Christmas is fast approaching!

Howdy!

The Christmas stockings were delivered to a very happy customer! They came out a little different than her original stocking, but they are similar enough she seemed happy with them!

I'm in complete disbelief that is it December already. I think mostly because it was 85 degrees F here in Texas...makes it hard to get into the Christmas mood/listen to Christmas music/even think about putting up a Christmas tree when it's practically summer outside still.
Good thing I am realistic enough to recognize that regardless of the heat, December is here and that means Christmas is right around the corner!

I've been working on Christmas project for that very reason. I've almost got four items completed.
This Holiday Lights Tam and scarf (the title has something to do with rain drops) both from different Interweave Knits magazines.

I'm trying to work on my lace knitting skills. The scarf was the main attempt and came out rather well. The tam was chosen because I've never worked with beaded knitting plus I've never knitted a hat. I really enjoyed the beaded knitting and the pattern was fairly simple.

 

In my typical style - I had to look up 'tam'. Apparently, tam is short for tam o'shanter and is a nickname for the traditional Scottish bonnet worn my men. This tam is obvious a very femine styled hat. How interesting is that word!

This beret and mitts are both from Crochet Today! magazines. The beret is in the 2010 holiday gifts issue - which seems to be a really good issue because I've used several patterns out of it for holiday gifts!

 



 The mitts are my first time doing crochet cables. A very intriguing concept and easy enough to work.The fact that these mitt work up quickly helps. I was super surprised how fast they worked up!

My goal for this weekend was originally to get the baseboard trim hung in the master bedroom, but Jamie worked this weekend so we didn't get around to it. So, I changed my goals and decided the goal would be to reupholster my mother's rocking chair.
I forgot to take a 'before' picture until after I had already removed the cushion, but you get the idea.

Before:

After:

 A close up of the fabric.

 Heather went with me to try to find fabric. This fabric was the original stuff we both liked, but I didn't buy it that day because we thought it wouldn't be big enough (didn't bring the cushion dementions with me). I ended up coming home with a reddish/orangish retro styled fabric that is super fun. Even though I like the first fabric we picked out - I couldn't stop thinking about this fabric. So I went back to the store and picked it up. I really do like it. The lightness of it really makes the darkness of the chair pop. It's really gorgeous! This was our first go at upholstering somthing. There are mistakes, but it came out okay. I'm sure this fabric won't last the 30 years the original fabric lasted, but I'm okay with that.

In non-crafty news, we took our annual trip out to Mitre in November. We had lots of fun hiking and hanging out at Artwalk. We didn't purchase any artwork this year, but I always enjoy looking at all the shops!
Erica and Loren joined us this year as well. I was so happy they had a good time and seemed to appreciate the less populated area of Alpine and the great outdoor opportunities camp provides.

Well, that's all for now. I'll keep you all posted on my crafty Christmas projects as they are completed!

Happy knitting!
-Em

Gettin' shit done!!

It is October and these puppies are completed!!! I doubted myself in July. I couldn't imagine ever getting them finished. But I stuck it out and completed they are!  I cannot even tell you all how excited I am these are finished! They came out pretty cute too!

I was so excited they were done. I did this:

IN THREE DAYS!
These are the Christmas socks that I sort of gave my sister - she only got one at Christmas, remember? Yep, finished those up too!

I think I've got my knitting bug back! I'm so freaking excited!

The only problem now is that I've run out of incomplete projects to finish so I need to start a new project.... So digging through patterns it is!

While I was downloading these pictures I found this (that I had forgotten I'd done this summer):

It's a door. A nice door. Our house currently has plain Jane doors and our goal is to eventually upgrade them to this style to add a little character. I hung this one on the master bedroom closet. First solo door hang (my dad walked me through the last one I hung). It went rather well. I did it on a Sataurday while the other half was working....he was impressed when he got home.

Ok, it's totally past my bedtime, but I wanted to share my excitement with the world.

Good night and happy knitting!

-E

Christmas....a little early!

Happy Tuesday!

This is me....blogging.

It's been super busy lately. There are multiple projects keeping me busy at work (big and small). Some are going to take months and some are less time consuming. We've been fighting Brisco getting old on us - he got an eye infection and now, a month later, he has a hot spot on his face that was/is festering - and shuffling him to the vet around work schedules.

