Wow! So yeah, this holiday thing has been keeping me busy lately-which is great-it's nice to feel overwhelmed sometimes-I think I thrive when I feel that way. Here's what's been going on around here. My friend April came up for a visit. She and I were cooks together at Watson's Veggie Garden in Visalia, Ca ( the best veggie/organic cafe for miles around-the only one!) and became fast friends. It was nice to have her around-we are strangely similar; finding pleasure in the most dull things, growing up in very strict religious households, our shared love affair with cheese. My Mom also came up to visit-and that was great, too.
The day April left -it snowed!
This is/was not normal for Portland. Her train rolled out of here as the drops began to fall. James came home from work early and I was able to snap the above photo of him before the darkness rolled in. It was fun to have the snow since I grew up in the nasty foggy winters of the San Joaquin Valley.
My mom and I did a little shopping-here are my fav aprons I bought:
this one has rows of handsewn rickrack-some of it metallic!
This one is so pretty-I love the pattern!
Because of the icy/snowy conditions-I was able to get a lot of knitting done. Her are some of the things I've been working on:
This is a screwed up version of the famous ruffly potato chip scarf. It is made out of the yarn Lisa gave me. Okay-this pattern is super easy-but I found it so boring I will never make another on. You basically cast on a bunch of stitches on a circular needle and increase every other row to make the ruffles. By the end--you are knitting hundred of stitches and casting off forever!!! So boring-but I like it...
James' Birthday scarf (his bday is the 27th). A variation of the man scarf in "Last Minute Knitted Gifts". Super easy-but I keep frogging it because I space out and mess up when I try to knit it while on the bus.
Hat for a friend-the yarn is Rowan biggy print and I love it. I am not sure if I can part with it.
My first pair of mittens (also a Rowan yarn) using the pattern from "Weekend Knitting". I am scared that I will mess these up. Any knitting advice for mittens?
I tried to sew some baby shoes and some slippers for me. I am so impatient when it comes to sewing. I am also so bad at it. I really need to learn some basics. I cannot "fake it 'til I make it" with sewing. I am planning on making some resolutions-maybe that needs to be the first one-"learn to sew properly".
To anyone reading-happy holidays!!! I wish you and your family peace and joy for the new year to come!
Here is a little wintry image to leave you with-yay for snow!
