One Repeat and Two Very Different Finishes

So far this month I have three finishes, one of which took all of 2018.  But first, I did another pair of monkey mitts for my youngest grandson this time. (And just the other day just out of the blue, he told me he loves them.)

Actually they are a tiny bit different than the other pair as they were accidentally knit on smaller needles which was a good thing as they are still a bit big.

This one really challenged my fingers!  My friend talked me into buying this kit which had the makings for two kitties, this orange one and a grey one.  Grey kitty is still just a ball of yarn, and this one went to live with my friend. I never measured it but would guess it's about 2 inches long.  One of these days I'll tackle kitty # 2.

This is the year long project, a temperature scarf.  I used the One Row Handspun Scarf pattern and recorded each day's high temperature with yarn of the appropriate color.  (Sewing in the ends was a real pain!)  The top part was winter and spring, the middle summer,  and bottom was fall and the beginning of winter. You can tell that our weather is pretty moderate. The red, hottest temperatures were from our vacations elsewhere 

except once in the fall when it was hot and smoky here!  I noticed recently that Morehouse Farm Merino is promoting temperature blankets this year. That would be quite a project!

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Well, it's just about time to go outside to watch the lunar eclipse.  Surprisingly it's clear enough to see it!  Have a great week!

Playing Catch Up!

Can you even believe it?  Another post already?  Well, it's about time I posted some more of my recent finishes that couldn't be shown before now.

To my surprise this yarn came with the beads strung onto it which made for a very fun knit. It was gifted to my hairdresser's little one.

My sister and I each bought two of these Fairy Scarf kits in Cannon Beach, OR.  They were fun to make, but both of us added extra yarn.  It took a while to attach the little decorations though, and each kit came with the little green book that told the story of fairy scarves.

Here's another fun project that's a spin-off of the Almost Lost Dishcloth pattern.  I used that never ending ball of Christmas yarn to make the starfish.

For the first time in ages I tried making a toy, a mouse, for Max. It, too, was a fun knit and the pattern included several choices for hats.

Because my younger daughter's name is the same as this pattern, I had to make these socks for her.  And needless to say, Catherine loves the color purple as well as the nice yarn that I got quite a while ago from Wandering Cat.

That's it for the Christmas gift finishes, but since we have lots of family birthdays right afterwards, I will share those finishes later.  These last two photos are from a life-size walk-through gingerbread house that we visited with the grandkids.  It was in the foyer of a local hotel but most likely gone by now. Here's a list of the ingredients! Donations from visitors went to the local Children's Hospital.

 

Hope you're all enjoying these first few days of the New Year!

Happy New Year!

Phew!  Things are about back to normal here after a very busy December that ended with a wonderful celebration with all of our family together on Christmas Day for the first time in a long time. And now that all the packages have been opened, I can finally share some of my projects. It seems like I never learn to start earlier!  However, I was sidetracked by the need to make two prayer shawls, one for a friend who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late November, and the other for another friend who just learned she has breast cancer.

I always use the same pattern with Lion Brand Homespun yarn.

Earlier in the fall, I decided to try making the same shawl with different yarn and smaller needles and remembered that my sister-in-law had given me some yarn that she purchased on a trip to New Zealand.  It made a perfect size to keep her shoulders warm on the chilly winter days in Palo Alto, and it also reduced my stash by three whole balls.  Wahoo

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And now I need to get back to work and finish a pair of Monkey Mitts for our youngest grandson who turns SEVEN tomorrow. This is what they will look like as I made this pair for Christmas for Daniel who wore them home!

Happy New Year to all of my blogging friends. May 2019 bring you good health and many blessings.  (I will post the rest of my finishes after I finish you know what!)