 

We've been working on the master bedroom again. The floor is laid.





The sink area is primed and has thin plywood laid in preparation of the pressed tin ceiling tiles that are going on the ceiling. Copper is checking up on me!

That's what's been keeping us busy most weekends!

 

Plus all that, I've been working on the project I was hired to do for a very nice lady. Her mother had made her and her sister Christmas stockings from a Bernat pattern. She wants her children to have the same Christmas stockings! I love carrying on traditions! I was able to find a reproduced pattern on Ravelry that was published with Bernat's permission.

I was trying to not publish pictures of the work until I was finished, but it's taking me so long that I'm afraid it's going to appear that I've given up knitting completely!

This pattern has been a challenge in perfecting intarsia and adding the fact that a lot of the white doesn't allow you to carry a darker color yarn behind it. It's extremely important to work the pattern correctly or it doesn't come out looking very good. I got all the way to the candy cane in the middle on the first stocking and had to rip the entire thing out! I've since reknitted it and it looks way better. Check it out:

 



The second one is getting really really close to being complete.

 

The final product is slightly longer than the original stocking knitted for the mother of these children, but I checked and rechecked the pattern and I couldn't find anywhere that I added rows to the pattern. So hopefully, it's going to be okay.

 

Other than that, I took Kat to have a lense implanted behind her iris because she doesn't meet the qualificaitons for Lasik. The eye center she used is having a contest for free Lasik and I've entered! If you're reading this, please visit Focal Point Vision's facebook page and like the photo I posted here. I have never won anything in my life and this would be the best thing ever! I tried to get Lasik a couple of years back - qualified but couldn't swing the procedure financially. With the house project and everything else it's going to be a while before I'm able to justify Lasik. I would appreciate any likes from anyone and would also be in complete disbelief if I actually qualified and then were chosen! So help me out please!!

 

I also just finished another 'Painting with a Twist' class. Those are so fantastic! I love them. I'm not quite as crazy about the painting this time around, but it's still super fun! I can't wait for the next time!

 

Bedtime is sneaking up on me so that's all I have for tonight!

Happy knitting!!

 

-E

Back in the saddle again...

I got my very own horse when I was nine. She was a white faced, blue eyed, pinto horse. She was only 14.5 hands high, but I didn't let anyone tell me she was a pony. She loved to run and loved her for running.
We often got scolded for running on the far side of the house - 'so my parent's wouldn't know'. Come to find out, a galloping horse makes quite the ruckus that can be heard through the walls of a house if you happen to be feet from said wall - my parents were not fooled by our stealth.
I was allowed to walk Sarah around the house. But Sarah and I loved running so once we got past all the windows on the side of the house that contained the 'family rooms' (kitchen, living room, etc.) we would step it up a bit and always slow back down once we got around to the other side. One day, Sarah decided to make a break for it and took off at a dead run past the house. She came unnatrually close to a short tree that used to be in the center of the loop at the end of the driveway and in my head I looked like a trick rider hanging off the side of my saddle at a dead run. I made it past the tree without being swiped off and was rejoicing in my head at my trick rider skills when she stopped dead in her tracks and threw me over her neck.
She stood there next to me smelling me as if bewildered by the fact that I was face planted on the ground and not giggling with glee from her back.
It took me a second to get my breath back. By that time, my dad had collected the horse and my mom was helping me off the ground. "Well, back up you go," my mom said. It was the last thing I wanted to do. My whole body hurt from having the air shoved out of it from the instant stopping power of the ground.
I got back on and we WALKED around the house.
This was not the first time I fell off a horse and not the last. Sarah had a knack for attempting to ditch me on the surrounding natural growth - she dropped a friend and I off on a tree and clotheslined me on a grapevine just to name a few. What I learned from this first experience was that I had to get back in the saddle.

That's how it is today with this blog. I've been dreading coming back to my online world. I had a HUGE issue in high school and college with writer's block. As a result, I've convinced myself that I loathe writing. In all honesty, I don't loathe writing. I loathed the process that higher education wanted me to use in writing. Anyway, that's another can of worms.
So, today I was thinking about horses (as I often do during the coarse of my day, sitting behind a computer screen at a desk in an all white room thinking of the beautiful things I've seen and done from a saddle) and it came to me that I needed to get 'back in the saddle again'.

