fun

Only 9 days til Christmas!

Cookie swap was lots of fun last week, like I knew it would be. Made my 200 cookies, that's my baking over for another year. And brought loads home, have a couple of bags enticingly lining my freezer, yum.

Here is diastelo's Irish Potato Candy - not strictly a cookie but I forgive her -


KnitRedSox loitering by the chocolate fountain...

Table o' goodies, mmm

Pheelya and Knitty showing off their knitted finery!

There was even a rare appearance by Twiceknit, in between her travels round the world. Great minty cookies too, yummm...

Here's my Argosy scarf, which I am working on between Babette and wee sweaters. Just love the colours. And yes, it's for me. I really am embracing this whole 'Selfish Knitter' ethos...

On the home front - getting ready for Christmas by dropping many dollars at the post office. I always have a helper when I go:

Cheriwan got her swap package and I think she was pleased :) This is one of the best swaps I've been in. Thanks for organizing Pheelya and TulaBug!!

Paddy and Jamie also join in the festivities. Not willingly, necessarily. You know I had to hold out some serious treats to get this picture...

what a find!

Just came across Knotions and The Inside Loop while checking, again, to see if Knitty winter patterns are up yet. I plan to cast on for this, for me, as soon as I finish my current scarf,
which, seeing as it's being knit on teeny needles with skinny yarn may make future knitting projects destined for the new decade...

Would love to show you pictures if my camera would cooperate.
Got about 10 dozen cookies made last night, then ran out of eggs...considered sending himself out in the cold to store but as he had been warned that none of the cookies were for him, felt it would be pushing my luck...although we'll have dozens of cookies in the next day or two when I get back from the swaps, hmmm.

Joined a great new group on Ravelry - Selfish Knitters. Moderator andreainblue has a great philosophy: " my litmus test(s) for The Worthy is determining whether or not the recipients would ever spend an equal amount of time/money on me."Makes you think eh. From now on, knitting for kids (mine) and my Mum. Oh and ME, and that's it.

Ahhhh feels good!

Busy night ahead...

I say this every year, and yes it's a cliche, so shoot me. I Love Christmas. It's The most wonderful time of the Year. From the reliable "Christmas is not just about shopping and eating you know" sermon from the parish priest, to the emergence of more and more lights every evening driving home, to the 'what on earth can I get for my father this year' dilemma*, just love it all.

And this year - we are home in our own house - for the first year ever! Usually we spend it with in-laws (Florida) or my folks (Ireland) - neither of which are bad options let me add, but I always feel like I miss the fun in our own neighbourhood. Grandparents coming up to share in festivities for Christmas week, adding their Boston Terrier to the mix. I predict a good snorty time...

And the fun starts tomorrow night, with a cookie swap. Making about 8 dozen cherry chocolate cookies tonight for a swap with neighbourhood ladies. And then the next night, another cookie swap with my knitting friends, about another 8 dozen. That means I need to make about 200 ~ 17 dozen cookies tonight, at least...

I didn't pick a great recipe (will post later - if successful). Bucking the usual trend the recipe I chose from a random cookbook (bought when newly married and planning to cook/bake a lot - ha!) turned out great the first time, so I passed it on to TulaBug, hostess extraordinaire, who is again hosting Wednesday's shindig.

Subsequent efforts, however, resulted in 1: tray o'crumbs; 2. tray o'hockey pucks. No room for mess-ups tonight so fingers crossed...

And my yarn swap loot arrived this weekend! Separate post coming on that as soon as camera cooperates, grrr.

*this year - donation to charity. So he's getting that, a sock keychain, and pictures of his grandson :)

A year already?

Yayyy been blathering on here (intermittently) for a year now. And I still have stuff to say!

Well - the knitting is going good - deep into scarf season, my favourite. I recently finished a skinny clapotis and a short entrelac scarf for my friend's 5 year old - and am on my second entrelac scarf, all looking lovely and - thankfully - not boring to knit. I am using Noro matsuri for the scarf on the needles now and it's a lot of fun to see the colours developing. It's a cotton/wool blend - so no wispy bits to stick to my winter-chapped lips. (Note: I have been listening to this on audiobook while knitting this scarf, so will probably always have some weird associations with this particular garment...)

In sad knitting news - Himself washed and tumble-dried the purple cardi :(

let's just say it is now a wee bit snug...It may be stretchable, or maybe I'll have to wait to wear it when I drop some of the baby blubber. Speaking of, am now nearly 7 months along.

I tested presumptive for gestational diabetes though, have to do the follow-up this weekend. My major in college was Human Nutrition, I should know better*(she says, still scarfing down Halloween candy).

In other sad knitting news - the hat and scarf I donated to the school's fund riaser? They were put on sale for $2 each! I nearly bought them back in annoyance. I should have added labels saying they were handmade especially, washing instruction etc. But didn't. Ah well. Last I checked they were gone. No update on this accursed item...

