If your name is Gene and you haven’t received your Pollyanna gift, avert your eyes until you do!

I made several father-daughter hats as xmas gifts with a major pattern modification…I included a liner. Same number cast on stitches, but provisional CO and on a smaller needle. I knit a couple of rows in the outside wool yarn (Bartlett) in K2P2 rib, switched to a soft yarn (Encore for two for about 4 inches, then back to Bartlett for a couple rounds, did a purl ridge, switched to bigger needles (8’s?) and reversed the rib for the outside of the hat. Knit it up to meet the provisional cast on, K2tog from cast on and working stitches, then stockinette for 1/2 to 1 inch, then decreases as in pattern. I also did one with Trendsetter Blossom as a liner that I let peek out over the edge. It’s very soft, but a bit bulky and made the hat a bit too big.

liners

can you tell one is for a hunter?

aren’t the double decreases nice?

miss kt

I liked this pattern, it’s quick. I’m thinking to adapt it for bulky yarn for the last couple Dulaan hats. It should be super warm. It would have to be a cast on in multiples of 8, so for little kids 64 stitches, and for adults 80.

Here’s Gene’s Pollyanna…actually it’s for the dog, Pinky. It’s in machine wash and dry Encore.

the arms patterned like snakes on 36 stitches but the leggings on 30 sts did not!

It’s the basic knit dog sweater from here. But I made the arms longer and made some leggings for his back legs!

Gracie models Pinky’s sweater

And, a 1×1 rib watch cap to match. Basic, 100 stitches. But I wasn’t sure about how to make the top look nice, then I found this.

the roll is doubled because it is not a 100% wool hat

I really like this decrease in the 1×1 rib

Juju mentioned that I hadn’t blogged about knitting in a while, so if you think this is an overlong post, talk with her!

I FINALLY finished adding some inches to the green malabrigo sweater that I started before LAST thanksgiving (that’s right, 2005). It got put down when I had to rip 8 inches or more of the finished back. Then other projects got started and done. I think I finished it in Feb. Row gauge? OOPS. It was pretty short, but worked ok, then I washed it and it was just too short. I picked up with a 2×2 rib this Thanksgiving, didn’t like it, ripped out the 4 inches I’d added. Then decided to pick up in same rib as the sweater. It’s not perfect, but will be a good knock around sweater. The line where I picked up the stitches almost makes the new knitting look like ribbing on a plainer sweater.

the back is nice too

close up of pick up, and can you see where I had to switch to different dye lot on bind off here?

Big Geek listed her 2006 FOs and goals for 2007. I thought, goals, what are those? Then I got thinking, what did I knit this past year? Not including what is above in this post…

Lots of hats (16): 3 so far for Dulaan, 6 or so caps to the capital, the pirate hat, the tweed beret, 2 yurt shaped hats, the cathedral hat, a ribbed watch cap (not the one above), and a cabled beanie.

Other accessories: the DNA scarf, 3 pair of fetching, 2 pair of mittens, and a pair of fingerless gloves to match the cabled beanie (in Misty alpaca…oh so soft!).

Socks: 2 small pair, the green lace ones for me, and a second sock of a pair that was started last year. I would like to knit more socks in 2007!

Sweaters (6): 2 real raggsock sweaters, both in men’s xl, in bartlett, one in oatmeal, the other in natural and gray ragg. At the owners’ requests. Next time, more color!

Sizzle

Dolce Knit’s Sebring Tank (you have to scroll down to see…I haven’t worn it much because it doesn’t work with my regular bra or with my racer back. I will keep shopping for a good bra for this!

Andrea’s vest, and the baby kimono.

And, I’m not sure how you’d classify these things,
4 hedgies

the naughty squiddy. Note all of you that think it’s too odd, this is filed under toys!

