O Christmas Tree (felt edition)

I've now got two Christmas trees up in my house! You see, I knew that Peanut was coming to visit for Christmas, and I knew that this curious toddler would LOVE to play with my Christmas tree, and I also knew that many of my ornaments were not of the "toddler-safe" variety...so when I saw THIS IDEA online, I pinned it, and I copied it, lickety-split! This is what I came up with:

My tree is a little short and squat...
but guess what? So am I!

Anxiously awaiting their arrival, I cut out the tree first, and put it on the wall using command picture hanging strips (the "toothy" side grabs the felt really well, without damaging it). Then I printed off this pattern page, and free-handed the stars. I don't know why I am comfortable free-handing stars and not circles...it is what it is, as always! Finally, I sat myself down on the sofa to wait and to cut out the ornaments. I got them all done (in between the jumping-up-to-see-if-I-heard-their-car-door-every-30-seconds) before their arrival...so, this was a pretty quick project (took a little under 2 hours from first cut to last)!

I really wish that I could show you a picture of Peanut playing with her own "Santa tree" (as she calls it), but she's a quick toddler these days! The photos are few and far between, and this Gramma is gonna hafta work on her "quick draw" with the camera before Christmas morning, to say the very least! But know that my "Santa treed" are surviving the visit, the grand-dogs and Peanut...and we are all having fun with felt! Mork likes to knock off the ornaments to see how long it takes me to put them back...with my OCD-nes, it's a pretty funny game! (Even I can see the funny in that!)

Christmas is getting close, and I'm excited! I hope that your plans are coming together, and that December 25th finds you content and in good company, too! Be well, and I'll see you tomorrow!

Do you have any un-finished, holiday projects?

Happ-y Halloween-y!!!

Trick or Treat! 

When Mindy sent this pic, she said, "She won't wear her
ears or smile...she's Minnie." LOL!

I hope you have your Corny Candy Bag to collect the plunder if you are going out tonight! If you live in the northeast corner of the US, I hope that you also have your personal flotation device...

Our Tricks-and-Treats have been postponed to the weekend, but the holiday is here, so Minnie and I say to you and yours, "Happy Halloween! Eat as much candy as you can!" (Unless you have a medical reason not to...) I guess I'll just be hunkered down with just my knitting...TRAGEDY!...NOT!!!

In the absence of the little ones tonight, I am especially glad that you stopped by, and I hope that you will be Knitting in Good Health (and staying warm) this evening.

Relaxing. . .Down on the Farm

Last Saturday, amidst the preparations for the bridal shower (pictures of that in the next post, I promise!), I got to spend a little time on the farm. I love to spend time on the farm, because the farm is Where the Bees Are (and the bees make the hunny!). . .

. . .and the farm is where I sometimes knit with my friends, AND it's where I learned how to needle felt myself a pumpkin!. . .
. . .and a chicken! Because, you know, I neeeeed more hobbies. . .

The farm is also where Joey lives. I like Joey. So do the other knitters! But Joey is a fickle llama. . .hmmmm, this one is a little too shy. . .

. . .and this one? She's a little too bold!. . .

But this one. . .whoa! This one's Just Right!. . .Hey, Baby!

It's so pretty at That'll Do Farm! When Sweetie and I were there to pick up our produce, the farmer walked us around to soak up the totally organic beauty of the place! It's just amazing. . .

. . .and when I came home, there were beans, and cabbage, and cukes, and zukes, and chives to marvel at and enjoy, fresh from the friendly farm!

With so much going on in my life lately, I am barely even knitting, but I thoroughly enjoyed the respite of our visit to the farm. Thank you to the farmer who took time from her farming to show us around and to sit and enjoy a piece of the day with us! That's the kind of gift I can treasure in my heart forever.

Until next Saturday, I hope that you will all Knit in Good Health!

PS - Don't forget the CONTEST on my 250th Blog Post!!!

But, Where's the Yarn?

So, last weekend, Pretty went to a fiber festival. . .and on Wednesday, she showed pretty pictures of her friends and all the fun they had. . .

But what about the yarn?
Did she buy any yarn?!?

Well, my friends, yes. Yes, she did.
She did buy yarn, and more. . .here's the haul:
It all fit into two bags, my market bag and a paper bag from Calla Lily, so it didn't look like much, but I think I got a pretty good bang for my knitting buck last weekend! This is 100% corn fiber "tape" yarn (which is different than tape worm, trust me) from Calla Lily. I am not always a fan of tape yarns, they twist when you knit them, but what can I say?. . .it was on sale!:And this is my favorite cotton-blend sock yarn of all time, from Yarn Knit by Sue! I don't know why, but if it's a limited anything, I gotta have it!
Following the theme of cottons-and-other-non-animal-blends-in-subtle-and-muted-colors, here is some Cotton Fine, from Pollywogs (one of my favorite vendors at this festival). The cotton for my Hey, Teach! cardi was from Pollywogs two years ago, and my only regret for this year's purchase was that I forgot to bring my punch cards to get punched for discounts. . .ugh!
And now, for the non-yarn purchases. . .

I had seen these DIY Stitch Markers (plastic with a hole for a jump ring of your own, marked with common knitting abbreviations) at 7Yaks Designs on Etsy just two days before the festival. . .the ones listed were green, and I would have bought them online (same price), but I wanted more colors. At the festival, there was also a lone bag of red ones, sitting there looking at me like a puppy that has just found it's new owner. . .what could I do? I am powerless against the puppy-dog eyes!

I mean, just look at them. . .full of promise for future knitting projects. . .I know just what I am gonna do with these - squeeee!

And for the finale (remember, Pretty needs another hobby like she needs a hole in her head), Michelle and I decided to pick up needle felting kits from Big Springs Farm, to make Christmas ornaments for this year's tree! Why not? I mean, it's fiber and it looks like fun, I'm going to see if I like it!

And, just in case I DO like it, I also picked up an extra felting needle (the kit comes with a one-needle tool, I got a 4-needle tool as well) and an extra cookie cutter (like I don't have a million cookie cutters at home already) from Big Springs, and 8-$1 balls of colorful fluffy wool from Valhalla Acres Fiber Farm to felt with!

Then I laid everything out last night to take a few photos for the blog, after a day of work and shopping for Peanut and shopping for food and cleaning up and putting everything away for the weekend, and Sweetie poured me a small glass of sangria. . .yummy and sweet!

So there you have it. There's the yarn, and fiber, and toys, and all of the promise of new projects to be started. What should I work on first today? Hmmm. . .

Thanks for stopping by, and Knit in Good Health!