A change in taste

I've noticed lately that my taste is changing ... I've never had an interest in, or even paid any attention to, anything with owls on it, but suddenly - totally taken by them.

I've been eying up fabric - (this one is from Spoonflower - scrumptious!)
(this one I found on Hartsfabric's site)
(and this fabric is from Harts too!)

Owl material isn't all I've been taken with. I am thinking of gettin' my craft on by making one of these - as Amy at the Leaky Lounge blog has so kindly listed a tutorial for, or one of these appliqued on who knows what?!

Yumi Yumi's etsy Shop has been getting a lot of looks from me -- love it! Go look-see!

There are over 62,000 owl related items on Zazzle - and I've been working my way through the site, page by page (some pretty adorable stuff here! Even Shoes!), and I've even found (and bookmarked!) a blog devoted to all things owlie - My Owl Barn.

I find myself searching Ravelry for cute Owl patterns - this is adorable, and this is too cute for words, I love this and this makes me want to grab the needles and go-go-go!

Whoo-oo'd a thunk it? An old broad can change her taste (somebody hide my credit cards!)

somebody - please take away my self striping sock yarn!

I can't seem to stop knitting vanilla socks with self-striping yarn! I have other knitting to do, things people have ordered, craft sale knitting and Christmas gifts that aren't socks -- and what do I pick up to knit? Socks. I just finished these tonight ... made of Socken Wolle yarn in colour 675 (which I am calling "A Conservative Walk on the Wild Side" because of the neutral, conservative colours that contrast so much with the vibrant orange and magenta pink).

They are a gift for a friend ... can't say who - surprise gift!

The details are the same as all my other vanilla sock posts - knit on 2.75 mm needles (bamboo this time. I started them on Oct. 31st as Halloween knitting, and finished them tonight.

I like 'em ... sometimes it is good to mix the conservative and the wild!

Christmas Knitting Progress

I have finished another Christmas gift ... they have been done for a while, but I neglected to photograph them.

Steps for my Step ... socks for my step mother, knit from Austermann Step in Brombur (colour # 3). They remind me of sock monkeys. Ravelled here, blogged here.

Vanilla ... not just for ice cream anymore

Yep - another pair of plain ole vanilla socks(but jazzed up with an Eye Of Partridge heel). Pretty dull, but I needed knitting to take to the movie last weekend ("Cirque de Freak:the Vampire's Assistant" - quite good,reminds me of "American Werewolf in London' from the 1980s), and the vanilla sock meets the criteria.

The Details:
Pattern: vanilla, plain, boring sock
Needles: 2.75 mm dpns, 1 sock on Estelle natural bamboo, the other on Harmony woods. I knit them in tandem to be sure they were very 'matchy matchy'.
Yarn: Patons Kroy Sock Stripes, colourway 'Cyan Stripes'
Time in: 6 days. Started - Sat. Oct. 24th, Finished - Friday, Oct. 30th
For: my baby brother (well, he is 23, so I guess he's not a baby anymore), for Christmas. He moved out West in the Summer to work, and has found a job he really likes ... but he says it is FREEZING (big sista to the rescue!)
Again?: yeah ... as dull as they are to look at and write about, I'll keep making vanilla's fairly often, as I can make them in the dark, I have a ton (literally, almost!) of self striping yarn which is great for stocking stitch, I can crank a pair out in about a week if I am working (and quicker if I am not), and they make a nice basic sock present (especially for a man) - although my husband T told me last night his favorite type of sock is one with a small rib top, and wider ribbing down the leg to the foot ... he likes the way it hugs his foot and calf. He is becoming so well versed in handknit socks ;)

Boo to You!

Well, another Halloween has come and gone ... and I had some pretty cute, err, I mean SCAREY visitors that came from everywhere!

They came from the land ...

A & S, our niece and nephew, came out dressed as a vampire and a pumpkin, and were among the first to arrive, followed immediately by our 12 year old niece V, as a gorilla, and then a few minutes later our nephews J & Baby O stopped in (they are visiting for the weekend from Halifax). J is a knight, and Baby O is Woody from Toy Story.

They came from the air ...

My sister and her husband accompanied the boys, and she was dressed as a witch (she's such a good mom - dresses up with the boys every year! She's been a farmer, a pirate, a cow girl, and now a witch!)

They came from the sea ...

