Completed

Well, the stocking went well. I have been given rave reviews and lavish praise, which is great for my ego, but honestly I am just glad that my sister liked it. My niece won't care for a few years yet.

I guess I just want what all aunties and knitters who create things for children want. To create something that a child feels is special. Maybe they drag the blanket you knit around forever, or maybe the toy you make is the one that makes car rides go smoothly. To knit comfort into an object. In a way I have jumped that hurdle with this project and again in the new year when I knit the matching one for my nephew. It's a Christmas stocking, you only get one, and you know what it means when every year it gets pulled out of the decoration box. On that thought, I guess I should give her something to keep critters away. I would hate to see it ruined by little moth mouths.

A note on the pattern. The toe notes I found on ravelry I mentioned last post, but I didn't see any notes on the finishing method. This pattern calls for a turnover row and hem edge. Not a problem, except it wants you to continue in the box colours so there is a bit of a scalloped effect if you are not careful (I thought I was, but apparently not enough) and it asks that you fold it inside and tack down the live stitches. Not really possible using DPN's. So I turned the stocking out and tacked down the stitches that way. I felt that this was a good solution to the finishing, but that tacking down live stitches left a bit of waver in the end result...... so I may try to cast off then tack next time, that way I can pin it into position and hopefully eliminate any bunching.

 I don't think the scalloping of the edge is really any worry, at least not for me, I like it. If I hadn't told you it was an oops, the only way to know would be to find other projects. Any how, to finish it off before I gave it away, I rolled up a towel, stuffed it inside and gave it a good steaming with my iron. Worked like a charm. Hope your Christmas projects turned out well. I will have more next post. Happy New Year!

New Traditions

Last week saw me begin a new project. The first of two for sure……………Fireside Stocking (by Kate Gilbert) for my niece and nephew. Kettle dyed purple yarn, done with Wilton food dye, and white Patons Classic Merino Wool.

Any Knit Wits listeners can be assured that so far this stocking experience is not a pain in the behind (this is not a DREAD stocking), but it did start out a bit rough. I began this little number about six times. I had real problems with the toe chart. As soon as I was four or five rows in, the stitches began lining up oddly and the white/ purple dispersion was all wrong. Thanks to some helpful Ravelry folks I got around the problem. In the toe chart the increased stitches are marked on their respective rows. For the toe, an “M1” box in the pattern grid means the made stitch only, not a knit stitch plus a made stitch. Thank you aufildesjours for this notation.






That note on Ravelry saved this project. I seriously love the notes that people leave. Thanks for all the help you give when you make detailed notes!
I have liked this pattern since I picked up the Interweave Holiday Knits 2007, I am pretty sure it was the “tipping point pattern” that sealed the deal on my purchase of this magazine. I try not to buy magazines or books if I won’t make more than one pattern from them. I want value for my money! So naturally when my sister asked if I would be interested in knitting the Christmas Stockings for her kids I thought of this pattern. It means a lot to me that she asked me to make them. My sister has always been knitworthy. She always asks about care of gifts, and to my knowledge she uses what I give her and my niece all the time. My BIL I am unsure of, but he got a hat I was pretty proud of last year. So when a knitworthy family member asks for a knit item, I do my best to get it done for them. Stockings are a big deal. They have always held a special place in my heart and I think my siblings hearts too.

When we were kids, it was the only thing we were allowed to open at whatever crazy time we got up. Santa is an amazing stocking filler. Even now, if we are good we get a stocking filled. So to be part of Christmas memories from the beginning, to create something that will be part of the magic for years to come…… awesome.
I hope she likes it.

Planning for a Bounty.

Last year my parents' apple trees were overflowing with apples. My Dad made pies, but eventually ran out of things to do with them. This year in preperation for another large  harvest I began looking over my preserving books ernestly in the summer to decide what we would most likely eat and what I could do with a bounty of apples.

This year there was no apples. That sounds dramatic, there were a few apples but not nearly as many as last year. After the 2010 Winter Olympics we had a cold snap! LOL and alot of plants and trees that were budding early due to the lovely weather in Feburary, lost buds to the cold. Simple as that. 

What is a girl with apple plans to do?

Buy a box of apples from a school fundraiser of course! LOL

Here they are sitting in our cold room. 

And here is what I got up to today.

Apple pear crumble

and apple chips.

Yummy. It`s sad but I am unsure what apples I purchased. I am about 90% sure it was Gala apples. But honestly it could have been another type. They have been the same colour the whole time.
So I still have more apples, I will be making more ships, and I think I will have to make more crumbles, as I already have 3 places that I am taking a desert, and I only made 5 of the little guys! That will be great and I have not decided about apple butter or a apple pie filling. I was certian that I wanted to do canning, but I really don't know anymore. I hesitate as I have not tested a recipe for either I hate to waste my apples.

More on other parts of my weekend later. Hope you had a good one!