Virtual Advent Post 2017

Spritewrites.net is hosting a Virtual Advent Tour .  She’s asked bloggers to sign up during the Season and post something Holiday related.  It can be anything you wish that has meaning for your December Holidays.  I believe there are some dates left if you’d like to post so go ahead and ask her !

My post will focus on some festive knitting. Even if you don’t do any gift knitting, it can be fun to see what’s out there!

I was at Barnes and Noble yesterday, and I loved looking at all the Knit Magazines.

I have enough trouble making gingerbread men, but if it is your favorite thing and you are a knitter…how about knitting up a gingerbread family and house?

Another magazine featured this big bodied gingerbread boy.  People are so creative.
If you’ve ever knitted a teddy bear for charity, you could imagine how fun this gingerbread boy could be.

and If you are feeling Grinchy you could knit a green one and add the Grinch face to it.

Whatever your knitting and crafting involves, you might need some good coffee.  I do love Starbucks Holiday blend.

There are lots of other ideas for festive knitting. Free patterns abound for mitten garland, mitten ornaments, tree garland, tree ornaments and the quintessential sweater ornament.  Not for those who fear tiny needles.

Hope you enjoyed my contribution!  Thanks SPRITE for hosting!

Monday Q and A, 3 more left!

Have you been to a night parade? 

Do you know of a good sight for people who are eating gluten free? 

Do you get tense when you knit things that require shaping thinking? 

Did you watch the Carol Burnett 50th Anniversary show?

Do you listen to holiday radio or your own playlist or cd’s?

Have you used a deer deterrent? 

Do you taste the free samples at the grocery stores? 

Do you use a travel website to plan your trips? 

Have you purchased yarn since Thanksgiving?

How particular are  you about wrapping paper? 

My answers

As you can see, yes we go to the Holiday Christmas Light Parade in our new town.  I do set you up for the answers here, I know! There are boats on trailers, Pontoon boats on trailers, bands, cloggers dancing to holiday music, motorcycles with holiday lights strung all over them, cyclists who decorate their bikes, and even draft horses pulling carolers by wagon.

My friend Abby eats gluten free. She swears by the AMERICA TEST KITCHENS tips on substitutions for those who are gluten free.   She thinks it makes her life sweeter!!

I was so tense doing my pullover vest shaping yesterday, that my back hurt.  LOL.  I will show the vest to you this week. It came out really wonderfully and I;m thrilled I adapted the pattern for a pullover.  Next however, is blocking

I loved every minute of the Carol  Burnett 50th Anniversary  Show.   My mother and grandmother and I watched the show each week. WE LOVED her!  Very special memories there for me!

I listen to holiday radio often when I am cleaning the house or driving for errands.  I do enjoy my own albums and cd’s as well, but honestly I listen more to the radio.

I have not used a deer deterrent. My friend told me you can put something in your car grill that emits a sound they do not like. I need to find this. I hear of car vs. deer accidents in this area and I would like to be as careful as can be!

A lady in our grocery store was cheerfully calling out  “anybody want a weinee?” and laughing with everyone Saturday.  She was selling those yummy little tiny hot dogs that are great little appetizers at gatherings.  I did not partake, but occasionally I do try a bite of something they are offering if it is not to high in points.

I have not used a travel website but am very interested to hear if you do!!!  Does anyone use a travel agent anymore?

I have not made a yarn purchase since Thanksgiving but I bought BeaverSlide Dry goods yarn the week before that.  It is going to make a great hat!

I buy whatever wrap is cheapest.  Im a sloppy wrapper.  I am very careful about gift giving and I take a lot of time to find the right thing. But,  For some reason, the wrapping part makes me impatient!  My favorite wrap is foil and it is usually too costly.  I also love a SANTA on wrapping paper.

Have fun. Join in.  2 more Monday q and A’s to go.  and 3 more Mondays in 2017 .

 

 

 

All Good News and Cookies Too

#1 Miss Pie is eating a bit more and even going to the food bowl on her own!!!  I pray we are over the hump and she keeps it up. Thank you ALL for the sweet well wishes and prayers for her.  I so appreciate it. Each comment and note was caring and really helped me.  I felt like crying when she started to eat on her own. !!!

#2 Went to the Lake Geneva Cookie Walk first thing this morning. This group has their stuff together!  Got there at 9 sharp when the opened.  Gave my name to the woman at the hall pulpit.  🙂  There was already a crowd gathered!

I was instructed to sit in church until my number was called.  The church was beautifully decorated.  The organist was playing lovely lively Christmas Carols.

When my number was called, I had a fantastic selection of beautiful cookies.

9 dollars a pound.  You could weigh as you went to make sure you had enough cash. This is a 100%  donation to the church’s charity for the needy.  So….

