AFTER the HOLIDAYS

I had hoped to keep on writing right up to Christmas, but all my projects got in the way! At least this way I'll have more ornaments/decorations to show you next December! This year has started out as crazy as ever. I told my younger daughter that I would babysit for 5 month old Ryan on Tuesdays and Thursdays while she teaches at a nearby junior high. Ryan had his first day at day care on Monday. Tuesday here went well because I had my stitching friends over in the morning, and they love to hold him. Tried to get him down for a nap in the afternoon, but he was having none of that! My neighborhood book group was due to arrive at 1, but still no napping baby. One of the gals walked around with him during most of the meeting. Of course, he loves to be held. We discussed the book Zeitoun which was about one man's story of his time during Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. I thought it was a very interesting book—very readable. I don't think most of us realized what went on there during and after Katrina. I'd recommend the book. It is a fast read.

Ryan finger painted in his explorers group at day care on Wednesday! They really do neat things there.  Yesterday he came over again, and though his mom had talked with him about being a good napper, he only took a morning nap and 1/2 hour in the afternoon. I think I am going to have to buy a "portable" crib either the smaller size or regular because trying to lift him at over 15 pounds from a pack and play is not easy even with all my yoga. Changing him on the coffee table is not ideal either. Hopefully, he will get used to his new schedule so he can relax and nap here more. I did make 16 burp cloths for Linda to give as gifts for some of her friends who are expecting. Just serged the flannel on my serger--much easier than sewing and turning right side out, etc.

SHAWLS-
I wanted to show you some of the gifts I made for Christmas for some of my family and my yoga teacher. I made 2 more of the pattern La La's Simple shawl. You can find this pattern for free online at  Ravelry.  It is an easy pattern and fun to knit. I found this boucle yarn at Joanne Fabrics and a shawl takes about $10 worth of yarn.

I had made this one for Linda, but Katie wanted to trade and gave Linda her purple one. I was just happy that my girls like them and want to wear them. Used my blocking wires that I bought at the welding supply store, and they worked great.

Made the same pattern for my yoga teacher Sharon. Thought it would knit in the same color pattern as the one above since it was the same yarn but in a different color way. It came out a bit stripy but I like it too. The black boucle is wonderful because it doesn't show when I have made a mistake. Sometimes I couldn't even tell the front from the back.

QUILTS-

I had a bunch of holiday/snowmen fabric in my stash and wanted to use it so I made this lap quilt (about 60+ x 72") for my niece Corey. I made it just like a band sampler cutting apart the snowmen fabric and inserting bands of other fabrics. Used a plaid for the backing. Love the swirls template that I used for the quilting. It takes more time than freehand but I like the pattern.

This is the quilt hanging on my design wall. I have covered 3 different pieces of 1"foam insulation in 4 x 6 sheets with grey felt. The binding is red. Corey likes things somewhat plain.

This is my nephew Matt's quilt—more Xmas fabric. This time old-fashioned Santas.

Quilted it on my long-arm machine with freehand swirls using red thread. This is part of the back. I like using pieced backings as a way to use up my fabric.

This is the back of Matt's quilt hanging on my design wall.

I hoped he would not think this quilt too "girly."

 This is Corey's quilt on my long arm machine as I was quilting it.

My bolt of extra batting is hanging below the frame. On the wall is a sampler quilt I made in a class several years ago when I first started quilting seriously. The wonderful thing about quilting on a frame is that you don't have to pin the quilt sandwich together on your hands and knees on your floor.

 This is my neighbor Bev at my frame quilting her doggie quilt that she is going to give to her 2 year old grandson in California.

Over the New Year's weekend I worked on getting stuff ready for the tax man. Figured out that I had made about 700 bandannas for the Golden Retriever rescue group here in northern Illinois. Did not realize that it was so many. Now I am going to make table cloths for their meet and greet tables at the pet stores. They bring the adopted dogs and hand out information and adoption forms. They needed some bright table cloths. Am going to try to put "Golden Retriever Rescue" in large black letters on the gold-colored cloths. Can't decide whether I have to applique them or stencil them with fabric paint. The fabric is inexpensive polyester. Painting would be quicker I suppose once I got it set up. We'll see.

