OH MY! Busy am I!

First I just have to send a belated thank you to my SP Jeanine. She is just so awesome! She has sent me a subscription to Interweave Knits!!! I am so thrilled about that. I can't thank you enough Jeanine. You are just great.

Now, on to some knitting.

Thank you Ali for helping me to obtain this pattern for the "farmers market bag" I have been working on this one for a gift. It is made with Soy Wool Stripes and it going to be awesome. Notice, more stranded knitting!!

Aren't the colors just great? Wish it wasn't a gift!

These are the pair of peds for R. She asked for some of them for christmas. A super quick knit done in the Red Heart Heart & Sole yarn. Almost used the whole skein. Perfect.

This is the completed scarf for my brother for christmas. Done in Brown sheep Nature Spun. Love this yarn. Love that it's made in the USA! You should try some.

Here is the waffle scarf I made for my sister in law, Jill. It's a lovely color yellow. Also Nature spun.

I also did one in Victorian Pink for R. Also in Nature Spun!

NOW! Stash enhancement! These little cakes of Beauty are Berroco Ultra Alpaca purchased at the Cozy Cabin http://www.cozycabin.biz/ (hope that link works)

I also bought my first addi Turbo needles to try for some sock knitting. I have been told they are just awesome and I can't wait to try them.

Toni has had the store in her home since June and has done so well, that she has expanded to a store front! How cool is that?!! I think it's awesome! Plus she got in new yarns, AND she also has fabrics for quilters. She is getting more of those in in the coming weeks. It is all so exciting.

Yesterday was her first day in the new store and I went to cheer her on and sit and knit for a few hours. It was such a thrill to share with her and my knitting friends.

Oh, and I have to say thank you, once again, to Carolyn for letting me borrow her ball winder. It will get tons of use this next week as I make more of these adorable cakes out of my hanks.

I have updated my Ravelry projects and added some more of my stash, primarly the sock yarns. And boy does that eat up alot of knitting time!

Gotta go!

Gifts to make or complete

Well I have put up my list of gifts to make or complete by Christmas. I don't have much to do on the stockings. I just have to get them done. I will work on them next week.

I have to ball up the yarn for the hats and then I can begin on them.

OH! I forgot, peds for R. That is one things she asked for.

As for myself, I am STILL working on my socks from Rhinebeck...... sigh....

This is the kind of snow man I like!

Isn't this guy just adorable?! I can't bear to take him apart. He is my magic ball swap item from Toni!

When we exchanged I found out that she loves snowmen and look what she made just for me? Isn't he great!

The package to the left of him is Toni's magic ball from me. I bought some real yummy alpaca at the PA Fiber Festival in Sept for her and I just couldn't bear to wrap it all around everything, so I wrapped it up inside of the other presents and used white kitchen cotton to ball it all up. She even liked that because she said she could make a new snow man out of it!

My Snow man has some of my favorite yarn, Bartlett for the bottom in Dark Lovat, (And of course I didn't have any of this color yet and had to buy a hank before I left) and some blue Cascade 220 in the middle and some Brown Sheep Prairie Silk for his head and she even hand made a hat for him. The spooky part, are his eyes. They are from some of her taxidermy supplies!! yikes!! His arms are dpn in bamboo, plus a cable needle for his mouth and stitch markers for earrings and more stitch markers on the front button. PLUS she said there are goodies inside and I just can't bear to take him apart yet!!! I just love it. What a cool idea.

I have been very good. I am nearly done with my last stocking, then I can do the heels and make the linings. I finished a waffle scarf for R and am in the process of another one for Jill. I am making slow progress on the socks I have going STILL from Rhinebeck! Can hardly believe it's nearly a month ago already!

Magic Ball Swap!

I can't share the pictures yet. YES, I did remember to take some!! But let me tell you, Toni of the Cozy Cabin out did herself. I absolutely love it. I will tell more about it and post the pictures, of mine to her and her's to me, over the weekend.

We exchanged last night at the Cozy Cabin and she told me all of her new and exciting news! She is expanding her shop and opening at a new location in the next few weeks! I am so happy for her and I think that is so awesome! She does have a website, so I'll give her a little plug www.cozycabin.biz . I am so glad and so lucky to finally have a local yarn shop and I want to be sure to pass the word. Customer service is awesome, she offers my most favorite yarn, Bartlettyarns, plus Cascade, Brown Sheep, Lamps Pride and has begun to offer Opal and soon Berroco will be in her shop. Be sure to keep an eye on her shop, I am sure it is going places.

I am nearly finished with my first "holly" stocking. I have finished the penguin scarf, just need to block it. I am nearly finished with the one pair of socks, the wild salmon ones. AND as always, I am trying to figure out what to do next!

Oh, and I want to wish Carolyn and her mom an aweseome time at Stitches East this week! I hope that the two of you have an awesome time!!!

Pictures~!

Ok, here are the pictures that I didn't post from my last swap package from the awesome Jeanine! She had found another ball of the DB that she forgot to send along with the other package. Now I definitely have enough for that needle case in the DK magazine! She also sent some great burts bees lipbalm, which I've never tried before and have since had to HIDE.

She also sent along the great stitch markers. Better photo below!

I had such an awesome time in that swap, once things with the other upline were worked out. I am so glad that I have actually met Jeanine and that we both have enjoyed spoiling each other.

I have been busy, knitting. Every spare minute that I find, I knit!

Here is the one sock of the Aisling yarn. This one is the last wild samon. I am done with the cuff on the second sock.

Here is another Aisling yarn, called the christmas story. I started this one the morning we went to Rhinebeck and it is the Campfire pattern. One sock completed.

Now for the STOCKINGS! I have of course fully finished the original Polar Bear.

The second one is complete to the toe and just needs the heel done.

Here is the one Moose. And yes, the pattern calls for it to have a FLAT BUTT! It does look odd, but that is the pattern. Completed through toe, except the heel.

The second moose stocking was completed, to the toe, minus the heel this week.

I did start the first of two Holly stockings, no picture yet. These two will be gifts for my brother and his wife. Same yarn. (LOVE the bartlettyarns)

Now one picture of the stash enhancement of my SOCK YARN from Rhinebeck. I didn't and don't need ANY sock yarn, but I just couldn't seem to help it.

This is Lorna's Laces fingering weight, which I have never used. The top is Purple Iris and the bottom is Seascape (I think) maybe it's seaside.

Here is the everlasting bagstopper that I did. I took it along to Rhinebeck. I used the baggstopper pattern but the handles are from Ilene, I also used smaller needles, a size 7 for the bag portion. I wanted smaller holes. Talk about STRETCH! This is going to be a great shopping bag to gift. I have more of this kitchen cotton and plan to make these as a few gifts for christmas. I hope!

Well, I hope you have enjoyed these pictures. I have to get all my errands done now. It's saturday and I have the day off.... some day off.....