Knitwear in Action!

Last weekend, Pop Pop and I decided to take a little trip to see our favorite Peanut! That means there was lots of time for car knitting, and the chance to see some little girl knits in action, and I was really excited about both. I was excited about 16 hours (total, out and back) of car knitting...

but a 1-row scarf gets pretty boring, pretty quickly. Still, I did finish the thing,

and that's good, because I really needed another grey scarf. For some reason, I always seem to give away my grey scarves! The plan is to keep this one...but I will be giving away these socks (also finished on the trip!).

Once we got to the kids' house, I saw some silly things. You know, like clip-doll, Disney princesses in Jake and Izzy's boat...

and butterflies, originally meant for the baby's room, circling near Cinderella in Peanut's room!

While I was up in her room, Peanut showed me that she was wearing hand-knit socks "fwom Gwamma!" Of course, this meant that we needed a photo of our foots together...

...and an "action shot" as well.

Wait, what's that...behind the feet there? Oh, right. The boy dolls. All of the princes are posing perfectly for the picture, but what is Ken so distracted by?

I see it now. The girl dolls are napping in the dream-house!

And what's that they're wearing? More hand-knits, of course! (Ken is jealous. His pants don't quite close anymore, so there is a possibility the boy dolls will be decked out in knitting soon, too...)

All of this, plus arts and crafts,

and a run,

and a ride, through the mall!

It was a great trip, but in the end, I was tired. I'm still tired. Kids are fun, but I am still tired! I think that I will record Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve tonight, because there is just no way I will make it to midnight...lol!

Whatever your plans are for the evening, thanks for stopping by today. I wish you contentment and peace in 2015, and a Happy New Year!

Knit in Good Health!

12 Memories of Christmas

I have heard that the 12 days of Christmas begin at sundown on Christmas Eve, so I am definitely too late to start that nonsense. Still, I like numbers, and I'd like to think that I can come up with 12 pretty good memories of this holiday season...let's see:

12 eggs, halved and deviled

(My one, tiny contribution to Christmas dinner this year. They were pretty yummy!)

11 dirty cat looks

(Especially if I decided to disturb this scene.)

10 toes in new shoes

(Dollface is a pretty good gifter, and she got her dad some new kicks!)

9 turns on the dance floor - at least nine, probably more!

(Another video from the Christmas program...you know you want to click that link!)

8 patterns queued for puppy sweaters

(Because, well...look at that face!)

7 sets of stripey Christmas socks

(I know, I know. You've heard, and you've seen...but look again!)

6 pans of candy

(Maybe more. There was so. much. candy!)

Fiiiiiiive kinds of tea!!!

(Because my mother-in-law gives me tea. :)

4 Ellie selfies

(Ok, maybe they're not "selfies." It's a cute card tho...)

3 Facebook notifications

(Every time I look. Even if I just looked! I have 3 RIGHT NOW!)

2 needles clicking

(Yep. Still knitting. Even at Christmas.)

And a salad as I start my new diet!

(Because that's what we do. Eat whatever we want, whenever we want, for a month, and blame it on Christmas...at least until December 26th!)

Of course, today is December 27th, so the diet is already shot. Maybe I'll have another go at it next Thursday,...and maybe not. :) Either way, it's been a good holiday season, and even though my tree is already down (yes, I am that person), I'm still enjoying a little bit of that holiday feeling. :)

Whatever your holiday brought, I hope that you found some joy and that you've made some memories, for better or worse. I genuinely hope for better!

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy the last few days of 2014, and knit something a little selfish now that the holidays are almost over. In any case, and whatever you're knitting, Knit in Good Health!

Merry Christmas from the Pretties...

From all of us, to all of you...

Knit in Good Health!

Merry Christmas Eve

'Twas the day before Christmas, and all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...

Black Cat (interrupting): Which is a shame. We like mice. They are fun to chase. Oh, well...