In other sad news, my Tivo died :( And even though I have 18 months service paid up, the only option to access it is to buy a whole new Tivo box. Ranging from $150 to $350. Grr. And I had loads of stuff saved on there that I was going to watch sometime. Am a big fan of 'Murder TV' as himself calls it. I particularly like the Oxygen show "Snapped" where some long suffering women off their men. Usually following laundry-related mishaps...

Rare trip to the movies last weekend, to see Zack and Miri make a porno. I really liked it, Seth Rogen always cracks me up. The only reason I mention it here, though, is for the surprising amount of knitted and crocheted items on view - it's set in wintertime Pennsylvania so afghans/scarves/hats/sweaters are in nearly every scene. Good a reason as any to check it out :)

The Columbia Sip n Knit celebrated 2 years and counting last Wednesday, still going strong. I've been a member just over a year, and I love it. A nicer bunch of ladies (and Textillian!) you couldn't hope to meet. Lynn even had cake for us - and surprises from her trip to China!

Last night I experimented with a new cookie recipe for the 2nd annual cookie swap at Stacey's house next month: Cherry chocolate Yumsters, I think I'll call them. Himself thought I was having a 'craving' he should know by now that I kind of always crave cookies, and now I have an excuse to eat them (see*!!)

More cookies, more yarn, another gift

Cookie swap # 2 tonight. I mis-counted the number of people, or the number of cookies, or some damn thing. So some people are getting 5 cookies. With cranberries instead of raisins. Ah well.

WIP: I've become the 975th person to start the Knitty Fetching pattern. Sooooo pretty. I'm also putting the finishing touches on the knitted Salmonellae for my co-workers (I am a microbiologist ye see). Can't link just now for some reason but both patterns on the wonderful Ravelry. Pictures coming.

Also augmented the yarn stash at the KnitWits Boutique sale (509 Main st Laurel, MD) this weekend. 15-30% off everything! I was very restrained, considering. Got some teeny tiny size 0 sock needles, and a couple of other circular pairs, 4 skeins of sock yarn, and the makings of a huge scarf - 9.5ft long!* Very nicely laid out store, friendly folks working there (aren't they always!) The sale goes on till Dec 31 - go on, treat yourself!

*The yarn harlot was right - crochet is 3x faster than knitting - but takes 3x more yarn. Four balls of yarn it took to make this scarf. But it took maybe 4 hours! And its lovely and twirly. And did I mention it's 9.5ft long??OK neither of these are great pictures, but trust me - it's long, and a cinch to make. Here's my (own) pattern:

MC - Gray Encore Mega

CC - Reg/Gray di.Ve Starship.

Size P/15mm crochet hook.

Make a chain 180 of stitches with MC. Make a treble crochet in the 4th stitch from the hook, and make treble crochet in every stitch to the end. Cut yarn.

Make 2 double crochet in each treble crochet with CC. Cut yarn.

Make 2 double crochet of CC in the base of each original treble crochet. Now there is a ladder of MC with thinner ladders of CC on both sides.

Add single crochet MC to each double crochet CC. Weave in ends.

No need for tassels - this scarf is long, and twirls because of the difference in tension between the foundation chain and the crocheted stitches.

Wrap round and round your neck and keep warm!

cookies and knitted hats and more yarn

Firstly, hats off to Stacey for hosting a very fun cookie swap on Wednesday night. Instead of terrorizing the local Border's the Columbia Sip n Knit group all went over to her house. She never told us she was Martha Stewart's cousin; the place was beautifully decorated, holiday music playing softly, comfy seating, punch, coffee, and cookies on every surface...

There's me in the red stripes (these are Pheelya's pics from the Meetup.com site, thanks Hon!) Stacey even made up cookbooks of all the recipes -I have another cookie swap Monday, I may use something from this book instead of to my usual recipe which is :

Raisin Ginger Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup dark Karo syrup

1 egg
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 cup raisins, washed

Directions
Cream together butter and sugar and then add Karo and egg. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and then add to creamed mixture. Blend well. Stir in raisins. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and then roll in brown sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes 30-36.

These went quickly, which was very gratifying, till I remembered I packed them in handy wee snowman bags which also could hold cookie overflow.

So between eating, drinking and chatting I finished up the hat I was working on (for FIL) and started another (for MIL).

I will model them another time - I think these may actually fit the intended recipients though! I also went home with a great big tin of cookies (tin also supplied by the wonderful Stacey) and an overflow bag.

In other news - this week I was the lucky recipient of a sweater's worth of yarn from my neighbor -
Paddy is keeping guard. The yarn is from the UK, a Paton's brand, named Wendy. Black with flecks of color, absolutely beautiful. So once Christmas knitting madness subsides I am going to (drumroll) knit myself a sweater.