Nothing like working the last day before a holiday weekend with virtual snow globe conditions outdoors!
I have a bunch of projects lined up for this weekend, so I’ll say “Happy Thanksgiving” now and leave you with the second finished gift close-up picture in a series of 18 hand-made gifts this year:
Seems like this time of year all of the crafting/knitting blogs start holding back. Everyone is putting together holiday gifts. Started on one Sunday, then my sewing machine went a little nuts. Started another one last night, so I could craft and watch the Broncos win!
So here is the first of the close-up gifts. Don’t click through if you think you are going to get a gift from me. If you click through, the picture caption will tell you what the object is, and the next picture will be the object in some state of finished-ness.
Yeah, I cheated on this one. I made it as a gift for someone last year. BUT…it is just…sooooo…cool.
Here are the finished pictures, posed on piece of medical equipment in Sarah’s room, because she really doesn’t need to wear a hat yet:
Also a warning. I have posted a gifts folder, with pictures of gifts in it. If you’re related to me or a friend of mine, you probably shouldn’t go in there. I’ve posted them more so they get posted, and so I can visually reference them. So if you like to browse the photos, this is your warning.
One gift done out of EIGHTEEN handmade gifts planned this year! I’ve got most of the supplies…but I’ll go shopping this weekend.
Cast on my first holiday gift on Monday night. Also sent out emails to a few people to do gift reconnaissance. If you find some elves poking around the trunk of your car, I sent them!
I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to do about posting pictures. Maybe I’ll put up a few abstract ones. The series on holiday gifts/ornaments from Aunt Jean should supplement this some.
Went to go visit Sarah in the hospital yesterday. Today is her last day of chemotherapy. Finished the cap while we played some games. Here are some shots of the hat in-progress. I’ll get finished pictures later.
Back to working on the Aran Skirt. On row 166/244. Knitting 3×3 cables on size 4 needles goes so much faster than knitting 1×1 cables on size 3 needles.
Attempting to sort out knitting and sewing patterns into prospective gift-giving opportunities. Katie and I attempted to go to Mangelsen’s in Omaha to get some cool Amy Butler fabric, but the store was closed due to a special event. It is usually open until 8pm on Sundays!
I’m about halfway through the Shedir Chemo Cap, row 33/83. It is about halfway through because of the decreases that start at row 52. I should be able to get it done on Sunday. I have pictures, but the internet connection at home would not work properly this weekend.
Had to cut lunch knitting time short today to get a flu shot. Now my arm is numb and my left hand doesn’t like to type what I think it should be typing.
This hat is super-slow-going. The amount of 1×1 cables makes me drop the project every other row. It is looking really cool and feeling really soft. I make Tyrone feel it just to make sure my hands aren’t being deceived by the cabling.
Purchased some other supplies for making xmas gifts. They came in Wednesday, and I can’t wait to try out the first batch. Started writing down gifts: realized I have multiple ideas for many people, and that I can’t possibly get them all crafted by xmas. I need to sit down and prioritize so I can maximize my time during Central Standard Time dark nights.
Life can change so quickly. My friend Sarah went from having a cold that would not go away, to enlarged lymph nodes, to getting a blood test for mononucleosis on Monday, to getting a Leukemia diagnosis over the phone on Thursday, and getting a call from the University of Nebraska Medical Center for immediate admission on Friday afternoon.
She’s been in the hospital all weekend prepping for a month of chemotherapy. In preparation for her forthcoming chrome-dome, I’m knitting her the Shedir chemo cap in a deep pink Debbie Bliss cashmerino. This pattern is only available in pdf as a part of knitty.com’s special cancer awareness print issue from 2004. It is a super soft yarn, and the cap is knit on SIZE 3 needles. Cast on last night, and I’m eleven of eighty-three rows in.
I’ve learned chemo caps are special, because they are very tightly knit to prevent heat loss (just like your hair is supposed to do). There is usually not a flippable brim either, the brim has to go just to the top of the eyebrow and cover the ears.
I’m knitting it on a very long pair of circular SIZE 3 needles, using the magic loop method to knit in the round. The knitting blog Purlwise has this handy tutorial on magic loop knitting. I’m pretty sure the size 3 needles I have are Addi Turbos, because the cord is very thin, and loops very easily for this technique.
Pictures SOON!
This Aran Skirt is really taking a long time to finish. Since work just put up the external Xmas lights, I’m starting to feel the season more and more. What does Xmas mean to me? It means getting out all of my Christmas Ornaments, most of which come from my Aunt Jean.
All of the ornaments are hand-made, and her creations probably account for a large portion of my interest in craftiness. This post is the beginning of a series of posts about the coolest crafts from my Aunt Jean, as well as some of her crafts that I have replicated.
Aside: we’re a very see-and-do family like that. My Uncle Dave will see a grill or a pipebender he likes, and he’ll make it, AND put it on wheels so you can tow it. My dad sees a grandfather clock or some other piece of furniture and he’ll make it into a gun rack. Many of Aunt Jean’s crafts may have been thought up by other people, but once she sees it, she makes it, and the idea and the smile is a gift to you.
The first in this series is a craft that I didn’t receive from her, but is probably my favorite thing she has done (besides her jean quilts). It used to sit on the windowsill at my parent’s house, and I’d look at it every night when I did dishes. Now it sits on the ledge above my own sink.
In the coming weeks, I’ll feature some of her other crafts. By my calculations, I could be working on the Aran skirt for another 2 weeks! That would make this a very boring blog.
We had some fun food for Halloween too.
Tyrone hates the taste of candy corn, but enjoyed these cookies:
