Thanks a lot..

CoggieTM suggested taking not just one project, but two since this is my first lace and I will get frustrated... now how did she know that? and there's no throwing projects overboard either. Stayed tuned for pictures of knitting on board a cruise ship with pina coladas in the plenty.

Finally, the vest

It's only been several weeks since I finished and gave Bob his gift... the alpaca sweater vest and finally he put it on so I can get a picture of it. I've only asked several times.... but that's a guy for you. He's even wearing it when we go out for dinner tonight.



Now that all the gift-knitting is done, I am diligently working on a sweater and pair of socks for myself. The pattern on the socks is called Dragonfly and it's for a Knit-a-long with a group that is reading (again) the second book of the Outlander series, "Dragonfly in Amber".



Scrapbooking has been put on hold a a little bit, but I am going to a 12 hour crop this weekend and should get a ton done. I did this LO over the weekend when a couple of friends came over to play.

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.