Orange Stocking!

Well, its finished. A little stubbier than I wanted, but hey, irs orange, its homemade, and it will have goodies inside, who could ask for anything more? Now the next challenge is what should I do next? Gloves or a hat? Anything other than that and I'll have to wait til I get home. I have some projects that need finishing and starting at home, but that's less important to me right now, since I have a few more days around in Seattle and not too much else to do besides knit and talk with people. Once home I have cleaning and other things to do but here its more relaxing. But this is a nice end to the christmas season :)

Holiday Travels + Knitting

I was going to post pictures of my latest stocking collection, took them, started to write about them, then got reminded that one if not both of the recipients read this! So that will have to wait for a hung-over new years kinda post instead of a pre Christmas. Instead I’ll show you my traveling knitted adventures. I’m heading home to Seattle, so there’s knitting to be done at the airport, on the plane, and of course when me and the family are just sitting around talking about life. So I’m bringing 2-3 projects. (Not sure about the yardage required for one, so it might only be 2) plus I’m only there for a week so there’s not a ton of time but last year we got snowed in and there was lots of time. I’ve started a rustic orange Christmas stocking (the last for this year) being made for the king of orange, Brandon. Next year I’ll make one for baby Bryce and it will be a full family collection. If this doesn’t eat up all the yarn I bought, I’m gonna make me a “Mark Hat” out of it. Mark (one of my friends at work) has a sense of style all his own, and he has a great collection of hats that he sometimes wears while sitting at his desk working, well as the winter has hit, and things have gotten incredibly cold, I realized that my previously knitted hat needs help. It’s a warm hat…but its for Seattle weathers, not for the heat required to stay warm in the single digits. So a new one needs to get made, and I’m even thinking ear flaps. This yarn is wool, its warm, its got a great color combination to it, it will remind Brandon all winter about his stocking, and most importantly, allow me to go to work in the winter without freezing my ears off. The last project I have is some gloves. Fingerless (or maybe full finger) gloves to wear around the office or wear outside, havent’ decided the usage, but I want to try and make them.

The last thing worth mentioning is a compliment I got at a friends Christmas party a few nights ago. I made a little shirt/sweater for their baby to keep her warm, and I gave it to them at the baby shower. One of the ladies was so impressed by the fact that I knitted it, so impressed by the fact that it didn’t give off that “oooh…you made this…how..um…sweet” feeling that you get when you get some ugly handmade thing. I was pleased that she remembered, that she liked it so much and that it didn’t look like an ugly gift. Sometimes people don’t understand why I am so hard on my self about being able to make things better. Its because I don’t want to give the ugly sweater gift, or the really looks homespun kinda thing. I know that handmade makes it nice, but really good quality, pretty, would pay for it hand made makes me really proud. Sometimes I just get down on what I produce and that’s why. Other times I get really excited over little things, because they turned out so wonderful (like Angie’s hats  ) Hopefully I’ll have some internet access over the next week and I’ll update with any finished projects, Until then, I have a collection of WIP, lots of stories to swap with friends and family, and two airplane rides to get things done. If I don’t get a chance, Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Visions of Code..oh wait...Sugar Plums..

I still have to post about my christmas stocking adventure, as well as the little turkey...but alas my little camera's batteries were dead and between wrapping presents and trying not to wrap the cat, I was exhausted last night and didn't feel up to it.

But, I give you the cutest thing ever. The nerdling and his blanket, keeping him warm. Apparently he sleeps with it every night, and I'm sure he'll learn his 1's and 0's before any words or letters. Might learn sign language first, but still. So long as he eventually learns to program in some language I'll be proud (I'm sure his parents will be proud regardless, but I get to be picky)

T-1Day til Turkey time!

The hours are counting down til the big day, and for the first time ever, I'm not going home. There were several factors surrounding this dicission. Part of me is kicking myself for not going, but it's too late now. So last weekend, I knit a turkey (pictures to follow) and got a wonderful (and yet stupid) idea. I am not one of those people who knits people gifts for christmas. Mainly because of the same problem I had with all the babies... hard and fast deadlines. It makes knitting more stressful. But for some reason this year I am feeling artistic. A friend of mine is getting a painted Bar sign, and now I've come to the idea of personalized christmas stockings. This isn't just putting someones name on the stocking. That's a bit boring. I'm talking about doing something thats more unique. One friend is getting a black and gold CU stocking. Snowflake on one side, CU on the other. Another is gonna get something along the lines of a stocking with the doctor who tardis on one side. There's an orange one in my head too, and a Charlie Brown one that's made from recycled silk and looks a bit rough. There is no way I can finish all of these. I'm hoping to finish two of them (plus the painted bar sign) before christmas (or since I'm going home for christmas, before I get back and throw a holiday party) Hopefully all will go well and smooth. Plus it gives me something to do while I watch other people cook thanksgiving dinner, I can just sit back, smell the goodness, chat about whatever, and knit away.

