Two more trees done!

So that's three trees down, about 4 more to go. How exciting! Of course that doesn't include various other decorating things that have to be done before completion is declared.

I have gotten a picture of the 2nd tree finished, which is my Garnet & Gold tree.Yes, it's hanging on the wall. I've had this tree for a long time, at least 12 years, maybe more. Each year I bring it out and it's shedding all over the place as I'm putting it up, and each year I think it's going to shed so much it will look like Charlie Brown's tree. Each year it surprises me. Of course I put so many ornaments and decorations on it You can barely see the green tree part anyway, but still.

After the weekend Monday brought decorating madness back. I had brought in 2 boxes from the garage on Friday that were marked "Santas" and "Christmas Santas". We had planned on working in the dining room and that's where we've been putting my mother's Santa collection, or as much of it as possible. So, Monday morning we're unpacking the boxes and mom's pulling things out of her box and saying things like, "Oh look, my Arizona Santa." Or, "Wow, I don't remember this one, isn't it cute?" This goes on for awhile, until I hear, "Well, look what I found."

At this point I need to back up 3 or so years. Picture my mother and me prowling through one of the large craft stores and spying a small, maybe 2 ft, wall tree with a cute basket at the bottom as if the tree were planted in it. We buy it thinking we have a few "kitchen" ornaments and can find some more and put it in the kitchen. We do this, everyone ohhs & ahhs. The next year we find all the ornaments, but no tree. No tree right up until Monday when mom says, "Well, look what I found."

Yep, the missing tree! There it was in the box marked "Christmas Santas". This will not happen again. There is no reason to put it in that box when there are perfectly good boxes with trees that can be marked "kitchen tree". It's ok though, we've found it and we've figured out where to hang it. Just have to get the ornaments down to decorate. But we aren't in the kitchen yet, so for now it's laying waiting.

We have made our way to the living room. It's all clean and the furniture has been moved to allow for some of my Dicken's Village houses to be put up. I may work on that some this afternoon.

I want to thank you all for the kind words about "cubie". The further from the pain of putting it together I get, the more I like looking at this piece. It really is pretty.

Finally, I want to think my Hogwarts Swap year 2 pal. I received my package and it was filled with lots of great stuff. She and I both had some things happen that kept us from getting our packages out on time. Thankfully she's very nice and was ok with my tardiness. (BTW, I mailed it out Monday...without part of it included I might add. Figured that out when I got home from the post office and found some goodies laying there. I'll send the rest the next time I head to the PO. I'm such a bad pal!) But my pal, well take a look at the goodies....
The yarn was dyed by my wonderful pal "Dora Dumbledore". (That's her wizarding name, not her muggle name.) It's beautiful and is called "Mediterrania". (You too can be the proud owner of some of her yarn by visiting her Etsy store. I love the names of the yarns in her store, not to mention the colors.) The socks are perfect and fit perfectly and feel wonderful on! The cute stripped and polka-dot item to you is a sock project bag. I don't have one so this was a special treat. The Udder Cream is for my hands when I stitch and of course the candy is self-explanatory.

(I had this all typed up and ready to post before I left to shop this morning, and completely forgot to hit Publish. I'm a goof!)

Tuesday musings

Tuesday's seem to be an odd day around my house lately. Not exactly sure why. Today was no different. I can't tell you exactly what made it odd, it just seemed that way to me. Of course, some of my friends may be thinking that it's not the day, it's more me. That could be true. Not to mention that today was 9/11. It's a hard day for so many people. I was blessed not to have lost a loved one or friend that day. But like many, I took time today to thank God for those who serve each day to try and make our lives a little safer. From the soldiers, sailors and air men & women to those who check our bags at the airport, I'm thankful that they are there to do a hard and often thankless job.

In other news, I actually finished putting my little turtle scissor fob together this evening. I finished it quite a bit differently then the model. Added some beads in the finishing to match the way I finished scissors sleeve. I'll try and get a picture tomorrow when there's some decent daylight.

Continuing with theme of "smalls" I worked on the Summer panel of "cubie". The frog is finished and I've started on the lily pads. Yes, I'll take a picture of that as well when I get the camera out tomorrow.

This weekend I went to the first FSU home football game of the season. Thankfully we won! It wasn't pretty, but it was a win and to be honest that's really all I cared about. I worked some on my pal's HP sock on the way over and on the Lynton jacket for a bit when we were heading home. Most of that was while we sat in the parking lot waiting to get into traffic and then through town while I still had some light. I did find that I'm beginning to be able to knit without having to look, or in this case in the dark. The problem came with knowing which row I was on so I could decrease. So far I've managed 11" of the back. That's more then half-way! Yes, I'm excited. Of course I haven't worked on it since, but my dad has a doctor appointment in the morning so I'll take that with me to work on while we wait.

No other news, which is probably a good thing. Now, if only the weather would get cooler....