Lets see: Rum balls for Fireman, Peanut butter kisses for Al and a variety of yule log cookies, hedgehog cookies, Christmas Mouse cookies, gingerbread, chocolate dipped  cookies, cranberry shortbread….. need I go on?

Then I got home and bagged them with paper towels to cushion them .  I don’t want broken cookies.  The gingerbread are in their own bag.  The chocolates in another. The rum balls another.  I dont want to mix smells!

They are freezing now and I shall NOT eat them before December 21 !
THEY EVEN HAD A DAIRY FREE GLUTEN FREE COOKIE.!  My friend Abby will so appreciate that!

It was joyous.  It was fun.  After a worried week, it was so wonderful to enjoy the fun.  Life’s precious and short.  I plan to fill mine up with as much joy as possible. That includes a cookie or two  (and yarn!) Wishing you Joy as December begins!!!!!

A Very Big Scare for a Very Little Feline

I’ve been so distracted.

We got home from Oklahoma and Pie was not right.  

She would not eat or drink.  Weight loss. Lethargy.

Many trips to our new vet nearby this week.  Many tests. 

Few Answers.  Tuesday,  She did have a sore bleeding area on her gum where here tooth was extracted on Nov 14th.  But, this is a cat who ate the day she came home from having 3 teeth pulled. 

Fireman and I were a good calm team yesterday when we handled her. We were told yesterday  to force feed her with a syringe or else she would need a feeding tube inserted under anesthesia into her esophagus today. 

If you don’t know cats, they are horribly susceptible to fatty liver disease and death if they go 3 days without eating. 

We force fed every few hours yesterday. 

THIS MORNING SHE ATE ON HER OWN !!!  First time since Monday.  

We are over the moon.  Keep it up miss 4 year old Pie pie.   Please keep it up. 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking Up to the Sky

My pullover vest is at the stage where I knit back and forth now.  I wore another vest I’ve knitted yesterday.  So this will make 4 vests I’ve knitted in my lifetime. The first, the alpaca was an Oat Couture pattern and it was finished by the yarn shop with a zipper close.  The second was one I made up in cotton and it was a big stretchy mess. It was frogged.

The third, was the Knitting Pure and Simple Vest in Brown I recently finished and have worn twice already.  I hope this variation on that pattern works out well because I see myself wearing this one often.  Fingers crossed. 

The Space Station will be visible in my area (southern Wisconsin) tonight for a full 4 minutes.  You can go to : spotthestation.nasa.gov to find out when you can see the Space Station. I wave of course.  Hi!! I am blown away that there are people up there!

I’m setting my alarm so I can bundle up and go outside to see it this evening. Brrrr.  Baby Its Cold Outside!

Amy Beth Made Me Do It

Do you ever have a day when someone gives you an idea and  you have to try it? 

Amy Beth (of the Fat Squirrel you tube knit podcast, video thingy)  dyed  some boring white yarn in a pot of tea.  She made it sound so easy.  I had two skeins of white yarn that I was not going to use.  White yarn and I just don’t dance well together.  I like some color.  So….

I wound it into store- like skeins.  I boiled some water and mixed it 3 parts water, 1 part vinegar and added 4 Lipton Tea bags. It seemed to take up the tea immediately.    Then I let  the yarn in the bucket  come to room temp.  I  also added a little Mexican tea that I found in the cabinet. (thanks Zach) .  

It seemed to work! I squeezed out the excess liquid.    I’m drying it now.

Here are the pictures:  

Sometimes it is so fun to try something and have it work.  

The rest of my day involved trying to get my vest knitting to the 13 inch from cast on mark.  For some reason, ,despite my knitting and knitting we still aren’t there.  But I love stockinette in the round, so I tell myself, enjoy it. 

I get to name my yarn because I colored it:  I’m calling it ScareCrow. 

 

 

A Compassionknit Announcement,

I may have one more, just one more, fingerless mitt in me.  If so, I need to finish the pair by the 9th.   Um, fingering weight, you such a slow go!  

This yarn was gifted me by Regina. Thanks Regina!  It is lane cervinia made in Italy.  It is called Forever on the label color 83.  I can tell this wool/poly blend will wear well. 

So what are my plans for knitting today?  I reserved today for my second vest.  I’m at the’ thinking’  part of it.  I’ll try to alternate between vest and fingerless and be happy with both. 

I’ve got an announcement for you.  And no It is not Monday!  I am officially changing up Mondays in 2018 . You are hereby notified: there are 3 more Monday Q and A. left.   The final Monday of the year 2017 is Christmas Day so the last will be December 18th. ~!~ If someone wants to pick up the idea, I’d love that.  I’ve had my fun with it but I need a change up.  So I’ll be coming up with something new for you in 2018.   

Thanks to everyone who has played along with Monday Q and A the last few years.  Your answers have been fun and thought provoking.  Don’t worry.  The new plan will be fun as well!