Trees and sequins

Here is our lovely Christmas tree...I have had loads of fun decorating it this year with birds and butterflies and sparkly fruit! Those birds better not eat the fruit 'til after Christmas though or else. Plus I don't know if birds should be eating sparklies anyway.


How to add some fullness to an otherwise thin-ish tree?? Gold-dipped flowers of course! I learned that from my mom. She always has a really tall, really lovely tree with giant poinsettias all over it. So beautiful.

Here is a fun, but time-consuming, ornament project. They turn out really beautifully but they do take a while to make. I'd suggest watching Season 3 of Buffy while making them and the time just flies! Yes, killing vampires is definitely festive.



All you need are: styrofoam balls, sequins, sequin pins (they're shorter!), and ribbon. Place the sequins all over the ball, overlapping them so you don't see any of the white styrofoam. My lovely friend Jill made some last week and I loved them! I put one on my mom's package because I know she loves sparkly things and will appreciate the sequins. Don't give these to anyone that doesn't like a little sparkle. That's the rule!

Where I want to live and catching up

Well, I have been out of it for a while and not so great at posting. But, you will be excited about this post. I'm really just reposting something from Design*Sponge, one of my most favorite blogs. This is the home of Elise Vaughn, an Aussie now living in Idaho. She opened a vintage boutique there. Don't you just adore her colors in her home? I wish I could have a turquoise couch!!! Ours is tan :(

And I LOVE her headboard too! This has been my year of yellow and this is such a happy rich yellow color. Maybe if I contact her she'll just let me stay there for a few days for some inspiration!!
Here's a link to the full article on Design*Sponge:

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/11/sneak-peek-elise-vaughn.html

So, I'm finally winding down my Christmas knitting. I think I'm almost done. I have one pair of fingerless gloves left to make and that's it! I've actually been knitting so fervently that I've almost injured my left shoulder and have to go more often to the chiropractor/massage therapist!! There are worse things than massages to HAVE to have done often though. I just need my strength back because I still have the knitting fever! I went through a slump earlier this year, so I'm trying to take full advantage of this urge to knit 24/7.

What have you been making as Christmas gifts? Don't you just love being able to create things for people? It's so gratifying in so many ways. Here are a few gifts I've made this year (can't tell you who they're for in case they read this!!)

Cabling without a cable needle and Fingerless Gloves patterns

Woah, that's a long title. Just wanted to share a few things I've done/mastered lately. First of all, here are a couple of really cute fingerless glove patterns. They are really great gifts for people. They are quick but are a very useful item to have and I love these 2 patterns particularly because of the lovely details they have.

Suzie's Reading Mitts

Emerald Green Hand-warmers


I am now working on a cabled hat as well. I looked up a refresher on how to cable without the cable needle and found a great set of instructions on Knitting Daily's website. Cabling without the needle

You save SO much time not having to pick up and put down the cable needle. It's a little fiddly at first, but after a couple of cables, you get the hang of it. It also helps you understand the construction of a cable as well. Hope it helps you like it has me! Happy Cabling!

Hope everyone has a lovely lovely Thanksgiving. I'm making my first turkey this year! It's just Pinky and I and I'm excited about making the whole meal myself (except for the delicious pumpkin cheesecake I got from Sweet Jane's!!!) Here is our menu:

-roasted turkey with sage, thyme, garlic and spices (we're cooking it on the grill!)
-my grandma's cornbread dressing recipe
-fresh cranberry sauce with apples and pecans
-mashed potatoes
-gravy (courtesy of Williams' Sonoma...my mom says it's the BEST!)
-green bean casserole with french fried onions (Pinky's request)
-roasted veggies with goat cheese (zucchini, squash, fennel, parsnips, peppers)

I think and hope it will turn out great! I'm brining the turkey right now so it better not get dry while it's cooking!! I'm sure we'll take pics and I'll let you know how it all turned out!

Happy Turkey Day!
xoxoxo
-

Mattie's Favorite Song

Mattie and I sing "Puppies Dressed as Cats"
Originally uploaded by elletrain

For a long time now Mattie has barked every time I say "cat." Check out the fun song, thanks to Conan O'Brien...

