The big day is over, but I still have one more Christmas celebration,  Tomorrow we leave for Atlanta where we'll have Christmas with Kathy New Year's Eve then go on to Sunset Beach, North Carolina for the month of January.  It was in Sunset Beach last year that the idea for "Knitting: A Love Story" took root.  We are busy packing for a month away; Dick, Jan, Lucy and Murphy will spend a month in weather warmer than Michigan.  Of course, part of that planning and packing is knitting projects.  I have three; a Vivian Hoxbro to finish, one that is too cool for words (it is a Helen Hamann that I've had for a very long time.  It is unique, colorful, has beautiful yarn.  All the qualities I love in a project.) and a cowl called Suki Suki from those wonderful women at Knit-Purl.  More about those from the road.

On Christmas day, Barb and her son Greg came over for Christmas brunch.  That's when I gave her the Christmas treasure.

Those wonderful women from Knit-Purl sent a email with this fabulous scarf.  

I absolutely fell in love with it.  When I went to the Knit-Purl website (my computer just sort of automatically goes there when I log in), I found the yummy colors of Raspberry and Ash in Shibui Baby Alpaca.  Whoop-tee-do!  I could just see the scarf made in these two colors.  When I looked at the pattern closer, I discovered it was knit in the round.  The more I thought about it the more I realized this screamed "DOUBLE KNIT!!!"  The original pattern was knit with a different Shibui using two strands.  The women at Knit-Purl figured out for me how much yarn I would need changing to Baby Alpaca and using one strand.  So I changed the pattern.  I am so proud of this.  

This is the yarn I fell in love with.  Do you blame me?  I didn't know who I was knitting it for, I just knew it would be perfect.  I love to double knit.  Each side is the opposite image.  One side is Raspberry squares with Ash in between the other is Ash squares with Raspberry in between.  I really love the rhythm of double knitting.  I definitely stopped whatever I was knitting and picked this up.  I garnered another TBFL (To Be Finished Later) project.  

I don't want to sound conceited, but isn't it beautiful?  I absolutely love it.  It is one of my favorite things I've ever knit.  I am so proud that I changed the pattern to make it even better.  

It is always sad to part with a project you love but it is so exciting to give a project you love to someone you love.  

We are home from Kansas and preparing for several Christmases.
You recognize the Yarn Barn of Kansas from my previous posts.  Of course, I had to make a visit (just like a gambler needs to go to a casino or an alcoholic needs to go to a bar.  We all have our addictions.)  Believe it or not, I really didn't buy much.  Just Knitter's Pride size 3 double pointed needles and three beautiful skeins of yummy Yarn Barn yarn.

Aren't they gorgeous?  I have no idea what I'll make with them.  I just know I experienced a a Yarn Crush and had to buy them.  It really is my least expensive Yarn Barn visit ever.  I will miss the fabulous day after Christmas Yarn Barn sale for the second year in a row.  (Dick and I may need to rethink having Christmas in Kansas the weekend before rather that Christmas day.)  I can see the beautiful lovelies in one of the scarfs I made for my bridge ladies.  

Donn and Andi loved their Gail Palpant painting of Donn's garden, The Glorious Garden.  Andi and Erin loved their scarfs.  I almost finished Hazel's Stocking Cap while in Lawrence.  All in all it was a great time.  

We had Christmas with Linda yesterday.  She loved her Knit Swirl, but I did learn something important.  You should never announce gifts on your blog before the actual event.  Linda tried to act surprised, but I could tell she wasn't.  Well, at least I learned that she really reads the blog.  It fit perfect and looks great on her.  I am three for three in the treasures department.  (Really, four for four but that is a separate blog.  

The book version of "Knitting: A Love Story" is hot off the press.  (Well, at least one copy for my mother.)  It looks great and she loves it.  Now she can match the story with the Free Press article.  