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

White Cat: Wait a minute. Wait just a cotton-pickin' minute! This is not our story. This is, in fact, plagiarism. We don't even have a fireplace. (harumph!)

Here's our story:
The cats are unhappy, because there just are no laps...

No place to sit for our warm, winter naps.

The Pretties around here are nowhere to be seen, 

She said something about shopping, we're not sure what that means!

All we know is we're lonely, and our bowl is not full.

Sure, there's a few crumbs, but this is just bull-...

Pretty: Hold on there, White Cat! I don't think that's very fair, now. Do you?

White Cat: Fair? FAIR?!? It's Christmas! Give the cats what they want!

Pretty: Back up the Christmas train, there...what about these pictures of you ON MY LAP??? Aaand, I just filled your bowl, freshened your water...and isn't that your catnip mouse over there? Under the tree?

White Cat (climbing under knitting project): I don't think so...you never give us good stuff.

Black Cat (whispering): I think it is...ooohhhhh! Ima get it!!!

White Cat: Don't be silly...wait. What? Did you hear that???

She's gonna get the catnip mouse...I gotta go!!!

Pretty: Well, Friends, it looks like we've lost the cats! They are so easily distracted, and I guess I am too...especially at this time of the year. I hope that you have finished what you need to finish for tomorrow, and that there will be some peace and quiet in your day today, before we face the crazy we all know as Christmas!

Now, here's a little musical message from Peanut and the Preschoolers:

Thanks for stopping by, and Merry Christmas Eve!

Snowmen - NOT so Helpful at Christmas-time

On the 20th of December, I realized that Christmas is actually coming...and I'm not ready! I also realized that I am not the first (or only) person to have a Dec. 20th, Christmas panic attack, so I told myself to just settle down. After all, Olaf has eyes now,

and overall, once he's had his coffee,

he can be a rather helpful fellow. Here he is, working on a pair of socks that I must have put down for a moment. 

I think I put them down to rescue my coffee from the snowman, but you know...he's helpful like that. And here he is, "guarding" my candy jar at the office. Wait a minute...how many of those did you eat, Olaf? Trying to maintain your snow-manly figure, I suppose...but that jar was full the last time I looked. 

Oh, and last week, I caught him using a "pick-up" line on Barbie...you know, to keep her out of my hair while I was knitting...that's his story anyway.

I know that he is trying to be helpful, but can I just tell you how glad I was to finally have him wrapped up and in the box, ready to be delivered to Peanut (with some other things, too, of course)?

Even with Olaf out of my way, my knitting place is looking a little lonely lately...well, except for Black Cat!

I'm still busy (just like you are, I'm sure), putting the finishing touches on the buying and the wrapping and the cooking that brings the joy of Christmas day. I am not ready, but that's ok. My family understands, and so do I (finally, after 4-and-a-half decades), that Christmas brings joy, and stress, and there will be plenty of leisurely knitting time in 2015. So these are my holiday wishes for you:

May your cookie jar never be empty
(even if you have to fill it with jelly beans).

May your heart always be full
(love is a choice, choose well).

May your mind be still enough
(to get some solid sleep at the end of each day).

May your fingers fly
(through the ribbons and wrapping, without paper cuts).

May you find joy in the holiday preparations and celebrations.

May you find peace and healing for your souls, so that you might enjoy family and friends at Christmas-time, and throughout the new year.

Thanks for taking a break to stop by the blog today!

Knit (and love and share joy) in Good Health, friends!

Catching Up...

Wow, December is a busy month! I always forget about that...so today's post will not involve so much of the candy making

or cookie baking of the last few days...

Rather, let's talk about my granddaughter and her November visit! Won't that be fun? Of course it will! (Not that the cats would necessarily agree...but this is not a blog about the cats. Well, it is a little bit about the cats...and dogs!)

This is the first visit that the cats did not totally freak out about. In fact, White Cat hardly even noticed that we had company!