Little Miss A the Lobster came by for a visit too -- she looked pretty darned cute on her first Halloween (kudos to her momma on sewing such a sweet costume for her!)

We had 43 kids visit the house ... not bad, but we usually get more. I carved a few pumpkins, but the wind kept blowing out the candles ... or was it the wind? Maybe a low flying witch!

Pay it Forward

I recently agreed to take part in a Pay it Forward exchange. It's a pretty neat idea: you can receive a personal, handmade gift from a talented crafter, and all you have to do is "pay it forward" by agreeing to do the same for three people.

I've been reading John's blog for a few months now, and when he listed his Pay It Forward offer, I jumped at the chance (he is a really talented fella!) I'm looking for two more people to accept my offer (the deal is for three, but I already have one lined up -- Bumble Beans sent in a request to play along as soon as she found out I was involved in John's PIF, and knew that I would be looking for someone to send to..

If you would like to receive a handmade gift from me, and are willing to make and send a handmade gift along to three of your blog readers, please let me know in my comments. Once you accept, you will receive something from me within 365 days. In turn, you will have 365 days to fulfill your end of the bargain.

Fun stuff - giving and receiving!

my favorite flavour

...vanilla!

I cast these on as movie knitting, Friday night, so I'd have something to do during the Trailer Park Boys Countdown to Liquor Day movie. I can't do anything more complex than a stocking stitch in the dark, so vanilla socks these will be!

If the yarn looks familiar, it may be because I had started knitting socks from this yarn before, but it was too pink to be socks for T, so to the frog pond it went!

These will be socks for my step mother for Christmas ... and the fact that they are knit from Austermann Step and are for my Stepmother makes me giggle a little as I knit away.

I have 8 Shrek hats to knit (3 are totally done, 2 more are partially done ... so I am getting there), and need a break. Knitting with a different weight for a few days takes some of the strain off my hands/wrists.

ETA - first one is now done ... except for toe grafting, but I'll wait to do that until the second one is done.

Have I ever mentioned

that Curly (our kitty) likes to stuff himself into boxes, bags and baskets, regardless of their size (or his size relative to the container into which he stuffs himself)?

I don't think he knows he's a bit big for this one ... sorta like a muffin top!

Progression

Back in July, I started a pair of plain vanilla socks as a Christmas gift for my MIL. I finished one very quickly, and then put them away in favour of another project. Every once in a while, I'd think of the socks, and feel good knowing I had one done, and the second one half done ... it would be a fast to finish Christmas gift!

A week ago, for Knit Nite, I dug out the bag with the sock and a half in it, ready to knit merrily away on it and get the present finished.

Memory is a funny thing, eh? When I pulled the socks out of the bag, you could have knocked me over with a feather -- there was only one done, and the second one (which I was totally confident was half done - more than half even!), not even cast on! I searched the stash, to see if there was a half sock tucked away, but nope - no such thing.

I cast on the second sock last Wednesday, and finished it tonight ... it could have been done quicker, had I not done the major declutter on the house. But it is done now, and I am pleased.

The yarn is Fleece Artist - a special they had at Have a Yarn (feels like there is mohair in the merino - smooshy and soft). Lots left over (enough for a kids pair probably - I will weigh it to see!)

inspired!

For the past few years, I have been accumulating stash - in fabric and yarn, and finding places to "hide" it ... last week, I had a look around, and realized that I was on my way to becoming an episode of Hoaders -- something had to be done!

Sorry - there are no before pictures - I don't want to admit the lengths to which the stashing had gone (take it from me - there was clutter, and the garbage man is not going to like me this week!)

This is a series of after pictures of my new "craft room" - formerly known as the computer room (we have agreed to share the space!;) ). All I need to have it complete is for T to disassemble my sewing table and bring it downstairs, and I am set to go! So exciting ... now I ma tackling the rest of the house -- no closet or cupboard will be unturned! I am a woman with a mission (noone but us needs to know my motivation is to not be on a reality show, right?)

P. S. In case you noticed -- there is no more space for anything -- so I am currently on a yarn diet and would appreciate any tips and pointers on how to make a deep dent in the stash -- patterns you enjoy are appreciated!

P. P. S. This is what I culled from the yarn stash -- I am going to donate it to a nursing home in my community - there are even a bunch of needles I got rid of too -- it feels so good to have it gone!