Pink....so not me

So when I was buying some yarn and other art/craft projects, I saw this cute baby blanket, puffy yarn, and orange. There was only one color option, so unisex orange made sense. I thought it might be a cool addition to the baby basket for Brandon and Angie (especially since Brandon has an orange obession)... well it arrived, and it's pink. So I'm trying to make it work. The blanket can go to my boss because he's having a girl... but, well the baby is going to come early, and the yarn is hard to work with... so I'm stepping away from the pink. Who knows, maybe one day I will get back to doing something that's so puffy and so pink.

For now I think I am going to work on finishing up my skirt, then maybe move on to something christmasy, or even my couch blanket. But for now...the baby stuff is going to rest for a while.

The nerdling has a blanket!

So I'm watching the snow fall, trying to get everything together in my carry on and my suitcase, hoping that I can get out to the airport and takeoff. But this vacation has more fun things in store beyond just getting to travel. I'm going to a wedding in Seattle, I get to see friends, family, and give one of my friends his baby blanket. I started this a long long time ago. Was going to be finished for the due date (July 7th) but things kept getting in the way. My cousin's baby shower (thing 1 and thing 2) and Angie's baby shower (Fruit basket) and of course the normal wear and tears of life. Work, friends, illness. But I finally finished it. We decided that a warm blanket for July isn't that fitting, so I'm bringing it for halloween. :)

Since he was the first one to announce that there would be an addition to the family, I took on a larger project. A baby blanket, which is big and warm to wrap both baby and mother together. The one side (yes there are two sides) is knit in Cadet blue, with white lettering that says "My daddy is a nerd and I love him" in binary. Because the father...is a huge nerd, a very huge nerd, and I love him for it and so will his little boy. Everyone who knows him loves him for that reason. I chose to do two sides because I didn't want to deal with trying to hide the wrong side. So the otherside is done in Teaberry red...I wish it was a darker red but oh well.

The otherside says "My mommy is a knitter and I love her" because the mother is also a knitter. This should be a double thrill. The love of knitting is universal, so I hope she loves getting a knitted item instead of just loving making one. Now that the baby blanket is done, I have no more baby projects (except for one remote one) so I'm not sure what to do for my flight. I think I have settled on doing a shawl using a wonderfully multicolored fall colors. It should keep me occupied on the flight as well as keep me warm at work once its finished. Hurray!

Pretty colors eh? This yarn always reminds me of a jaw breaker :)

The glorious finish!

Thats right, the baby shower happened on Oct. 17th and everything was finished in glorious style! The pumpkin hat went quick, much like the other hats, though I forgot to do my ribbed plan to get the bumpy nature of the pumpkin, but everyone got the idea that it was a pumpkin. I'll make a note to try and remember to do it next time. So with the hats all done...what did I do? I made my own version of a diaper cake. For those who are unaware about what a diaper cake is, here's a brief description: Take diapers, roll them up (securing with rubberbands or string) put them in a circle standing up, basically creating a sheet cake. From there you make several 'cakes' and stick baby items in them. Wrapping blankets around them, sticking in toys, pacifiers, spoons, whatever you want to give.

Well I wanted to make a fruit basket. So I used the rolled diapers to fill the basket, prop up the hats and hold everything together. Additionally I took a bundle of socks and converted them into sock flowers! (In reality I couldn't make the sock roses or sock ribbons, so I had to figure out something else to make, but I think they look good). In the end the basket all came together. A handful of socks, knitted fruit and veggie hats along with a warm and wonderful little sweater. Then of course the non-artsy stuff: bottles, pacifiers, recieving blankets, rockie's onesies, and a Daddy's little wing man shirt. Angie loved them all so mission accomplished! I even have a few people who want their own, so there are now talks of opening a knitting store. Selling hats, small baby items, and maybe even hand warmers or something. The idea is either just baby items or expanding to doing many knitted items as well. Who knows....