Weekend Round-up...sort of

Friday Night I managed to finally get out and to the knit in at KnitWitz. I've been so sporadic with going what with work, being sick and just stuff. Glad I went Friday though. Managed to purchase the new Cat Bordhi book "New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book One". There were only 2 copies left and I snagged one when I figured out what it was. Let me just say this book is so very cool. So very different...and so very totally making me want to sit and knit socks. So, Friday night when I finally got home after knitting and eating fabulous Mexican food, I found a single skein of yarn that I was fairly certain would work and did my little gauge swatch like she tells you to, well almost like she tells you to, and then started the 1st of the practice socks. I worked on it Saturday and then finished it Sunday evening. Between the book and working on my HP year 2 Sock Exchange sock, all I did was knit from Friday until Sunday. Actually I only knitted yesterday for Labor Day (what a funny name for a holiday...Labor Day and we get it off, well some of us do at least.) Anyway, it was an all knitting long weekend.

But back to the new book....I highly recommend this book. It has great pictures to help those of us who need visual aides as well as great written directions. I haven't quite figured out that very cool cast-on she shows you, but I'll get it eventually. I was too excited to really sit down and concentrate. Just had to get started on this first pathway sock. I've started it's mate, so it will eventually go to some deserving child. Just have to figure out which one.

In other knitting news. I also put together my Eliza Tank on Friday at the knit-in and got to ring the bell! I haven't posed for pictures with it on yet, stay tuned for those. Finally I did work on my Lynton cardigan yesterday while watching football. At least I managed to do something constructive during a game that for at least half of it I was not feeling the love, or the football for that matter. Let me just say that I have hopes that the rest of the season will go a bit better now that they have that nastiness out of their system. But I'm a realist and know that an almost entire new offensive coaching staff and a few months does not a National Championship make. But like my Michigan friends I have other things to look forward to in the season and I'll set my sights on those little tidbits of possible football joy. (BTW, yes, I did graduate from Florida State, so I earned the right to be a 'Nole. I fully believe that if you graduated from any school you have the right to be a huge fan. But that's another post, for another time.)

A quick stitching note. September is "September Smalls" month, which means working on any of those small projects that have accumulated in my WIPs/UFOs/Stash. I deviated from the normal Tuesday Christmas Ornament stitching to pull out "the cubie" and have a go at it. I have fall and winter side done, so opted for Summer, since hey...technically it's still summer. Managed to get a bit done. I'll try to take some pictures and post them tomorrow.

I think that does it. Happy knitting and stitching!

Ornament Happy Dance!

That's it! The completely stitched Quaker Reindeer by The Workbasket from the 2006 Just Cross Stitch ornament issue. All ready to be finished into a pretty ornament. I think I've already said that this was one my mom really liked when she was the ornament issue last year. I don't think I would have put it on my list if she hadn't said how much she liked it, but honestly it's so beautiful in person. The fiber is Caron Waterlillies, Copper and the shading doesn't show up in the picture like it does in person.

In other news, I think I've finally knitted all I need to on the straps for Eliza tank. I have to pin it together and make sure they are long enough before I do anything drastic. I'm a bit concerned that this is actually going to fit me. I was looking at some people who had finished it on Ravelry and it doesn't seem that anyone was extremely pleased with how it fit when they got it finished. So that's got me worried. I hope I'll have worried for no reason. I really like how it looks. Cross your fingers for me.

In other, slightly related news, I've decided on a pattern and fiber for my HP Sock Exchange year 2 socks. Not to make sure I have enough yarn before I get started. If not, then I'll have to do some quick rethinking. Need to get started soon, so I'll have them all done in time. I'm excited about the pattern. I think it will look very cool when I'm done. I love to start new things, so this will help my itch to start something new.

Hogwarts 2nd year

Without further ado I present my 2nd year questionnaire. Now to await my new pal.

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

Second Years

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into? Gryffindor

2. Shoe size? 7 ½ US. Foot length? 9 inches. Foot circumference? about 8 inches

3. List your three favorite sock yarns.

a. Jitterbug

b. Lorna’s Sock Yarn

c. anything that’s soft and pretty!

4. Would you like to try a new brand of sock yarn? If so, which brand? I’d love to try a new brand of sock yarn. I don’t really care what brand. I’ve either got in my stash or can acquire Panda Sock, Regia, Opal, Tofutsies, Sockotta, ArtYarns sock, and the 2 listed in #3. BTW, I also like hand dyed, hand spun sock yarns that aren't a name brand but are pretty and soft.

5. Do you prefer variegated or solid sock yarn? Both.

6. What colors would you like to add to your sock yarn stash? Anything in blues, greens, deep red/garnet, and earth colors works for me. Absolutely no pinks or orange.

7. What kind of sock patterns do you gravitate toward? Lace? Ribbed? Fair Isle? I love lace, and have done 1 fair Isle pattern.

8. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, animals, etc.) I’m allergic to smoke

9. Will your socks be exposed to cigarette smoke or animals as you knit them? Neither

10. Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal? I’d love to have an international pal!

And on that note, with a sky that looks like it will rain for days, let the fun begin!