Here I am, entering back into the online world. I have been working on a project I was hired to do - christmas stockings! I have completed the knitting part of the first one. I'm working all the ends in and doing some finishing. It should take me WAY less time to get through the second one. Confession: I had gotten very close to being done and ripped the whole thing out two weeks ago because I hated the way it looked. It was messy.

My life was messy for a while during my adjustment period to a new job and crazy stuff that was going on this spring. It totally showed up in my knitting. I have settled a bit more into the swing of the new job and life is slowly returning to normal.

And so should this blog.

I'm back people.

Focus

I'm having a hard time staying focused. There is a LOT to do before this weekend. Things have been so busy lately. We've had bachelor party, bridal shower followed up by 'girls night/bachelorette party', we went to Houston in a day for a First Birthday party, and now it's nose-to-the-grindstone-week-before-the-big-event!
I'm working on a slideshow at the moment for the rehearsal dinner of Erica and Loren over the years. I freaking LOVE old photos. It has been great getting to thumb through our best friends' old childhood photos and put them in 'order'.
In my spare time, I've managed to get some craftiness done.
For the bridal shower, I went with crochet because of the limited time frame. I made some earrings...that I didn't take a photo of before giving them. Sorry folks. But they were these:

From crochettoday.com

Mine didn't look as nice as these, but I had to adapt the pattern for smaller hoops. I want to keep messing with the pattern to see if I can get a set to look as nice. They still came out pretty darn cute though!

I also am still working on this sarong:

From crochettoday.com

I'm using yellow because it matches the bathing suits Erica has better than turquoise. I'm hoping to finish that up this week too.

I have also resorted to carrying the socks with me everywhere in the hopes I'll have a spare moment to work on them. Don't mind the Marry Poppins bag - my husband HATES this bag. It's pretty neverending and is hard to find things in. But I have insider knowledge that I may be getting a smaller nicer purse for my birthday. ;)

I have worked a few rows here and a few rows there, but it still doesn't look like I've made progress. I am determined to finish these socks. And I'm currently looking for a scarf pattern for the rest of this same yarn in the stash. They are not destined to become another set of socks.

Additionally, I've cast on some Christmas stockings (yes Christmas in April - I'm working in advance) on my new circular needles! I've been hired to whip two up for a woman from Floresville. I'm really looking forward to the pattern - its vintage and cute. Plus it's going to use the intarsia skills I taught myself when making the nerd coasters. I'll be posting progress on these as I go - after the whirlwind of this weekend is past.

I also managed to try my hand at embroidery - Erica pinned a picture of a wedding date embroidered on the bottom layers of a wedding dress in blue. It was fun and came out pretty good! Something I'd never done.

I've also managed to get some burning done this past weekend and social time spaced throughout the last couple of weeks.

Alrighty, lots to do, not a lot of time to do it in. So, happy knitting!

-E

Yarny Products!!!

Hello, Hello, Hello!!!
I am still alive, well, and knitting/being crafty. It has been a month since my last post!
Things got a little crazy for awhile. The weekend after my last post was Jamie's birthday and his brother's future baby's baby shower. The following weekend we had a party to celebrate getting married.We had an excellant turn out and it was so good to see everyone! One of Jamie's best friend and Jamie barbequed the brisket and sausage and we had help from lots of family and friends on all the sides. My aunt flew down and it was great to hang out with her. Lots of my extended family was able to make it and it has been years since all of them have been at the same place at the same time. I didn't take any pictures at the party. :( But others did and I will get them.
Jamie's grandfather passed away that same weekend and the funeral was the Monday after the party. I took my aunt to the airport after the service - she was super good and went with us to the funeral. Wedding party and funeral all in one trip! She's a trooper!
That week Jamie became a brand new uncle (and I'm an aunt again!)! She was a bit early so we spent most of the weekend helping Jamie's brother finish up an outside pen for his dogs.
I crocheted her a beany. I'm thinking it's going to be a bit big for now, but good thing she's growing not shrinking!

The rest of that weekend we put the first coat of color on the boys' (Jamie and his brother) crib that his neice is going to use.