"Still"

my newest sweater
Originally uploaded by elletrain

My latest finished project! I love finishing a sweater when it fits well and turns out how you envisioned it. I love this sweater! I made some changes to the cuffs and the bottom band, but other than that I followed the pattern for the size small. It couldn't fit any better and I love love this yarn, Silky Wool from Elsebeth Lavold. I've used it before on a cardigan and it's the knitted item I wear most out of my creations.

The yarn is a nice wool and silk blend, and it's a DK weight so it's light enough to wear a decent amount here in Nashville. I wish it were a bit cooler today so I could wear it to knitting tonight. I might just wear it any way! I still have to wash the sweater and I think the yarn will soften up more, but not today...I'm sweatin' it out and wearing this puppy!

Goodwill strikes again... my awesome find

Goodwill strikes again... my awesome find
Originally uploaded by elletrain

Yay! A new coat for $6! It's from Sears, back in the 70's. Love this. I've been looking for one for a while. I didn't find much else at Goodwill today, but this was an awesome purchase. I also bought a couple of books at the bookstore today for Christmas gifts. When all else fails, buy books. You know some people are very difficult to buy for and I feel like it should almost be required to send out a Christmas wish list to all of your family so they know what to get you. In fact, I will send one out to my family right now! I think it will include:

-gift certificate to purlsoho.com OR knit-purl.com, or to Bliss Yarns, my local yarn shop
-anything from the home section of Anthropologie (esp. if there's a bird on it)
-a list of some of my favorite sellers on etsy.com (including matteart, sarahearn, and chezsucrechez)

...and maybe a gift card to Goodwill...hahahaha!

Help your family out...send them a wishlist!

The Black Hole Cowl pattern

So, this all resulted out of me losing my favorite black scarf a couple of years ago when my rear windshield got broken during a storm by a giant tree branch. The backseat of my car was covered in glass pieces...and so was my favorite scarf my brother had gotten me in college. I was super sad to lose it, but sure that I couldn't wear a glass-ridden scarf, even with as much sentimental value as that one had. I bought some Big Wool a couple of years ago in black to replace the scarf. I wore that scarf almost everyday in the winter for many years, so I wanted something similar. This yarn has gone through a few different test-runs over the last couple of years...I tried to do a ribbed scarf like the one I lost, then I tried a crocheted scarf, then I tried a crocheted ruffle scarf...none of them were very awesome and I'll admit I rarely make a knitted scarf anymore due to the time commitment involved :)

So, this last Saturday I was inspired by all of the lovely cowls I saw on Ravlery and decided to make my own. I knew I wanted a huge, over-sized cowl that would be super warm and resemble the look of wearing my beloved scarf (it was like 7 feet long so very thick when wrapped around my neck). I started chaining stitches on my giant 16mm crochet hook and here's what I came up with:

The Black Hole Cowl

3 skeins Rowan Big Wool (only used approx. 220 yds)
size P (15 or 16mm) crochet hook
large button (it's good to find one with large button holes b/c your yarn is chunky)

abreviations:
SC = single crochet
TR = treble crochet

Directions:
Chain 50.
Join chain into ring with a slip stitch, being careful not to twist the chain.
Round 1: SC in each chain around and join last SC to first SC of round with a slip stitch.
Round 2: DC in each SC on next round and join last DC to first DC of round with a slip stitch.
Round 3: TR in each DC around. Join last TR to first TR of the round with a slip stitch.
Round 4: SC in each TR **in the back loop only** (this creates a nice ridge on the front of your work). Join last SC to first SC of round with a slip stitch.

**Repeat rounds 3 & 4, 4 times.

Next round: TR in each SC around. Join last TR to first TR with a slip stitch.
Last round: SC (regular SC on this round, NOT in the back loop as in round 4) in each TR, at the same time decrease 5 sts evenly around (this brings in the neck edge of the cowl so it's not quite as gaping). Join last SC to first SC with a slip stitch. Cut yarn and tie off.

Finishing: Try on the cowl and fold one top corner diagonally to the other front side of the cowl. Mark this button placement with a piece of your yarn. Secure the button to this spot. Weave in your ends. Try it on again...voila! Your neck is surrounded by a void of nothingness...I mean the Black Hole cowl :)