It is amazing that it is Christmas Eve and I'm not pulling an all nighter to finish gifts.  Been there; done that, and don't want to do it again.  Tomorrow Barb and her son Greg are coming for Christmas brunch and gifts.  Barb's knitted treasure is spectacular and I can't wait to blog about it.  I changed a fabulous pattern and made it even better.  That is for the next post.  In the mean time "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. . . "

Thursday we're leaving for Christmas in Kansas with Donn, Andi and Erin. The treasures for Andi and Erin are all wrapped, packed and on their way.  The big gift for Donn and Andi is so exciting.  We had an artist do a pastel of their garden called "The Glorious Garden."  It is beautiful.  When we were in Lawrence for their 50th, I took pictures of Donn's fabulous garden in all of its glory.  We've been working with an artist since then and result is amazing!  Donn and Andi collect art so this is perfect.  I can't wait to see the look on their face when they open it.  

I am in the process of choosing my traveling knitting.  I think it will be Hazel's Stocking Cap number 2.  It is fun to knit and has all of the elements of perfect travel knitting:  1) small; 2) uncomplicated pattern; 3) beautiful yarn; etc.  If you want to see my more complete list of requirements for travel knitting you can find it on the April 1 post.  

I am also wrapping gifts to be shipped to Atlanta to my sister's.  This is an amazing Noni Bag that will be Kathy's.  I thought it was mine until I realized it was perfect for her.  I loved knitting this then doing that magical felting thing.  Remember when I used this to show the before and after of felting?

This was before felting.

This was after.  I love felting, Christmas, making things for people and talking about it all on the blog.  So I am a pretty happy girl right now.  I know Kathy will love this.  

I bought this gorgeous yarn at Cynthia's Fine Yarns in Petoskey and immediately knit this great cowl.  The fabulous colors sparkle with a silver thread.  It will be going home with Lori who cleans for me.  Lori has been with us for 7 or 8 years.  I have watched her kids grow up.  Lori is a very special person.  I can't wait to get back to Cynthia's (without Dick) because there was so much I wanted to bring home.  

I only have a couple more knitted treasures to match with loved ones.  I hope you are enjoying the season as much as I am.  You do realize that a trip to Lawrence means a trip to The Yarn Barn!!!!!   

This is my Mom, Lucy, in the pink at her 90th birthday party Friday.  Isn't she beautiful!  I am so blessed that she is happy and healthy at 90.  I hope I am still knitting up  a storm at 90.  

I have several things I love to do.  Knit (of course) and all things connected to it (like collecting yarn and writing this blog), golf, read and play bridge.  If I have a day when I can do some of each, I am in heaven.  Tomorrow I will host one of my bridge groups and it will be the last before Christmas. This past weekend, I decided that I wanted to make something for each member.  God knows I have enough yarn, but did I have enough time?  I figured that even with the simplest pattern, I didn't have time to knit seven of anything.  All of this beautiful yarn but no way to make it into something in six days.  Then I thought of this great scarf I have in my closet.  It is made out of lengths of different yarn tied in places with over hand knots.  I love it AND I definitely could make seven in six days.  In fact, I made seven in three hours.  The most time consuming part was getting the yarn out.  I could have spent days looking for the perfect combination of yarns.  I looked through several tubs to find exactly what I needed.  Luckily, I do have my stash sorted, tubbed and labeled so it was relatively easy to find what I wanted.  It was also great to get reacquainted with some of my fabulous fibers.  

The picture above shows pieces of all seven scarves.  

This is for Bess.  Every time she wears melon/pink, I say, "Bess, that color looks so good on you!"  So I figured Bess's scarf had to be melon.  

This is for Bev.  Bev is a lady who loves sparkle and bling.  The sparkle really doesn't show in this picture, but Bev is going to love it.  

This is teal for Barb.  It is so beautiful.  It is the same yarn I used to make the giant wallhanging.  I was able to use a fraction of the teal and copper yarn I collected for the wallhanging project on this scarf.  As I made this, I warmly thought about my brief obsession with copper yarn and the three tubs it filled.  I could probably make several hundred teal and copper scarfs.  

