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Can you guess what Keith's house project is?

This picture was taken last Saturday. There's more snow/ice on the ground now, but it has melted off the top during today's rain.

Sigh...

Well, this project won't be done for the holidays...

Take 1: I did the cable stitch pattern in wool for the earcuff of a hat.

Then added a lining in acrylic.
But when I went to stitch the ends together, it didn't work out so well.

Take 2: I knit the wool & acrylic at the same time.
Then folded & stitched the seams together.

And then the ends.
Only to discover as I slipped stitches for the hat that the lining was too bulky.

Oh well.

Less than thrilled with this hat (below). But it's done at least!

I didn't know the pattern on the top would be done so quickly (I was making it up as I went).

So I added length to the bottom by making a brim of sorts.

Busy Bees

We've both got our crazy projects at the moment...
Keith's got his own personal honey-do list for house projects, while I'm trying to get holiday cards & gifts finished. More to report later.

Just didn't want you to think we dropped off the face of the earth.

Hate is not a nice word... so I won't use it. I dislike winter. Strongly & entusiastically dislike it. The cold winds, the snow, the problematic traveling... oh yeah, and the loss of work hours due to delays. (Crossing my fingers that is all we'll have -- versus cancellations.)

:)

More stripes

This time with a ribbed stitch.Saturday after practicing a cable knit stitch I had to move on to more yarn. I decided to use a ball of Fisherman's Wool... It took so long to wind it, my arm & shoulder were aching. I found a broken spot (tied in a knot) & used that as my excuse to stop.

Where's Chief Wahoo?

My travels to & fro were uneventful. While there, on the other hand, it was quite eventful! Friday night we ate at home, then did some shopping. Main stop: Jo-ann's, to pick up the last of the supplies for our sewing project. The thrill & excitement was in the air! ...Until I realized I forgot the foot pedal to my sewing machine. Big bummer. Our main plans were to work on the homemade Christmas gifts! The excitement was no longer present. It had left the building. To top it off, after we returned to the house, my mom realized the item she purchased was cracked.

Saturday after we went out for breakfast we did some more shopping. This time Pat Catan's. "Oh my what a buy"(s) were to be found! We made out like bandits! The replacement item she found was completely paid for with her Catan Buck from the flier. Plus, they had a promotion where you could buy a shopping bag for a set price & load it up in a select area, as much as you could fit in the bag, it was yours! Here's our loot... Can you find Chief Wahoo? (Kind of like, "Where's Waldo?")

After that, we returned to Jo-ann's, returned the damaged item, and then found more to buy. (My spirits were better, so I was in a shopping mood!) But back to the loot above... This is where the "Where's Chief Wahoo?" was inspired. Not only is it a game for you but it's also a game for an unsuspecting person. Namely Mike. Chief Wahoo has been installed in the house -- as of Saturday 2:30pm -- the challenge is to see how long it takes until it is discovered & mentioned. (Hopefully he won't read this & find out about the game!) One of her other finds completes her sewing area. It's a "Happy Sh**" holder! Some people call them "nick-knacks", some "dust collectors" & for even others, "happy sh**." (That last one was a new discovery for me this weekend.) The originator of the phrase (actually the mother of the originator) commented that the worthless magnifying glass on the sewing light could be used to hold "happy sh**." Well the "oh my what a 'shove it into the bag' cup" that was discovered was magnetic & actually stuck to the useless magnifying glass. So now the cup is "happy sh**" and is functional since it can hold sewing items!After we returned from shopping we started to work on Thee Unnamed Gift Project. We had to work out the kinks on the first one. It took a while, trying to figure out the logistics of it all. We thought we had a pretty good idea, when the sewing machine broke! The project material was stuck in the machine! It was making grinding noises & beeping at us. The computer display said there was an 'electronic error'! The needle broke & it wasn't cooperating with the attempts to remove it. It was jammed, beeping at all efforts being made. I was a wreck. All I could think of was that my project broke her really expensive sewing machine. With tears in my eyes I continued to muddle on sewing by hand. I wasn't ready to do anything else or be social. Then I said something about turning it by hand without power. Bingo, it worked. The needle was able to be removed & replaced. It turned on without an error screen. Whew! Sweet relief! I don't recall if it was fixed before or after dinner. I remember still being worked up when a countdown was given for leaving for dinner, but I feel like our problem was resolved. Regardless... it was fixed. After dinner at the Winking Lizard, my mom & I went to The Screw Factory Artist's studios to see what there was to see. While it wasn't what we were expecting, it was an experience. Perhaps one that doesn't need to be had again, but it was what it was. The rest of the evening was spent diligently working on the UGP (Unnamed Gift Project). Until another needle broke. Not caught up in the material this time. An "I need to go to bed, I'm really tired" mistake.

Then this morning, bright & early, we were back at it again. It turned out perfectly fine that I wasn't running a second sewing machine at the same time. I was kept quite busy baste stitching, measuring, positioning & pinning, while she just kept sewing (... sewing, sewing, just keep sewing). We managed to put a huge (huge, HUGE) dent into the project. The little task I have left to do seems insignificant in comparison to what was accomplished this weekend. [Thank you sooo much for your help!] Then we were off to the Original Pancake House for, what else, pancakes. They were deee-licious! After that, I was on the road again.

It was a wonderful, tiring, stressful, fun & exciting weekend, all rolled into one. Add 7 plus hours in the car & I am officially beat. I've got what I need ready for tomorrow & I'm off to bed!

But before I sign off... Keith had his own weekend of travels & shopping. This is what he came home with... a complete school of clown loaches. :)

Take Two

A couple of weekends ago I had plans to go & visit my mom. Sickness however interfered. Feeling better now, so, take two. I'll be headed out around lunchtime & should be arriving in time for dinner. May the driving be uneventful!

Final October Hats

Appi Slopes Hat

Stella Hat

Inside Out Striped Hat

The seam looks much better after I made the hat in the round than flat & stitched the seam.