I have since added another coat on the solid panel ends and railings, but the railings need more. It was a very light blue, so I want to make sure it gets good coverage.

Last weekend, Jamie won a raffle at work for tickets to Bugs Bunny at the San Antonio Symphony at the Majestic Theater downtown San Antonio! It was lots of fun to get all dressed up and go to the theater! He had never been to the Majestic and I freaking LOVE that theater. It's gorgeous. We decided that if we ever won the lotto, we're buying a suite.
 
I had already made plans to go to a Painting with a Twist event with some friends. We had lots of fun painting while sipping wine. I think we're going to have to do another round soon. I'll confess I have contemplated picking up painting as another crafty hobby! What do you think?!

This is the 'Whimsy Tree'. It's way easier than it looks. Promise. They have lots of different paintings to choose from and a bunch of them are super cool!!

Oh the socks....I'm still working on the socks. I am going to finish them. One day.

Just a little further to go!


Other things that have happened:
We ordered more flooring for the master bedroom project thanks to our family and friends:

I must finish the crib project since there is a baby that is cribless at the moment and then I will think about laying flooring. It will happily sit there until then.

A certain someone (knowing my true passion) gave us a gift certificate to Knitpicks.com! I used it to invest in some much needed knitting supplies...I might have also used this certificate to leverage a little extra splurge on some other items...thank goodness my new husband already knows my weakness for yarny goodness!

There are lots of those blocking mats behind all this stuff - I'm looking forward to actually blocking like I'm supposed to now that I have the tools to do so! The yarn is a cotton linen blend...I'm thinking cardigan/sweater. The small double pointed needles are wooden...I will be taking them on my next plane ride. The small pouch in the front is holding metal tapestry needles and have already paid for themselves when I used them to finally sew in all the ends of the sweater project. It has been washed finally and nothing came apart. I'll have to take a picture of the ends all sewn in since it is officially finished.

I will do my best to blog more regularly now that things are settled...well, maybe after mid-April (after Erica & Loren's wedding) when things really do settle. But anyway I will make an honest go at it!

Have a great weekend everyone!
-E



Busy Life

I feel like a horrible blogger.
At the moment, I am a horrible blogger.
I have no pictures to share - not that I haven't done picture worthy things - at the moment.
I have not completely fallen off the deep end and given up knitting/crochet. I promise.
___________________________________________________________________________
I have just found a picture to share!! This blog is becoming better already!

This is the Birthday Socks, given to my dear friend Erica. She only received one sock originally. I have since finished sock number two and given it to her. She no longer has cold feet! I love this yarn (It's Kroy FX Sock yarn)

This is one of the Christmas socks, for my sister Heather. She only received one sock at Christmas, yes, December 25th 2011. Her feet are less cold because she owns my first ever socks, but she doesn't have fun, pretty socks to keep her feet warm. I am farther along than this - I have completed the leg and the flap of the gusset/flap heel. I have not started the foot, which is going to take me forever to complete. But I will.I promise.

I am a better blogger!

I also have some other news:

I do wear dresses...sometimes...when the occasion calls for it.

Like when you get married! Which is what Jamie and I just finished doing in the photo above!

We agreed a long time ago we wanted to marry each other.  Recently, we've been feeling.... paused. Everything was hinging on how we wanted it to be. We had created in our minds how things were going to be. To the point where it felt like we were just..on pause..waiting for the time when we could make things in real life match what was in our minds.
I know, it's a silly way to live. I was feeling like I was going to wake up one day and have missed life all because we couldn't do things like our mental snapshot.We started talking about missing life and he felt the same way. We decided this is what we needed to do. To just do it. It's not perfect and it's not really how we wanted it to be, but the end result is the same. We agreed we were tired of waiting for the end result.
So there ya have it. The big news.

And no. It's not any different than the other six years we've been together. Nothing has changed. We got all our knock-down-drag-out fighting done the first couple of years we were together - you could ask our friends - I'm sure they have some good stories that even I don't remember. We survived, worked through it, have learned a lot about each other, and more about ourselves. Our daily lives are exactly as they have been only now, our last names match.

I've been doing some redecorating in the house while getting ready for a gathering and once things calm down a bit I'll share some of that. Wish me luck in trying to get Heather's socks done by the end of February.
Happy knitting!
E