This is for Sandra.  I just love the fufu yarn.  It was fun to look through my yarn, put different yarns together, then picture who would wear it.  I noticed that Sandra wears black scarves so thought this was perfect for her.

This is so easy.   Here are the directions.  You need to have a theme color, say pink.  Then make sure you have a heavy yarn, a fuzzy yarn, a sparkly yarn, in colors that both pop and blend.  Then cut pieces 8-9 feet.  When you have enough strands cut so that it feels substantial (this is really an art not a science; a suggestion not a rule), make 4 or 5 over hand knots to hold the strands together.  That's it!  I hold all of the yarns I am using together, measure then cut them all at once rather than cut each yarn separately.  

I am very excited to have a gift for each of the wonderful ladies I play bridge with on the second and the fourth Thursday afternoons.  I love making things for people.  I also love to make things from the yarn in my stash.  There is something so satisfying about having an idea, going up my stairway to heaven and having the yarn to do it.  I love that.

Last weekend when Linda and I went to Kean's and Twisted Fiber Arts, TFA was having a drawing for "Shopping Small."  You got so many chances based on how much yarn you bought.  I had 3 chances and made it clear when we left that I wanted to win.  Wednesday I was checking email on my cell phone and saw a voice message from Beth from TFA saying I was the winner of the fabulous basket.  What a great day!  I got to spend the day with Linda, buy TFA yarn, get great stocking stuffers AND win  basket of yarn.  It really doesn't get any better than that!  Back in May, I won a drawing at Friends and Fiberworks in North Carolina.  Too bad this luck doesn't carry over to the casino!  Friday Dick and I drove to Mason to pick the basket up.  Why you may ask didn't I just have them send it?  I wanted a chance to buy more yarn.  

This is the fabulous yarn that was in the basket.  The sock yarn is Tasty Classic Striping in colorway Pemberley.  It is merino and cashmere and is yummy.  The other two yarns are a fingering in Evolution (which means the colors evolve into each other) and an Aran both in Boreal.  They are so beautiful.  There is a hat pattern for the aran and a caplet for the fingering. I really am not much of a sock knitter so I am going to surprise Linda with the sock yarn, pattern and cute little packet of sock needles.  After all we were there together, we should share.

I hope you are not bored hearing about how much I love Twisted Fiber Arts.  I am almost done with my Hazel's Stocking Cap, so there will be another TFA post soon.

Here are my purchases from Friday.  They are all in Tasty Evolution with front left in colorway Carousel, front right Blaze and back Minstrel.  These are also examples of the large (Blaze), medium (Minstrel) and small (Carousel) yarn packs.  If you are absolutely enchanted by TFA as I am, you don't have to drive to Mason, Michigan (even though it is a great field trip) you can visit them online.  Please do! Tell them you heard about them at Knitting: A Love Story.

Yesterday I had to go to a Driver's Improvement class for an accident I was in a few weeks ago.  As always, I had tucked some knitting in my purse.  It happened to be Hazel's Stocking Cap.  I was in the basement of a Comfort Inn from 9:30 to 3:00, so had considerable time to knit.  This was a belated Knitting In Public day for me.  The total surprise was, not a single person commented on me knitting or what I was knitting or the beautiful yarn I was knitting with.  No one said, "What are you making." or "My grandmother does that." or "That's really beautiful."  All of which would have been acceptable comments.  What was wrong with these people!!!! Don't they know when they are in the presence of beauty and greatness!!! I think this is the first time ever that no one has commented on a Knitting In Public experience.  Is it possible that out of the 20-25 people there, no one was a knitter?  Or no one was curious?  I did get a lot of knitting done.  I really wanted to knit during the videos but was afraid the instructor would think I was not paying attention.  

Tomorrow I will post on my next Christmas treasure and where it is going for Christmas.