There were a few moments where she even took advantage of a dog bed...in a cage...seriously. So weird.

Of course, none of our four-legged friends were very happy about all the photos...in fact, they all started to look a bit annoyed. (You'll notice that Puggle Jumper isn't even in the pictures...she just walked away every time the camera came out. lol!) 

Peanut was never annoyed, though. She is practicing to be a super-model! Here she is, modeling the mittens (with open fingers inside the flap)...

And here, she shows you the snowman we made, even though there wasn't any snow (Gramma's gotta improvise sometimes!)

Even when she isn't posing, she is ready for the camera. Here she is, oblivious to me (and most of her admirers), captivated by her daddy's juggling...

And here she is, stuffing her face like the big people at the Thanksgiving table...

So good to have them all around that table!

She just cannot take a bad photo...even when it's a selfie! 

(Gramma should take some lessons!)

We had so much fun during their visit, I can barely wait until I see them again! She can't wait either, and she sent me a photo in her new sweater and her jingle socks!

I am one lucky Gramma! 

Thanks for stopping by, friends. Now that we are all caught up here, I hope you will continue to Knit in Good Health, throughout the holiday season!

Christmas, Knitting, Parties and Myths

"We hold these truths to be self-evident" is a phrase from the Declaration of Independence. It does not apply to old wives' tales, rude assumptions, or silly myths...especially when it comes to knitters. For instance, here are just a few that I've heard time and again...

"You can pick your friends, and you can pick your teeth,* but you can't pick your friends' teeth!"

Well, that one might be true, and self-evident...but at this year's CKW Knitters' Christmas Party, I learned that you CAN shame your friend into picking her own teeth. Especially if you can't hear what she is saying while that spinach (or parsley, or meat, or whatever) is screaming at you from alongside her canines. (By the way, I did get it...but it took some doing.)

"Only grandmas like to knit."

That one is most decidedly UNTRUE! I mean, sure...I am a grandma (and I love this part of my life), but knitters are also moms and students, teachers and lawyers, scientists and nurses, and so much more!

"If you want to learn to knit, you should start with a scarf and some scratchy wool."

To this, I answer, "Why?" I mean, if you want to knit a scarf with scratchy wool, then start with a scarf! But what if you want to knit a blanket (or a snowman) with economy acrylic? 

Or socks, with a soft, wool/nylon blend and tiny stitches? 

Why can't you start with socks? I did!

"Hot chocolate is a beverage for children."

Yeah? Not if there's a bottle of Hennessy in the picture... 

But look how happy it made these knitters. 

(Disclaimer: I don't know if that's really the cocoa...but they sure are having a good time...!)

"Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth."

Yeah? Whatever. I really don't think so. 

"I've taken all the calories out of this before I put it on the counter!"

This. This is a blatant lie. I know this, but I do appreciate the intent of the untruth. 

And I did indulge in all the yumminess at the party! Mmmmm!

"Knitting is boring."

Seriously? These are not the feet of boring people!

And boring people do not stay out until 8 o'clock at the party when they have to work the next day...riiiight?!? Right!

"Christmas shopping is a chore, and it's so difficult to find/make fun little gifties for my friends."

All I can do, as I gaze in wonder once again at this pile of goodies, is suggest that perhaps you should find better friends. I love to make stocking stuffers for my friends! These little gifts are always among the highlights of my Christmas season!

I wish you could have joined us at the CKW Knitters' Christmas Party! If you're local, you should think about joining us to knit on Thursday nights (here's a LINK to our Ravelry group). If not, I hope you find your group soon, so you can stop believing everything you hear on the Internet. Or from Old Wives! (wink!) 

Thanks for stopping by. Merry Christmas Season to you, and may all your knitting and crafting be done in time for gifting (if that's how you roll)! Mine is almost there...

Knit in Good Health!

*I know, I know. That should be nose...but there was something in my teeth, and my hostess could not see past it, so it is what it is.