The mice

A felted poodle purse (not sure if I blogged about this one).

mowatt mukluks. These were an expensive failed experiment. I modified the pattern by not putting in the “fur”, instead using fringe at the top, and by leaving a deep opening so I could lace them. I think the problem is that I used Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride versus the called for Galway (can you see I’m tired of linking by this point?). I had envisioned robin hood/wood sprite boots with needle felted designs with bits of this b-eautiful autumn colored roving/fleece that I have.

before

this gives you a better idea of just how huge they were!

after 9 times through my washer, that dansko is a size 41!

Libby put them through her washer once and that helped a lot, but one didn’t quite shrink right. It needs me to take it to a washboard. And I just didn’t get to it!

What is interesting to me is that I’ve blogged about most of these things, even though I only started blogging in late September.

So, for goals, and short because this is a long post…

Birthday sweater for dh. I’ve done the gauge swatch, due date 1/20.
Top down hoodies for a 2 year old and my 11 year old.
Multicolor sweater for me from odd skeins of worsted wool.
Fiber trends’ felted clogs
Lots of socks, including knee highs for me, I’m thinking Bavarian knee highs from an old Knitter’s.
These are all stashbusters, except maybe the knee highs.
More stashbusters.

And non-knitting knitting goals: join some swaps, run some contests (=unload some of my stash-the good stuff!)

If you made it this far…Happy New Year! We are off to a party…I’ve made another batch of Coquito!

I saw some white moose on the news at the gym the other morning, but couldn’t hear the commentary. Check out these pictures. You have to scroll through to see the white moose (not the same photo as on the news, apparently this is not totally unheard of), but there are some pretty hilarious old pictures of moose in people’s homes.

We have some new equipment here, so it’ll be another couple of days until I can show pictures of FO’s.

I received a wonderful xmas gift, the 2006 Wine Buying Guide for Everyone by Andrea Immer. If you’re a wine drinker, I highly recommend this. That on sale $12 magnum bottle of shiraz that we’ve been enjoying? It makes her top 25 reds based solely on taste. And we’ve had a great riesling based on her recommends. I look forward to exploring the book some more!

Today we drove about an hour to Sears Island near Belfast to take the doggies for a walk. It was some cold; with the wind, probably about zero . We managed about 10 minutes or so out, with all hopeful intent and the picnic cooler full of lunch. Wasn’t happening, let me tell you! The dogs loved it though. Gracie took off like a rocket to chase the gulls. I saw the two of them ankle deep in the water and it gave me a shiver. I looked away and back, and there was Gracie, chest deep! It was low tide, and the small puddles of water were frozen. We never made it around the corner of the beach where DH found “The Horror” of the autumn, tick nests on grass stems that looked like ergot from a distance. At least it was cold enough that the ticks are not out and about. I was some happy to get home and stick my butt in front of the wood stove.

The Norwegians have a saying that translates something like “there is not bad weather, just bad clothes”. I apparently had “bad clothes” today!

Winston got his mouse and other goodies! Obviously he is pleased.

Oh I love you, you addictive little nip

Remember the pic of all the cat goodies? There was one odd brown thing in the back…it was a triangle of some veloury yarn with eyelash (something headed for the trash at LYS). I stuffed it with catnip and folded it over, sort of like a wonton . My brother (Winston now keeps him) received this package, at the jail . He was excited…must be the mice! But as he opened the package, and the brown item came out, his co-workers asked him WHAT is THAT? He had no idea, hmmm, is it a cock and ball warmer? So, thinking it was something racy, he stuffed it back into the box post-haste. I had to clarify things for him. It’s a cat toy!

Do you know about kiva ? You get to lend some money (even small amounts) to an entrepreneur in the developing world (you get to choose who and what for), they repay the money to kiva after about a year, you get your money back and can either reinvest or take it and go. My brother wants to give a kiva “gift” to my son and our neices…I say “YOU BET!” What a great idea!

I leave you with

I may be striped but I am NOT jail bait

The squid is off! I’ve been calling her Celia the Cephalopod. Thank you Libby for felting her for me. It seems my washer no longer felts…9 times through and poor Celia was in the sorry state you saw previously.

