All She Wants for Christmas

This year the only thing my nine-year-old daughter asked for was the Singer Knitting Machine that she had seen on a trip to Hobby Lobby (who didn't have this item in their online catalog). Can I just interject how much I adore HL and how very glad I am that they finally opened one here in our state? I used to love to go to HL when we lived in the Denver area. But back to the story... She was quite pleased when Santa brought the treasured item last week. I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought it would be about the same as the hoops (of which we have probably ten or so) but much to my surprise the knitting machine is a lot different! I guess the main difference is the speed. On Christmas day alone she knit two tube scarves and a small mesh bag (using crochet thread, in the picture). The one thing I didn't like about it is that you only have one size option for tube knitting, but it is possible to knit a flat panel which can be stitched together with another panel to make a hat or something. So far she's also knitted two pair of socks, one for her and one for her eight-year-old sister.

I was given a knitting gift as well but seeing as we have to get going on our NYE plans, I better blog about it later. Happy New Year, friends! Many blessings in 2007. I'll leave with one of my favorite passages of scripture as a prayer for the new year:

The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.


Numbers 6: 24-26

A Jolly, Happy Soul

Thirty of them, actually. The girls and I made these little fellows to be Christmas gifts for their Sunday School classmates. Our snowmen were patterned after a very similar Frosty my oldest purchased at the Festival of Trees at the end of November. The little pots were painted white by a few cute little elves. The eyes and noses were hot-glued on (Mom's job) and the coal mouths were put on using a black paint pen. They were filled with a small assortment of candies including kisses and my personal favorite mini reese's pb cups (yum!). Finally the little green hats were sewn using a fabric scrap from who-knows-when. Each hat has a tiny red bell which was tied on using red embroidery floss. My youngest says she can't wait for Sunday so she can have a snowman. Being only three-years-old she doesn't quite get that they are for her friends and not her.

Christmas Knitting

In addition to the dishcloths I have had a few other Christmas knitting projects. I was going to make scarves for the girls, but gave up on the idea of finishing them for this Christmas since I have very little time to knit when they are not around. That's ok, there is always next year. I bought this yarn at Hobby Lobby when it was on special for 99 cents a week or so ago. I thought it would make a nice, round scarf using the smallest knifty knitter hoop. My mom had wanted to make some for her friends for Christmas gifts but she really doesn't like the hoop knitting. I don't mind it so much and the girls quite enjoy it, so I told her we'd make her gifts. She mentioned that she had considered making one for herself with the leftover yarn, but the colors she was using wouldn't have worked together, so the girls and I decided to make one for her. These colors are so totally Mom. I think she'll like it. I should have taken an in progress picture (I was two skeins into the scarf when I took the photo of the remaining two skeins) but I will be sure to get one when it is finished. It is so pretty as it knits together. I am excited to give it to her!

My next (and last for this year) Christmas knitting project is a pair of socks for my dad. I found some very soft Trekking yarn at my semi-LYS. I didn't realize that it would knit in subtle stripes when I purchased it. I think the dark colors, even with faint stripes will be fine for Dad, but I'm not totally sure. What do you think? Do the stripes make them, oh I don't know, not dignified enough?

I knew I should have typed the title to this blog entry when it streaked through my head like a flash of lightening, but alas, I did not.

Meet Pepper! He came to live with us yesterday as a slightly early Christmas gift for our family (but mostly the children). We were told he's a pointer/jack russell mix. He is certainly cute and such a sweet little thing. His big sister Tiger isn't all that impressed. She hasn't showed her face upstairs much since the little guy's first paw crossed the threshold. She hasn't hissed at him either though and I'll take that as a good sign. We bought him a purple collar & leash, kennel (a refuge from all of the attention he gets), some crazy Christmas doggie treats, and a snazzy new sweater at PetSmart. Perhaps this is the only kind of sweater I will have the patience to knit? One for the pup? Maybe ... someday ...

Oh yes, I've done a little knitting too. Not much, but a little. Perhaps I'll snap a picture and blog about that soon too. In the meantime -- yay for puppies! And for Christmas time!