Better go now. Have lots to do this weekend. Am reading the latest in the Nora Roberts wedding series--lots of fluff but a nice light read for these gloomy days of January here in the midwest. --Nancy

The SUNDAY Before Xmas

I have been busy scurrying around town. Drove out to an industrial area to buy welding wires. Read on line somewhere that they are stainless steel and about 36" long and can be used to block lace. Since I have been knitting shawls like crazy since I finished my Prairie Schooler ABC, I needed blocking wires. 

To block the shawls and scarves, I put them in my top load washer--one at a time--and each time soaked them for about 20 minutes in cold water. Then I put each one on the spin cycle. After that I have inserted the welding wires along each side--2 per side--3 along the top--and t-pinned them into my carpet under the pool table in the family room. You want to stretch them a lot in order to show off the "lace" pattern.

This is the shawl that I made for my oldest daughter, Katie. I purchased the yarn at Joanne's. It is a multi colored boucle. Am making the same shawl in a different color way for my other daughter, Linda. This is a very easy pattern called LaLa's Simple Shawl.

This is part of a scarf that I made last winter. I think I will give it to my sister-in-law. Last winter I did not know about blocking so I pinned it to the carpet over an old mattress pad this morning to block it. Really shows off the patterns.

This is the same shawl as above but in a different yarn. I made it for my mom who at 89 is pretty tiny now a days. She doesn't like dark colors. This pattern is so terrific because you can end it at any length or when you run out of yarn--very versatile and mindless to knit.

STRIP TWIST—Finally got this quilt on the wall to photograph. It is a pattern from Quiltville.com (lots of free scrappy quilt patterns) and is not really put together on point. Just looks that way. I have made this quilt twice before (with lots of reds.) Finished this top last year, but I had not quilted it. Used a wonderful swirl pattern. Added the keyboard borders at each end to make it twin sized.

 One year I stitched these pre-finished little purses for my sampler group for Christmas. I love bargello.

WHITE HOUSE ORNAMENT—

In 1999 I was asked to design an ornament for the White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room. This is the photo of a duplicate that I made. My husband and I traveled to DC and were able to attend the reception for those who had stitched/made ornaments that year. The theme was "Our National Heritage." It was a wonderful experience. I designed my ornament so that it would stand out on that huge tree--and it did even though it was placed quite high on the tree. The decorations at the White House that year were lovely. We flew out to DC and then traveled to Williamsburg as I said to my husband that I could not be that close to Williamsburg at Christmas and not go there to see the decorations. He took lots of photos for me and we had a great time as early December is not a big attendance month and the weather was great. We then drove up to Alexandria and stayed there enjoying the stores and restaurants. DC was void of many tourists so we had the museums to ourselves. I had heard that in previous years the first lady would serve tea and cookies to the "tree artists" but Hillary was no where to be seen...

I knitted what seemed like a million of these huge stockings many years ago. I had purchased at least one kit of each design and then made more with the extra yarn.

I used to go with my neighbor Donna to her church on a Saturday where a former member drove in from Valparaiso, Indiana, to help us make baskets. We had a wonderful time and made quite a few different shapes. Then her children got bigger, and she became too involved with their activities to come up here. Sigh. It was so much fun. This is my Christmas card basket.

This little ornament was stitched on green congress cloth in a class with Shay Pendray at my ANG guild. Shay is the host of the only stitching show on TV and also hosts a knitting show.

I took this class from my friend Joan McAuley at my Fox Valley EGA guild. It is all pulled thread which I love to stitch. We covered our own buttons (holly berries.)

This tiny ornament has one of those buttons inside that plays a tune. 

As I recall, mine plays "Silver Bells." It is stitched with perle cotton on aida cloth--very easy.

This was supposed to be a scissor fob, but I hate scissor fobs swaying when I am trying to make an essential cut of my thread, etc. So I designated him for my tree. He was a free pattern and I can't remember where I found it.

Well, I have to go and dig up some lunch. My friend Bev is coming over this afternoon to finish quilting her doggy quilt, and I have more projects to begin/finish. Could use another 2 weeks before Xmas!! Spent the day with my mom yesterday and we visited both my daughters and shopped a bit. Since there's nothing terrific on TV, Bill and I are rewatching NYPD Blue from a set we have. We can't remember much from years ago about each episode, but think the acting is quite good compared to what is now on TV—and the actors look so young! I am knitting on the shawl for Linda every night during the show. Next I have a bunny to knit for grandson, Ryan. It's from a pattern that I saw on Knit & Crochet Today TV show. Small and cute. I downloaded it from their website. 

Talk soon. --Nancy