Not the holiday I had planned

Well, it's been a little bit of a roller coaster over here.  However, I did finish all the knitting I intended too.  I didn't get to get all the baking in I wanted, nor did I get in the cleaning or organizing or decorating.  We always travel to our families for the holidays, and so I feel like I have more time than I really do.  All of a sudden we'll be leaving for Wisconsin in the morning.  This year was no different.  Well, a little different.  I lost an aunt over the holidays, my mom's side of the family.  It was a bittersweet holiday, she hung on through Christmas (which she loved).

Our plans changed a lot, popping back home (300 miles) for the dentist and to complete everything we had intended to do while on vacation that week, then coming back for funeral activities (300 miles).  Then back home (300 miles).  And on to New Year's activities...  Far too much packed in to a small amount of time.  Going back to work was a vacation from this vacation.

When life was getting away from me I was knitting balls.  BALLS!!! (I also made candies ... all in BALL form ... sorry)  I made a few for a knitting friend who lost her Christmas decor in a flood this summer.  Our knitting group pooled together to start rebuilding her collection.  I also made a few more for me.

I also finished (but not blocked) a Spectra (by Stephen West).  It was made with Dream in Color Starry in Deep Sea Flower and Jawoll Magic, a one ply color changing fingering weight yarn by Lang.  So pretty, stunning really.

The Christmas gifts went over well - the flower headband for my boyfriend's sister got a delightful reaction.  My brother's Packer scarf was great, he even said "It'll match my hat!"  Yup, that was the intent :-D.  Grandma loved her slippers, one of my aunts said I should take orders.  Oh, no these are for Grandma only.

And over Christmas I was knitting with handspun... a RhombusCowl out of Beyounce the llama's fur.  I have loved her so much, my mom bought me a TON of her roving for Christmas - there will be a Beyounce sweater - but not yet.  I think I would like a class on plying first.

Quick Quick Super Quick

Quick update!

Holiday knitting is in full force except I wasn't going to do any .... yeah.  Not so hot at sticking to stuff.

I finished some cute socks - groovy socks - in some handpainted sock blank.  It turned out great - they are lace though and not thermally appropriate for the Chicagoland weather of December.  They will be hibernating in the drawer a bit.

I cast on another pair of socks out of left overs from my vacation shawl (seen below).  Rhythm Man Socks - they are a slip stitch pattern which should offer ample protection from the harsh Chicagoland winters.

I had a finishing flurry over Thanksgiving weekend.  Friend R came over for Dr Who time and she started a new sweater and I finished a ton of projects including modifications to a sweater I made this spring - a Juliet made in Brown Sheep Cotton yarn.  It is beige and a good combo with a long sleeve t-shirt.  I will go add some to my wardrobe. I also finished Grandma's slippers.  I made her socks - she won't put them in her shoes, so she said they are too slippery to wear around the house.  I got some leather soles and made these:

I keep thinking maybe I should knit another pair of socks to "line" the slippers with, but I don't think I will at this point.  I even swatched for this - a rarity - but it made me a convert.  It turned out so well - like every time it does when I swatch... jeez.  I might be a convert.

I then decided to use November's Dream in Color Club color for not the scarf designed for it.  (a little short for a scarf if you ask me).  I made a crochet shawllette from the Chicago Yarn Crawl.  It's amazing.  I need to block it.  I will do that tomorrow.  Typing it makes it true right?

A winner in every way!

I won a couple of the KAL prizes and it made up for all the little things that went wrong this week.

The headlight that went out is forgiven, as is the keyboard that shorted.

I got a call on Thursday from Skacel about the Progressive Needles KAL and I won the 5th prize!  Should be a grab-bag of goodies.  I'm thrilled!

I went to Saturday knitting at Fuzzy Wuzzy and found out I won the Fall KAL prize too!

That was a gift certificate - not really sure what I want to do with it either.  So many choices...  Maybe some Lindsey to knit out of the Norah Gaughn vol 8.  Lots of cute summery stuff.  Ogunqui?  Ogunyes.

I'm almost through a potholding pattern.  2 Oven mitts, 5 potholders and 2 skeins of wool.  I've started working two at a time, I'm excited to see how that effects the felted product.  It's looking good :)

I've also picked up the hook - we'll see how this goes...

I need a few more knit along's please?

I don't think I realized how many KAL's I've committed myself too.

What's on my needles?  Everything and I must knit all the things.

First is a Fall KAL for Fuzzy Wuzzy's Berroco KAL.  I picked out a 3/4 sleeve sweater called Dodgson out of Berroco Boboli.  It's a lofty one ply yarn, very short bursts of color and it's working up very shiney and fluffy.  I do like the pattern, no errors so far.  It's a different construction starting at the bottom front, over the shoulders and down the back.  The sleeves are knit as we go.  I'm unsure of how I will like the fit of the sleeves knit sideways.

I've got yarn to start Knit Purl Hunter's Progressive Needles KAL.  I don't know that I will start, as I've also got yarn coming for the October Dream in Color kit.  I've been working on a prayer shawl for a girlfriend of mine who's going through a rough time.  However, I've been struggling so much with the pattern that I think I should rip back and try something simpler.  So I was thinking of gifting one of these instead.  I know that the pattern I picked out would take about a year to complete and I think that she deserves a little comfort sooner than that.

Maybe we need a KAL for the blog?  Socks?  I love socks?  Who wants to knit the Groovy socks with me? I just finished the ribbing!

I've also been working on a design of my own - working one with beads and one without.  It's called Bleeding Hearts Shawl and here's a preview.

I've also been working on Christmas gifts, but not very hard.  I think I'm going to make slippers for the grands.  I know my grandparents have all the stuff they could ever need.  So I like to craft them something, and I know that my dad's parents have enjoyed the socks I've made them.  My grandmother on my mom's side likes them but needs more stability.  I will make her some with leather soles.  I also knit for Greg's grandmother last year too.  She's a crafter as well (actually - all of my family is crafters) so she knows the effort and uses the items I gift.  <3  I think Greg's mom will get a pair of slippers too - they should work up real quick.  I hope I have some quality colors in my stash for this!

See - look I'm planning more projects too!

But I really wanted to tell you about teaching others to craft and I'll do that tomorrow because I'm now itching to knit!