I am NOT too phallic for a child!

Yes, we got an xmas tree. Of course dh had us all stomp to the back of the lot to be sure we saw them all. I was taken by the ones with “personality”. He likes a fuller tree. He does the cutting and carries the heavy end, so I let him decide. After it was up and had lights, he said “I believe we have achieved the perfect compromise”. (I could not have done this pic like this if I’d tried, but Nick and I really like it).

No, you haven’t had too much coquito…yet

Nick grabbed something off the ground and declared “My tree”. He even decorated it. I like it a lot!

Charlie Brown?

My aunt thinks there are not enough ornaments on my xmas trees. So, Aunt Linda, I counted them as I put them up. There are 150 on the tree. I think that is a lot. I have about as many off the tree as on (heavy things and a basket of small things including home-made felted ornaments from the 1970’s…I like to look at these, so the basket sits around). My relatives need to remember that I don’t have an artificial tree, so I can’t hang many heavy ornaments. And this year, I could only hang 4 heavy ones because of all the light branches. And nothing glass on the bottom 2-3 feet. Nick put up some glass balls for me today, and, well, read about who came, and you can imagine I had the vac out pretty quickly so nobody got hurt. Then I dropped the vac wand and busted a couple more!

Sid came to visit today. He and Zuzu are wild. Gracie tried to join in a bit, but they are too much for her, so she ran around next to them, just outside their circle. They all got on fine, though I am SURE that at one point Zuzu sauntered past Gracie and sneered “He’s mine”.

Gracie, Sid, Zuzu

I made another batch of Coquito this afternoon.
Coquito or Puerto Rican Eggnog

I think this came from the Live with Regis and Kelly show, 2003 holiday season (I was on the couch with some respiratory ailment, which is why I was watching this show). It is very yummy. Makes 1.5 liters.

Simmer 8 whole cloves, 3 large cinnamon sticks, 6 whole star anise in 2 cups water on low heat until spice essence is released. Strain, reserving the liquid.

Mix spice liquid, 750 ml rum, 8 oz. coco lopez (cream of coconut), and 8 oz. condensed milk in a blender.

Pour into chilled pitcher or glasses (if you want to drink right away). Keeps one week. Refrigeration is not needed.

This is what I do differently…I use the whole can of coco lopez and the whole can of condensed milk (they come in ~15 oz cans). I use 3 cups water, 12 cloves, 4-5 cinn sticks, 9 or so anise, and only about 2/3 the bottle of rum. It’s still wicked strong. I keep it on a cold windowsill.

Me that is! Look what I won, Sexy Little Knits. I won the drawing for the Sizzle KAL at sexy knitters club. Showed dh the picture at amazon, he thought I actually won the outfit . He was a bit dissappointed when he found out it was a book, but then thought maybe there was some potential there.

I’ve been knitting, but can’t show much.

Sent these off today and I don’t think the recipients read this, so,

cat toys

The mice are based on berroco’s recent free pattern, monty. I had a small pile of gauge swatches and thinking of something to do with them was in the back of my mind. This pattern brought them to the front burner! One of them (the oatmeal one on the left) is going to the family of a young man who got the sweater in that yarn. The other shapes are based loosely on something at knitty, the feline dim sum. Basically, this means that the square was too small to make a mouse of.

Friday after spending the day slipping around on the wet floor, I bought red crocs. New, they are great on wet, smooth surfaces. But, trust me, old with the soles worn down, they are THE WORST! I fell in the slick mud maybe three times this spring wearing my old pair. Once into a pond (I figured they ARE amphibious shoes). DS wanted to laugh, and when I did, he bust out. He wasn’t sure if I’d be upset or not.

And what a wonderful kid. Tonight he said he loves his pirate hat so much he wore it every possible moment today. His teacher made him take it off in class, but it went right back on when he was out.

No tree yet, but we have put up some lights and some of my old fashioned ornaments.