Christmas in July!

I know there's some people actually celebrate Christmas in July! One of my neighbors back in MD actually bought presents for her hubby (and he bought them for her) and they cooked a turkey, on July 25th, played Christmas carols and songs all day and would talk about Christmas past and make plans for Christmas that year. I think it all sounds wonderful, but I've never actually done it myself. Hmmm? I have 5 more days, wonder if I should cook a turkey and get out the Christmas cd's? Hubby would think I'd gone mad, I'm sure - but doesn't it sound like fun!

Well anyway, I thought it time I got back to knitting for my ADVENTure! Have you joined in with Kristyn this year? You can read her ADVENTure posts HERE.

I have only posted 3 times this year about my Christmas knitting, and as I expected, as soon as the weather started to warm up, my knitting time decreased. BUT, I have started to get back to it this week....

I cast on for this yesterday, it's a combination of a couple of different hat patterns, featuring a simple garter stitch band and a knitted flower (from a Sirdar book I have). Knit with Hobby Lobby's 'I Love This Wool', in a flesh color. I added 3 pearls to the center of the flower too. Right now I won't mention who the items are for, hopefully after Christmas I will get pictures of recipients with their gifts and can post a big update in January. 

 I did ask Kristen to try it on for me though, I think it looks so sweet. I finished it this afternoon. With knits like this I should be finished by September, ha ha - I wish! Still got lots to do, I'm casting on for another in grey tonight.  

What about you? Are you 'gift knitting' this year, and if so have you made a start on it? 

Spring Garden Tee

I need to do an update on my ADVENTure progress, but I don’t have much to share since last month because I was busy with this . . .

Spring Garden Tee by Alana Dakos

Size 32 :: Needles #5 :: Yarn Naturally Caron Spa, 2.5 balls::

This is the first pattern of Alana’s I’ve tried (love them all though) and I would definitely knit it again. I love knitting in the round with no seams :-) In fact I’m already thinking of making another one in a different color for myself, and using a different yarn.  The yarn was ok, but I’d like a ‘nicer quality’ one if I do it again.

As you can see from the pictures it was rather bright outside when I took them! So, do I knit another one OR do I get on with some ADVENTure knitting for Christmas gifts? Decisions, decisions!!!!

Hmmm!

Well as you can see I didn't take part in the Annual Knitting and Crochet Blog Week! The time just got away from me. I was also having my 'daily blog' redesigned and I decided I would keep all my posts (that I usually add to my other blogs) over there.... knitting related ones included!

I may still post FO's and Wips here from time to time, but if you want to follow along with me on my 'daily journal' come on over HERE and say hi :-)

I'll still be keeping this blog up and running, if for nothing else so that I can visit you from my blogroll list. Feel free to comment here still or over at my daily blog. I will see both :)

I've knit Alana's pretty Spring Garden Tee and just need to take modeled shots of it. You can see some details on my Ravelry page here.

Blog Week!

This looks like fun. I think I might just have to join in :-)  Click the banner above to read more about it.

ADVENTure Update

I’m joining in with Kristyn this year as she journeys on an ADVENTure to make all of her Christmas gifts. Mine will mostly be hand knit.

So far, I have a Juliet Scarf,  Bella Mittens, Ruffled Scarf, and a cowl (will make matching mittens). I have other items that need to be finished off, but this month I started working on this… I think this little turtle hot water bottle cover is the cutest thing. I may make more than one. I’ve done the back and this is the front. I was reading a lot this month so didn’t get too much knitting done. I’ve also made a beanie hat and 1 (yes, just one) fingerless glove for Kristen’s friend. Once I get the other mitten knit I’ll take a picture.
I also started on this little guy. . . .

right now he is a 3 legged puppy! You’d think I would just get on and do the last leg! For some reason, I always want to knit toys, but once I get started I don’t enjoy the process of knitting so many ‘parts’! There’s not even than many parts to the ‘wrap me up puppy’ by Susan Anderson, but I am still putting off knitting the leg. Also this was knit on size #4 dpns cos I didn’t have size 3. The stitching is a bit loose I think. I have now bought the size 3’s so at some point I will try another one. This one already has Kristen’s name on it!  

What I’d like to work on next is getting some gift cards made!

Modeled Shots!

LOOK! I finally got hubby to help me take some modeled shots of McCafferty! I loved knitting this. Lily, it is a beautiful pattern:-)  I’d love to try it with different weight yarns.

I used KnitPicks Palette, in color Fawn. Only took 3 balls!

Hubby started getting ‘snap happy’ with the camera!

Yup, that’s a thread hanging (above pic) I haven’t woven in the ends yet!

      

Now, it’s back to some GIFT knitting!

What next?

I’ve finished McCafferty :-)  Here it is sitting on the bedroom floor blocking!

I think it will be for me, because I had no one in mind when I started it   It turned out beautiful and it would make a wonderful gift, I just don’ t know who I’d give it to? So would it be so terrible if I gifted it to myself? I think I know the answer to that! I shall try to take modeled shots soon (when it’s not so cold outside!)

So, what to start next?  I have a huge list of gifts to make, I just don’t know what to start on next.  On the agenda is this little tortoise . . . from the Knit Simple magazine (but I don’t have the yarn for this yet)

    A ‘Wrap Me Up Puppy’ from Susan B. Anderson

This pretty little hat and gloves set is already on my needles from last year, so I could finish that off!

And these Thuja socks are on my list too

Hubby keeps hinting that he wants a sweater knit! To be honest, I’ve never knit hubby anything! He’s never shown an interest in getting socks or a hat from me and it’s a running joke that I won’t make him anything! but I wonder if I should try this . . .

Cobblestone Pullover by Jared Flood. I’ve always liked the look of it, but not sure I could knit it as a surprise as I would want to make sure it was fitting as I knit it? What do you think? Should I just try it and let him know I’m knitting it, or could I try and keep it a surprise?  Have any of you knit it for your man? Kelly I think you did it for Moose didn’t you? Did he try it on as you knit? Any thoughts would be appreciated.