It's All About the Fringe!

I finished two more scarves for Christmas. These are for two of Ted's gazillion nieces, two high schoolers. I think these are so cute! The scarves themselves are nice, but when I added the fringe, they turned out fantastic! Both are Plymouth Yarn Encore knitting worsted weight, wool and acrylic. For the fringe I used self-yarn and also a yarn called "fun fur" from Jo-Ann (I think this yarn is also called "eyelash").

This scarf is knitted in the seafoam pattern.

And this one is crocheted in a simple mesh stitch.

Each of these stitches is perfect for a beginner knitter or crocheter -- I know personally because I am brand new to both crafts! If you're a listener to my podcasts, you know that when I started in September, I had never crocheted a thing, and I had terrible experiences with knitting. Now I am fairly confident that I can crochet or knit most anything. All it takes is PATIENCE and CONFIDENCE!

Challenge: Make a New Year's resolution to try a new hobby! If you do, please let me know!

'thann

Yet Another Scarf DONE!

OK, so if THIS niece doesn't like her scarf, I want to keep it, too! I will have the largest collection of scarves in the known universe!

This scarf (for yet another of my husband's myriad nieces) is made of lovely Japanese Noro Taiyo yarn, color: Lime/Turquoise/Pink. Fiber content is Cotton, silk, wool, and nylon. The pattern is from Crochet Today Holiday Projects (or whatever the name is -- I am too lazy to go find the magazine!).

According to her mom, this niece's favorite color is "light and bright," and I think this meets the requirements!

That leaves two scarves that need fringe (I'm heading to Jo-Ann's tomorrow to find some novelty yarns) and one that needs to be made. Oh, and I have yarn for a scarf for Ted, but I am getting everyone else's done first. You know the old saying, "The shoemaker's children go unshod."Don't worry, Ted will have gifts under the tree!

Still vocally challenged (my cold has taken my voice away!),

'thann

Another One Bites the Dust!

Another scarf is done! I LOVE this scarf -- if the recipient (one of Ted's nieces) doesn't like it, I want it back! This is my very favorite color. The yarn is beautiful Shepherd's Wool in lime green from Stonehedge Fiber Mill in Michigan! YAY, a local product! The pattern is called "Circle in Square," and is, I believe, a traditional crochet pattern. Each square goes together in no time at all. I made eight for this scarf, and each measures 7 inches, so the scarf is 56 inches x 7 inches. Ted said it didn't need fringe, and I agree.

Three other scarves are done and just need fringe. That leaves only two go to, and now I am confident they'll all be done by Christmas!

I'll be honest and say I don't think I will get the ripple shawl done for my mother-in-law, so I need to come up with something else. Any ideas? She is house-bound and doesn't "need" anything, but I want to give her a gift.

I have choir rehearsal in a bit, but I don't have a voice and won't be able to sing for Evening Prayer. The only reason I'm going to rehearsal is to learn the music for the Christmas concert.

Later!

'thann

Christmas Traditions

You already know that we're really big on traditions at our house. Yesterday we celebrated Saint Nicholas Day. Happily, Teddy was home for the day, so his shoes, shown sitting outside his bedroom door, were filled with candy.

What interesting holiday traditions do you have? If you don't have any, it's not too late to start some today!

Hoping your holiday preparations are going well!

'thann

Comfort Food on a Cold Day

My cold is still raging -- I ended up missing Mass this morning. My voice HAS to be back to normal by Tuesday because I'm filling in for my music director at the holy day Mass (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception).

So because of my cold and the cold weather, I made comfort food for dinner -- a fantastic beef stew. The recipe is called "The Best Beef Stew," and is from page 9 of the current issue (January-February 2010) of Cook's Illustrated. They aren't exaggerating, either -- this IS the best beef stew I've ever had. It's a little labor intensive, and takes about 3 hours to make, including preparation, but it's worth it. There are deep layers of flavor, and it hits all the right notes.

If you make this stew, please follow the recipe exactly, at least the first time you make it. This is a rule you should follow the first time you make any recipe, otherwise you might say, "That was  TERRIBLE," when the changes you made to it made it terrible. If, after you make it the first time, you want to make substitutions, then you have a basis from which to work, and you can let your creativity have free rein.

As my culinary hero Julia Child used to say, bon appetit!
'thann

Interesting Article About Creativity

Thanks to quilter extraordinaire (and really funny guy!) Mark Lipinski for mentioning this article from Psychology Today magazine. It's called "Everyday Creativity." Check it out HERE.

Today I'm baking the cookies for which I'll share the recipe next podcast (December 15, God willing!).

My cold is at bay for the moment, but it's lurking there in the background, ready to pounce when I least expect it. Sniffle sniffle!

Have a wonderful day, and do something creative!
'thann

A Little Cold

It's cold here today (18 degrees), AND I have a cold. I think I caught it from someone I hugged or shook hands with at the funeral Tuesday -- my doctor said no one should be shaking hands right now because too much stuff is going around!

So I'm staying hydrated and warm and taking vitamins and a throat spray called Zicam. (I can't take most medicines for medical reasons.) First thing in the morning I feel pretty crummy, but after I'm up and about and have a cup of coffee and plenty of water, I feel a little better.

Unfortunately this is the busy time for me singing-wise. During Advent I sing at two services a week, and without a voice I'm no good!

The good thing, staying home and quiet, I'm gaining some headway on my Christmas scarf adventure. Here's a photo of two I'm working on at the moment. One is half done, and the other is nearly done. The pink one is the pretty knitted "seafoam" stitch, and the green one is the simple crocheted "mesh" stitch. I plan to add fringe to both of fancy novelty yarn -- you know, the cool yarns that are available, like eyelash. I think that'll be the perfect finish. These two scarves are for two teenage nieces.

I hope this cold disappears soon -- I've got so much to accomplish before Christmas!

Do you have any secrets for curing a cold, or at least alleviating the symptoms a bit?

'thann